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Women come to me frequently for low libido and sexual dysfunction. Yes, it can be hormone related and yes there are illnesses or medications that can totally kill libido. More commonly there is a self love issue. That is when it gets really complicated! 81% of women and 43% of men report some form of sexual harassment or assault in their lifetime. Healing Sexual Dysfunction Both women and men often have their own lasting wound for various reasons but for this blog, let’s focus on women. Our sexuality and anything related is extremely personal and is a foundational safety issue for anyone! In the hippie world, this relates to the sacral and root chakras which are related to safety and sexual vitality. Those who have been violated sexually almost always have years, if not a lifetime to overcome that primal wounding. If you have fear and trauma related to this, we highly recommend various therapies to include hypnotherapy, EMDR, brain spotting, somatic experiencing or whatever aligns with you and your belief system. Many people go on to have healthy sexual lives and it is best to work on your healing to enjoy the sexual vitality you want. Loving Your Partner Sometimes I find that women (quite frankly men as well) don’t either love their spouse anymore or they feel their spouse doesn’t love them. For great sex, it helps to love the person you are with or at least have amazing chemistry together. Go to individual AND marriage therapy to get to the bottom of this if you want to get past this quagmire. Marriage therapy often does not help without deep individual work. These generations are breaking generational traumas and conditioning like no other in modern history! Work on yourself and your marriage to get that wild abandoned sex! Trust In Your Partner Trust is key for adventurous sex and trust can be diminished in many ways. You can have your own personal trauma with cheaters (either partners or watching your parents) that keeps you from trusting your honest non-cheating partner or maybe your gut is correct that your partner is cheating. Unless you have the agreement to be polyamorous, then this lack of trust can totally ruin the libido and trust to explore. Also make sure you don’t agree to polyamory if you really don’t want to. Be true to yourself! Loving Yourself You need to love yourself. I find that women are their own worst enemy. Women are often ashamed of their body and they won’t even look at themselves. If you have stretch marks or scars from childbirth, I encourage you to look at your body in the mirror, naked and look at yourself and declare your love for this human body for birthing another human. Recognize with admiration the miracle that worked through your body. If you have loss related to scarring on your body, speak love to that part of you that taught you hard things but that you are still here strong and amazing! If you hate that flabby skin or that cellulite, just know that magazines are airbrushed and most people have that too. Tell your whole body that you love it and when you put lotion on after your shower, speak love through your hands into your body from your toes to your head! It is hard to feel sexually adventurous when you don’t love yourself. Remember that there is literally no one like you in the whole universe, yet God chose to make one of you to be here to do important things in this world. Get a mirror out and love yourself radically! Bedroom Set and Setting If your room is full of clutter and dirty laundry, it is hard to feel sexy. I encourage you to keep your room clean, avoid working in there. Avoid watching TV or anything stressful on your phones. If we are watching the stressful news that is meant to keep us afraid and angry, it will be hard to relax. Light some (non-toxic ) candles. Make your bed. Dim the lighting or have fun LED lighting. Play some funky music or some soulful music or some calming music. Consider your setting when planning for a fun date night! If you need ideas, there is an entertaining show on Netflix called “ How to build a sex room” for conservative couples all the way to the most exotic explorers! And sure, check your hormones if you are concerned. If you have severe vaginal dryness, we can help you with that. We provide natural therapies for hormone health and have modalities like Femiwave to help women with the physical side of things like dryness, pain, and decreased sensitivity. Those procedures and treatments do amazing things but always consider the basics and you will have way more success having fun in the bedroom! The resources are limitless! We believe the Creator made our bodies for Divine connection as our bodies are also made for Divine healing. Reach out to Benton Integrative Medicine for Women's Sexual Health and Men's Sexual Health . We are here to help. Sincerely, Dr. Benton Benton Integrative Medicine 704-775-6029 Huntersville and Denver Locations

Do you love your spouse but just don’t have the desire to have sex?  There are many reasons as to why this happens; hormones, traumas, lack of interest, body image, and even micro-agressions. In this blog we will explore a few of the various challenges that could be contributing to this dilemma. Micro - Aggression "Micro” anger, or what is called “micro-aggressions” are small things someone does that make us angry and we hold that anger inside. For instance, when you say things like this about your partner: “can she just close the toothpaste lid?”, or “can he just help with the dishes sometimes?”, or “can she be more organized?” or “can he stop snoring”? Sometimes we just hold on to these resentments without realizing.  We meet with our friends and complain about our partner and lose sight of the reason we loved them in the first place.   They are still attractive, they aren’t mean so why don’t we want to have sex?  Well if we have subconscious anger, then why would we have libido? If we speak less than love about our love, then those words have power. We create our reality with words!! Now if you have a toxic marriage, then get counseling and leave if it can’t be repaired. If it isn’t beyond repair then really consider the words you use about your spouse. Start speaking love about them and to them.  Create that reality that you desire and remember why you loved each other in the first place!  Parent Alone Time Now what about kids? I truly believe that it is important to have mommy and daddy private time once they are old enough. The children will feel your sacred connection and without knowing why, they will see you model a healthy marriage.  Then once or twice a month, get a baby sitter and have an extra long time to meditate into each other’s body.   The “Love Sandwich” may be a solution to your low libido issue.   Set a time on your calendar daily to have a quick 10 minute love sandwich where you set intentions on the gratitude you have for your partner. Then you bring up something bothering you. The partners need to hear each other and not be defensive and maybe try to come up with a solution. Then give each other gratitude and love.  If this isn’t working then it may be worth seeing one of the many amazing therapists for relationships and sex in the area. There are therapists who help with wound healing and trauma in the most beautiful ways.   Hormone Imbalance Sometimes you may have hormone imbalances that affect mood and lubrication for women and erectile dysfunction for men.  So many men put their full energy into their erections that represent their “manhood”.  When women have vaginal dryness or they are no longer fertile, they often lose their sensuality. More Than The Action  Sex is so much more than intercourse!!  Sex is massage, sweet sticky notes, cooking together, cuddling during a movie, and so much more!  Foreplay all day!!  Once we recognize that our whole bodies can be sexual and sensitive, then we can continue to have amazing sex even when our bodies aren’t “performing” like when you are twenty years old.   We hope some of this discussion can help you have a more fulfilling, loving and sexual life with your spouse. If you have concerns about your health or are suspicious you have hormone issues , come see us at Benton Integrative for our affordable hormone program. We also have an excellent nutrition reboot program to help people get their health on track (did you know certain foods can even lower your libido?!). We also have specialized sexual health services to naturally enhance sexual satisfaction and address various intimate health concerns for both women and men .   Also stay tuned for more of our Adult Sex Ed programs with myself and my beloved, Kyle Hall, to help bring connections to each other and learn to be creative in the most sacred way. Sincerely, Dr. Benton Benton Integrative Medicine 704-775-6029 Huntersville and Denver Locations

First aid kit to have on hand when you call me for help Call for dosing for younger kids, pregnancy and Breast feeding.  There are so many variables when determining these doses or safety. Homeopathy, regardless of dose is safe for any age.  Usually higher doses of homeopathy is better for the little ones (backwards of what one would think) You don’t have to do ALL of these but pick and choose some so you have options.  IF you don’t get better, get help.  You could have the wrong diagnosis You can get these supplements on my website under Fullscript or Kaerwell  or Health Connections in Lincolnton or Amazon #supportlocalbusiness Flu, colds, viruses, strep etc Homeopathic Belladonna, aconitum, influenzinum, chamomilla, ledum, hypericum, arsenicum album, Rhus Tox, sulfur, influenzinum, kali muriaticum Acute dosing of homeopathy for sudden need like illness or injury- 3 pellets every 15 minutes up to 1-2 hours.  If better, continue as needed.  If not then stop and switch to another. Top Oils Peppermint, helichrysum, copaiba, frankincense, tea tree oil, lavender, RC. There are many more uses of these oils and homeopathy but these are super common ones. Essential oils - Thieves, peppermint , lavender, Frankincense, Helichrysum, RC,  ( I am fine with Young Living, Doterra or other good brands too) Teas Ginger, cayenne, lemon , chamomile Popular herbals/vitamins for acute illness Echinacea with Goldenseal, Vitamin C, vitamin D liquid, vitamin A liquid, Host Defense Comprehensive Immune support, Astragalus (super good for flu), elderberry syrup COLD, FLU & UPPER RESPIRATORY Cold and Sinusitis - Simply saline spray, cotton sock, dry wool socks (for colds and sinusitis) Sore Throat - Garlic bulbs. Do some saline irrigation to be sure it isn’t just postnasal drainage. If still painful, can start chewing and eating garlic bulbs until you stink or it is better.  Can do homeopathy as a above.  Some love colloidal silver Flu - Either oscillococcinum, influenzinum plus aconitum for sudden onset of flu symptoms.  Pick oscillo or the influenzinum and alterate every 15-30 minutes with aconitum until better,  Usually works if you catch it fast.  Also elderberry syrup and astragalus dose it every few hours, Works for prevention as well as treatment. H omeopathic Aconitum for flu like illness, sudden onset of fever Here are some of my other blogs related to colds and respiratory infections. Oh No Dreaded Flu Cold Migraines No Need to Fear Fever Fever Phobia Croup - Kali muriaticum for that barky cough, can do 3 pellets every 15-30 minutes when bad, humid air like the shower or cold air this winter (go for a ride), RC to the chest and feet, "magic socks" Pain/Fever, Flu or Sore Throat/Strep - homeopathic Belladonna Ear Pain/Infection - Ear pain blog . Homeopathic Chamomilla is good for the whiney, clingy kid with ear infections, sore throat, etc. SKIN & MUSCLE Infected nail bed or ingrown toenail - Epsom salt soaks, blend of tea tree, frankincense, and lavender in a carrier oil and apply several times per day. Burns - Egg whites immediately, aloe vera plant gel, if you rinse with water, use warm not cold (like heals like).  After can use combo of one or more of frankincense, lavender, roman chamomile, calendula, neroli Contact dermatitis - Get Sulfur and Rhus Tox homeopathic remedies.  Pick one and take 3 pellets every 15 minutes up to two hours.  If better, then continue. If not then switch to the other and repeat.  If still not better then it isn't going to work and you need to try other remedies like calamine lotion, steroid creams or oral steroids if severe. Muscle Strains - Muscle strains- Epsom salt, peppermint oil or Panaway/Deep Blue Trauma/lacerations - arnica ( bruising, bleeding), staphysagria (cuts), helichrysum essential oil for bleeding, Finger and toe injuries or pain that is lancinating or nerve like, including shingles- Hypericum homeopathic for the nerve pain, ledum for the digit injuries. Food allergy rash/whole body itchy rash- Urtica Urens ( especially for food allergy)  and Histaminum homeopathic , or standard Benadryl Bee Stings . Homepathic SSSSting stop.  Lavender. Tobacco paste ( yes I know it is otherwise bad for you) Tick bites - Tick remover stick, frankincense topically, homeopathic Ledum 3 pellets every few hours for a few days and send the tick off to Tickreport.com for assessment for lyme etc. GASTRONTESTINAL Activated charcoal 1 capsule every few hours for possible bad food or early signs of gastroenteritis. Can put in applesauce for kids. SURGERY Oils- Copaiba, frankincense, helichrysum, homeopathy- arnica, staphysagria.  Alternate arnica 3 pellets and staphysagria 3 pellets once the night before, the morning off and then every 3 Hours after surgery/procedure.  For pain control- 5 drops of copaiba and frankincense in a gelatin capsule every few hours for pain, helichrysum topically for bruising.  Can use frankincense, neroli,  and lavender topically afterwards around the wound early on once bandages are removed and over the scar once closed to help with scarring. TRAVEL Travel- probiotics, arsenicum alba homeopathic (traveler’s diarrhea) , nux vomica homeopathic  ( nausea/hangovers), plus other remedies listed for nausea, colds, trauma Motion sickness nux vomica, suck on a lime, motion sickness bands “Relief Band” (like a tens unit for the wrist) , peppermint oil to the stomach, ginger tea or capsules SHINGLES Shingles blog -  need vitamins A, C, D and L-Lysine FEBRILE SEIZURES This is a great post on febrile seizures from Ashley Everly - Get Calcium Lactate

Years ago, I was struggling working 55+ hours per week with two toddlers at home and I thought I was going to lose my mind! I was not enjoying the gifts God had given me like I knew I should.  I was short tempered and impatient and simply not happy.  I went to my first holistic conference where they discussed stress management and I was convinced I didn't have time to do it. After realizing I was the debbie downer, I decided I needed to make a change.  The world was going to go on with or without me so how could I change my perception of the world around me so I could be more present and enjoy it and not let life bring me down.  After I followed the following steps, within two short weeks, I was no longer waking at 2-3 am wide awake.  Bedtime was spent reading and enjoying my girls instead of griping at them to go to sleep.  That meant they went to sleep easier since I wasn't stressing them out which meant I was able to go work downstairs more efficiently because I was less stressed out.  That meant, I finished my work earlier and I went to sleep more peacefully.  By just changing my perception of the world around me, my sleep responded, my work was more efficient, I was calmer and more importantly, my girls were happier and bedtime was more fun. Stress Management Rx Yoga/tai chi/stretching - You cannot have a flexible mind when your body is tense.  My favorite yoga video is "Kundalini Yoga Ultimate Stretch Workout"-Ana Brett and Ravi Singh.  It is very Americanized and you can do it in portions.  Start slow and easy and try 20 minutes to start. Deep breathing - there are so many techniques-it stimulates the "chill out" nervous system to lower stress hormones which helps lower your blood pressure, pulse, weight loss.  One technique-sit straight, legs down, eyes closed and breathe in the nose 4 seconds, 7 seconds out of the mouth.  Do that 2-4 times when stressed, to start the day, before work, during lunch etc.  It takes less than a minute.  Another one is to hold your thumb to one nostril and breathe in, then let go of the thumb and put the pinky finger to the other nostril and breathe out.  Alternate and do several breaths like that. Daily Gratitude Journal - 3 one-liner blessings for the day.  No repeats allowed making you really figure out your blessings.  Before you know it, you will be looking for those blessings and turn the cup is half empty to the cup is half full.  Life is full of blessings, hidden and in plain view. Guided Meditation - If you have Insomnia and need help falling asleep, consider a guided meditation CD. Check out CD's on Amazon.com or apps on smart phones.  You can find one that suits your needs including Christian based ones.  It will help you reign in those wandering or racing thoughts that I call monkey brain. Daily Exercise - All of the above will take 30 minutes or less a day but if you can, also add in aerobic exercise which has been proven efficacious for depression.  A study showed that exercise alone was superior to an antidepressant or antidepressant plus exercise!! (not saying there is never use for medicines).  Aerobic exercise increases your feel good hormones. I hope these techniques can help you on your health journey just like they helped me! Peace and love, Dr. Benton

Healthcare trends are changing. In particular, there’s a greater focus on holistic health today because patients are seeking alternative medicine procedures and focusing on their overall wellness. A study on healthcare professionals’  ability to deliver holistic care  concluded that the rate is high, although there’s still progress needed to satisfy patients. This is why there have been studies applying the  holistic health care model to medical education . And in turn, this is changing how healthcare is being taught at higher education institutions. Those with a  healthcare management degree  are now equipped with modern strategic healthcare insights to provide a wider range of care. And today this includes holistic healthcare. Of course, you don’t need to visit a professional to practice holistic health. It is very easy to do so on your own. Below are a few habits to get you started. Get regular checkups Being proactive is part of upholding holistic health. This means you don’t wait for a disease to appear before engaging in healthy practices. One habit that reflects this is getting regular checkups. It allows the doctor to assess your health and suggest improvements. For instance, they may recommend changing your eating habits for fluctuating weight issues. Regular checkups guarantee that you remain healthy. It’s an avenue where you can ask questions regarding healthy practices for your current state and preventive measures to avoid any health risks. Regular checkups include dental, skin, and cancer screenings because holistic health emphasizes well-being as a whole. Acquire sufficient sleep Sleep is essential for physical and mental health. Sleep is a  measure of cardiovascular health  because people who lack sleep have a higher chance of developing heart conditions. Regarding mental health, rapid eye movement (REM) sleep—the deepest stage of sleep—is when the brain processes emotions and information. This is only achieved when you get enough sleep. If the brain fails to do this, it negatively impacts your mental health and behavior. Given this, get 8 hours of sleep nightly. Turn off your phone and TV, so you don’t get distracted from resting. It may also help to limit the amount of light in your room to increase the feeling of drowsiness. Sufficient sleep is vital to your physical and mental well-being. Refine your diet What you consume affects the way your body and mind work. This is why holistically improving your diet is a must. One way to do so is by seeking the help of a holistic practitioner. Their  background in holistic medicine  and nutrition enables them to recommend specific diet changes for better health. Holistic practitioners studied different techniques to help patients attain optimal wellness. They’ll analyze your condition, determine what food (or lack thereof) causes imbalances, and make dietary suggestions. Before consulting a holistic practitioner, kickstart better eating habits by eating the rainbow. Consume different colors of fruits and vegetables to get as many nutrients as possible. Switching to a holistic diet is a habit that will benefit your overall health. Spend time in nature The American Psychological Association found that nature improves a person’s mental and social health. People who live in areas with green spaces have a reduced risk of developing mental illnesses like depression and mood disorders. Contact with nature also increases positive social interactions, which sharpens memory and cognitive skills for better brain health. While these are all good habits for holistic health, they’ll only be effective if you remain consistent. Remember that your path to optimal well-being is about progression and not perfection, so be kind to yourself if you don’t reach your holistic goals immediately. Feature penned by Annmarie Kate Vance for Benton Integrative Medicine 704-775-6029

There are fortunately many options for allergies these days from prescription medicines, over the counter medicines, herbals, essential oils, homeopathy, nutrition and more. Over The Counter Over the counter medicines like Allegra, Zyrtec, and Claritin are accessible and affordable. Plus, these medications have a low risk of side effects as well. Benadryl is a classic but can cause sedation and memory issues if taken long term. However, it is excellent for serious allergic reactions if you need help fast. Herbals & Supplements My favorite herbal product is Natural D Hist but there are other brands with similar ingredients. It has Stinging nettles, quercitin, bromelain, vitamin C and N-acetyl-cysteine which I consider to be a miracle supplement as it has many benefits like thinning mucus , liver and kidney protection and also increases glutathione which is one of the body’s most potent antioxidants. Remember to do the loading dose and try it before allergy season starts. Honey Local honey is like yummy painless allergy shots. Bees use the pollen to make the honey so that gives us small doses that seem to help the body like immunotherapy. Pollen allergies should continue to get better if you do this year round. If you have fall allergies then try to get the honey collected during that time. Get to know your local bee keeper so they can let you know when the proper honey you need is collected. Elderberry We love elderberry syrup around here and have wonderful brands like Sweet’s Syrup and others made by local moms. Apparently it is pretty easy to make yourself. It has a lot of vitamin C which helps allergies but most include honey which also helps allergies. Sweet's Syrup uses raw, local honey to help your immune system develop antibodies to fight off the seasonal irritants that are in bloom. Elderberry actually has quite the list of good studies to back up the claims. Essential Oils Peppermint, lavender and lemon oils combined are AMAZING for allergies. Some people put 3-4 drops of each into gelatin capsules that you can purchase online and some put the edible kind into a tea to drink 1-2 times daily. You can also put peppermint oil on your finger tip and place just below (but not inside) your nose when you need help with an acute exposure. Be sure to dilute Peppermint oil with a carrier oil like coconut, olive or avocado oil as not to burn the skin. For kids, you can put some lavender inside the cheeks and the nose topically but you can put the oils in a tea for them to drink with honey. Again make sure you are using the edible essential oils and not the ones to use topically. Homeopathy There are various homeopathic remedies over the counter to consider. Homeopathy is amazing and safe but if it doesn't seem to be working for you then you may need to see a homeopath. Homeopathy is truly an art due to how it is prescribed. Check out the book Homeopathy: Beyond Flat Earth Medicine by Dooley ND, MD for a quick primer on how homeopathy works. However, it can be complicated to figure out on your own. Nutrition Tips When it comes to allergies it is important to avoid inflammatory foods like sugar. Other foods to pay attention to are dairy and wheat. Dairy is a mucus maker so we definitely want less snot! Most people don’t realize that wheat is a grass. If you have allergies to grasses, either eliminate wheat completely from your diet or just eliminate it during your allergy season. Other Tips For year round allergies, consider getting allergy testing, removing carpets from your house, get good quality HEPA filters for the rooms you spend most of your time in, and rule out mold in your house. Hope these tips help to help you enjoy your year! Sincerely, Dr. Cammy Benton MD IFMCP, ABIHM Benton Integrative Medicine 16415 Northcross Drive Suite C Huntersville, NC 28078 704-775-6029

Fever is totally normal with illness and is the body's way of healing the body.  It should not be suppressed as that slows healing by stopping the action of fever which is the body’s natural response to sending the little healing factors.  I would reserve use of ibuprofen (not Tylenol-longer story there) for when they are miserable and you can’t get them comfortable by other means.  Ibuprofen is not recommended under 6 months of age.  Don’t even put Tylenol in your house. Reasons to worry about fever where you should go to the ER:   Fever in an infant under 2 months of age.   Fever is 100.4 rectally Fever with mental status changes.  Most kids get sleepy with fever and want to sleep more but this refers to strange behavior or strange eye or limb movements.   Fever with seizure- febrile seizures alone are not dangerous generally but the first time, you need to be checked out and to make a plan with a doctor. Fever over 105 Fever with purple spots like blood under the skin.  Rashes plus fever is common.  Don't worry too much Natural ways to bring down fever without suppressing healing mechanisms are: Wet sock trick- Cold wet cotton socks with dry wool socks on top. Feet must be warm for this. Essential oils- Lavender to feet of infants, can use peppermint oil diluted to feet of kids over 1, Can also use Frankincense to feet for any age, diluted with any oil Very warm to hot bath depending on age (safe temps only) with epsom salt and apple cider vinegar - I like this before doing the wet sock trick to warm the feet. Febrile seizures - You can also get Calcium Lactate , especially if you are concerned about febrile seizures which is an ionizable source.  Just dissolve 2-4 tablets in filtered water and drink in water or juice.  There is no lactose in this.  In general, there is no need to come in to see the doctor right away for fevers.  Most illnesses are viruses that run the course.  Even ear infections often resolve themselves.  I will write another post on ear infections so you can try these things before coming in.   Here is an awesome post on febrile seizures.  It was so good that there is no need to write it any other way by Ashley Everly  A great resource is the AAP symptom checker that gives advice on when to call and common measures to follow.  https://www.healthychildren.org/english/tips-tools/symptom-checker/Pages/default.aspx Article About avoiding fever reduction in sepsis to improve mortality. https://www.escavo.com/2012/12/23/should-fever-reduced-septic-patients/ Effects of fever versus low body temp on mortality https://www.researchgate.net/publication/312347826_Fever_Is_Associated_with_Reduced_Hypothermia_with_Increased_Mortality_in_Septic_Patients_A_Meta-Analysis_of_Clinical_Trials In several other animal models, administration of antipyretic agents have been associated with reduce survival [ 26–29 ] during bacterial infections.  https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/31/Supplement_5/S234/335070 Fever is an important mechanism of intrinsic resistance against infectious disease. A variety of studies point to a potential detrimental effect of temperature lowering in infectious disorders, but high-quality evidence from randomised controlled trials is lacking. https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2011/195/8/fever-and-antipyresis-infection

In general, most parents are worried about ear infections in kids.  There are inner, middle, and outer ear infections and this blog is referring to mostly middle ear infections. Most middle ear infections are viral and will resolve themselves but that doesn't help the worried parent watching their child suffer in pain.  So I will tell you the tricks used by many parents to avoid the need to see the doctor. During summer time with swimming pools, the outer ear or swimmer's ear infection is more common. Just tug on the ear and if it hurts, it is probably swimmer's ear.  You can use colloidal silver ear drops or mullein garlic ear drops and that can often do the trick.  Best is to do prevention with a little alcohol in the ear after swimming to dry up the ear. If that is not the issue and they are complaining of pain, then it may be a middle ear infection.  With my kids, I would do the wet sock trick, colloidal silver or mullein garlic ear drops, and a trip to your favorite chiropractor.  I was trained that chiropractic care is craziness but apparently craziness works wonders.  I have had very few kids that failed that with middle ear infections. Response is fast and typically within a few hours. Onion ear muffs can help ear infections. Make onion earmuffs . Gently heat an onion half and hold it over your child's ears . or your own if you are the sick one. The volatile oils are anti-microbial and decrease inflammation, while the warmth is soothing to irritated ears . Conscious food introduction can identify food allergies that increase inflammation If your child has sudden onset of pain with the ear infection, then homeopathic belladonna can work fast.  They are in the little blue tubes at your health food store.  Use three sugar pellets every 15 minutes up to two hours.  If better, then continue as needed for pain.  If it doesn't help, then sorry.  At least you didn't waste much money or time.  They probably need another remedy so see your favorite homeopath.  I have two great ones that I adore.  When it works, it will work like magic! Try the natural remedies first and reserve the motrin for failure of those to work and if your child has a lot of pain. Here are some videos  on osteopathic relief of ear pain and this video too. If things are still not getting better after a few days, then come see me. Kids are more likely to be given antibiotics if you see the doctor too soon but this is not really good for their overall health and will likely lead to repeat illness.  Antibiotics are a God send when you need them as a last resort. Recurrent ear infections are typically related to food allergies.  Most common are dairy and soy allergies so stop that in the kiddo or breastfeeding mom.  I would combine that plus chiropractic or craniosacral therapy.  If that isn't enough, your child may need more functional medicine approach to correct the underlying dysfunction.

My grandpa Virgil died a few years back. He had 9 lives for sure but one time was more due to imposed dietary restrictions. This guy was hardcore.  He survived a ruptured abdominal aneurysm that should have killed him. He had survived a dense stroke many years ago that affected his speech and the use of the right side of his body. That slowed him down but he found creative things to do to still be productive. He was an illiterate genius with a third grade education who was tough as nails and could fix anything. He finally got diagnosed with lung cancer near the end and had broken his hip.  This starts the part of the story I want to share. He was found on the floor at the front door when he broke his hip waiting on someone to check on him.  Plug for lifeline here for anyone left alone that is at risk for breaking hips even if someone checks on them regularly.  The typical story I have been trained is that once a feeble grandparent breaks a hip, that often signals the end.  The same seemed true for him. While in the hospital, he was evaluated by everyone and given the typical recommendations of "thickened" feeds which he HATED and refused!  It was for his own good you know.  We wouldn't want him to aspirate (have food go into his lungs) and complicate things more.  Being the doctor in the family, naturally the family asks me my opinion regarding end of life issues as he was wasting away in the hospital bed.   I give them the same information I had always been given regarding the unavoidable downward spiral.  This is a natural process right? The family decided to let him go home on hospice as he was too weak for treatment of his hip fracture and lung cancer.  I love hospice and felt good with this decision.  When he got home, my aunt decided to go against the thickened feeds and give him what he wanted since she wanted him to be happy his last days.  He just wanted some good country cookin'. Being able to eat what he wanted more than made him happy.  He was on his riding mower a week later mowing the yard!  The guy that was about to die was riding his mower.  Basically he was starving to death on hospital food!  Yikes! There are many lessons to be learned here.  Listen to the patient.  Feed the patient.  Certainly one has to balance risks and benefits but why deprive a dying man some good food for risk of him dying sooner?  If the risks are understood, then give them the choice.  This doesn't mean to sneak food in without permission as you don't want to mess up any plans for procedures but really think about how you feel when you are hungry.  I am going to be an old person with a chip on the shoulder.  I don't like being told what to do and what to eat now so I imagine that will not change with gray hair.  If anything, it will be stronger!  We forget that our elderly still have their own desires and thoughts and are not children even if we want to treat them as such.  If they have their cognitive abilities, then we need to include them in decision making. My grandpa did die sometime after that but he died happily eating his eggs and grits and drinking coffee.

Dairy!  I how I adore a cup of whole milk hot chocolate.  I adore butter.  I adore cheese.  Unfortunately, the bodies of myself and kids do not love dairy.  Each of us has had a different reaction to it so it has taught  me a lot how to recognize and fix problems I see in my patients. Giselle, my oldest had big tonsils.  Kissing tonsils they say.  She would snore like a man and have pauses, like she wasn't breathing for seconds at a time.  She didn't drink milk but ate her much loved mozzarella cheese sticks daily.  My naturopath said to stop dairy.  I was like " but it is only one a day and she LOVES them".  He repeats.."Stop dairy".  So we did and within a week, no more snoring.  She still has occasional cheese but if she eats it more than three times in a week, she starts getting tonsillar stones and it drives her nuts.  She is able to do ice cream and yogurt but not milk or cheese on a regular basis. In retrospect, she had significant cradle cap for a long time which turns out to often be dairy related. Tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy averted! Sofia, my middle child, had chronic otitis effusion which means that she had fluid in her ears for more than 6 months straight.  We saw ENT who said to give it 6 more weeks and if no better, she needed tubes in her ears.  Naturopath says stop dairy.  Now this kid was a crazy milk drinker so I switched her to almond milk (now we use rice milk which I like better) and within a week, it was better.  We went back to the ENT dutifully to verify resolution and indeed he agreed.  With excitement I told him how we did it.  He looked at me funny and just changed the subject.  Hmmmm.  I would have thought he would be excited to find ways to get kids better.  I guess he wants to only get them better through surgery but that is another subject. In Sofia, her cradle cap was so bad, it went down the face and neck.  I put a little hat on her to cover it up in August!   She also had quite the case of eczema.  The little bit of eczema she had cleared right up with cessation of milk.   She eats yogurt with no problem though. Isabella, poor Isabella.  My main pregnancy craving was milk in the last trimester.  I mean I was drinking 2 gallons of milk per week plus cheese and yogurt.  It was an out of control craving and it turns out lactose was her enemy.  She was born and within the first 24 hours, she had redness and blisters around her labia and rectum.  We thought it was a diaper allergy so she was in the nursery with oxygen blowing on it and we just used cloth diapers.  Nothing helped it.  We did all kinds of prescription creams and still a nasty diaper rash but not in her full diaper area.  So I though maybe it was a milk allergy.  Pediatrician says "impossible", "she would have bloody stools".  Well I stopped dairy (since I was breastfeeding) and within two days, it was gone!   Turns out if I had something with soy or dairy, even down the ingredient line, she would blister up.  Since I figured that out at 12 days of life for her, she never had an ounce of eczema or cradle cap like my other two.  Now that I have done some gut healing things like fish oil, probiotics, and bone broths, she can now be exposed to dairy and not have that happen.  She can't do much but before it couldn't even be an ingredient. So it comes to me.  When I quit dairy for the first time, my dandruff I had my entire adult life cleared up!  I need to do the gut healing stuff myself (too busy with the kids and work so lazy there) because if I have as little as 3 tablespoons per week of butter ( my favorite is Bulletproof coffee), then I get an itchy scalp and it flakes.  My mother-in-law made these yummy bunuelos that have corn meal and cheese when she was visiting.  I just had 2-3 of these hushpuppy like treats three times over the course of a week and I had scabs on my scalp.  Disgusting scabs.  I will just keep dairy to the occasional treat to avoid that.  I also realized my joint pains in my hands were affected by dairy.  I can do small amounts before that happens but if I have two cups of hot scrumptious whole milk hot chocolate (my mouth is watering), then my finger joints swell up.  Ahem! No dairy for me either. Moral of the story, always assess nutritional causes of disease.  It may not always work or it may not always be the obvious foods like dairy, wheat, or corn but look there first.  It may be an easy fix and with some gut healing, we may be able to tolerate some amount of that food.  We also need to clean up our food supply but that is another story.

When I was in high school, I had this horrible discomfort in my legs that drove me bonkers!  At that time, I was super flexible so I blamed it on not being able to feel the stretch enough.  It would be worse around my periods but would bother me daily enough that I would have to leave the classroom to stretch. I remember it was worst in my first class of the day with Ms. Drye. Sorry Ms. Drye but now I have a reason!  I am sure she didn't know what to do with me.   At night, I would literally feel like I had to hit my legs to get them to calm down. I never told anyone because it was just weird and hard to explain.  Now that I know it was restless legs, I realize that back in the 90's they probably wouldn't have known what it was anyway. I am not sure it was even a diagnosis at that time.  When I got married and went on birth control it totally resolved and I was so relieved.  Once I learned about it in medical school, I learned that one cause is anemia and I probably had anemia due to my super heavy periods that whole time! There are many causes for Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS).  Causes for RLS include disease that affect the nerves like diabetes, peripheral neuropathy, Parkinson's, kidney failure, and iron deficiency.  Iron deficiency is common in females with heavy periods, people with stomach and intestinal problems that lead to bleeding, lack of dietary intake of iron and much more.  Metformin, a commonly used medicine for diabetes and polycystic ovaries can cause deficiency in vitamin B12 which can lead to neuropathy, then potentially restless legs. RLS may be caused by medications.  I have found that statins have caused quite a bit of restless legs in my patients, possibly because Coenzyme Q 10 gets depleted when you take it.  So if you really need statins, be sure to take Coenzyme Q10 up to 200 mg with something fatty to help replete that.  If you haven't had a history of a heart attack or stroke, be sure that you would really benefit from taking a statin.  There is increasing controversy over this because it isn't likely helpful for those without a history of heart attack or stroke, or those with very high risk factors.  Do your research on that and discuss with your doctor whether the benefits outweigh the risks.  Stomach medicines like Prilosec or Nexium cause vitamin and mineral deficiencies due to change in absorption of nutrition from food.  It is worth working with a provider to try to get off these medicines when appropriate and replace the nutrients that have diminished.  Believe it or not, there are tons of options to improve your gastrointestinal HEALTH without just suppressing acid that will improve your overall health.   Some antidepressants, antipsychotics often used for depression, and antihistamines can contribute to restless legs.  Birth control can deplete B6, zinc, and folate.  The list goes on as to medicines causing vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Many sleep remedies that end in "PM" have antihistamines so you could be making things worse!  Magnesium glycinate up to 400 mg nightly may help with restless legs and night cramps (caution in kidney disease). Restless Legs During Pregnancy Pregnancy!  To add to the litany of issues plaguing some pregnant ladies, restless legs can top the list causing misery and lack of sleep.  Exercise earlier in the day, massage your legs, consider vibrating pads underneath the legs for distraction, warm baths with epsom salts may help, get your iron levels checked as well as B12/methylmalonic acid, and RBC magnesium.  Also consider drinking 2-3 ounces of tonic water before bed.  Considering minerals as a cause, a safe and cheap way to add minerals is by making a Himalayan Sole.  Buy Himalayan Pink Salt.  Mix 1/3 pink salt to 2/3 hot water and dissolve.  Take 1-2 tbsp daily as this provides all 84 trace minerals and is pretty cheap. So glad to have figured out my affliction from high school.  I am going to share this with my teachers so hopefully they forgive me ;-).  I imagine we will find more causes which hopefully means we can find more solutions!

I am thankful for Western medicine for acute issues.  It is life saving and life prolonging many times. Thankful for everyone who works in a hospital all the way down to the person who cleans the room as this can be just as important as the medicine they get.  However, I am not thankful for a system that tries to squeeze blood from a rock.  To save the almighty dollar, it seems every hospital is short staffed for the true needs of good patient care.  Saving this almighty dollar sets us all up for failure and risk and contributes to the statistic in the JAMA article about western medicine being the third largest killer of patients behind heart disease and cancer. Due to shortages, a lot of mistakes are made.  I hear so many cringe worthy stories from my patients of the wrong medicines being given or the wrong doses given.  I have seen a few die due to medical errors.  None of us are perfect and it is terrifying to have a medical error or over look an allergy but it happens more when there is precious little time to spend doing things well.   One person I know had her husband die to pure overmedication of medicines that were not even his!  He was given double doses of pain patches and triple doses of insulin that he didn't even need.  Turns out his nurse had mild dementia that the staff apparently had not noticed but there was a shortage and she came out of retirement to help since they needed nurses so badly.  They noticed something was weird but felt uncomfortable questioning the nurse since she was so certain he was getting what he needed.  It turned out to be fatal!  The wife was hospitalized just a few months later and she questioned everything and found them trying to give her the wrong medicine twice!!   I hear these stories way too often and fortunately most do not end up fatal but we have to empower patients to ask questions.  Ask every time a family member is given a medicine.  It is ok to question what it is and what it is for.  If you feel like it isn't right, have them check with the doctor.  If you are still concerned, ask to speak to the doctor.  The life of your loved one may depend on it.  Medicines are powerful and as life saving as they may be, they can also kill.  Even highly qualified people can make mistakes. Ask questions and don't leave your loved one alone if they are not capable of asking the questions themselves.