I can really relate! After seeing X number of ENT specialists with mondo number of antibiotics, I insisted on a test for fungus. And yes, I had a major fungus. Don't want to scare you but will tell of my situation.
All summer I went to the ENT Dr....EVERY WEEK (and yes, the $25 co-pay really added up!). Each trip they would suction out the gunk from my ear and that really felt good as they were doing it. They would puff some powder - antifungal - into my ear and send me on my way just to return the following week. To make a long story shortER, the fungus eventually caused two holes in my eardrum. My hearing deteriorated, my guess 80%. That Dec. I had to have a timpanoplasty(sp?). In other words, I had to have eardrum replacement surgery. (Another story.)
Good news is, my hearing eventually has come back to near normal - I can live with this!! And, NO MORE PAIN!
I hope your problem doesn't go that far. There is no other pain like earache pain, believe me, I know. I learned that you need to be pro-active in your recovery process and insist that the Dr's get to the root of the problem and treat that, not just the symptoms. Don't know if it would have changed the outcome, but it may not have gone so long in the pain process plus the hearing loss.
In the meantime, to help reduce the pain I used a heating pad. I would also use my hair blowdryer on max heat on low speed to help with the pain. I didn't let any water into that ear (to this day, I shower and swim with earplugs).
If you have any questions or need to know any other details, just ask. I usually check the boards daily.
Hang in there! It will get better!!
