ear drops caus dizziness

Hello,

I was given liquid paraphine drops (after I asked an ENT doctor to remove my ear wax).
in order to soften the ear wax so it can be removed, for 1 week.

After the first doze in the morning I got a dizzy and heavy head, and plugged ear, and it doesn't seem to change till evening. Is it normal and should I continue taking these drops? I'm not aware of any perforations in my ear.

Thanks ahead.

[Sandra Y, RPh]

The only contraindication to using mineral oil to soften ear wax is a perforation in the ear drum because it can lead to infection. I would recommend discussing the symptoms you are having with your doctor and discontinue use of the drops until you can.

[Tyler15951]

You indicated that you recently seen your doctor regarding a problem with ear wax, perhaps an unwanted buildup or impaction. Because you had an assessment completed & did not describe any of these unwanted symptoms prior to the visit to your doctor I am more inclined to believe that the problem you are experiencing is a result of using the paraffin (mineral oil) ear drops. This product will not irritate the ear canal or the sensitive membranes; however, it can cause the wax within the canal to swell. The swelling of the wax may create a sense of fullness, can occlude the ear canal and cause hearing loss & can cause you to feel dizzy. If you had impacted ear wax prior to using these drops, these drops could initially cause your symptoms to get worse. I recommend that you keep using the drops for a couple days before going to see your doctor for removal of the ear-wax. If you are using the paraffin drops twice daily or more you could decrease the number of doses or the number of drops administered in order to reduce the swelling of the ear-wax. If the dizziness & other symptoms are incompatible with your daily life you may wish to go speak with your pharmacist or doctor about an alternative. There are products available in a pharmacy that can be used to remove impacted wax (depending on how bad the situation is). The key thing to remember is that even if the symptoms are bothersome you should not stick anything into your ear to remove the impacted wax... this could make the situation worse. Try to keep using the drops maybe once or twice daily, with 1 - 3 drops in the affected ear(s) to ensure the wax is hydrated when you go to get it removed by your physician.

Hope this helps,


Tyler

[Michael5139]

Thanks for the fast reply,
I will follow your advice. The feeling on dizziness right now is less uncomfortable, I just wanted to make sure I'm not getting any complicaitons. So i'll keep using them as prescribed - 3 times a day untill the wax removal.

And yes You are right - I think prior to using the drops (several monthes ago) i did impact my ear wax.