Domeboro Otic

[Slick6]

DOMEBORO EAR DROPS ACETIC ACID/ALUMINUM ACETATE BAYER,PHARM DIV NDC 00026431202

Dunno why it didn't come up yesterday. FDB doesn't say it's invalid, but our supplier doesn't list it as a valid NDC so you probably cant get it.

Looks like the only substitutes are Major (00904352403) and Bausch & Lomb like Charlie said (24208061577)

 

[Laurence Stein DDS]

Sorry guys...my fingers misspoke! Obviously the acetic acid acidifies the ears. Aluminum acetate is an astringent. It is used to reduce inflammation and itching if the ear canal is infected.


Larry Stein

 

[Mama Mynet]

Try looking up "modified burrow's solution, otic"
You can "brew your own" ear solution by mixing 50% white vinegar with 50% isopropyl alcohol, 70%. The vinegar acidifies the ear canal and the alcohol dries it out. In Domboro Solution, aluminum acetate acidifies the canal.
It is important that when applying the drops, you put it in each ear for several minutes before dumping it out. Do it everytime your ears are exposed to water.
It is also possible to find modified burrow's solution in some pharmacies as a surgical dressing...I do not know if the concentration is the same as the "otic" version...you should look up the formulation first.
Laurence Stein, DDS

Will the solution "keep" in a baby dropper bottle? I have a couple of bottles of Baby tylenol that are empty and cleaned out. Thought this would be a great place to store it in?

 

[adjuster-jd]

After getting a nasty external ear infection from diving in the quarry last year, I want to make sure the same thing does not happen again.
I have mixed up a home brew solution as discussed here and all seems to be well, but after having read the threads here about Domeboro, I discussed it with my doctor and he agreed to prescribe it...

I'm not a pharmacist, but why would the Bausch & Lomb equivalent not pop up and prompt the pharmacist that there was a substitute? All I basically got was that the drug that was prescribed was not available....

It is absurd that it is a prescribed concoction because you can easily get both the acetic acid and the aluminum acetate components over the counter. You did not mention what your affliction is. It is normally used for external ear canal infections.

If you are looking for a preventative, the aluminum acetate component has no particular prophylactic value and you can get by with the already mentioned acetic acid (read: vinegar) and alcohol solution.

 

[WetCell]

I'm not a pharmacist, but why would the Bausch & Lomb equivalent not pop up and prompt the pharmacist that there was a substitute? All I basically got was that the drug that was prescribed was not available....

I buy Domeboro packets (12) in an OTC box at any CVS or Walgreens. I then take a bottle of water and drink some out, put the packet in and shake to dissolve. I add some vinegar and then toss the bottle in our kit along with one of those baby nose aspirators. At the end of the dive day, we wash out our ears with the solution. The Domeboro keeps for a week, more than enough time for any dive trip. We used to use a 50/50 solution of alcohol and vinegar, burns like a sonofabee. The Domeboro is gentler and apparently what the Navy uses.

This may seem like an excessive regimen, but once you get a case of swimmer's ear, you will get religion about after-dive ear washes.

 

[doctormike]

Hello!

You will find many different people swearing by many different regimens, and claiming that other approaches do not work. This is probably because the outer ear canal varies from person to person, based on the presence or absence of earwax impaction, the size of the canal, the presence of obstructing bony growths ("surfer's ear"), the composition of the earwax (more or less fat content), etc...

It would be unusual to for an outer ear infections (swimmer's ear) to cause a serious and/or permanent problem. Therefore, the advice to "do whatever works for you" is more appropriate here than it would be for middle ear barotrauma or inner ear DCS!

The ever popular "ear salad dressing" works pretty well for preventing swimmer's ear in an otherwise normal ear canal. It contains alcohol (to displace water and dry the ear), and vinegar (to reduce the pH and prevent the growth of pseudomonas bacteria). Note that you don't need a lot of vinegar to drop the pH, and the more vinegar you add, the less the solution will dry the ear (vinegar being mostly water). Therefore, even though most people quote a 50-50 mix, you really only need to put a few tablespoons of vinegar in a little bottle of rubbing alcohol. This also makes it sting less.

The alcohol acts as an astringent (which dries the ear), and not primarily as an anti-inflammatory agent - although keeping the ear dry helps reduce inflammation.

Burrow's solution was an early astringent, containing aluminum acetate. Domeboro's solution was similar but used aluminum sulfate, which is easier to manufacture. Domeboro's otic drops are ear drops containing aluminum acetate and acetic acid - an astringent and a mild acid, similar to the salad dressing.

Keeping the ear dry also works very well, and I have had good luck with this: www.dryear.net

Finally, severe swimmer's ear usually requires a good cleaning of trapped debris (earwax and dead skin), which retain moisture and prevent healing of the ear canal. This is best done by an ENT doctor with a microscope and suction. Topical antibiotic and steroid drops (such as Ciprodex) are then used to treat the infection.

Best,

Mike

 

[WetCell]

Hello!
It would be unusual to for an outer ear infections (swimmer's ear) to cause a serious and/or permanent problem. Therefore, the advice to "do whatever works for you" is more appropriate here than it would be for middle ear barotrauma or inner ear DCS!

Burrow's solution was an early astringent, containing aluminum acetate. Domeboro's solution was similar but used aluminum sulfate, which is easier to manufacture. Domeboro's otic drops are ear drops containing aluminum acetate and acetic acid - an astringent and a mild acid, similar to the salad dressing.

Keeping the ear dry also works very well, and I have had good luck with this: www.dryear.net

Well, once you have had a good, nasty case of 'ear you don't want it to happen again--and I would say that is pretty much a permanent issue.

Burrow's, aka Domeboro, is the ear wash solution of choice for the US Navy. I can guarantee you that a good deal of money was spent on the research into an effective solution--excuse the pun ;-)

I considered the "Dry Ear". Too expensive and tedious--basically, you are blowing warm air into your ear and the bugs love warm and moist. If you don't do it long enough, or the batteries are dead, then your chances of getting the nasty are high. At the end of our dive, after the BC's come off, we squirt our, as you put it, "salad dressing" in our ears knowing that we will not develop the nasty a few hours later.

 

[doctormike]

I considered the "Dry Ear". Too expensive and tedious--basically, you are blowing warm air into your ear and the bugs love warm and moist. If you don't do it long enough, or the batteries are dead, then your chances of getting the nasty are high. At the end of our dive, after the BC's come off, we squirt our, as you put it, "salad dressing" in our ears knowing that we will not develop the nasty a few hours later.

Like I mentioned, everyone usually finds something that works for them. However, just to respond, some people actually have bad reactions to "salad dressing", so it might not be for everyone. If it works well for you, that's great... I always recommend it!

The reason that people get swimmer's ear is because water exposure washes away the natural protective thin film of cerumen (earwax), and causes breakdown of the ear canal skin's normal defense mechanisms. Then, the bacteria that live in the ear start growing. Except in very rare circumstances (e.g. swimming in polluted fresh water), it is not from bacteria coming in from the outside.

I have no personal stake in the ear dryer, but I do think that it works well and is safer than any topical agent for regular use. It does not involve introducing any chemicals into the ear which may cause local reactions. All it does is dry the ear after water exposure, which is usually all that is necessary to prevent (not to treat) swimmer's ear.

Yes, it is true that if the battery runs down, it doesn't work, but I don't think that would be a deal breaker for most electronic gadgets! It is a bit tedious, I agree, but it only takes a few minutes. They cost about $40 (the Web site prices seem to be old, in the drug stores here they aren't as much). You are right that bugs do love warm and moist environments, which is the point of the ear dryer - it blows air into the ear to dry it. It is a bit warm to help with the drying, but the warmth of the ear canal is from the body's natural 98.6 degrees, not from air being blown into it.

And yes, once you get swimmer's ear, you will do whatever is necessary to prevent it..! I once took care of the mother of one of my patients with a bad swimmer's ear, and she said that it hurt worse than childbirth...



Mike

 

[DPP Santa Cruz]

Hello;

Don't stick q-tips in your ear, keep your earwax. The wax is slightly acidic and helps prevent harmful bacteria and micro-organisms from causing ear infections. After you try the recommendations advised in this thread... you should hit me up.
The Vented Doc's Proplugs are non-invasive, hypoallergenic, and will last until you lose them. Furthermore, in addition to keeping you infection free, you will be able to equalize more efficiently. Don't take my word for it, do a scuba board search, and draw your own conclusions. In addition you can use the clear ones in concerts. Check your LDS, they might already be carrying them... and you can use their fitting kit!

Cheers;

Doc's

800 521 2982

 

[DocVikingo]

Don't stick q-tips in your ear, keep your earwax. The wax is slightly acidic and helps prevent harmful bacteria and micro-organisms from causing ear infections. Furthermore, in addition to keeping you infection free, you will be able to equalize more efficiently.

DPP Santa Cruz,

While you are correct on the "Q-Tips" advice, the primary reasons many ENTs recommend not using such devices is because they can cause cerumen to become impacted and can mechanically injure the ear given overly aggressive poking. "Keeping the ear wax" for reasons of infection prevention really is not high on the list.

Devices such as Doc's Proplugs much reduce the flow of water into the external auditory canal, but do not prevent it altogether; they are vented, and for good reason. As such, they are not a guarantee of "infection free" ears while diving.

Finally, while there is anecdotal evidence that they may make equalizing of the ears easier, I am unaware of any published research in major scientific/medical journals that supports this assertion.

Regards,

DocVikingo