So Fed Up: Another Course of Antibiotics for Ear Infection? Could I Have Fluid in My Ear?

Hello everyone. I’m new to this site and I am desperate to receive some advice. I got ear infection and tinnitus in my right ear exactly two months ago. Due to COVID-19 it is impossible to get doctor’s appointment - only telephone consultations.

At first, GP advised me to wait as it doesn’t look like bacterial. I waited 2-3 weeks, then I got Amoxicillin for 5 days - did not work, then Clarithomycin for another 5 days. It helped with pain, fullness and tinnitus reduced from really awful to bearable during the day and worse at night time.

All of a sudden I started feeling worse again, my tinnitus got worse, I feel fullness in ear and pain in my neck behind the ear again. It also seems Eustachian Tube is blocked all this time. My ears pop, crackle, I wake up very often with blocked nose.

GP advised another course of antibiotics for 5 days and I am so fed up. She only saw me once for a minute when I got my 2nd course of antibiotics (I had to beg for the appointment) and said my eardrum looks dull.

Is it possible that there’s fluid in my ear again? I really don’t want to take another course of antibiotics without my ear being even examined. I guess being referred to ENT is not even an option now, private doctors are scared of COVID-19 too. I honestly have no idea what to do.

Is there anybody who had similar experience and could help, please? I am feeling like stuck with this infection since forever.

 

Do understand that the ears are very delicate and can take time to heal. Even when we finish taking an antibiotic it can still work and stay in our system for a few days or so. I get this type of issue, quite a bit and it has a lot to do with my allergies.

 

@ginger_cat -- I don't blame you for not want to take more antibiotics, especially since you don't know whether you have a bacterial infection that it would work on. And not to mention that antibiotics are ototoxic, and can cause or exacerbate tinnitus. I'd recommend you look at a number of posts on this forum where people have used diluted apple cider vinegar drops in their ears, and also garlic mullein oil. -- The following is from THIS POST:

As soon as I realized that my Tinnitus could have an inflammatory aspect, I looked for medicines with an anti-inflammatory effect (on my Tinnitus) and tried a few different things including Mullein Garlic Oil.
As soon as I tried this ear oil I noticed a huge change in my Tinnitus - literally the volume was cut in half. This simple ear oil brought my Tinnitus completely under control. I only need to use it now and then and it will stay subdued and under control for weeks.

I know that this is a bit of a long story but I wanted to make a bigger point (like other threads that I read) that some of this is psychosomatic and that part of it is paying enough attention to what your body is trying to tell you. Do you get enough sleep? Do you try to avoid stress and be honest about it with yourself?

Discovering that my type of Tinnitus is treatable has improved my quality of life a lot. I hope this story helps others to find their best approach to deal with and treat Tinnitus successfully.

Yours truly, Roger

https://www.amazon.com/Herb-Pharm-Mullein-Garlic-Herbal/dp/B001E8DBU8/

"Mullein-Garlic Oil = The classic herbal remedy for ear infections is garlic-mullein oil. Garlic is a natural antimicrobial, addressing infections of both a bacterial and viral nature. Mullein is an analgesic, relieving the pain associated with earaches. It's very easy to make at home or can be purchased." Apr 2, 2013 - source: Google.​

 

Thank you both for replies. I think I should really give it some time. I noticed that sometimes when I lie down my tinnitus spikes, like last night, and today when I lied down for a bit it got milder. I think it is connected somehow to fluid in my ear that doctor said I have. I bought antibiotics, but I am not taking them.

 

It's not clear to me whether you've actually had an otoscopic examination of your ear, since you say that everything has to be done over the phone. Have you? How did the doc get to see the ear drum to claim that it looked "dull"?

If you do have a bacterial infection, I don't think it is wise to let it prosper. The consequences can be pretty serious.

Good luck!

 

Hi I did manage to see the doctor once, after amoxicillin didn’t work. I almost had to beg for the appointment :| GP checked my ear and said eardrum looks dull and I had to take clarithomycine. Now after I still feel fullness, crackling, popping and ringing in my ear, they prescribed it to me again. I did not start taking it though yet. I am so confused It is bit better, my headache, pain in ear etc.are gone, but other symptomes still remain and I finished taking antibiotics month ago.

 

Hi Everyone. In case anybody sees this topic, I just wanted to update it is getting better. I am not on antibiotics. I do steam treatment with sea salt, in the morning I use steroid nasal spray. On top of this, coconut oil pulling and I stopped eating gluten and dairy to check if it might be the cause of imflammation and production of mucus. I will see how I get on after few weeks.

 

Hi all. Just a small update from me that it is getting better. I believe that I will get rid of tinnitus at some point. I can sleep without masking sounds and even put earplugs in without feeling that my head is going to explode. I recently went to the seaside for 2 weeks and felt fantastic healthwise, now I'm back home to different air and I can feel more pressure in my sinuses, which is a shame, but there is a progress and that's more important.

 

Hello everyone, just a quick update that my tinnitus is now 1-1.5/10. It improved significantly in the last few weeks. I know many threads from people suffering infections, ETD are abandoned with no update and I know how important it is to hold onto something that leaves you with hope. Mine started in April, so you can see how long it takes. I assume another few months before it goes away completely.

 

Hi, this is my first time posting, and the first time I've found someone in the same situation as me.

My ringing started 2 weeks ago, randomly one morning. It was mild, on an off for about 4 days and then it became loud and constant, so I called up my GP (unable to visit the surgery due to COVID-19 restrictions). They suspected an ear infection so gave me antibiotics. This helped reduce my tinnitus significantly, and over the past few days it has faded to pretty much zero (yesterday).

However, last night I ate a few cupcakes (sugar spike perhaps?) and an hour or so later it got louder. It's still quite persistent at the moment - Doctor has prescribed me more antibiotics as they think the infection may not have cleared fully.

But it's difficult as I feel like I'm dealing with this on my own, as I can't go to physically visit the GP or ENT.

Anyway just wanted to tell my story. I do have hope seeing as the initial antibiotics worked, but I don't know how long it'll last.

 

Honestly, I don't see any reason why the antibiotics would improve your symptom and the cause not be an ear infection. That said, did you actually experience any typical symptoms of one like pain, discharge, or fullness?

If it is truly an infection that has lead to the ringing, then I would imagine things will improve over time. From the stories I have read here on the forum, clearing up infections tends to yield very promising results, though it can often take longer than expected.

Some have also reported that sugar can indeed spike, but then again there's any variety of things that could have led to a spike and it didn't even have to be that same day. I suppose I would advise staying away from the heavy sweets for now just to be safe.

 

Hey there! I know things must feel stressful, and you feel as though you're lost in the madness of this symptom - You're going to be okay! Keep fighting on!

I was actually quite happy to come across this post as we have the same situation. My ringing started randomly out of the blue, and I was later diagnosed with an ear infection after a consultation - an anti-bacterial ear spray helped to reduce the tinnitus, and mine has also faded down much like yours!

I know it can feel disheartening, especially when things get louder as you've experienced. I totally understand where your coming from and that your going through, I've been going through the same thing for 2 months now. Take heart in what @Drachen said! Many cases with infection as a cause improve and clear up entirely.

 

I didn't get any other symptoms, just the tinnitus.

I'm mainly scared to take the second round of antibiotics as it's co-amoxiclav and the horror stories on here have scared me! I don't want to risk another spike. But then again if it is an ear infection, it may help clear it? I can't decide on what to do really.

 

You JUST HAD a course of antibiotics.

Don't take another course unless a doctor is certain it's needed.

 

Thank you so much for responding! I'm pretty new here so it's lovely to hear from you all. I'm hoping it'll clear up on its own. I was also given an anti bacterial spray today but I haven't used it yet. Can I ask what spray you used?

 

I understand it must feel difficult when thinking about the future, given that there's so much uncertainty with all of this. It was incredibly difficult for me in the beginning and I'm amazed I managed to push through back then.

I was given EarCalm. It's an anti-bacterial spray with Acetic Acid in it that's designed to treat outer ear infections. When I started using it, a week or so later I noticed the ringing started to subside. After a few more weeks, around 6-7 weeks, I noticed it stabilised to the level where it currently is now. (Fairly faint, non-invasive.)

 

There's also that. Is it really necessary for me to take another course...

The doctor did say that as the first course appeared to work, it may be needed to help clear up the rest of the infection.

I've not been physically checked or seen by a GP yet. I've requested it, but they said to try the second course and see how I get on.

 

I have to echo what @ajc said above. I'm not really sure it's the best idea to keep piling on the antibiotics. Using too much of them is toxic to your body in many ways and could even damage your ears. I don't intend to counter what your doctor said, and you should probably go with their professional opinion, but I really think you should at the very least have your ears physically examined before such a decision is made.

Is it just this doctor you cannot visit or any within your area? If this is simply an issue with your current doctor, you should probably look around. If you are actually stuck and can't get an examination anytime soon, then I'm not really sure what you can do. You could possibly order an otoscope online and have someone else you know look at your ears for you, but this might not be the best idea.

Infections are a bit time sensitive, and it's really terrible that you can't get the medical attention you need.

On a side note, you could potentially look into alternatives and supplements that are geared towards helping fight inflammation. The only problem here is they can take a while to get working, but it may be better than just sitting and waiting for an appointment.

 

This is exactly what happened to me! No other symptoms except for the tinnitus.

Keep fighting on!

 

I appreciate the response. I think you and @ajc are right, without a physical examination I'm not sure it's worth loading up in antibiotics for the sake of it.

The doctor's haven't actually seen me so they're just giving me their suggestions over the phone.

It's a bit tricky with visiting the gp due to the lockdown. All go visits have been restricted unless absolutely necessary so it's difficult to persuade them. I haven't yet tried another doctor, however I may try give it a go with the alternatives/supplement route. Appreciate the advice.