I'm having severe left-sided ear pain accompanied by a feeling that something is draining from the ear. However, I don't seem to find anything draining from it when I look. Also, my typical ear ringing seems to be magnified quite a bit. Any ideas/suggestions?
Posted by ugagal (Member # 18471) on :
I forgot to mention that I took my first infusion of meropenem this morning. Possibly related?
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
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Ugagal,
Sorry to hear of this ear pain. I've studied a lot about ears and have much personal experience but nothing exactly as you write. And, sorry, but I know nothing about that drug.
Are you taking milk thistle, NAC or other liver protective measures? Those also help the ears better tolerate some meds, especially from tinnitus. Tinnitus is often a sign of an overwhelmed liver. NAC is the best, from what I've read, to protect the ears.
Be sure to drink enough water and eat enough good foods.
Fish oil, B-vitatmins (especially B-6), magnesium are all supposed to help decrease the inflammation in your ears.
Lying with your head/torso at a 30% angle raised higher than feet is the best position so that you can get some circulation in your inner/middle ears.
However, if you feel like one ear has fluid, you might try lying on that side - or the opposite and hope it goes the other direction.
Some olive oil based garlic ear drops might also help ease the pressure. One type also has muellien (sp?) in it and that is anti-inflammatory. That is the Herb Pharm brand. I'll come back with a link.
Putting a warm compress under your ear might help drain lymph tissue or otherwise open up that area if muscle tension has things tight. Gentle massage and gently yawning a lot may help, too, if the eustachian tubes are blocked.
Sorry, I am unfamiliar with the Rx so others will have to take it from here.
Thanks Keebler. The ear pain just seemed to come out of nowhere. I'm wondering if the draining feeling, in the absence of actual drainge, could somehow be related to my cranial nerve issues. (numbness on left side of face, absent gag reflex, tinnitus, lid drooping, etc)
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
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Yes, indeed. I thought about mentioning that but was too tired.
Especially CN 7 and 8 can affect this and those often are mucked up for lyme patients, too.
Do you get cranial-sacral therapy?
If not, check out sites for UPLEDGER INSTITUTE ( www.upledger.com )
and find a practitioner near you. They should all be gentle if trained in that approach, but ASK. NO snap and crack stuff for lyme patients' necks.
Also, myofascial release might be helpful.
Even a regular massage is good if the person is careful with the neck, but if you have cranial nerve issues, the Cranial-Sacral techniques may be best. ONLY those trained specifically in this should do this. ASK about their training.
Still, successful treatment of lyme and other TBD or stealth infections can really help, too. On-hands tx can help it work more completely but will not replace addressing infections.
I searched your medicine and found no direct link to tinnitus. I looked many different ways on several sites. There was ONE report of tinnitus by a patient in a trial study, but that's all I could find.
Still, liver protection is my guess to ear protection, even if cranial nerves are affected.
Be sure to keep up the B-vitamins and fish oil, too. B's are good to help the sheath around the nerves.