Extreme outer ear pain: What can it be?

I also have this and no doctors have helped either. When i wake the pain is so bad i literally have to force myself to pick my head up with my hands the pain is so unbearable once i finally sit up takes about an hour for relief. Need to know whats causing this.

I did have the same problem for over a year i was suffering so much pain then i decided to change the type of my pillow i was using as i thought the best pillows Sheridan memory foam pillows it was so comfortable but not to my ears, To describe the pain. It is so intense that it wakes me.Pain is NOT inside the ear but around the edges of the entrance of it. It is so painful, I can’t touch it. It will be throbbing. It also hurts tremendously behind, towards the bottom back of the ear. & i would have the part of my ear feels bubbly it was getting worse every day, First time i thought maybe my pillow is getting old i ordered the same pillow my ear was getting worth instead of getting better the i decided to get cheap Tontine pillow ever since then i never felt the pain again i hope my experience will help you, Good luck. Mona

Hi Mona @monaarnaout and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I am so glad to hear that your ear pain cleared up in switching the material of your pillow. It is definitely a testament that expensive is not necessarily better. It's all dependent on your comfort level and your body.
Can you tell us what your current pillow is made of? Did you speak with an allergist to see if perhaps you were allergic to the last pillows contents?

I had the pain for over 2 years, and I resorted to sleeping with my hand under my cheek to keep pressure off my ears. It only helped a little and caused me to wake over and over every night. I come back and do a search every so often to see if there are any stories of relief, and I just can't remember where I saw the vitamin / calcium solution. I'll keep looking, because it's made such a difference in my life. I'd forgotten how it felt to actually sleep. I suffer from chronic neck and back pain too, and sleeping on my side is the only option I have, so this was a huge issue. This may not help all others suffering with this, but it's so easy to try. Give it a little time. Hope it helps.

I’m just so glad I’m not the only one with this very weird ear pain! Mine started a few months ago and I couldn’t figure out why it was happening even though it was obvious because I was sleeping on that side. At first I thought my ear folder over and that was why but as it persisted and seemed to happen every night and it was even sore all the next day, I never told anyone because it’s just bizarre and I had no clue how to explain it to people that didn’t understand. If was weird to me living it, I know I’d get strange looks when trying to explain it!
So after finding out that it wasn’t just me, I told my husband about it and he agreed it was strange but knew I was excited to find that I wasn’t alone in this ‘painful, sleeping on my ear’ problem. Looking at the vitamin D and calcium solution, I’ll give it a try.

i have the same and would like to find out what is causing this pain james

This Ear Issue is an Ear Pressure Sore, Chondrodermatitis Nodularis Helicis (CNH), a Bedsore of the Ear. I, too, am experiencing this issue. I am nearly bedridden from my disability, and have this issue in my right ear, and the outside edge of the cartridge.