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Adult Tonsillectomy and Adenoidectomy
After a lifetime of tonsillitis, it was time. I made the appointment. Was I scared? Yes. Was I prepared for tonsillectomy recovery? NO. Can you be? YES!
Planning for and recovering from a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy procedure, (often referred to as T & A Surgery), can be daunting experiences. The days leading up to your surgery can be frightening. If you haven’t read up yet, you can find information on tonsillectomy methods, risks, costs, adult tonsillectomy, sleep apnea, and numerous tips for tonsillectomy recovery on the other pages of this site. I’ve even added pictures of a post tonsillectomy throat by each day, and a shopping list of things you’ll need before your surgery. Study, talk with your doctor and consult with your friends about the decision to undergo tonsillectomy and adenoid surgery. Explore the pages created here to aid in your journey.
The Dynamic Duo!
These two little machines will become your best friends. Give tonsillectomy recovery a One-Two punch! A humidifier is probably the single most beneficial item to have at your side as you recover. Drinking ice cold slushies will feel good, reduce inflamation, and keep the throat activated, thus stimulating the healing process.
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If you should decide to have tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy, let us help you through the entire process. Whether due to problems with sleep apnea, chronic tonsillitis and strep throat, tonsil stones, trouble swallowing, or a combination thereof, you can benefit from the experience of others. My own experience taught me that, as patients, we need to advocate for ourselves. Ear, nose, and throat doctors are, by and large, extremely talented individuals. However, very few of them have experienced an adult tonsillectomy, and the subsequent recovery. I have. Many others have too. We share our experiences here at the adult tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy recovery resource center. As you’ll read in the tonsillectomy recovery forum, everyone’s experience is unique. There are many factors that influence the level of pain you experience, as well as the length of time required during recovery. The method, and skill of your surgeon can have an affect, but there are also many things within your control that will reduce pain and recovery time. I’ve tried to include as many helpful tips as possible within the pages of this online resource. Tonsillectomy recovery can be pretty rough, especially if you are unlucky enough to be an adult! It takes longer for an adult to recover from most things. Tonsillectomy is no exception. There are many things you can do to make it go more smoothly. I’ve published numerous tips here on various pages. I encourage you to read up BEFORE you are in the throws of tonsillectomy recovery.
Talk with your doctor, friends, family, and work as you prepare. You are not alone in this. Like you and like me, many others are facing or have faced a tonsillectomy recovery. I created this forum for you. The community of adults or parents of patients will amaze you and warm your heart. I read these comments every day and every day I am humbled by everyone’s story and their compassion for others in the midst of recovery, or the anxiety that often precedes a tonsillectomy. Please join in. Hundreds of other people, perhaps in your same situation, have shared their wisdom, concerns, tips, and questions about tonsillectomy, as well as their tonsillectomy recovery.
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Tonsillectomy and Adenoidectomy Tip
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hey everyone,
sorry it’s been a while since i posted. i think the last time i posted i let y’all know that i was going to have to have a blood transfusion. well, i had the transfusion and everything went pretty smoothly with it. they only had to stick me twice (the first vein rolled and disappeared on them) and towards the end of he first unit of blood they had to give me something for a headache. i was told that headaches are very common during transfusions. i had the transfusion on 6/8 and i was on a plane to San Angelo, TX on 6/14 which is where i’m writing to you from and part of the reason why it took so long for me to respond.
i will say that i didn’t feel immediately better after the transfusion. it did take me a couple of days to start feeling normal again but after those couple of days i started improving pretty dramatically. im still fighting some tiredness and attempting to get my sleep schedule into some semblance of normal again because i start a class out here on 7/10.
I slept for 17 hours last night but a lot of that was because I had/have a migraine. Unfortunately, as soon as I started feeling better I got my monthly visitor (go figure) and she always brings me the wonderful gift of a migraine. Luckily (or not, however you look at it) my dad gets migraines as well (obviously not for the same reasons, lol) and he understands and takes care of me through them.
Before I left home, my mom was really worried about me leaving. Not so much because she didn’t think my dad could take care of me but mostly because she’s my mom and she wants to take care of me and thinks it’s her job and she worries. With the help of my oldest nephew, she and i have skype chatted a couple of times and she sees that i’m getting better and looking better so i think it eases her mind.
To everyone who hasn’t read my full saga, I had a tonsillectomy in early may and 5 days after my initial surgery i was in the emergency room with a hemorrhage. because of the hemorrhage and because i went so long without protein (we all know what the tonsillectomy diet is like, not protein friendly) my hemoglobin was so low that my doctor suggested a blood transfusion. i do not post my story on here to scare anyone out of having a tonsillectomy. what i went through is not considered normal. lol, my body just hates me and likes to challenge doctors and run my medical bills up. i will tell you, while my recovery was very very rough i do not regret having the surgery. for me, it was necessary. i had dealt with too many bouts of tonsillitis and strep throat as well as tonsil stones. those puppies needed to come out.
if anyone has any questions for me about my recovery feel free to ask.
good luck healing!
Wow, literaLly just as I was reading this, a scab came off and I started spitting out blood. I think it has stopped though. Weird….glad you are doing better, sounds like an awful experience to go through
Kristen, so glad you let us know how you’re doing and that you’re feeling so much better!!
That’s great to hear. I hope your migraine passes fast and you feel ready for your upcoming class. 
Day six here and worst pain yet. Thought things were beginning to improve, one huge scab came off last night and felt pretty good. Terrible night of sleep last night and today have terrible Paine. Can’t get down much food or even liquid. Had to switch to pill form vocidin because liquid lortab burned so bad I couldn’t swallow it. I know things will get better, but I am starting to get frustrated with the process and starting to snap at my wife and my kids are getting on my nerves even though they are just being kids, and I feel guilty. Just had to vent…I am soooo hungry and my wife has made chocolate chip cookies, got pizza, taco bell, burgers and fries, my brother came over and had an Italian sub in front of me….I am gonna barf when I am able to eat, cuz I’m gonna eat so. Much
i’m on day 3 post-op and i have to admit i’m having a pretty good run. I posted on here a couple of days ago about having relatively low pain and i’m still doing pretty well. I’m not sure how most of you will feel about homeopathic remedies but i have been taking some and my pain and recovery is good. i’m on normal meds too, dont get me wrong but I can see so many people are in really bad pain and I thought my input cant hurt. I wouldnt usually use homeopathic remedies but my mum’s friend is a homeopathic therapist and had her tonsils removed a couple of years ago, she was back to normal within a week after taking the herbal remedies…I thought it couldnt hurt to give them a shot! i’m mixing one teaspoon of marigold and 1 teaspoon of sage, adding hot water, draining it and allowing it to cool before drinking, im having 6 cups of that a day…it doesnt taste great but its no worse than what the crap at the back of our mouths tastes like right now! i usually just make one pot at the beginning of the day (so 6 teaspoons of each) and just drink that. im also taking 3×2.5ml of tincture mixed with water and am also taking arnica 4x a day. ON TOP of my brufen and cocodamol. im a walking pharmacy but honestly my pain is around a 3/4 and i am eating fine (toast, crisps, cereal, COOKIES
), of course it hurts a little but this stuff isnt a miracle! i sleep in a raised position with my *many* pillows piled high and i havent had any trouble sleeping yet. but like i mentioned before, this is only my 3rd day, i had them removed on wednesday. i hope this helps even just one person! if you want more info please dont hesitate to contact me.
sorry…not sure if it was clear…i made the pot of tea in the morning but didnt drink the whole thing right away! i spaced it throughout the day so i have approx. 6 cups. one right before bed usually helps with my sleep too
Hi Emily. that is so good to hear. Hope you stay as well. Think I’ve over dosed today on Paracetamol and Ibuprofen. Today my tongue is very very sore like razor blades but I am trying so hard.I’m not having such a good time you may of read some of my MOANING. I bought some arnica never used it before so I’m hoping it helps
E, if you have white spots on your tongue or in/around your mouth that sounds like thrush. I haven’t had it but I’ve heard it can be very painful. I would suggest calling your doctor’s office and speak to whoever is on-call over the weekend. Explain in detail what you’re seeing and feeling in your mouth and hopefully they can prescribe something to help. I’m so sorry…it’s bad enough to have the surgical pain without mouth sores and ear pain to boot. Keep taking your pain meds on schedule and ask the doctor, if you call, if it’s possible to take them more frequently. What are you taking – Tylenol and some type of codeine? I wouldn’t hesitate to put a call in. That’s what our doctors are there for.
As for your scabs, I’d leave them be just to avoid aggravating your already sore mouth. I know it’s so painful but swallowing and eating are the body’s way of cleansing the throat so whatever you can force yourself to swallow and drink will help slough off the scabs.
E, I’m sorry it’s been a painful day. There are definitely better days on the horizon.
Hi Beth.
Worse today. I have loads of spots on my tongue and it’s so sore to put food in. I never take tablets only paracetamol and cocodamol at very very worst. Through this I have been alternating between paracetamol and cocodamol and also using nurofen. The hospital gave me dihydrocdeine. I have taken it twice but it makes me feels awful out of it sick and mixed up but this morning the pain was SO bad I’ve just taken it. Scared but I NEED the help. I’ve got some dequcaine throat sweets to try and numb and difflam to try and numb nothing helps. The scabs are starting to come out and I have an awful cough that I’m scared will make it bleed. Thank you for you advice. I’m getting sick of moaning and I’m on so many pills when I read this back I will be annoyed I moaned so much:)
Seeing Doctor tomorrow so I just need to try and hold on.
Adam How are you any more bleeding?
I’m on day 6/7 now will this still get worse??????????????????
E, sorry ton hear you are havingbsuch a rough go. The bleeding eventually stopped, but tt was sort of scary. I forgot to put on my humidifier last night, after sleeping a few hours I got up and felt like my throat was on fire with knives in it. The worst pain I have felt. After taking a pain pill, I tried to sleep a bit more , but just got up with the same feeling….this SUCKS!!! Just when u think your are turning a corner, something happens, but there are folks that have it much worse, so I guess I should be thankful?
The pain in my mouth is so bad today I’ve cried a few times especially when I’m sitting with food all around me and I can’t even eat a biscuit dipped in tea because my mouth stings. My ears are starting to ache more and more. Had my op on 18th so I’m on day 5/6. The scabs have started coming off but I have one in particular that is making me feel like I’ll be sick. Any tips on how to move them without touching them please? Adrianne and Beth I have the sore tongue now too I think it must be to do with what they held it down with although I also have white spots too. Dreading going to bed as I know I won’t sleep. also keep coughing and I can’t cope with that because the cough mixture would burn. Hope everyone else is having a better day.
E, it can seem like the healing process is forever and it’s easy to get discouraged and frustrated. But it absolutely takes a dramatic turn after week 2. Provided there were no unexpected complications, you’ll be amazed how much better you’ll feel by week 3. The thing hanging off is probably some scabbing letting loose. It’s hard to say. I think each person’s mouth pain varies. As far as the sores or ulcers, definitely ask your doctor about various mouth rinses (‘magic mouthwash’ is one ive heard of) that could help with the ulcers or sores. You shouldn’t have to suffer line that. Hang in there E, take it just a day at a time, even just an hour at a time.
. Also, sleep will get better into the end if week 2 if not sooner. My sleep, too, was completely catch as catch can and I doubt I ever slept more than an hour or two straight the first week. Just nap at every opportunity you can.
Like Adrienne, my tongue was SO sore for at least the first week. It wasn’t thrush, it was from being clamped down. My doctor didn’t tell me what they used to hold the tongue down but I had two vertical almost cut-like marks on my tongue after surgery and my tongue was so sore it felt like someone stomped on it! The soreness gradually went away but it was a full two weeks before I could stick my tongue out (think saying ‘ah’) with no pain.
Hailey, wow that really is a bad reaction to codeine! Definitely ask about the Nucynta. I’d never heard of it either but my ENT gave me a prescription for it in case I found the Percocet bothered me.
Cynthia, it’s great that things are going do well for you just out of surgery. Hope it continues to go smoothly for you!
E, it can seem like the healing process is forever and it’s easy to get discouraged and frustrated. But it absolutely takes a dramatic turn after week 2. Provided there were no unexpected complications, you’ll be amazed how much better you’ll feel by week 3. The thing hanging off is probably some scabbing letting l
Hailey, wow that really is a bad reaction to codeine! Definitely ask about the Nucynta. I’d never heard of it either but my ENT gave me a prescription for it in case I found the Percocet bothered me.
Hi E, I just wanted to comment abt your tongue. I also had “tongue” issues, which I noticed a lot of people on here didn’t. The pain that you are describing (burning and stinging) set in around day 7. Just as my throat started to feel “decent”, my tongue KILLED me and I literally only wanted to drink water as everything else hurt. I called my doc and he “believed” I was starting to get thrush from all the antibiotics. I’m not exactly sure if that is what I had because the photos on google didn’t match up to my tongue (Lol- I know this is not exactly a great way to diagnose yourself). And everytime I tried to look at what felt like “sores”, I couldn’t see because they were so far back. So the doc called me in an antibiotic that you swish in your mouth and swallow. It took a few days, but the pain went away. I went to my doc on day 15 for my follow up and he said he didn’t see any thrush. He said theres a chance I never had thrush at all, but the medicine was a precautionary as my symptoms sounded like thrush and the medicine wouldn’t hurt me. He explained that during surgery your tongue is held down by a sharp blade like object. The tongue is sensitive so this object can cause partial damage, which usually heals/corrects itself. So basically we will never know if I had actual thrush or a damaged tongue. It did get better though! I’m almost 4 weeks post op and I feel great! I’m sorry my post was so lengthy!!! I hope you feel better soon!
Adrianne
Thank you Adrianne it’s so nice to know I’m not alone. I just had a look and the rood of my mouth is red and blotchy and all ulcerated. The back of my throat is very red as the scabs have stared to come off.
Pleased you are well now. It’s good to hear this is worth it and thank you
I’ve been awake almost all night again for the 5th night. Looking for some advice please?
It’s 5 days since my operation I felt something hanging and my Husband said it looks like the other side had lost a little bit feels like a giant tonsil stone. Just wondered my mouth has got sore everywhere that I haven’t had the op has anyone else got a sore mouth like when you have ulcers? It’s so painful I tried some bacon but the salt was so painful. Hope everyone else is doing good.
I’m not sure if this will work for others but on day 8 or so my daughter was in intense pain and I found a gargle on google. It said to mix baking soda and salt in warm water and gargle for about 30 seconds. It really seemed to help her pain.
I’m 40 years old and having my tonsils removed on July 13. This forum is so helpful, thank you everyone for all of your posts and advice. Thanks to everyone here, I have a great shopping list, a list of things to do to make recovery as bearable as possible, and a list to ask my doctor when I go in for my pre-op. I’m blessed in that my BF is extremely understanding & caring and my mom will be with me for the first 10 days – and I’ll have 16 days of recovery before I have to return to work. I’ve always had issues with tonsillitis – every doctor that I’ve ever seen tells me how huge my tonsils are and that they should have come out when I was a child. Now, my tonsils have been swollen and sore for almost 3 months. I’m looking forward to not dealing with these issues when I am recovered from surgery. Now just to get them removed and me recovered.
I am 55 and facing a tonsillectomy on July 19 and I’m scared to death of the pain. I have had several surgeries in the past but this one really scares me. The doctor’s nurse said they give Tylenol with Codeine afterwards. Is there something stronger than this? Somebody want to talk me out of this surgery? Only half joking.
Patti, good luck with your procedure. I was prescribed liquid lortab for the pain and it worked quite well. I have ad Tylenol with codeine and for me, it would not have been nearly strong enough to help with pain you will encounter. Take one day at a time and think positive.
Thanks, I definitely appreciate your advice!
At this stage I may reconsider BUT only MIGHT even in all the pain I’m in it should be worth it in the end. I suffered tonsil stones every day for 4 years I got in such a state so to have this pain for a few weeks compared to forever I hope it’s a fair trade. You should do it it will change your life for the better
Patti – I was given Percocet which is a bit stronger than Vicodin (which is Tylenol with codeine). I would not hesitate to ask for Percocet. Just a heads up – all of the opiate based prescription pain meds can cause major constipation. You will want to start a stool softener ASAP after surfey and have a laxative on hand too. I was amazed at how the pain killers stopped all ‘activity.’. Colace is a tried abd trusted stool softener and comes in generic versions too. On top of Colace, I also ended up taking MiraLax (laxative) which was highly recommended by others on this board. Good luck Patti. Greg has excellent and comprehensive info on this board and there are so many caring individuals who help each other through thus. You’ll have support!
Day 9 post op and for those of you still struggling with your recoveries there is light at the end of the tunnel!! Only taking my meds in the morning when I wake up and about half of what the dosage calls for. Its day 2 of taking prednisone and it works wonders. Took the swelling of my uvula and tongue down as well as the swelling in the back of the throat. The pain now is extremely tolerable as it feels like a minor scratchy throat and the ear pain is virtually non-existent. The scabs are very patchy but otherwise i’m starting to see mostly pink flesh for the first time since June 12. If you are struggling with day 7-10 and don’t feel a difference at all I would call your doctor and ask for the steroid prednisone prescription. It’s worked wonders for me. I take it as soon as I wake up and 20 minutes later I feel great all day. Still not eating a normal diet and playing it slow through the weekend although i tried a cookie today and it was heaven. You guys can do it!! Almost there!!!
Post op day 3. Not really sure how im going to last for another week with this pain! Tips pointers anything! Im doing everything- drugs like clockwork, popsicles, icepacks, movies
maybe its my taste in movies thats making me suffer lol
I thought the same thing Lisa, but it will GRADUALLY get better. Just keep up with the meds, drink/eat what you can, get rest when you can and ke watching those movies
. I am only on day 5 and it feels like I have glass in my throat and my uvula is so swollen I sound like Kermit the frog, but I know it is for the best in the end…hang in there!
this is just a test. Do not be alarmed…
another test- sorry
So irritated…my wife has been trying to get ahold of my doctor to get a refill on pain Meds, but he is not returning any calls and the nurse won’t send anything to the pharmacy without the doc. I have about two doses left and that’s it and it feels to me like the pain is getting worse. Don’t want to be left with nothing for the whole weekend. I have been taking ibuprofen too, but not really touching the pain…sorry for the vent, just frustrated with not eating and the constant feeling of glass in my throat/ ears….ugh!!
Ohh @Adam I know what you mean. My Mum called to get me more meds as I’m almost out waiting to see if they will be there or not. It’s okay it does get annoying when you’re in pain. I’ve just had my ibuprofen but I don’t think it’s doing anything. Never took anything before until surgery. I understand how you feel. I’m just debating whether or not to take paracetamol at bedtime then the strong stuff or just paracetamol. Trouble is I feel kind of out of it then malaise then really really sick when I’ve had it. Then just as it’s wearing off I was thinking ‘oh it was helping’. aahhhh. Hope you get your pain relief sorted.
I’ll take the nausea any day to get rid of the pain enough to get a little food in me.
@E the scabs haven’t come off entirely although they came off of the left side first and I think I just swallowed them as I didn’t feel anything but I’m still experiencing the tiniest amount of pain on my right side and there are still scabs on my right but I find that I need to spit a lot and some scabs do come out! Sounds nasty I know but it does help!
I hope this is some help to you and I hope your recovery goes ok!
Gemma – great uplifting post. It’s so hard to see it getting better when in the thick of it (days 5-10 worst for me) but, indeed it DOES get better and usually pretty quickly after day 10-12 or do. I’m 2 mos post op and was pretty much back to eating almost everything at the 2 week mark and went back to work at the end if week 2. We need more positive messages like yours Gemma!
Beth I agree positive posts are good especially at this stage I am at anything nice to hear helps get you through. I was told day 7 is bad but today for me 4 days has got bad and I’m back on the stronger pain killers I just hope it doesn’t get worse by day 7. When I woke in the night I thought someone had glued my jaw together. Glad you have recovered well. It’s nice to hear. Can I ask you – the back of my throat is moist and ‘bitty’ is this how it should look? Thanks
Hang on in there I had my op on the 13th so not including the op day it’s self I’m on day 9 recovery! And trust me it gets better last night was the first decent nights sleep ever
and to talk/ eat is the best thing ever I haven’t been able to eat a great deal but I did manage to eat a sandwich and a bowl of pasta!
And I’m now off of my pain meds which is great! I can sympathise with everyone but trust me when I say it does get ALOT better! Just take it steady with plenty of rest
Thank you Gemma. Have your scabs come off and if they have is it best to spit them out or swallow them? I’m really afraid about that part. Glad you are feeling better hope you recover fully asap.
E, everyone’s experience with scabs is different. For me, I never noticed them. I was always looking in the back of my throat, from day one (out of habit having to deal with tonsil stones all the time!). What I saw at the get go was solid white patches in the back where the tonsils were removed. These were the ‘scabs’. Gradually, over the course of two weeks, the white lessened and lessened until it was just pink skin. I never felt the scabs and never noticed as they slowly disappeared. I am guessing that some people whose throats get much drier may notice them more, not sure. Just keep drinking and eating and they will just naturally dissolve and gradually disappear. I agree with Deide that rough foods, though often recommended by UK doctors, are going to be tougher to eat (pain wise) and may tear at tender areas and could possible cause a bleed. I know doctors have different theories on this but I feel it’s better to stay with softer foods. The action of swallowing, drinking and eating helps remove the scabs naturally. Hang in there!
Today I am losing the will to go on. Worst pain so far and I just need someone to tell me it will get better!
Had my op on 18th it’s now 22nd so think it’s day 4 or 5, can’t think. I was on paracetamol and nurofen every 4 hours but I woke at 2am could hardly open my mouth the pain is so bad, my ears a hurting and my glands feel like they are too big for my neck. I tried some food yesterday pizza crusts and some pork but today I am so bad. ENT said it will get worse yet. I’ve just had to go back onto the strong pain killers dihydcodine or something. I hate taking things and feel sick all the time but the pain is too much. The back of my throat is all bitty and tastes awful. Am I alone in these things or can anyone give any advice please?HELP Sorry if I’m a little all over the place pain killers starting to work but not take the pain away.
Hang in there! You are definitely not alone! Just got up from what seemed to be an all night sleep but was actually only 3 hours slepp, first sleep for more than 45 minutes since I had mine out also on Monday. Missed my painmed dose and it feels like razors in my throat and ears. I am almost out of pain Meds and hope to god that my net will give me more of something stronger. I ate mashed potatoes and Mac n cheese yesterday,but can barely take in water today, but I know it’ll het better. Try and be strong E!
Thank you for replying. It’s good to hear I’m not alone but I am sorry you are also suffering. I feel sick now with all the meds. I only ever take paracetamol usually so my stomach is wondering what’s going on. Hospital said must eat today or will be back in hospital but it’s a nightmare I feel so sick the last thing I want to do is eat. I have a heat pack on my neck, have you tried anything like that to help. What’s going on with the scabs?Thanks again
Forgot to mention I’m also battling M.E
E, if you don’t mind me asking, what is M.E.?
not at all. ME or CFS is chronic fatigue syndrome. It’s where you are tired all the time and have so many other problems due to it.
Some info –
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronic_fatigue_syndrome
E, thank you for the info. Yes, I’m familiar with Chronic Fatigue syndrome as I work with several women who have this. I’m so sorry that you are trying to recover from the surgery and deal with the M.E. I can see where it might make recovery that much more frustrating and difficult. Just be sure you are getting as much rest as possible and as many nutrients in as you can possibly stand (despite the pain of swallowing). If you are in consultation with a specialist or your own primary doctor about your M.E. perhaps they also have some helpful suggestions for you during your recovery? Let’s hope with the tonsils gone that perhaps the M.E. will improve!
E, it does get better. Instead of a heat pad for your neck, I would use ice packs instead. I would also suck on ice chips as much as possible. Do you have a humidifier going at all times? You can’t let your throat dry out at all. That’s why it’s good to wake up every 2 hours to drink water and ice your neck.
When the scabs come off you won’t have a choice to spit them out or swallow them. I swallowed mine without knowing it while I was shoveling mac n cheese into my mouth on day 7. I wasn’t expecting them to come off so soon but it happened.
The pain will get better, I promise there is a light at the end of the pain tunnel. I don’t think pizza crust is going to help you. You need to eat soft foods that won’t scratch your throat. Pizza crust can take your scabs off sooner than you would like. Try eggs, pancakes, oatmeal, banana, etc…
Good luck and keep us posted.
I had my tonsils removed on June 15th, so I’m on day 6 in recovery. Hot tea has become my best friend!! The days haven’t been too bad, trying to sleep and the pain first thing after I wake up is the WORST! I’ve coughed up some nasty mucus in the middle of the night…
The worst idea in the worlds was trying to eat a muffin! Logically it seemed soft and small and tasty, it wouldn’t be spicy and it shouldn’t scrape my throat… WRONG! It got stuck constantly, it just wouldn’t go down my throat, it was like trying to swallow a sponge! It took me a good 30 min to eat a mini muffin, using tea to help it go down after every bite.
ooh painful. the nurse gave me a stale sandwich which took 2 hours to eat half a slice I used warm tea to help ease it down. but today i’ve noticed tea tastes awful maybe it’s everything at the back of my throat building up. What I worry about is if this gunk sits there a week it won’t be nice to swallow:(
Is your throat furry at the back or am I alone in this?Anyone please help do bits start forming near your tongue when you stop eating? Thanks
Just had some instant mashed potatoes and man were they DELICIOUS!! Never thought that something would taste so good! Gonna try some Mac n cheese later. Hopefully this is an upward trend.
Linda, no, everyone does not get prescribed steroids. My doctor said he only prescribes them if absolutely necessary and same for antibiotics. They reduce inflammation but can only be taken for a brief time. I’m not sure why some doctors feel they are necessary and some don’t. Good luck, stay hydrated and keep up with your pain meds: it’s mind over matter with the swallowing and you can do it!!
I was just prescribed steroids yesterday without asking for them or even seeing the doctor. I called asking for a refill on pain medication and they called back 2 hours later saying they would refill the hydrocodone as well as give me 5 days worth of prednisone. Took it for the first time this morning and the difference is amazing. I feel night and day compared to yesterday.
I had my surgery yesterday at 10:30, came home around 12:00. I was told that my tonsils were extremely infected and full of stones. Yuck! But, they’re gone! Yay! That being said, I’m just starting day two, and all afternoon and evening yesterday were extremely painful. So far today… When I’m not trying to swallow something I’m mostly pain free. But, I have to swallow constantly to get in my fluids. I just started the steroid this morning. Does everyone get prescribed prednisone ? Does anyone know what it does to help the recovery process?
Adam, try heat on your ears, it really does help. I used a heating pad and alternated laying against it for a few minutes each side as it was not big enough to wrap around and reach both ears. As far as the meds, when the pain is bad I think they ALL wear off quickly. I was on straight Percocet (without the acetaminophen added to it) and I’d feel pretty good for an hour or two after I took a dose but the relief dropped of quickly after that.
. Are you allowed to take ibuprofen? That’s a great thing to take between prescription pain med doses. I had the ear pain really bad and it does rival the throat pain. Chewing gum does help some as well. Hang in there! 
Thanks again Beth! The heat helped! Doc said I can take ibprofen, so gonna try that between doses and hope for the best. So glad this board is here for support!
Hi everyone. I had my tonsils removed at 12pm yesterday and so far the pain has been fine but I know the worst is yet to come. I’m 22 and live in Scotland and the first thing they make you do after surgery here is eat toast and drink loads of water. I’ve read hydration is the most important thing so I’ve made a real effort to keep it up. I’ve eaten toast and dry cereal so far as that’s what was recommended as it helps with scabbing. My left tonsil has been the biggest problem for me for a while, constantly getting infected. The surgeon said yesterday that the infection was so bad that my tonsil had pretty much glued itself to my throat so they really had to dig it out…yuck. I’ve to expect a lot of pain on that side…but nothing yet! My tonsil has been sent to a pathologist but hopefully the infection wasn’t too sinister! I’m on cocodamol and ibuprofen for the pain and they seem to be doing the trick, I’m also taking multi-vitamins too. I’m graduating on Tuesday which will be day 6 post op, this seems to be a bad day for a lot of people, I plan to drug up to my eyeballs to try and get through it. I’ll update as my recovery progresses!
hi @emily i also live in scotland and they made me eat a sandwich and a cup of tea before they let me home. I had mine done on 18th. every day I wake up hoping it’s improving but today the nausea has set in. Has anyone got any advice please? I didn’t sleep at all last night and the back of my throat is clogging up and tastes yuk.
Hi,
I’m scheduled to have my tonsils and adenoids removed July 6, as well as have some work done to my nose. My doctor advised me that I should take pepsid regularly starting the day before surgery to help curb the nausea. He said that works well for most patients of his patients. Have you tried taking anything like that or any prescribed anti-nausea meds?
Thank you @sam I have some tablets to put under my lip that I am trying to decide if I should take it. Hope everything goes well for you
Just woke up with severe ear pain! Still have to wait 1.5 hours for next pain med dose…ugh! Trying to tough it out , but this is not fun. Only on day 4 too
. Oh well, I’m sure I can find some infomercial to watch.
Also, anyone who took/takes liquid lortab find that it does work quick, but does not last very long?
hi @adam I’m on day day 4 too. ear pains are staring for me to and I’m counting down until my next pain relief. hope you feel better soon. have you managed to eat?
Only things I have eaten are jello, Gatorade, water, Lipton noodle soup, and beef broth. Gonna try instant mashed potatoes today( after a pain med dose). Hang in there E, it will be worth it in the end
mashed potatoes were nice and soothing yesterday but today the pain is more intense tried some soup but think it’s stinging now:( just need to eat something to shift the gunk. If anyone has any ideas please let me know? hope you recover fast. also do you have the thing where you drink and it comes out of your nose?no one warned me about that one
It is probably the salt in the soup. I have not had anything come out of my nose, but the liquid pain medicine really burns now and feels like it goes up my nose.
I haven’t had a drink come out of my nose, but when I was taking liquid Tylenol the other night, I had the pleasure of it running up in to my nose O.o I thought soda was bad…Tylenol burns like CRAZY!! I wish someone would’ve warned me about that too!!
Michell’s, thanks I know this to shall pass, but the pain I have been having is very bad. I have hope to know I will b ok soon. But I am very glad that I got them out.
Well I had my tonsillectomy yesterday morning at 10am. I’m 32 yrs old and was super nervous and was told it would be a heck of a recovery.
Well, I got out of the hospital at 2.30pm yesterday. The nurses were shocked at how well I recovered. I had no nausea. Was a little lightheaded from the anesthesia but otherwise fine. They prescribed me percocets (narcotic). I’ve only needed to take 3 so far. I’ve been doing very well otherwise. Already have eaten some soft pasta, yogurt, bread and eggs. Hurts a little to swallow but nothing I haven’t felt before from suffering with tonsillitis. My ear have been sore but painkillers help that too. I have been able to talk since I came out of recovery.
I am very pleased so far about my recovery.
Hi everyone!
Glad to know that I’m not alone with the tonsillectomy struggle. I’m 19 years old and I’m going to be having a tonsillectomy and an adenoid cautery next Wednesday. I’m kinda nervous based on the stories I’ve read so far!
A bit of backstory, when I was 15 I was hospitalized with mono for a week which resulted in a nasty case of tonsillitis. The doctor’s and nurse’s kept bringing their colleagues into the room because apparently it was the worst case of tonsillitis they’ve ever seen… I wasn’t able to take antibiotics either because it was a viral type of tonsillitis. Took me about a month and a half to feel back to normal.
After the hospitalization I tried to persuade my family doctor to take out my tonsils because they were so badly destroyed from the virus I had, however the same old saying kept popping up: “we don’t like to do that procedure anymore”.
For four year I’ve been getting throat infections anywhere from 3-7 times each year. So, finally, a few months ago when amoxicillin stopped treating the infection, I was given the go ahead by my doctor to get these suckers out.
I know the rumour is “the younger you are when you get them out, the easier and less painless the healing process is”. (I am really wishing I got my tonsils removed when I was 15 rather than now so it didn’t interfere with work and my social life!)
I was looking for advice on what I should do before/after the surgery to help ease pain, prepare my body for surgery, and help with a quick recovery? Also, I’m allergic to codeine, so does anyone have any idea of what other sort of pain killers I would be prescribed?
Hi Hayley,
You sound like you’ve suffered enough! I’m Day 7 post-op here and feel like I’ve had a pretty smooth recovery. One thing I read somewhere here on the forum that I did before surgery was getting plenty of fluids for about 3-4 days before-hand. I would drink at least 2 of those big bottles of gatorade and then some. I can’t say whether that actually helped a lot, but I wasn’t in much pain and generally felt OK after the surgery. Make sure to drink, drink, drink after the surgery too- this wasn’t a problem for me because very cold liquid felt very soothing to my throat. Ice your neck/jaw area on and off for the first few days after, this will keep the swelling down and also help with the pain. As for the pain meds, I was prescribed Lortab and only took it for about 2 days- the nasty side effects of it (nausea, constipation) outweighed its usefulness to me as a painkiller. I’ve been taking Tylenol every 4 hours and have been fine. My doc won’t let me take aspirin/ibuprofin, but talk to yours and see what their thoughts are on that, some docs allow it and some don’t. If your doc allows it, you can alternate that with tylenol. I feel like the rest is common sense- plenty of fluids, plenty of rest, eat high nutritive-value foods as much as you can. Best of luck to you!
Haley, if I could offer one piece of advice it would be that a great deal of the healing from this surgery is mental. As Laura C says, most of the advice you will find about fluids, staying hydrated, taking meds on time, etc is straight forward. The mental part is what gets to people the most as the healing is longer than most of us are used to if we’ve had tonsillitis or other infections. Then again, some on here had such bad infections, the pain after surgery isn’t that different for them. My advice would be to be mentally prepared for the worst and then it will probably NOT be as bad as you’re expecting. There is going to be pain, no matter how you cut it, but if you are prepared for that eventuality (and don’t expect a pain-free experience) you will hopefully be surprised at the fact that the recovery is very uncomfortable but it IS entirely manageable.
I’ve never heard of anyone allergic to codeine – is that an intolerance (i.e. it makes you nauseous?) or a true allergy? If that’s the case you could ask about a newer pain medication called Nucynta. It supposedly can be good for those who do not tolerate Percocet or Vicodin which are pretty much the standard meds prescribed after this surgery. The only caveat with Nucynta is you cannot take it if you take any type of SSRI antidepressant medication as there can be serious interactions. Maybe ask you doctor about it? And, as Laura C said, definitely ask if you can take ibuprofen as an alternative. I’m 2 months post op and there are a few of us on the board even further out responding so feel free to ask more questions.
Good luck!
Thanks for your advice Beth & Laura! I’ll be sure hydrate lots before the surgery (before midnight of course because then I have to fast before the surgery).
Beth what happened with the codeine is last time I was prescribed it I began to vomit blood and my throat closed almost completely from swelling, so my doctor was sure to put it in my medical history never to be prescribed it to me again. A codeine allergy actually runs on my mom’s side of the family in select family members (strange, I know).
I don’t take any kind of anti-depressants/anti-psychotics so I’m sure I’ll be fine.
I’m happy to hear the procedure and post-op is managable, I’m sure I’ll bounce back from it in no time (besides, it’s an amazing excuse to eat a ton of popsicles!) and I highly doubt it’ll be as painful as my bout in the hospital.
I haven’t heard about Nucynta? But I’ll write that down and consult my doctor before the surgery as to what meds can be an option for me.
I really appreciate both of you taking the time to give me advice, it’s really helped to ease my nerves. I’ll update on the forum my progress post-op!
Thanks again!
thank you so much, i am going to try every suggestion that i recv’d.