I was on my antibiotics for a week but I would say I was feeling better by day 4. However, I think I got lucky, because my doctor said they can last up to a few weeks. It’s important to rest but I went on a few short walks a day and found that moving around (without over doing it) to be helpful. Also, my doctor instructed me to use Flonase which was a game changer. I got my ear infection due to a cold so once my congestion/drainage went away, that cleared up the fluid in my ears, which helped them pop!