Flying with fluid in ear

[KTMB]

We are scheduled to fly out for WDW on Tuesday morning (2/13/07), but my little guy (Brady - 9 months) has had a fever for 3 days and the doctor says there is fluid in his left ear. He said it's not infected, but there is fluid.

We took him to the ER last night with a 105 degree temp, and all labs came back fine. They did give him a shot of antibiotic, and he is taking antibiotics orally. We're managing the fever w/Tylenol & Motrin.

Of course, we asked about the upcoming trip, and the ER doc said that Brady would be in extreme pain during the flight w/the fluid in the ear. So, this morning I cancelled our Poly reservations (only staying 1 night & we didn't have any park tickets yet). At the pediatrician today, the doctor said not to cancel, just to give him Motrin 1 hour before and numbing ear drops and he'll be fine. He is confident the fever/virus will be gone by then, but the fluid could still be there.

Our tickets are Southwest, so we can change the date without penalty. As of last night, we were 100% sure we were going to reschedule, but now we have some doubt. I know this is a personal decision, but I'm looking for advice/guidance from anyone who has personally experienced anything like this.

I hope I don't get too many "how could you consider flying in this condition" responses. I'm very much leaning toward cancelling (which I alreay did for the Poly), but want to be 100% sure.

Thanks!

 

[dougsmom98]

My daughter had a double ear infection when we went the last time. My doctor recommended that we give her some Motrin and some Benadryl before the flight. It worked. She slept most of the time and did not seem to be in pain at all.

 

[NotUrsula]

Decongestant would help. The most effective would be the Robitussin formula that contains psuedoephedrine and guiafenesin (kept behind the pharmacy counter, but OTC.) Obviously, at that age, you would have to clear the use with the ped so that he could give you the correct dosage. (You don't want to guess with a baby that age.)

Make sure you either nurse or give him a bottle during takeoff and landing, and don't let him refuse it, unless he is sleeping. Swallowing will relieve the pressure.

I have fluid in my ears at all times, and I fly a LOT. The Auralgan drops you have will be helpful, but probably not foolproof. Don't wait until he cries to use them; they take a while to kick in.

 

[KTMB]

Decongestant would help. The most effective would be the Robitussin formula that contains psuedoephedrine and guiafenesin (kept behind the pharmacy counter, but OTC.) Obviously, at that age, you would have to clear the use with the ped so that he could give you the correct dosage. (You don't want to guess with a baby that age.)

Make sure you either nurse or give him a bottle during takeoff and landing, and don't let him refuse it, unless he is sleeping. Swallowing will relieve the pressure.

I have fluid in my ears at all times, and I fly a LOT. The Auralgan drops you have will be helpful, but probably not foolproof. Don't wait until he cries to use them; they take a while to kick in.

Thanks for the info. I mentioned about a decongestant or antihistamine to the ped, and he said recent research is showing that those meds can thicken the fluid, causing it to be harder to drain. It might be okay just for the flight though.

I was planning to nurse him on takeoff and landing. I did that last time we flew, when he was 4 months old. Would a pacifier also do the trick if he is unwilling to nurse at those times?

The drops I got are called Similasan Earache Relief drops that contain Chamomilla, Mercurius solubilis, and Sulphur. What is Auralgan? I didn't see that at the pharmacy.

I think we're still going to make a final decision over the weekend to see how the fever plays out. He had us scared with the 105 degree temp and lethargy.

Thanks!

 

[lclark0621]

My Ped has reccomended we not fly with fluid in ears. She has said besides the intense pain, there is a chance his ear drum could pop. Not worth it for me.

 

[northriver]

Does anyone know anything about earplanes? I have seen them recommended, but I don't know how they work, I know they make some for childern but I'm not sure how young. I understand that they relieve ari pressure. If I were having fluid in the ears I would definately try them. I must have had fluid in my ears once - when I went to europe when I was in highschool. I had the worst pain in my ears the entire flight over. I don't know what caused it, but it never happened to me again. I say whatever you can do to make your kids comfortable is worth a shot.

 

[barkley]

i honestly would'nt chance it.

i had ear infections as a child and had an eardrum burst due to fluid (non infection). it was horrendously intense pain-and my hearing was severly compromised for month. as it happened i was able to get to an e/r and receive treatment-i cannot fathom being on an airplane.

i can't agree with a ped. who sez to use numbing drops to deal with it-if the pain is intense it's for a reason, numbing it may quell the pain-but it won't prevent or diminish the damage.

 

[Ariel8676]

Well its only Friday...i would give it another day or two then decide.
The meds should kick in (hopefully) and start to get rid of all the nastiness in your poor little man's body. Maybe bring him back in to the doc's tomorrow (and Monday if you wish) and see if it looks any better, then decide.
Flying with bad ears is the worst..my DH and my 5 yo dd have really bad ears..for my dd we use earplanes (but dont think they would fit a baby) and give her Benedryl(about a 1/2 hour before you get on) to help keep everything clear.
I REALLY hope he is feeling better soon!!! Please keep us updated!!!!

 

[NotUrsula]

I mentioned about a decongestant or antihistamine to the ped, and he said recent research is showing that those meds can thicken the fluid, causing it to be harder to drain.

Definitely true of an antihistamine and of some decongestants, but NOT true of guaifenesin (which is technically classed as an expectorant, but actually works as a mucolytic agent; its entire function is to THIN mucous so that it drains more effectively or in the case of the lungs, allows it to be coughed out easily.) I have Meniere's, which causes constant fluid buildup in the inner ear. Guaifenesin is the most effective agent I've found for keeping it from accumulating enough to cause pain. Straight Robitussin (the plain kind, no letters after the name) contains guaifenesin only. Again, for a baby that young, you would need the ped to determine the dosage, because it is done by weight. Guaifenesin makes you thirsty, so fluid intake needs to increase while taking it.

I was planning to nurse him on takeoff and landing. I did that last time we flew, when he was 4 months old. Would a pacifier also do the trick if he is unwilling to nurse at those times?

Not nearly as well. To get the maximum effect he needs to be swallowing, and the small amount of saliva generated by a pacifier isn't really enough.

The drops I got are called Similasan Earache Relief drops that contain Chamomilla, Mercurius solubilis, and Sulphur. What is Auralgan? I didn't see that at the pharmacy.

Unless you live in Canada, you wouldn't. Auralgan (or the generic equivalent, called A/B Otic) is prescription in the US. Similasan isn't NEARLY as powerful -- I had assumed that because the doc told you to use them, that he had given you a scrip for the good stuff. Auralgan is a serious analgesic; it contains antipyrine and benzocaine. http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic2/auralgan.htm
Auralgan will completely numb the eardrum in about 5 minutes. Auralgan is OTC in Canada, and is pretty much considered the standard first treatment there for ear pain in young children.

A lot of US peds will not give Auralgan to parents for small kids, not because it is too strong, but because if over-used it can mask the symptoms of a ruptured eardrum, and they don't want to get sued if the child suffers permanent hearing loss because of an undiagnosed rupture. Since I carry it at all times as an emergency pain-killer, my ped trusts me to use it sparingly. The deal we have is that I won't give the kid more than 2 doses for a flight -- if the pain persists after the second dose wears off, I'll have a doctor check him out ASAP. (I've never had to do that.)

 

[mcqueengroupie]

This is a tough call. Last May my family and I went to WDW and I was the one who was very sick. I too had fluid in my ears but no infection, but canceling wasn't an option for us. It was very painfull at takeoff and landing, and my one ear was "plugged" for a good week. I couldn't hear a thing. All this was a huge downer for me on our big trip. I would do what the doctor recommends, if you can reschedule without losing money it might be better for everyone. If your son gets sicker, or just does't feel right, it will affect everyone's trip. I tried the ear plugs on a flight last July, and while they did work, neither one of my ears got "plugged", they (the plugs) hurt like hell in my ears. But I thought a few hours of pain was better than a week of not hearing!!!!! Plus, they are not easy to get in, and since your son can't tell you if they are in right, they probably won't work. Good luck, and I hope your son gets better quick.

 

[KTMB]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I was talking to a group of school nurses this morning and they all said to give him Cough Medicine/Decongestant and go. I'm planning on having him rechecked Monday just to be sure things are getting better.

The ped said there was no chance of rupture, because the fluid isn't that bad. He used some type of other otoscope/tympanogram thing to measure the eardrum's response to get this info.

I'm still wavering. I need to make a decision ASAP though because my mother is going with us and she is renting a scooter to use at the park. She has mobility issues and wants to make sure we stay on the monorail too. I'll need to rebook the Poly - if there are still rooms available.

 

[debster812]

DS is 9, and has flown 7 times. (Spoiled child ). Anyway, for 3 of those 7 flights, he's been on antibiotics for ear infections.

We had lengthy discussions with his Dr. and PNP. At the time of flights he was taking antibiotics, pain relief, and a degongestant. He was such a trooper, and did just fine.

It's a personal decision to be sure, just wanted to share our experience.

 

[NotUrsula]

DS is 9, and has flown 7 times. (Spoiled child).

LOL, if 7 flights by age 9 makes a child spoiled, DS must be corrupted beyond redemption. He's also 9, and he generally flies at least that many times every year. By the time he was 18 months old, he knew the security drill so well he was always trying to put my purse on the belt while I folded the stroller. (Now he's old enough to know that the valuables always go in LAST!)

BTW, FWIW, the Rx phone number at the Lake Buena Vista Walgreen's is 407-238-0600. (I have it in my address book in case anyone in the family needs meds called in from our own doctors while at WDW. Usually that person is me, but knowing the number can comes in handy. I know Walgreen's will always take our insurance.)

 

[SuperSteelerFan]

We just went in Dec and DD 11 had fluid in her ear. She was on antibiotics for only 3 days before the trip and had no trouble whatsoever. Have him rechecked and again ask the pediatrician whether he should go.

 

[momtoBrandon&Jacob]

This is an interesting thread. My son used to get ear infections and ended up getting the tubes. He's been fine for the past 2-3 years and still has 1 tube in one of his ears. I asked our pediatrician if he will have a problem with his ears (he's 4.5 now) and she said that unless he has a cold, he should be fine. In the case that he does have a cold she said to give him a decongestant.

 

[KTMB]

Just wanted to give everyone an update.

Brady's temp was normal this AM so DH took the kids to the sitter. I called at least 4 times, and she said he was fine, but not 100%. When I went to pick him up after work, he was his usual self, waving and saying hi and crawling at light speed over to greet me. Needless to say, I was thrilled! He's here now trying to help me type this message, and doing great. I will see how tonight goes, but I'm hopeful that our trip may still be on.

I am going to call the doctor and see if they'll check his ears tomorrow morning. Thanks so much to everyone who has responded! We're leaning toward going and giving him the decongestant before we go. I appreciate the info about the ear drops too. I may ask about those tomorrow too.

 

[MickeyMonstersMom]

Just a word of caution: I didn't know I had fluid in my ears when I flew back from WDW a few years ago. A week later I was at the doctor's office with downright scary vertigo. I knew I must be upright, but felt as if the world had tilted under me - and then it would tip the other way! It turned out that flying forced the fluid deeper into my ear, screwing up my sense of balance in a condition known as labyrinthitis. I don't know much about it, but wouldn't wish it on anyone! You might want to ask your doctor about the possibility, just in case.

 

[norcalmouse]

Well it got so bad with my boy's ears that I started carrying my
own otoscope so I can let the doctor know right away
what problem I think we have. I have everything
from 1 DS with no problems to another DS who had
his ear drum rupture and didn't even realize it,
3 out of 4 had tubes (one twice and one still has them in, I just
checked him a few days ago) and one also gets swimmers ear
all the time. I represent what could happen, had
my inner ear rupture about 6 years ago and so
I have no hearing in one ear, just constant buzzing/ringing.

Fluid does not always mean infection so antibiotics
are not always the solution. I usually take
sudafed myself 2 hours before any flight and take
the 12 hour sudafed before longer flights to try
and protect my other ear. If the boys show
any signs of fluid they get some also, plus lots
of water and gum on the flight.

 

[jessica52877]

I took my son to the doctor thinking he might have an ear infection because we going to have to fly to a funeral. Ends up there was nothing, guess my imagination! The doctor said that he might be a bit uncomfortable, but nothing major (this was before we knew there was nothing) but she said she didn't think we needed to drive. We able to do either, but flying was so so much easier! BUT I have no first hand experiene with it!

 

[luvsmickeymouse]

Just wanted to give everyone an update.

Brady's temp was normal this AM so DH took the kids to the sitter. I called at least 4 times, and she said he was fine, but not 100%. When I went to pick him up after work, he was his usual self, waving and saying hi and crawling at light speed over to greet me. Needless to say, I was thrilled! He's here now trying to help me type this message, and doing great. I will see how tonight goes, but I'm hopeful that our trip may still be on.

I am going to call the doctor and see if they'll check his ears tomorrow morning. Thanks so much to everyone who has responded! We're leaning toward going and giving him the decongestant before we go. I appreciate the info about the ear drops too. I may ask about those tomorrow too.

Good to hear that he is feeling better. I would plan on going. My kids both have cleft lip and palate which means alot of ear problems, when they flew, it was Benydryl. They are 16 and 19 and are doing great . Just about done with surgery.