I'm sorry to hear this has been going on so long. As I think I said before, mine was only painful for around an hour. It was absolute agony when the infection was "drilling its way out" (as the doctor put it) through my eardrum, but after that I didn't have any pain. Loads of distusting gunge in my ear for weeks, but no pain. One of the things the doctor gave me was a decongestant nasal spray which I have used since if I have developed ear pain with a cold and it has proved very effective.