fungal ear infection

[mc1124]

I was diagnosed with a fungal ear infection (tropical ear) today - I have had repeatedly dealt with 'swimmers ear' over the past 3 years, sometimes as often as 3 times per year.  I have had severe pain in the affected ear, as well as pain in the temple on the affected side.  Starting 2 days ago, the lymph node behind that ear (which has been swollen since Nov. 07) became extremely painful.  It's like having cramps in the side of your neck at times.  My ENT prescribed ZOTO-HC OTIC SOL.  My question:  Is or has anyone else dealt with this type of infection - and how long does the pain last?  I have been in pain since New Year's Eve, and used three different types of drops, along with Zithromax.  The only thing that seems to help is piggy-backing Aleve and Ibuprofen (2 Aleve, 2 Ibuprofen three hours later - repeating evey 6 six hours).  I know that is twice the recommended amount of Aleve you should take in a day, and you shouldn't combine the two - but I am at my wits end - I have to be able to function to work and take care of my kids!  Tylenol is useless.  Any suggestions??

[elly155]

my daughter was diagnosed with swimmers ear 3 yrs ago when pregnant.she has suffered about 8 attacks, and is currently suffering with her worst attack yet. drops and antibiotics have made it worse, she is having swabs done tomorrow. the pain is unbearable and she is living on paramol and ibuprofen.hope ur problem is now resolved
x

[jr1979]

I have also suffered the same since the eight month of my pregnancy almost 3 years ago.  After several different types of drops and medications, I still have regular occurrences.  I won't take the drops anymore because they seem to always make it worse.  In fact, twice, the drops have caused a build-up on both of my ear drums leaving me deaf in both ears.  My ENT doc thought it might have been due to diabetes, but my tests came back clear of that.  I wish I had suggestions, but for now I share your pain.  

[mc1124]

Ever since they packed my ear canal with an antifugal dye, and antifungal cream for 5 days, I have been pain free.  I do keep the ear very dry using ear putty when I shower, and I always use a Q-tip to make sure the ear canal is dry, just in case some moisture made it through.  Good luck

[jr1979]

I've had that antifungal purple stuff in my ears for 3 visits in a row, 10 days apart, just within the last month.  And I'm still in pain.  The infections in both ears keep jumping from fungal to bacterial, and back, and the dr's are confused.  Meanwhile, I sit in pain with poor sleep quality and it's taking its tole on me.  I have been putting cotton in my ears while I shower, and using q-tips afterwards just in case, but nothing seems to help.

[Kym13]

I think I am suffering from th same thing. It started 3 months ago and the doctor prescribe drops but they made it worst and im still suffering. I cant sleep, cant hear and now I am losing co-ordination on the left side wher everything I hold falls.

Please if someone can help becasue my doctors cant.

[jbtalker]

I had a horrible bout with what I thought was an ear infection. My family physician said I had a build up of wax in my ear and flushed my ear repeatedly. He also gave me a prescription of antibiotics. This was Christmas Eve morning.  By Christmas night my ear felt like it was swollen shut. I couldn't hear and I was in agonizing pain.  The next day I went to an emergency clinic because my doctors office was closed for the holiday. The emergency doctor said I had just scratched my ear canal and it had a bacterial infection so he gave me antibacterial drops.  I had difficulty even getting the drops into my ear because it was so swollen.  Within a couple of days the pain was unbearable. My equilibrium was so off I was continually feeling nauseous.  I finally got in with an ENT after New Years.  He said I had a bad fungus that was clogging up my ear and pressing against my eardrum.  He took me by the shoulders and said "NEVER! NEVER! EVER! Let anyone flush your ear.  That is the worst thing the doc could have done.  Furthermore he said that taking antibiotics just allowed the fungus to thrive.  He explained there is a delicate balance with the ear canal of bacteria and fungus. The strong antibiotic combined with the drops killed the bacteria and the fungus went wild.  He aspirated my ear and extracted this huge gross hunk of fungus which almost made me lose my lunch, but instantly the pain subsided and I could hear.  The ENT also instructed me to always protect my ears when taking a shower.  He suggested putting a piece of cotton and then a layer of vaseline on top to seal it. It's a hassle but so far it has worked well.  My sympathy to all of you.  Good health!  Keep those ears dry.

[Fromonetofour]

KIM  WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU SAY TO SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN TO THE ENT  FOR 6 VISITS  AND  IT  KEEPS ON COMING BACK LIKE THE ENERGIZER BATTERIE???  THAT'S WHAT  GOING ON W/ME' I'D LIKE A DR TO ANWSER ONE OF MY POST. A SIMPLE INFECTION IS COSTING ME ' MONEY PAIN ETC... I CAN DEAL WITH IT , I JUST WANT IT OVER... I LOVE MY ENT AND I TRUST HIM , I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS.




















HI

[cat857]

I had an infection like this one time and I put antifungal cream in my ear a couple of times a day, but also I took a swimmers ear bottle from wally world and put half peroxide and half alchohol in the bottle. Every time I took a shower, I would put the swimmers ear bottle in a cup of warm water and warm it up, testing it on my wrist like a baby bottle so it would not be too hot and I put enough in my ear, tilting my head so it would not run out for a minute or so. I could hear the peroxide boiling. I did this everytime I got water in my ear in the shower or swimming. Initially I did it several times a day, even laying on the bed letting it set for seval minutes. 6wks later or so, my ear popped open and I could hear. ***@****

[cat857]

The cream I put in my ear was nystatin cream and I applied it all the way to the ear drum very carefully with a q-tip. Additionally I used the 1/2 peroxide, 1/2 alcohol in my ear to boil it out several times a day for 6 wks or so and any time I took a shower and got water in my ears or swam and got water in my ears. 3 Doctors (one was an ENT) had given my three different antibiotics and steroid drops for my ears nothing worked. Hello.....antibiotics do not work on fungus, which is what I had in my ear was a fungal infcection. I remember exactly when my ear popped open and I could hear. I continued the peroxide alcohol mixture for several years after every shower or swim. I still have itchy ears but have not had to use the stuff anymore for. Try this also: hold your breath and swallow forcing air into the eustacian tube. The air will help fight the infection. hope you are all better. God bless!

[motheratwitsend]

My daughter is dealing with the same thing. We have been to the dr. 2 to 3 times a week for 4 weeks now and still going strong. She had an ear infection for 2 weeks had oral, ear and injectable antibiotics and her ear drum ruptured 3 times and then she got a fungal infection. They have painted it and tried lotrim drops which are used for athletes foot. Well it cleared up for 1 day and the dr. said stop all treatments and now it is back and she has a perforated(hole) in her eardrum. I am at my wits end. She has had an infection in her ear for 4 weeks now and she is only 3 yrs old.

[urbanvegan]

I know this might sound wacky, and this is not intended to be medical advice or to replace a doctor, but when I had what I think to be recurring ear infections what helped to knock them down more than anything else was putting a piece of garlic in my ear (not inside it just gently at the base of the canal).  Garlic is a powerful natural antibacterial and antifungal.  There are more reports about this and ideas about how to do it on the web if you search "garlic ear infection" though I don't know if any specifically refer to *fungal* ear infection.  But there is more "home cure" advice if you are interested in reading it.  Of course you do want to have a doctor help you if possible but I personally needed to explore other options for several reasons.

[keOcoco]

i had this problem for about 2 months now and i have to say its absolutly draining on me ive been in and out of doctors and in the emergency room twice because the pain was so bad ... my advice to anyone is to NOT stick q tips in your ear thats what caused the first hole in my ear and i kept getting built up upon built up of stuff and the doctor kept sucking stuff out of it... i was on just about any kind of drop there is to prescribe some of them worked but went down my throat and caused a servere pain and others made the infection grow even more .. i had the purple dye stuff in my ear as well i didnt notice any difference in my pain or the fact that i can barely hear .. recently my doctors sent me to another doctor that speicalizes in just the ears and it turned out that i had fungus growing in my ear which caused a second hole in my ear he put a microscope in my ear and had a tv so that i can finally see what was going on in there and it was a mess.. he prescribed me a antifungal pill and this is going to sound crazy but a nail laquear that kills fungus so far he said that the fungus is gone and now im just waiting on the holes to close which he said might close on its own or give me a "paper patch" to help it along and if they still dont close it will result in surgery ... my biggest fear now is just not being able to get my hearing back.

[jr1979]

Hey all,

My ENT gave up and sent me to an internal medicine/infectious disease Dr.  They originally thought my immune system had an issue healing problems.  This Dr. ran many blood tests and I don't have any immune system issue.  He believes that this all occurred when I was under a lot of stress during my pregnancy and my immune system was already suppressed due to hte baby.  He is working on a couple of possible cures, but he said that once you disrupt the balance of fungus and bacteria in the ears, it can be very difficult to get back on track.  I'm currently taking a probiotic which is a combination of good bacterias and bactroban ointment around the outside of my ears.  Almost 3.5 years of this, I'm hoping this works.  I'll keep you all updated.  Good luck to my fellow sufferers!

[goliat33]

5 days ago it's started from me, first like a small pain in the ear than during the night it was real horor pain in the ear and jaw....Folowing days I start to drink antibiotics and ipobrufen(for pain) + I use some drops, That night was worst pain than beafore, I was desparate and than I was try to find some alternative solution and I did it....It was real luck that I have a small bottle of oil (Hyperici flos)St.Johns Worth and I read on net that is good for this kind of thing but As I read That  garlic oil good as well, so I took Real peace of garlic and put in the bottle with St.Johns worth mixed together and put in my ear....Afther 10 minutes I feel less pain, tomorow I was much better and I didn't need to drink Ipobrufen anymore,pain is almost gone now and I wish To share This with all of you people...Hope That this will help somebody ...Sorry for my English and all the best

[Astro2050]

Have had ear infection for over a month now.  First antibacterial drops only made the problem worse.  My ear would fill up with fungus and I had to wash the fungal plug out with a peroxide solution and warm water so the drops could get in and I could hear.  Big mistake.  It made it worse.  Dr. prescribed ZOTO-HC solution ear drops after sucking the fungal ball out.  It is an antibacterial and antifungal agent.  I keep all water out of my ear and it hasn't seemed to clog since.  So far, so good.  No pain since.  I go back in a little over a week.

[helpear]

thanks so much for the suggestion of using garlic outside the ear. i have a fungal ear infection caused by prolonged topical antibiotic in my ear. i now have a perforated eardrum and my ent specialist has been prescribing lotremin (antifungal drops) and oral nystatin. but this does not seem to knock the fungus out. i tried raw chopped garlic wrapped in cotton wool and used it as an ear plug for 2 days changing the garlic every few hours. yesterday when i went to my ent doctor he said that the fungal growth is much less so the garlic must be working. will continue to put garlic and see the progress in the next few days. thanks urbanvegan you have really helped

[roo]

After three years of 'aspergillus niger', or black fungus went back to the Doc.  Told him I was doing what he said, peroxide, then nystatin twice a day.  He said it was a stubborn thing to get rid of.  Last Friday he made a wick out of gauze and saturated it with Nystatin.  Today, Monday, he took the wick out and said that it worked.  Put another one in, just in case, I will take this our myself in a few days.  Said to keep the ear dry.  The stuborn ear just needed constant aggresive treatment.  Good Doc's at Massachustts Eye and Ear!!!  Thanks, Doc

[kb426]

I have had a fungal ear infection that was finally diagnosed properly after first being treated with antibiotics and drops and of course no results.  There is also a small perforation that exists perhaps of the infection. Is there any concerns that this fungus could of entered my blood stream?

[DT_68]

Can someone please help?? My daughter is on a marine base and has been trying to get the doctors to see my granddaughter. She has what appears to look like a noodle?? They cleaned her ears out and asked if she stuck anything in her ears. Then she went back and pulled another one out. Now there is blood, what appears as fuzzy scaly cells, and a fluid filled blister inside the ear on the ear drum. My ganddaughter has been to the doctors 3x's. Each time a new antibiotic. She is trying to get a referral to a specialist and its been almost impossible. She has had several attempts to contact the on base doctor with no luck?? I am afraid she will loose her hearing? Camp LeJeune has the worse follow up and care. I am very worried and afraid..Please!!! someone help us?? What do we do to get her seen and where does she go?? Also is this something that is serious?? She was able to get a visit today , but that was for a visit to get a referral to an ENT. I am afraid she will not be able to hear soon>> and worse than that ...a deadly bone infection??

[lucy415]

Help! I am at my wits end.  I had a terrible sinus infection approx 6 weeks ago.  After it started  to involve my right ear, I decided to go to the dr.  He prescribed Keflex 3X a day for 10 days.  After 3 days I called the nurse, because I seemed to be getting worse instead of better.  She said give it another day on the antibiotics.  Day 4 , I called back and they referred me to ENT.  I promptly visited the ENT that day and he prescribed me Levaquin.  On Day 4 or 5 of it, I realized I was having some sort of reaction to it as I had been having headaches and my skin looked sunburn.  Back to the ENT, and he gave me the option of draining my ear and inserting a tube.  I consented, little did I know how bad it would hurt during the procedure AWAKE!!  After the procedure he prescribed Cipro drops 2X day for 7 days.  After 7 days of continuous draining I called back and was instructed to do the drops for 7 more days.  Went back today for my 2 week checkup and he says that it has improved but I have a little fungus in there.  Instructed me to insert 4 drops of white vinegar 2X day for 2 weeks.  I attempted this tonight and I am teary eyed as I type this.  My ear burned horribly...like I had poured battery acid in it or something.  I screamed out in pain for about 15 minutes solid, followed bya bout 45 mins of solid crying.  My ear and left side of my throat still burn, and I can't hear a thing out of the ear.  I don't know what to do.  I plan to call the dr back tomorrow, cause I can't take the vinegar treatment.  I am losing my grip on sanity as this ordeal is nearing 6 weeks. Any advice out there.  I'm desperate!

[lolo2354]

my son had a case of "swimmers" ear. Dr 1 prescribed antibiotic drops. no help. Dr 2 pulled out a lot of ear wax and said to get eae wash kit, no help. Ent Dr said he had fungul infection and we were told to use athletes foot liquid drops, ie; lotrimin. that worked. Ent said that antibiotic drops feed the fungus.

[Loden]

Ear infections come in two categories. Children often have the bacteria version, so commonly medical personnel automatically treat for that. Unfortunately, the administration of an antibiotic produces an environment where fungus thrives. If the infection is fungal the antibiotic will tend to make it worse.

While both types of infections often produce similar symptoms, the appearance of a detachable mass, often referred to as a "fungal ball" is symptomatic of a fungus infection. Terbinafine HCL 1% cream applied sparingly on a cotton swab and very gently applied to the lining of the ear canal 2x per day usually will clear up the problem. Good results have also been reported by using garlic oil, again applied with a cotton swab very gently to the ear canal.

If the problem is persistent, using a mild antifungal (like the garlic oil) on a cotton wick inserted in the ear canal and allowed to remain for at least several hours, or by placing antifungal oil drops in the ear and stoppering them with a small cotton ball is the next step.

Unfortunately, little attention is paid to fungal infections in medical school since they very rarely are fatal, and most importantly are not a profit center for pharmaceutical companies.

[paulajean777]

Like everyone here, I too have had intensely itchy, weepy, seepy, doggy ears.  And like many, I have mostly likely exacerbated the situation with instruments of destruction larger than my elbow -- things like my dirty finger nails, Q-Tips, pencils, eyeglass arms, bobby pins, toothpicks, etc. I'm not proud.  I'm desperate.  I will use anything that will relieve that damn itch.  

After reading all these threads, I opted to produce my own concoction and so far, so good.  It seems to work.  I have killed the perennial itch, which recently included an infection in my left ear that was so bad, it was making my face swell.  That infection has now disappeared, along with the intense itching.  And my right ear? It was an itchy 10 as based on an itch scale of 1 to 10.  Note the past tense "was".  I have tamed that itch too.  Nada.  No itch.  All gone, all better.  

My home concoction?  Mineral oil, with crushed garlic cloves, and crushed Xylitol crystals (you can get Xylitol in better health food stores or online by simply Googling "Xylitol").  I put a fresh batch into a sterile dropper 4 times a day, for 7 days.

And yes, for those of you that know Xylitol, you'll know it tastes like more like sugar than sugar itself.  But it ain't sugar.   But it's 100% natural and likely 100% safe.  Just Google the term "Xylitol" and you'll see what that's about.  It's been seven days now post treatment, and man-oh-man, it's like a relief from all kinds of itching and now I'm tempted to throw out all the Q-Tips and all the other implements of destruction.

[Kris2782]

Thank you so much for the recipe. I am going on a couple of years with this ear itch, and I can't wait to try this. I was hospitalized for supposedly having a staff infection in my left ear a few months ago, and yesterday I went back to the doctor due to pain and itching again. Now it is a fungal infection. I have read all the posts possible on this constant itching and popping sounds in my ear, and this one I hope is the answer to my prayers. Thank you again. I will let you know.