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So, neighborhood hypochondriac is back in action.
My ears hurt, more so the left ear. The right ear started this morning, the left one since the day before yesterday. My jaw hurts, too, as do my other facial bones, and again, much more on the left side. Glands on the sides of the throat are also sore, again, more so on the left.
I started on amoxycillin 325 mg, 3x a day, 5 days today. Will that be good enough, or do I need to actually see a doc or something?
Fahim even says I look sick. Glazed over look, green tinge to skin.
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KarlEd, we get CSI like a year or two later here.
Rivka, thanks. I'm trying.
I ought to add that my hearing, while never great, is impaired by this infection. Slight fever. Oh, and I have a history of ear infections going back to when I was a young kid. Lots and lots of ear infections. But not any for a long long time.
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quids, if you haven't seen a doctor, are you self medicating? I know ti's a little different where you are, but I'm still worried for you.
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Yep, self medicating. Walked up to the pharmacist, asked for antibiotics for an ear infection, he asked a few questions, and gave me this. I've taken amoxicillin before, so I know it's in the right family of drugs. What can I say, I have a seriously long history of drug abu.. er, use. (I was a child, and I had no control over the over-abundance of anti-biotics I ended up taking, but that's a whole other ball game.)
And that's why I'm asking. If the medicos here tell me it's serious enough that what I'm doing ain't enough, I'll go see a doc. It's just that, unfortunately, with my usual range of illnesses, I can usually predict - with great accuracy - what medications I will be prescribed and what other care I generally require. Docs seem to be a bit of a waste most of the time in that respect. Um, to clarify, I am talking about the usual range of docs who don't take much time to look past the obvious symptoms, that is. Not the unusual care and consideration that I see here.
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The total daily dosage seems extremely light for an adult considering the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant strains of otitis-causing bacteria. It may be that all you are doing is breeding greater amoxicillan-resistance into your bacterial colony.
See a physician. High-dosage treatment with any drug should be monitored by a professional.
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BTW -- Your pharmacist seems to be making his/her recommendation based on his/her rememberance of dosages for the most common otitis sufferers, ie based on the weight of small children. And you ain't no small child.
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Thank you, aspectre. I haven't been to the manufacturer website to check dosage recommendations. I should have done that.
I'm also taking copious amounts of vitamin C, which you are free to argue at will about the efficacy of such treatment, but I'm still taking it anyway. I'm also boiling water to make ginger tea. That usually helps with whatever I have going on.
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I'm not feeling better. In fact, it's worse, but then, does one honestly expect antibiotics or penecillins to work in under a day? Fahim called around, and finally found a hospital that has doctors in today, but we can't see one until after 5. No, hospitals here don't operate the same way as they do in the west. . . Most hospitals didn't even answer the phone.
See, the last couple of days were Sinhala & Tamil New Year, and they're a much much bigger deal here than Christmas, New Years, and Thanksgiving all rolled together in the west. It's pretty common for businesses to be closed not just the two official holidays, but all week and sometimes part of the week after.
I do have good timing, don't I?
After looking online, I wasn't able to find the correct dosage of amoxicillin for an adult, so I still don't know how much I really should be taking. Well, my google-fu is a bit off today and yesterday. Will look some more.
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I would perhaps double-check these dosages, as I can't vouch for the site, but it was the first link that came up so I am sure there are others.....just type
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Amoxicillin will treat middle ear infections, otitis media, assuming there is not drug resistance to amoxicillin in your country. If it is used like candy over there, then there may be resistance. Hard to say. I would suggest four of those tablets a day. That would be one four times per day or two twice per day. Three per day would probably be ok. If you do not have a middle ear infection, however, it won't help. I hope that the drug you have IS amoxicillin, you spelled it slightly differently I think.
Other possibilities include TMJ or an outer ear infection. Or just stuffiness from a viral infection. When you tug on the tip of the ear or wiggle the outer ear around, does that hurt much? Or is the pain deeper, more inside? If the outside is exquisitely painful, it is more likely to be an outer ear infection, better treated with antibiotic ear drops.
If you went to a doctor who could look in your ear and throat he might could point you in the right direction better. He may also have knowledge of this pill you are taking, maybe it is a fake pill and doesn't work or something.
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I talked to a doc over the phone - someone I know from church. He also indicated that I should take four a day, plus told me what ear drops I should use. They are amoxicillin, despite any incorrect spellings I may be using. Fahim picked up the ear drops for me, and I've already used them. The pain is starting to go away some, and hearing is improved. Yay!
Yes, it's outer ear. It hurts when I tug on the ear. Jaw is opening easier, and the facial bone pain, except for the left jaw, is gone.
I didn't bother going to the hospital. With the anticipated several hour wait to see a doc, I'm admittedly not in the mood.
Thanks for your help, Theca & aspectre & Kwea. Posts: 8355 | Registered: Apr 2003
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And it's noticeably better this morning. Yay!
I'm especially happy about this because, with my sister and her family in town, we were planning a train trip to Kandy, near the centre of the country. My nephew, 4, is hugely into trains, and would be severely disappointed if his uncle Fahim, his newest favorite uncle, couldn't go. (I'd already told Fahim to go with them if I couldn't go, but he refuses to go without me if I'm sick, because he's not willing to leave me alone. Sweet guy. )
We've already bought the tickets in the observation car, and the train ride is supposed to be pretty spectacular. Kandy has the Temple of the Tooth - holding, it's said, one of Buddha's teeth. There are also the Kandyan dancers, which are pretty cool to watch. Plus botanical gardens, an elephant sanctuary, and other cool stuff.
Kandy's also perched on the side of a mountain, so it has that going for it as well.
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What can I say, I have a seriously long history of drug abu.. er, use. (I was a child, and I had no control over the over-abundance of anti-biotics I ended up taking, but that's a whole other ball game.)![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
I'm also boiling water to make ginger tea. That usually helps with whatever I have going on.
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Most hospitals didn't even answer the phone.![[Angst]](graemlins/angst.gif)
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