Hello I'm new here and desperately seeking experience. I'm 24 and a week ago had a canal wall down mastoidectomy, I've had what I can only describe as a deep nagging ear ache ever since that is starting to get me down.
My incision is healing and I have barely any pain there now, but the ear ache is still awful.
How long did your pain last?
Even with a more simple procedure it's normal that you still have pain after a week.
Basically you'll live on pain killers every six hours.
You've a had a canal wall down with is more rigorous and it's quite normal to still have pain. You pain should NOT become worse once so ever. If it does you know it's an infection or something else. The pain experience is different for everyone. Though I agree that the pain in the ear is very intense and relentless.
Does your pain medication control it a bit?
Rest as much as you can, it's the only way to get it to heal.
After 1,5 week I wanted to see how my pain really was and didn't take the pain meds. That was a mistake....... as strong pain lashes and more "fun" came to me.
Also the surgery isn't the same for everybody, so give it some time.
Make sure the pain isn't getting worse though.
In one week you should have a post OP appointment right?
Some bone has been drilled away literally and the Dr has been scraping the stuff of your bones etc. It simply hurts a whole ton.
I wish you a fast recovery as it's a slow and painful process.
Thanks,
Mipam.
hi there I'm 25 and had simular surgery a week and half ago. hospital only sent me away with ibroburefen and paracetamol which was ok until a week later I was crying with pain went back to hospital and they gave me stronger pain killers which as helped greatly I had the same pains in my ear but the stronger medication seem to be working I am finally able to get around now as my balance as been allover the place but Im still not abe to drive yet .
hope you recover soon.
Thank you both for your reply, I feel silly complaining I know it's only a week but I think if shocked me because the doctors etc said pain isn't usually bad only for the first few hours (clearly they've hever had the procedure)
I hope both of you are well. Ibroprofen is what seems to help but cocodamol doesn't...strange?!
Sorry forgot to add I don't have a post op app until 23rd, seems quite long but I booked a GP appointment for Monday I'm going to ask for stronger pain killers.
Yes the doctors said same to me about the pain like you say they must not have had it. I have only just started to recover and it's been a week and half so give your self a bit more time and you should start to feel better. The doctors prescribed me codeine and they have worked wonders thank god the pain was horrible I take them along side paracetamol and have been better with taking them .
Also I don't go back till 6 weeks after op for my post appointment where they will take my ear pack out.
What you describe isn't strange.
Actually 800mg Ibuprofen every 6 hours does a great job.
Did you try that? If that isn't enough you need stronger pain killers, but these also make you nauseated and drowzy and can become addicting.
I had the same thing, Ibuprofen worked, great, the other pain killers didn't.
6 weeks that's such a long time is tjay usually the norm? I'm hoping he takes mine out at 3 weeks but maybe he is only taking the stitches out?
My hearing wasn't great before I had the pack in but I'm finding it really hard not hearing st all from that ear! Especially with a 2 year old to run after.
It's good not to drive while you're on stronger pain killers than ibuprofen.
In your case the pain seems to have gotten worse a week later?
10 days after my surgery I returned to work, I was able to drive and do my things, I just needed ibuprofen every six hours.
It WOULD have been better to take another week off, but I couldn't afford that. Happily I like the work I'm doing now so that helped a lot.
Though I only had cholesteotoma removal, no canal wall up or down.
Wow, that is a long time after surgery and non standard I'd say for the first post OP. Normally it's a week or two weeks after surgery, at least to check whether things are healing ok.
If I take inbroprofen I can definitely
Manage the pain! But I notice when the times up as the pain comes back. Just worry the damage on my stomach!
Glad you felt better quick! I'm guessing the canal wall down doesn't help me, just hope I feel better soon!
I still hardly can't hear from my left ear.
Surgery was Sept 23rd for me, but it became infected and it keeps being full with fluid. I am almost certain the fluid won't drain as the problem is with my eustachian tube and since being a baby I've had trouble with my left ear. I'm used now to hearing with one ear only and I dont have my hopes up to hear with my left ear again. The Dr is still in denial, but he'll realize in my cause the fluids won't drain and cholesteotoma will return in due time. In my case I'll remain being checked regularly so I'm ok with it.
Concerning your own health you need to be a vigilante and keep on top of it.
Yeah at the end of the pain meds, like 5 and a half hours, the pain becomes real again, so I strictly took every six hours 800mg ibuprofen.
Otherwise I wouldn't be able to function normally, just lay in bed with pain.
A canal wall down is way more invasive than normal cholesteotoma removal, depending what state the cholesteotoma is in.
In my case, my whole ear was full, but not too much was eroded.
So the surgery took longer, because he had to preserve everything instead of taking things out and reconstructing. Some reconstruction was needed in my case, but not too much, apart from a new eardrum and bone cement. In any case I can relate to intense pain in your ear following the surgery. I hope you feel better soon too, take as much rest as you can.
yh 6 weeks for me I was 's in surgery for 5n half hours as they was more infection than they thought also had to reconstruct my middle ear With cartilage etc yeah I'm counting down the weeks lol I had stitches out following week. ibroburefen didn't agree with me so I only take half the dose of the codeine and it has been working but only been having it as when I feel pain as scarred of being addicted but the doctor assured me usually in people what have an addiction anyway the can also to make you feel sick and dizzy but not the case with me so I'm lucky. will wait a few days and if pain is ok will slowly wean off them I'm hoping by next week I full recover has I will have to go back to work hope you feel better soon.
Weird how they do things differently! I still have my staples in! Can I ask did it hurt when they removed them? I'm quite anxious!
Hi London1992,
my radical CWD mastoidectomy was back in 2014 and i had my packing in for a month which is quite normal and had, and still get regular check ups.
The CWD is an open cavity in the ear drum so be careful in cold weather it causes pain so while outside i use cotton wool just inside the ear drum to stop the wind and cold causing ear pain.
I find weather changes cause me to feel off balance as well,a feeling like being drunk which people seem to think is funny when you tell them(not funny at all)!!!!
Also back in 2013 i had a brain abscess and craniotomy which the dr's seem to think could have been caused by this horrible invasive disease,Cholesteatoma/ mastoiditis which alot of people don't realise how dangerous it can be even i hadn't heard of it before all of this happened.
I was treated for years with ear infections and a horrible smelly discharge given antibiotics all the time,cleared up and kept coming back.
In the end i just put up with it for years and years not going to dr's without realising the consequences of this disease
thank you for your detailed reply, gaby. Sorry you had such a tough time with it! I also have had constant infections all my life I still remember being as young as 7 and doubled over in pain from the ear infections I'd always have!
Thanks for the cold weather tip. Do you find your ear opening is wider? I read this can happen and I'm quite worried it'll be really noticeable!
Hi.
A week is not long, when you have pain it will be. I was off work 3 months and it was a couple of months before I could say I had no pain. It takes while to heal.
Oh goodness that's a long time sorry to hear that!
Funnily enough my pain has completely stopped (thank god) I'll get an odd twinge of pain every now and then but nothing like the awful constant ear ache I had!