Eat Tubes?

My son Gabe, 17 months is on his fifth antibiotic for the same double ear infection. I have also been taking him to the chiropractor for the last month. The chiropractor and ped agree that they are no longer red but the ped says that there is fluid that still has not drained thus requiring the antibitoic and a visit to the ENT if this does not resolve. The chiropractor says that he doesn't need the antibiotic because the ears are not red and that the fluid will eventually drain with regular adjustments.

I am confused and trying to gather all of the info I can. Have your children had tubes? If so, how old were they and were they helpful?

Thanks,
Rebecca

 

Guess I should have previewed, topic should be ear tubes, sorry!

 

Our youngest got tubes at 9 months old. She had fluid in her ears, and continual doulbe ear infections for about 2 - 3 months before. She dropped on her growth curves during this time as well, and was very cranky during this time. After tubes, no ear infections, happier, and growing well. Definitely worth it for her. Her ear drums were also retracting during this time, so instead of rupturing because of so much pressure, they were sucking back into her ears.

 

I would go to an ENT right away. Continuous fluid can affect their hearing and speech. I don't think I would depend on the chiropractor to clear the fluid! Both of my girls have had tubes. Elizabeth got her's last week. We had the same problem, constant antibiotics and fluid that wouldn't drain. They sleep so much better with the tubes!

 

Josh and Noah both had constant infections that wouldn't go away even with shots if Rocephin abx. That is basically the last step at the clinic before getting to an ENT. Josh got ear tubes last Aug and has been doing great since - no infections and no fluid. Noah just got ear tubes today and hopefuly he will have the same result. The actual process of getting ear tubes takes about less than 5 min, the hard part is using gas to go to sleep and being a bit crabby when waking up. However, it is VERY much worth the end of the constant battle with ear infections, poor sleep, crabby children, and mostly to be painfree!! I would get an appt with the ENT asap!

 

We have an ENT visit next week for Cooper to start the process of getting tubes. He can't seem to go more than a couple weeks before he gets another EI. We have tried numerous abx and the Rocehpin shot.

I wouldn't rely on a chiropractor either.

 

Both my boys are getting ear tubes next week. They are 2 and a half, and I wish I wouldn't have waited so long. I think I could have avoided a lot of crankiness and my boys could have avoided a lot of pain, and would be much farther along in speech by now.

I guess what I am trying to say is get them to an ENT as soon as possible!

Chiropractics can help, I'm sure, but remember the chiropractor is trying to keep himself in business, too, so I would go to an ENT for the ear issue.

Good luck!

 

I would go to the ENT too. My chiropracter is very anti-antibiotics and tubes, but my little buddy kept getting infections and after 4, yes FOUR antibiotics he still had fluid in his ear, but it was not red. Both of mine had tubes put in yesterday and the ENT told me that he had to suction some gunk from behind the ear drum. Continuous fluid can affect their hearing and speech..

Like pp said, chiropractic can help, but I woludn't rely solely on that. Once they get tubes they can still get infections, but it at least will allow the pressure not to build up and the fluid to drain and on top of that they can use drops instead of oral antibiotics.

 

Chloe got tubes this past year - she was about 2 yrs 2 mos when she got them. She had had so many ear infections (actually it was like the same infection that they couldn't get rid of). The tubes literally took only 5 mins...we left her as the wheeled her into surgery, we went to the waiting room, walked to the drink machine and when I got back across the room, the doctor was coming out to tell us he was done! I was shocked. She was a little woozy right afterwards, but was fine. She did get one other infection 6 weeks later, BUT you could see it as the tubes allows it to ooze out of the ears (gross, but helpful as you know what is going on). Like someone previously said, then they can treat with drops in ears instead of orally. She's done so much better since the tubes and I'm all for them personally. Good luck!

 

My girls got tubes around 13 months. They had fluid on their ears for about 5 months and had had one ear infection. They were later diagnosed with a dairy allergy which fluid on the ears and ear infections are symptoms of. I would totally recommend the tubes because the girls' speech took off as soon as they could hear but I would also check for a dairy allergy as the root cause of the fluid build up or infections.