When grommets don’t work?! What next?

DD had grommets put in on her first birthday after 6 months of persistent ear infections. Initially the improvement was dramatic and wonderful. She'd have an infection now and then that would clear up quickly. Then about two months ago she got another one, and hasn't managed more than 2 days off meds since. As soon as one course of ear drops stops, she's back to screaming all night and needing another round of antibiotics to clear it. And it comes back so fast, she's had pretty much constant infections for the last 2 months. So much antibiotics can't be good for her, and she's now on thrush cream permanently as a preventative with all the antibiotics because she had a month where she kept getting thrush from them.

She's on antibiotics again now - started a new course on Wednesday, which helped initially, but her ears are now sore again so obviously the infection has got worse ON antibiotics. I'm planning to ask for another referral to the ENT specialist when I take her back to the GP next week.

But the grommets are still in place and working (gunk is coming out), so is there anything more he can do? I'd dearly love to make my little girl feel better again

Does anyone have any alternative remedies? Will an osteo or something help?

T Rex what antibiotics are you being prescribed?  If it's amoxycillan I would suggest you talk to your GP about other options.  We use Ciloxan.  It's actually an eye drop but our  ENT prescribes them for DD's ear infections (and I now just ask for them at the GP) as they are better for long term hearing if being used with grommits - and after several courses of amoxycillan that didn't work  these worked like a dream for us.

According to our ENT about 20% of children who get grommits go on to need more as well as adenoids / tonsils out.  When is your next follow up with ENT?  If you have one I would ring the hospital and ask that it is brought forward to the earliest date you can get, otherwise if no follow up is scheduled I'd get the GP to refer you for one asap.  They will want to know if the grommits aren't working to clear the infections so definitely worth a chat to them.

And other than that, hang in there.  It's so hard when it's persistent like that.

I can't vouch for this personally, but 3 of the mums at my playcentre took their children to a cranial osteopath when the had recurrent ear infections. They all say that the ear infections stopped after the visits. I don't know how many times they had to go, but they were very keen to recommend it. It's about alignment, which makes sense as the ear infections occur when the fluid can't drain naturally.
Might be worth investigating. Good luck.

T_Rex I would definitely phone and ask for your appt with ENT to be brought forward to the earliest date possible.  We were asked to phone for an earlier appt in the event of recurring infection so I would have thought they'd be pretty keen to see you.

Ciloxan are drops - but I'd be trying to get in to your ENT before you need the next lot if you can rather than having to go back to the GP.