Chronic Ear Infection?

[Thirteen]

My friend B's 1 yr old is on his 5th antibiotic to clear up an ear infection: is this normal?
They are talking tubes now. I can't ever remember needing that many antibiotic treatments for ear infections I had as a child.

[ladymoreta]

Me either, and I had a lot (probably should have had tubes). I always got put on the same one, and it would clear up. They are finishing their medication, right? I know that can happen with antibiotics when people don't take the full prescription... Like if they stop giving/taking it as soon as the symptoms disappear. The bacteria gets resistant, so the doctor has to prescribe a different antibiotic.

[Deebs]

Has anyone done a culture to figure out whether or not the bug will respond to the antibiotic being used (or an antibiotic at all)? I wouldn't put tubes in my kids' ears until I knew the source of infection and whether or not it was being treated appropriately. Just my opinion.

[Pollyanna]

Our oldest went through practically every antibiotic on the market in her first 17 months of life. At that point we finally had the tubes put in, if I had to do it over we would have put them in when she turned a year rather than waiting. The tubes made all the difference in the world.

[Vanquisher]

We went through a bunch of different antibiotics with our oldest, much like Tara. He had tubes put in at 14-months. It was wonderful! I think that a lot of times people look at ear infections as no big deal, but I hate them. They are almost never treated with an appropriate antibiotic for the first course. Our son has a hearing loss, not caused by ear infections or tubes, but it has made me hyper-vigilant about protecting the hearing he has. When we found out about his hearing loss, we skipped the pediatrician and went straight to the pediatric ENT who dosed him with a stronger antibiotic than the pediatrician would have given because of his hearing loss.

Anyway, I think tubes are great and Amoxicillan is an outdated and insignificant drug that can't kill anything anymore, but that's just me.

[Thirteen]

She said they've finished all the antibiotics prescribed, each round. I can't imagine being on #5, and thinking "Surely this will be the one that ends it."
He has an appt. at TCH in TX for his ear infections -- I'm worried because she's starting to see signs of a "droopy" left eye. I'm wondering if it's something more serious, and/or spreading into facial nervous tissue (or the mastoid).

Poor baby!

[HouseofWool]

She said they've finished all the antibiotics prescribed, each round. I can't imagine being on #5, and thinking "Surely this will be the one that ends it."
He has an appt. at TCH in TX for his ear infections -- I'm worried because she's starting to see signs of a "droopy" left eye. I'm wondering if it's something more serious, and/or spreading into facial nervous tissue (or the mastoid).

Poor baby!

The droopy eye is scary. Is she seeing an ENT or another ped?

[diggitydot]

I had constant ear infections until I was almost 5 years old. Finally, after having tubes two differet times, a tonsilectomy, and an adnoidectomy I was done with it all. I now rarely get ear infections (maybe once every couple years), but have significant hearing loss in one ear.

I guess my point is that while not common, it isn't unheard of, either. However, the droopy eye is definitely worth freakng out over.

I would freak out abou the droopy eye. a sinus infection can make your eye all puffy... maybe that's what she's seeing?

Lacy

[peggyfromwastate]

I just tried to reply but my not-helpful 18 month old erased it. Sigh. I haven't been on here lately so I'm not sure if it's been resolved, but since dh is an ENT resident I just wanted to throw out there that he does put in tubes for babies this age frequently, and that the best antibiotic for ear infections (persistent ones) is a 21 day course of augmenten. If you are still on 7 or 10 day courses of amoxicillian it's not likely to do the trick. After the 21 day, if it's still a problem, usually the ENTs will do the surgery.

We had tubes and adenoids out on our son at age 22 months. It's really not a huge surgery, but of course it's different when it's your baby who's having the surgery!

I can ask DH about the droopy eye thing too

[Thirteen]

The Ped ENT at TCH has scheduled J for surgery in July - the soonest the Dr. can squeeze him in. Until then, he's still on antibiotics: they determined the fluid isn't draining properly, but I'm waiting to talk with B to see what was said re: the "droopy eye."

[peggyfromwastate]

Wow. July. That's a long time and in the middle of swimming season. Maybe you can get on some cancellation list or something? Surgeries get cancelled all the time, esp with kids bc the anesthesiologists won't do anesthesia for sick kids...

[peggyfromwastate]

I see that it's your friend's B who needs the tubes--- Ooops ! Guess you won't be calling for cancellations or scheduling tubes!

Anyway, I asked DH about the droopy eye, he says he's seen it and it's totally reversible. Usually it is a facial nerve thing, can't remember the doctor-speak but you get my idea. If it's only in the eye, he would thiink sinus infection. Usually the ear infections that cause the swelling that affects the facial nerve would affect the entire side of the face, not just the eye, but it's not always clear with a baby that young since they don't talk. Anyway, once the baby gets the ear infections cleared up everything (facial nerve) should go back to normal. But I'd still try to push for an earlier appt if I were your friend. This is a very simple surgery and any ENT can do it. It literally takes 2 minutes each side, if that.