Update on ear infection / flight

[oceanmarina]

Hi all. Thanks for all of your kind words, support & prayers. It looks like i'm going to make my flight & cruise after all. I would also like to share what this specialist gave me since I know a lot of us have all been faced with a similar situation.

When I saw the doctor he confirmed that I have a bad ear infection in my left ear & a small / trace infection in my right ear that flared up last week. There is fluid behind the ear.

He said that if I wanted to I can fly. He said he was going to treat this verry aggressively in terms of medication since I want to be able to go on this vacation. He said that there is a chance of my ear rupturing when I fly. I asked him how I would know. He said, "believe me, you'll know" and also you will find/see blood & puss come out of that ear (sorry, grosss). I said well would'nt that ruin my vacation? And he said no, you just would not be able to swim with your head under water if that happens. It heals up. I asked him about those "earplanes" and he basically said don't bother with those, just take your medication & follow his "preflight instructions" sheet (i'll list that below).

He put me on a steroid to reduce inflamation/swelling called "methylpredinsolone" that I take for 6 days. Also, 1 new antibiotic that is more geared towards bacterial infections (which is what an ear infection is, not a viral infection like Zithromax is more geared for) it's called "Cefuroxime", take that for 10 days. Last one is a powerful decongestant that I take for 10 days, "guaifenesin."

Here is what his preflight instruction sheet says:

1. Benadryl 25 MG or Sutafed 60MG, 2 to 3 hours before the flight.

2. Afrin 12 hour nasal spray, 2 puffs into each nostril before boarding the plane

3. Chew gum or candy during takeoff/landing or whenever there is a sudden change of pressure in the plane {I certainly hope not!}

4. Do frequent popping of the ears while blowing through a partially closed nostril

I will definately follow his directions to a T, PLEASE say a prayer that my ear drum does not rupture.

So much for my wine ) : No alcohol with all these medications. Although I did see sparkeling apple cider on one of the Wonder menus.

Also, I have a tendency to get scared/panicy when I fly, so I also have to take a zanax in the mist of all these medications! sheesh!

Thanks again to all,
Marina

 

[4nana]

Hope you will be comfortable on your flight and have a wonderful cruise. Glad your dr prescribed a med to give you some relief. As others, I also would highly suggest you invest in a pr. of
'airplanes' plugs. I have very sensitive ears and bewteen these and benadryl, they are a life saver for me!
Don't worry and think positive.... the best is yet to come!!

Godspeed ^i^
Sandie

 

[Zandy595]

I had a few ruptured eardrums when I was a child. It is quite painful, but I don't remember any of the "gross" stuff you mentioned.

I'm so glad we live in FL so we don't have to fly to the port. I hate flying because I always have ear pain during descent. I've tried those Earplanes and I agree with your doctor, they're a waste of money.

Good luck with your flight.

 

[Zandy595]

Did your doctor prescribe any numbing drops? They can be a life saver if you have ear pain. You can get them over the counter at any pharmacy too.

 

[pdarrah]

I'm glad you can take your flight and cruise!

I just wanted to put in a word for EarPlanes. I have always had my ears "block up" (it sounds like I'm in a metal can and everyone's voices are muffled) when I fly. I just lived with it until about 7 years ago when I started flying ALOT for business. Since it would take several days for my ears to "clear" after a flight, they would just be clearing near the end of a trip and then I'd get back on a plane to fly home and they would block up again. No sooner would they clear than I'd be off on another trip. It was driving me crazy! I picked up my first EarPlanes at an airport thinking - well they can't hurt and you never know....

Well, my ears didn't block up on that flight. Ok, maybe a fluke, so I kept using them. (a new pair each trip) Basically, I haven't had much trouble with my ears ever since. The only time my ears have blocked up was a flight when I already had a sinus infection and then there was huge turbulance and the pilot kept taking us up, down, around, etc trying to get out of it. I usually only wear them for takeoff and the first 20 minutes or so while the plane gets to flying altitude. Then I put them back in about 1/2 hour before landing. If there are changes in the middle of the flight and I don't notice soon enough, then I could still have trouble.

If you have trouble with your ears, it seems worth the few dollars to give the EarPlanes a try....

 

[Jestocost]

Originally posted by oceanmarina
Also, 1 new antibiotic that is more geared towards bacterial infections (which is what an ear infection is, not a viral infection like Zithromax is more geared for) it's called "Cefuroxime", take that for 10 days.

To address this common misconception, Zithromax and all antibiotics are geared exclusively toward bacterial infections and have no effect whatsoever on viral infections. That's why it's useless to take antibiotics for viral infections, such as the common cold or the various strains of influenza.

They should do a nice job on your ear infection, however!

Good luck with your flight and cruise.

 

[staylor]

I am a flight attendant and just thought I'd add my 2 cents. Sudafed works great, just take it a few hours before flight. Also, Afrin is great and works quickly, so I would take it with you on the plane. Keep clearing your ears (close mouth, plug nose and blow) Not too hard though! The worst part will be decent which usually lasts about 15-20 minutes. Good Luck!