severe ear infections- HELP!!!!

My daughter is almost 6 months old and the past month has been a nightmare. She had an ear infection in both ears little over a month ago which seemed to have cleared with amoxicillan. A week later, both ears got infected again and dr. prescribed omnicef. Daughter started to vomit and ran fevers of 105 and almost dehydrated. Went to ER and got a shot of rocephin antibiotic, since she could not hold down the antibiotics well. 2 days later she started running fevers again, and Dr. gave her another shot of rocephin, which he said should definately clear up the infection. 5 day follow up- infection still there with pus comming out of her ear now. Dr. decided to try zithromax now, which she threw up again. I dont want to go through that same cyle again. I am soo frustrated, tired and lost on what to do! I cant see my baby in soo much pain all night long. Tylenol only helps for a little while. Ideas/suggestions from anyone/everyone please! I am desperate and willing to try anything.

[CYW]

I am so sorry to hear you are going through this..it must be soo difficult....

is she breastfeeding, on formula..is it milk based?? is she on whole milk? is she getting ANY ice cream, yogourt..etc that has whole milk in it??? i ask because thats exactly how i was when i was 6 months old.. i was on whole milk..22 yrs ago..and i was allergic.. i had slight reactions to the formula but it was very minimal...even nowdays if i have a glass of milk and ice cream or too much dairy...i will get the awful ear infection sore throat and runny nose...just a thought:)

[abbysmommy4]

My DD had a problem with ear infections from about 8 months on.  When she started whole milk it got worse.  They wanted to put tubes in but I was against it.  I asked the Dr. for Zyrtec and i also put her on Lactose free milk and we have only had 2 infections since March of last year.  She is now 27 months.  So you may want to talk to the Dr about lactose intolerence possibly and allergies. My DD also would throw up the antibiotics too.  

And as CYW said, my dd would get the runny nose thing too from the milk.

[kerryke]

my daughter had the same thing.  She is almost 1 now, but from about 6-10 months she had 6 or 7 ear infections, one right after the other, and sometimes we werent sure if it was still the previous one or a new one because at first we didnt have appointments to make sure it had cleared after we finished the antibiotics.  Generally, Rocephin is like the extreme antibiotic, so I am suprised he used it before zithromax.  Omnicef is still in the penicillin family, it is amoxicillin mixed with something else.  They try to rotate the antibiotic so she doesnt build an immunity to one, but seems like hers arent clearing up, our daughters only cleared up on Rocephin.  The finally sent us to an ENT doctor, which I was not ready to do.  Through some sort of fate, the 1st appt was canceled for snow and they didnt set the next on up for 4 weeks, which, by then, she had been ear infection free for 8 weeks, so the Dr is letting us hold off for now.  Once her last infection cleared, I was determined to do ANYTHING to not make her get ear tubes, so I tried what some of the older people in our family had suggested, 3 drops of warm olive oil in her ears every few days.  About the Rocephin, it is a 3 shot series, our doctor stopped at 2 because my babys had cleared, but he should have finished the course of 3.

[SAL1975]

My baby is on pumped breastmilk exclusively, so I can rule out lactose intolerance. No pets, no smokers, always feed her upright, and neither my husband nor I ever got ear infections in childhood, so I am clueless why she is having such a problem. I guess tubes would be an option. Her ped is trying to get her an appt with an ENT.

Kerry, my daughter got 2 shots of rocephin(which they said would most definately clear it up), and you are saying it should be a series of 3. Do you know how many mg's each she got? I was hoping rocephin would clear it up.

[CYW]

hmm well then that is quite odd...Keep it up to try and find out what is causing her ear infections..

[kerryke]

I dont know how many mg's, but I clearly remember them saying "omnicef is the strongest oral antibiotic, so we'll have to go to the shots.  Its a series of 3"
I think they were 2 days apart.  Her ear infection cleared after the 1st shot because when we went back for the second, it was gone but they wanted to go ahead and give
her the 2nd to make sure and they canceled the 3rd.  If you read on the internet, there are some strains of infections now that are resistant to the antibiotics.  The amoxicillin family did not work for our daughter, but they sound like they worked for yours.  Are you sure it cleared up the first time.  That little bit of fluid in their ears leads to infection if it cant drain properly.  I did everything, had her sleep propped up, never fed her lying down.
They say pacifiers make it worse, but we didnt have a choice on that, she loved hers. I did buy faster flow nipples so she didnt suck as hard.  Are you sure she doesnt have anything else along with her ear infection?  105 is a fairly high fever, ours never got a high fever, but she never slept well at night during that time.  They also drool a lot more when they are teething which doesnt help with the drainage.  Our daughter has 13 teeth and she will only turn 1 this Friday!  She had 6 teeth at 6 months, but the Dr said it didnt matter if that was what was causing the fluid buildup, what mattered was that her eustachian tube was not yet tilted enough to drain it off.  I am thinking of you, I hope she gets through it.  Let me know if you want to talk more about it because I was a mess during the time my daughter was having them.

[gen584]

I know what u are going thru my son is 4 months and if its not one ear its both ever since he's been born he has had every antibitoci there is to take and the only anwser for me is tubes in his ear when he is 6  months old that would stop all these ear infection they work wonders my sister in laws 2 kids had them and never another ear infection they were put in at 3 years old and they feel out at 6 years old

[SAL1975]

Well, I went for a second opinion today to a pediatrician who is supposedly very good. She decided to give a series of rocephin shots as well. This time 3, so she got a shot todayand for the next 2 days. Poor baby , I dont want her to be a pin cushion, but I want her to get better soon, and she just cant stomsach those oral antibiotics. She also has an appt with an ENT DR. on Friday. I have heard good things about those tubes. I would love for her not to get anymore ear infections.

Kerry, I hope she makes it through as  well. I will be fine,I just feel sorry for my baby. She has never been much of a crier ever since she was born, so the fact that she has been crying and screaming soo much, I cant imagine the pain she's in. Just pray for her  speedy recovery. No baby should ever get sick! Poor things cant even tell us whats wrong!