Doctor Ordered to Leave Ear Infection/Tinnitus Untreated for a Week

About four days ago I developed a very loud whooshing sound in my right, infected ear. Two doctors gave me wrong medication initially. I finally went to a completely different clinic where the doctor ordered swabs from my throat, nose and ears. Great.

Except that he told me to stop taking any antibiotics until that's done as my ear needs to clear up (previous doctor prescribed ear drop ABs that basically added to the mess).

I'm worried sick that leaving the ear untreated for over a week will raise the chance of the tinnitus becoming permanent.

At this point I spent a fortune on medical bills. Can someone please advise or tell me something that will make me stop freaking out

 

Letting an infection progress untreated seems unorthodox to me. It's the first time I see this being suggested by a doctor.
Perhaps the new doctor just wants to wait until the results of the labs are in so he can target the new antibiotic to the bacteria identified by the lab? That shouldn't be a week though...
Have you asked?

 

I did yes. I haven't had the tests yet. I have to wait until Wednesday next week as I don't think he had the equipment at hand (?). He said that because of the drops (sofradex) he can't see the actual problem in the ear. I'm assuming he needs the infection to be there so he can take the test properly?

For now he advised to stay home, protect the ear and to use the drops on a piece of wool.

 

I am curious; where are you located?

 

I would ask for a second opinion, if I were in your shoes.
Are these specialists? (the doctors you've seen)

 

I live in Ireland. The doctor's are not the best here.

 

I've been to three doctors at this point they are General Practitioners. I would have to wait for a specialist for a few weeks, even with private insurance.

 

@Zuzanna

HI Zuanna

The ear is a very delicate and sophisticated organ. The best treatment for tinnitus especially in the very early stages as you are in, is to do nothing at all. By all means take the medication that your doctor has given you to clear up your ear infection. Tinnitus can sometimes be associated with an ear infection and it can take a while to go. It will eventually but I advise you not to keep going from Dr to Dr spending money. Tinnitus can last quite a while with an ear infection even after it clears up so just try and relax.

Please go to my "started threads" and read my post: New to tinnitus what to do? I am not using my regular PC so can't paste the link here.
Give it time and try not to worry. More information is in my post.

Best of luck
Michael

 

Hi @Zuzanna

I am using my other PC now Please click on the links below and read my posts. You don't need to see an ENT specialist at this time.

All the best
Michael

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/new-to-tinnitus-what-to-do.12558/

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tinnitus-a-personal-view.18668/

 

Thank you Michael. I very much appreciate your reply. I will look up the posts now.

 

You will be fine @Zuzanna Try to avoid quiet rooms and surroundings especially at night by using a sound machine. More is explained in the posts.
Take care
Michael

 

I suggest you don't leave your infection untreated. Infections are no joke, they can do permanent damage.

 

Can you provide a detailed description of when you saw doctors, what they prescribed, etc. For example, you have said that two doctors gave you the wrong medication initially. Did they both give you the same "wrong" medication? If so, what and why? Is this "wrong" medication sofradex? If it is, what makes you think it is wrong? It is prescribed for ear infections. What is your specific diagnosis? Have any of the doctors mentioned the possibility of a perforated ear drum?

 

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Okay. About 2 months ago I went to doc 1 about sinusitis and ear pain. She briefly looked through both ears, prescribed me avamys steroid spray and antihistamines. Said the ear hurts from the pressure in head. That actually all passed for a few weeks.

On Thursday last week, I came down with another sinusitis (chronic, get them about once a month in the colder months) and severe ear pain. Doc 2 informed me that the avamys is useless in my case. She looked at my right ear and decided that it's infected. The eardrum is swollen and grey-murky and there is a lot of bubbly puss inside. She prescribed sofradex for the ear 4 times a day and Dymista spray for the nose. The pain did mostly go away, but that could have just been the painkillers. The ear still feels very full and hurt a bit when I applied the drops. The whooshing was louder too.

Now, on Saturday I came down with a bad flu and throat ache. I came back to my parents place that's a bit far so I would get taken care of. Had to go the local doctor. He looked at my ear and said that he can't see what's what, because the drops created a very big mess. He asked me to come back next week when the ear clears up a bit to take swabs from ear, nose and throat and to do some allergy tests as well. He prescribed me oral AB: co-amoxiclav (amoxicillin/clavulanic acid). Told me to start taking it straight after the swabs are taken. He mentioned that the tests should arrive by then, so I'm assuming he just didn't have the right equipment. I also took antihistamines so I have to wait a week before I do the allergy tests. He believes the infection is much deeper than the previous doc2 decided, after I told him that the pain is usually above my ear. He told me to continue using the drops, but put it on cotton wool instead of straight in my ear. He did mention a possibility of something being perforated, but said that he can't see anything properly in there yet.

 

Great, thanks. The only thing that is odd is the notion that an antibiotic somehow "created a very big mess". Nonetheless, you are using an oral antibiotic and did not completely discontinue the drops - you are just applying them differently. This wasn't clear from your earlier posts.

 

I'm very sorry, my writing is all over the place. I am for now using the ear drops with cotton wool, but he told me to start the oral antibiotics after the swabs are taken next week. So until Wednesday, it's just the drops on wool.

 

Note that she is not taking the oral AB.
My understanding is that the last doc wanted her to stop putting drops in the ear as it must have started creating some kind of muddy mess near the drum. He probably wants that to clear out so he can see the drum.

@Zuzanna
I'm not sure how the drops are applied with the cotton wool. Did the doc wants the wool inserted into the ear canal?

 

Yes, I soak the wool in the drops and keep them in my ear. I'm to start taking the oral ABs on Wednesday next week.