Over 20 ear infections (7 or more with tubes)

Posted by anluromi @anluromi, May 6 10:33am

Since my 2 year old second ear infection in November 2023, he was 1 then. he has experienced more than 20 ear infections, including 7 or more since getting ear tubes placed in September 2024. Despite ongoing treatment—including multiple rounds of oral antibiotics and at least 7 full tubes of ciprofloxacin drops—fluid continues to drain frequently from his ears.

He just completed a 15-day course of drops, which seemed effective at first—he had two fluid-free days (Saturday and Sunday)—but this morning (Monday), the fluid returned heavily, raising concern again just two days before his scheduled procedure on Wednesday - he will have his tubes replaced.

This cycle has been consistent: he is treated, improves briefly, then relapses within days. The recurring infections have been accompanied by:
• Significant balance issues (frequent falls from beds, chairs, step stools, and even while walking)
• Speech and developmental delays
• Ongoing nasal congestion and drainage
• Fussiness and discomfort
• Overexposure to antibiotics since around 6–8 months old

We’re especially concerned about the long-term impact of chronic ear issues on his hearing, balance, speech development, and quality of life.

Thank you all for your support.

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Profile picture for sandy8043 @sandy8043

I went through this with my son. It was allergies. Once he was off dairy he was much improved. We also eliminated wheat. After about 6 months he was able to eat small amounts of dairy with days off in between. Same with wheat. We chose to eliminate the foods rather than use allergy medications. There are more cow's milk alternatives now. It might be worth a try.

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@sandy8043 My now 41 year old son followed the same course. He was off dairy and wheat. He then had allergy treatment with sublingual drops daily for 2 years. That desensitized him and we were able to reintroduce both foods. That took care of the chronic ear infections. The tubes seemed to help but he still had fluid that became infected. That's why we went to the allergy solution.

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