ALERT: Mercury in prescription ear drops

I have an ear infection in each ear.

I went to the doctor today.

He prescribed ear drops. I told him "no thimerosal". He didn't know that there is thimerosal (toxic, poisonous, deadly, nerve-damaging, never-NOT-a-neurotoxin-mercury) in prescription ear drops. (Yes, he knows the seriousness of mercury; he is close to autism.)

Of course, I get to the pharmacy to pick up my prescription and YES, he has written me a prescription for an ear drop that contains thimerosal. The employee behind the counter had to pick up the box and read the list of ingredients to answer my question. They don't KNOW there's a neurotoxin added to the drops that are intended to be put in your ear. *gasp*

Excuse me while I scream.

ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

There is a similar product, the pharmacists tell me, that is not a suspension (sidebar: a suspension, which my doctor prescribed, is the version which must be shaken, probably to properly distribute the heavy metal mercury perservative in each dose); it's a SOLUTION, and it does not contain thimerosal.

I came home to look up the ingredients on both to make sure the pharmacists were telling me the truth. And now I have a new dilemma.

I'm shocked to read that one of the ingredients, neomycin, is associated with HEARING LOSS. And they all want me to put this IN MY EARS?

What's a girl to do???

Y'all, mercury is still in our prescriptions and vaccinations, and people think it's not. Neither our doctors nor our pharmacists memorize this information. Read labels, package inserts, and ask questions of your doctors and pharmacy staff. No one does that for us these days.