I had no infection or sign of anything. I woke up to sudden sharp pains in my left ear on Monday morning. I was freaked but I got up and everything seemed fine except my hearing felt muffled (more so than “normal” for us with hearing loss). I thought perhaps I was getting an ear ache/infection even though I had no more pain like I would usually have for something like that. I had to go to work so I decided to see how I felt later.
I put my aids in (I have CIC) and my ear seemed fine all day except for my hearing feeling lessened. (maybe a bit achey but no sharp pains). I got home from work late that night and took my left hearing aid out and there was brown stuff on it - I thought “that is a lot of wax for me” - Well, it wasn’t wax it was blood! There was some on my ear too. I used a tissue at the front of my ear and watery brown blood there too. I guess my ear was bleed and had blood in it all day.
Of course I was freaked because I didn’t know how this happened. I call my clinic but couldn’t get until the next day and the nurse said it didn’t sound like it was an emergency.
So I go in and the dr (who was young and I hadn’t seen before and really didn’t seem like he knew what he was doing) said I had ruptured ear drum but no one could figure out how it happened (and no I of course do NOT put anything in my ears!). Another dr had to look at my ear and she said there was some “yellow” on my drum which usually means I have/had some sort of infection. Grrr…
I don’t understand how this could come out of nowhere like this???
Anyhow, I was prescribed antibiotics plus some SUPER expensive ear drops which I can’t even afford (I have no health insurance and am out of work).
The dr. told me the drops would cost me $7 but when I went to Walmart to fill the prescription they were $75!!! I didn’t buy them. I got the antibiotics.
I think the drops were called Oxyitcin (sp?).
Do I really need both of these? I had accidentlly puncutured my ear drum in my other ear before but it didn’t bleed and all I got was the oral antibiotics and no drops.
I know that ruptured eardrums need to heal on their own and the antibiotics are for infections. The dr told me to keep my ear dry (showers etc) but than why I am being prescribed drops that are wet??? I don’t get that.
I don’t want to buy $75 drops I do not need. If I knew they were going to be $75 than I would not have said I could afford them. (He said “they will be expensive” and I asked him “how much?” He said “$7”. I said “I can afford that.”) Obviously how could I afford $75 ear drops if I go to a low cost clinic for people who have no jobs or insurance?
This was a very young dr - you could tell he was new. He asked me the SAME questions several times over. I swear, I had to repeat my “ear and hearing history” fives times. Grrr.
Unfortunatley, I can’t go for a “second opinion” because being poor - I have to take what I can get.
Ok, so my rant is done.
But I was wondering if anyone else had something like this happen to them with the eardrum and what sort of treatment they received??
Will this cause more hearing loss for me? Should I try to get the money for the drops?
I just started taking the antibiotics last night.