Anyone eliminate dairy for chronic ear infections?

[essnce629]

My best friend's DD is almost 5 and has been dealing with chronic ear infections and has had multiple rounds of antibiotics lately and even had a burst ear drum. I recommended that she try eliminating dairy. Has anyone had success with dairy elimination and reducing the frequency of ear infections? Her doctor is suggesting tubes, but my friend doesn't want to go that route yet.

[Reyadawnbringer]

Yes. We did dairy elimination when DS was a year and a half after 7 rounds of concurrent sinusitis, double pink eye, and double ear infection. We were thisclose to getting tubes and we eliminated all dairy. It took about a month to see a difference, but by the time we made it to the ENT for preop stuff everything cleared. The ENT decided to hold off on tubes and wait and see. It has almost been a year and a half and he hasn't had those same issues again. The ENT has seen DS 3 times since then for a check up and continues to get a clear bill of health in that area.

I have heard of it working and was skeptical, but we had success, so I am reluctant to change something if it is working. Plus DS prefers soy now.

[smilequeen]

My kid with chronic EIs was dairy allergic and I was on a full dairy/casien elimination diet from the beginning with him. He still had them until he got tubes. The tubes worked. Honestly, it is quick, easy, painless, and it works so I don't get why they freak people out so much.

[BabyBearsMom]

I have a good friend who gets sinus infections every time she has dairy. She has taken it completely out of her diet and hasn't had a sinus infection since 2001. If it works on sinus infections, I imagine it could work on ear infections too

[AnnieW625]

DD1 had horrible runny noses and phelgm until we took her off cows milk when she was 18 months old. We first tried rice milk but she didn't like that so we switched to soy. She had one ear infection at 10 months old prior to stopping cows milk. She started getting more infections at 22 months old (it was winter) and she ended up with tubes at 26 months old.

Like Smilequeen said it's not scary, it's quick, and there were no side effects from the tube surgery. While she has still had about an ear infection a year since her surgery the tubes made a huge difference in her life.

[Katigre]

I would recommend the following for a situation like that:

1. Chiropracter (find a reputable one who is experienced with kids and will only treat/adjust until the problem is resolved)
2. Accupuncture - it's worth a shot
3. No dairy diet.