Antibiotics, Ear Infection, Possible Teething?

Ugh, those are always a mess. Doc says she doesnt have any comps. with her ears? (need tubes, etc.) For a little relief, you could give her a warm water bottle to lay on. Good luck :}

It is so hard as a Mom to know what to do!!! I've heard that taking them to the chiropractor can help immensely. I had a friend take her little one and the ear infections stopped... It is definitely worth a try!!

After 3 months on antibiotics I told the doctor I wanted my 2-1/2 year old to get tubes. My oldest lost her hearing at 12 years old and had to have numerous corrective surgeries to get partial hearing back in one ear only and back when she was a baby in the 70's and 80's no one ever told me about tubes. The tubes worked miracles for the littelest ones health and hearing. I believe the "overusage of antibiotics controversy" that is out there and how it builds up an immunity to other antibiotics that something as simple as tubes cannot help. Tubes are a very good alternative that can help avoid all those antibiotic questions and permanent hearing loss.
B.

My son used to have ear infections while teething.. I gave him garlic & mullien ear oil that I purchased from Akin's Natural Foods or Health Food Center. It's cheap and effective against the infection and helps soothe the ear.
You might give it a try and see if it helps-- and the homeopathic teething tablets work great for us as well!

Try some Hyland's Teething Tablets, all natural and if teething is causing some of the pain, this will help!!! It is fabulous for teething pain and really easy to give to infants! I have four children and have used it on all of them, so much better than other brands.

it sounds like a severe ear infection is the main culprit .... i sure hope the antibiotics get it. but some extra advice... make sure your baby is getting her bottle in a more upright position so that all fluids drain down her esophagus and not pool around her ear.... and then make sue all bottles are given in a straight position as if she is leaning to one side then you will see infections in that ear. and last thing.... some heat soothes ear pain.. try a hot water bottle wrapped in a protective cloth and of course monitor her skin.. and best of luck. -mb

You might want to ask your pediatrician about having tubes placed in your baby's ears. I had the same issues with my son. Seems like once or twice a month we were at e r or in doc's office. Someone recommended tubes and my only problem was that it hadn't been recommended sooner. We had 0 problems after the tubes. However, you must be careful in taking care of the ears and not letting water get in them after tubes have been placed in. Tubes generally stay in ears for about 1 - 1 1/2 years and they fall out on their own. Consider that.

Hi A.,

It is so suprising to hear that doctors still prescribe antibiotics one after the other for ear infections when it is a fact that they are most often caused by a virus -- which an antibiotic will not help and in fact will make the ear infections worse.

Also of note, about 80 percent of children with acute otitis media recover without antibiotics, according to the AAP and AAFP.

Since you baby has had so many antibiotics, the good bacteria in the gut was probably killed off which means you will need to get your child on probiotics from the health food store to restore the natural terrain or else your daughter may end up with yeast infections.

My kids 3 and 15 months have had ear infectinions but I have used breastmilk in their ear as well as drops from the health food store and they cleared up quickly.

Do a search on the internet regarding ear infections and you'll find some natural treatments that are much more effective that the antibiotics.

Hope this helps!

My son was on cefprozil and it made him sick to him stomach so that may be why she doesn't want her bottle. I gave him a little bit of flat Sprite or 7up, to help settle his stomach.

When I was little and had an earache, my granny would either wrap the heating pad in a towel and have me lay with my ear on that. The heat seemed to help. Just make sure to keep it set on low.

Hope Ava feels better soon!

Take her to a Chiropractor for goodness sakes!

-

Dear A., I used to have this problem with one of my children until I met a fantastic Chiropractor. None of my children have been on an antibiotic for an ear infection since. Whenever they started pulling at their ears I would take them to my Chiropractor. Sometimes its as easy as their neck being misaligned and making their nerves in the ear not work properly. Actually birth can misalign the neck. It's a very easy process the way they realign them. Ask around about a good Chiropractor and use them. I have taken them all (four of them) to my chiropractor for years now and they are more healthy. I try to stay away from antibiotics as much as possible so that if they ever really need them they will work. Hope this helps.

Dear Alli,

My middle child went through the same thing with concurrent ear infections and one after the other antibiotics. They finally put tubes in his ear, which was not only a waste of time & money but was useless! Turned out my child was allergic to the formula. He'd been breast-fed for several months but apparently not long enough. I'd switched him from breast to formula simply because he wasn't drinking much on the breast. Reason for that was that he'd snuggle in nice and close with a tight grip of his tiny hand on my breast, drink a few sips and fall asleep. His grip on me was extremely tight and after 10 - 15 minutes in that position I'd lay him down feeling he was in such a deep sleep he'd enjoy his bed. Instead he'd sleep for maybe another 15 mins. and awaken wanting to be put to the breast again. He felt so secure with me but wasn't taking in enough milk.

With the bottle he drank alot more but began with ear problems, pain, not sleeping at night, crying all the time. Poor baby suffered immensely.
The culprit for the ear infections was the harshness of the formula. They are all the same. GOAT's milk is the best you can give to your infant other than your own breast!

So many antibiotics at such a young age are not good for the child's immune system. Those meds will also stunt her growth! I suggest switching to the goat's milk, which you will find on the baby formula aisle in the grocery store. Do it and make note of the changes in behavior of your baby! And do not feed her baby foods until after at least 6 mths old - 8 mths old.

God Bless and good luck! blessings to Ava from me!

sincerely,
Denise Maria

Your little one might be on the way to ear tubes. We went through several ear infections back to back and had our 1st set of tubes at 6 mos. old. Antibiotics would not fully treat his problem but tubes were a huge relief and we never got another. They are really in pain when their ears hurt. Keep her on Tylenol or Motrin for the pain. It will help her to relax (hopefully). I hope she is better soon! If your doctor continues to just treat with antiob. after a 3rd or 4th one, go see an ENT on your own and see what's going on. If it's just something like teething, the antibiotics should resolve the issue with just one or two doses.

Ditto on what Sherry L said! Although, the drops I used were Golden Seal. It was a combination of garlic oil & olive oil. I think they have some now that don't smell as strong as straight garlic. Also, I too am a firm believer in chiropractic - even for your ears!
Side note - my baby was 18 months old and had been on so many stronger antibiotics that she was getting yeast infections from it. That's when I discovered the garlic oil combo. None of my kids have been on antibiotics for ears since and that was 1996.

You may want to try a foam wedge. They make the big ones for crib mattresses. That is what was suggested to me, and what I am goning to try first because the ear canals are almost at a 45 Degree angle to the throat at this age. So, when fluid pools as with sinus infections and drooling it can leak into that space more easily. Those oils do have some antibacterial affect, but I am not sure about their regular use. (and they should NOT be used if the child has any holes in the eardrum from rupture or scarring.) Hope this helps.

I used a bottle of ear drops I got from the health food store called nutribiotics. I added about 4 drops of melaleuca (tea tree) oil to it and shook it up. You warm a cup of water in the microwave and put the ear drops in the water. DO NOT warm the bottle of ear drops directly in the microwave. Then test a drop on your wrist to make sure it's not too hot. Put 2 drops in the affected ear while pulling slightly upward on the top of the ear. The pulling can be painful so you have to be very careful. I don't know if I was just lucky or what but we never had to put the kids on oral antibiotics and they never had tubes.

And yes, crazy as it seems, a chiropractor can do her a world of good. I've had my ears adjusted and had wonderful success with it. Ask around for a good one in your area.

Hi A., my son at around 6 or 7 months started to get ear infections so bad that they just wouldn't go away he started to get reflux as well that was pretty bad. The reflux in itself tends to makes teething even worse for babies, not sure why just does. Anyway, we took him to an ENT got tubes in his ears and he hasn't had an infection since, no reflux either, teething has been a little better. He got the tubes right before Christmas time about a week an a half before and was pain free for Christmas. He is now 14 months and such a happy little boy he goes for a recheck with the ENT in July. Oh mind you none of the antibiotics worked on him either. I hope you can find a solution for your baby girl. I do know a lot of other moms that have had to go with the tubes and they have been like miracles. Also elevate one end of the mattress up so she can sleep better, it will help stuff drain out of her ear better. My son's ear's couldn't drain anything that's another reason why we had to do the tubes, it is very common. Good Luck

Most ear infections are viral, and as you know, antibiotics are for bacterial infections. The antibiotics aren't having an effect, but do cause a suppression of the immune system. I have been practicing chiropractic for 14 years, and have seen chiropractic help many children with chronic ear infections.

Often times, the upper cervical spine can become "locked" or misaligned or doesn't move quite correctly. This can cause irritation to the tissues surrounding the joint, including the nerve, and can lead to irritation to the nervous system. Often times the eustacian tube drains immediately following an adjustment, relieving the pressure and pain.

I use very gently techniques with babies and children. Look for a chiropractor near you that focuses on children at the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association: www.icpa4kids.org.

T. Theriot, D.C.
New Iberia, LA
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www.drtheriot.com

My eldest daughter had ear infections one after another for 3 years until Amoxicillin and other common antibiotics were no longer effective and now she can only use Bactrim or Omnicef. The ear infections, come to find out, were related to Urinary Tract Reflux, which simply means her bladder would not squeeze all of her urine downward because of weak muscles and that some would go back up into the tubing and kidneys, which of course, caused infection after infection which would then migrate to her ears. Now don't get me wrong she would probably been prone to some due to genetic predisposition or bad ears on my husband's side and she and her sissy both had tubes . . . but she continued to get bleeding, oozing ear infections and that was when they finally looked for something else. So next time you go in or the next few times ask for a UTI test too, and if she comes back with a few positives in a row they will want to take the next steps. After my daughter had the Bactrim low dose treatments for a year her muscles strengthened and now she in fine. It is a matter of letting the bladder and surrounding areas to go without infection long enough to heal itself (there are cases when other things must be done). I am not saying this is what your daughter has, but that it would be wise to get it checked to rule it out before years go by with a differing issues than just simple ear infections. Also, if she has had many infections in a row you may want to consult a ENT (Ear Nose and Throat Dr) on whether tubes would help. I hope this helps and doesn't scare you, good luck!

Ok i keep coming back to this so i decided to respond, I was lucky my kids have never had an ear infection. I would take the child to the ENT but in the mean time, I would buy some Pure Lavender oil from a health store and a spray bottle from the dollar store and fill the spray bottle with water then add 15 to 20 drops of Lavender and start spraying your house this cleans the air. You can also add Lemon oil too it, both are a great antibacterial and lemon has disinfectant qualities. I myslef would start putting a little lavender on your child on the sternum bone area of the chest. I have twin boys and when they were younger they started in daycare then i put them in a home daycare and when they went back to regular daycare at 3 i had to get them a physical and the doctor couldnt believe he hadnt seen them in over a year. Whenever my kids get a cough or anything i start putting the lavender on them sometimes i add the vicks.

Also too relieve some of the discomfort go to a pharmacy i know walmart carries it and look for earache or teething tablets by Hylands everything is all natural. I am not sure if the earache tabs are for your childs age but i know you could use the teething tabs and they seem to help for a lot of things.

I hope some of this helps and good luck.

Also a good website i use for my work is www.medlineplus.gov you can find out about all kinds of medical problems

A.,

My son did the exact same thing. The Dr's will swear that ear infections have no connection with teething, but I am here to tell you that is a load of bull. My son cut 4 teeth at once...3-4 weeks later, he cut 4 more! That pattern has continued to this day.

The problem was that he started cutting teeth about 1-2 months before any teeth actually broke through the skin. With the extra pulling on the ears, the drooling, the gnawing on the hands...infection is going to happen. This makes for many, many long nights and lots of tears for baby.

So....what to do? Ok, if there are signs of true infection (swollen, red ear canals, etc.) then yes, antibiotics are the way to go. Next, you need to go to Walmart and load up on the following:

1. Baby Orajel (daytime AND nighttime formulas - they make a 2-pack)
2. Hylands Teething tablets - miracle in a bottle, I tell ya!
3. Gentle Naturals Homeopathic Teething Drops
4. Baby Tylenol
5. Get LOTS of textures for baby to chew on...I've used finger toothbrushes, my finger (ouch!), wet/slightly frozen washclothes, chew toys galore, etc.

If baby cries when lying down, find a safe way to prop them up - we had to use pillows and put baby in our bed for MANY nights (a habit we had to break later...not fun.) We took turns giving baby massages to his head and neck.

Drinking the bottle was also an issue. The sucking hurts the ears. We used bigger nipples and cups to reduce the sucking. This actually is making it easier for us to wean off bottles. Yay! :-)

Alternate textures to chew on, try attention diversion...anything that works is a keeper. Keep using the antibiotics, if they are needed.

Lots of people and Dr's will jump on the "put tubes in her ears." bandwagon. I'm not a huge fan of this. My son has had 5 ear infections in his 1st year of life - and each time - it was related to cutting teeth.

My son is 14 months old now. Daddy and I watch for signs of infection (inability to console, fever, vomiting, etc.) and take him to the Dr if the above methods fail.

I can empathize with where you are. When baby isn't happy, no one is happy.

Hang in there sweetheart. I wish you the best. I thought I was going to lose it too...but once we realized the signs and knew what those signs actually meant.....then it started to get easier.

i have 2 boys, 1 had alot of ear infections and both were droolers. my son had went through rounds of Amoxicillin and eventually had to be given the shot in the leg which is very painful for them, but works really well.
at Wal-Mart at the pharmacy (behind the counter) they sell Hilands teething tablets, they are tiny and they dissolve instantly. they are herbal or homeopathic so they have no side effects. they work great, I have never used Orajel

my daughter is 16 months old when she turned 1 she had a double ear infection they sent us to a ENT in okc. he gave her augementen(i think thats the way its spelled,its thick and white)by the second day she was back to normal. she had water behind her ear drum so it made her feel like when your in a plane and your ears stop up and you yawn to get them to pop except hers wouldnt pop. they were stopped up all the time. so yes she was upset and couldnt sleep and she was teething which made it worse. her balance was off and she wasnt talking plain. so i told him lets do the tubes. the tubes in your ears that are suppose to help drainage arent slanted yet and wont drain when children get older theyll slant. they say now if you prop the bottle that also causes the prob. so its been 3 months and no problems. she is talking, and walking and doing great. i ask the doc about her swimming and when washing her hair he said not to worry. it you go to the lake thats different its dirty. at first i didnt want to do tubes but she was suffering and i didnt want that so i would do it again if i had too. if you need to know any more just let me know.