seekhelp
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 15067
posted
My LLMD suggested this. I used extra virgin olive oil (1-2 drops) as instructed. Today, I'm VERY dizzy. I usually never am. I wish I wouldn't have bothered.
I also am taking Doxycycline. I was at 200 mg a day and bumped to 300 mg a day last night. I plan on going to 400 mg on 1-2 days. I'm testing doses to see how I handle it (per my LLMD). Besides the dizziness and haadaches, I feel much better on the Doxy than I ever did on the Zithromax!
How many others try it? The instructions said to put 3-4 drops in your ear, turn on that side for 1 minute and then turn to the other side to let the ear drain - do the same on the other ear.
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Abxnomore
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 18936
posted
What was the reasoning behind putting olive oil in your ears?
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seekhelp
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 15067
posted
LLMD says on his handouts something about helping dry ear canals and ear pain, pressure, etc.
I am DONE DONE DONE doing this ever again. I find it in no way soothing. It messes up my equilibrium. I wish I didn't try. My common sense told me it may be a bad idea for me. After two separate tries, I decided not to bother anymore.
It's not that alternative though. It's on many places online. Not for me though. I can't figure out the root of my ear pressure/popping. It's been a major issue for me for a long time. I'm suspecting permanent damage or something even though all ENT exams are totally normal. What's new that regular docs can't find the problem? They have to be good for something, but I haven't found it yet.
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Abxnomore
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 18936
posted
It's probably coming from lyme. I had a lot of ear issues. They always felt clogged, and stuffed, ringing, etc. My ENT who was clueless
about lyme ran every test there was and told me it had nothing to do with lyme disease. He never found anything wrong with my ears. It eventually subsided thru the many months of treatment.
When I read about putting olive oil in my ears, after the problems I had I cringed. I never want to put anything in my ears again. But you are
right. There are many remedies that include Olive oil, mullein oil and other stuff for the ears, often to break down ear wax naturally and to keep the ear canal healthy.
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seekhelp
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 15067
posted
I am thrilled to hear it improved with treatment. I hope I'm a lucky one.
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nenet
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 13174
posted
seekhelp, I have had this problem too (pressure, popping, whooshing, dizziness, pain, tickling, hearing going out momentarily, etc.), and also tinnitis in both ears 24/7 since 2002.
We have the same LLMD, and I was also given the suggestion of olive oil, but never tried it. I looked up a bunch of info on it though, and it seems they have sold this stuff as Sweet Oil Ear Drops or something like that, for decades in drugstores, for the purposes of relieving ear pressure, removing small ear wax buildups, etc.
Sweet Oil is just low grade olive oil. olive oil is an antibacterial and I *think* anti-microbial substance, and it dissolves ear wax.
Personally, I have seen a noticeable decrease in pressure and everything else I listed but tinnitis, since I removed some things from my diet.
I would highly recommend starting an elimination diet. I never would have guessed I had developed food sensitivites during my illness, but boy they were causing a lot of symptoms and worsening some Lyme symptoms.
Basically having constant chronic inflammation can cause you to become sensitized to substances and foods. Then those foods and substances will cause you to have further inflammation. So you can see where this will take you symptomatically.
I removed:
*Gluten
*Dairy (except small amounts of butter, and eggs)
*Sugar (except small I am yet unable to remove)
*Nightshade Vegetables, and the spices paprika and cayenne whch are from nightshade family plants
ALSO: huge thing to NEVER take in - alcohol and caffeine, and of course stay away from smoke. Those are very bad for Lyme, and for general ear problems, regardless of Lyme.
I have been on this diet for about 4+ months, and am amazed at the decrease in sinus problems, ear pressure problems, drainage issues (which lead to sore throats) and other ENT symptoms.
Of course it is possible that my concurrent antibiotic therapy was causing some or all of the relief from these symptoms, but I did test out eating potatoes one night (major neurological and CNS symptoms flare, anxiety, and worse joint pain that night and several days later).
Then I tested eating a half piece of toast the next week and had ill-effects from that too, gastrointestinal problems like cramping and nausea, very bad joint swelling, and I noticed I was clearing my throat more the next couple of days, feeling stuffy, dizzy, and oddly enough, hiccuping like crazy.
So, it might behoove you to try an elimination diet. It took me a long time to follow our LLMD's advice to do that, but I am glad I finally did. It might not be eliminating all of my ear symptoms, but they do seem to be easing up somewhat now.
Oh, and an added bonus? Without even lowering my caloric intake, I have lost some body-wide swelling and weight.
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