Pain after tonsillectomy is inevitable. Tips for easier tonsillectomy recovery from patients who have been through it. What to eat, dealing with scabs and bleeding, managing pain, and shortening recovery time.
Tonsillectomy and its subsequent recovery is no picnic, especially for an adult. Welcome to Tonsillectomy Recovery Resources. Whether you’re considering, planning, or recovering from the procedure, you’ll find all the information you will need to make the best decision about tonsil surgery. You’ll also learn how to get the best care after tonsillectomy. I’ll also help you prepare for your tonsillectomy by laying out simple steps that will make the day of surgery easier and help you to be more comfortable as you recover.
Together we are stronger. Share your experience. Read about why I got my tonsils out and what I learned
Top 10 Tonsillectomy Recovery Tips
Though I’ve added to the initial 10, these are my top tips for anyone preparing for, or recovering from tonsillectomy surgery:
- Drink cold fluids
- Continue to drink cold fluids
- Drink more cold fluids! This is perhaps the single most important tip to make life easier while speeding up your recovery period.
- Get a good cool air humidifier and run it all the time in the room you’re in. Consider having more than one for the primary rooms you’ll be spending time in. To monitor humidity levels pick up one of these. Enter the code: TONSIL for a 25% discount! Humidity Station
- Don’t worry about sleep. Forget the normal time convention. Sleep for short intervals, preferably in a recliner. Sleep can be your worst enemy. Sleeping a few hours in a bed usually results in a dry throat that hurts like crazy. It can take almost an hour to get the pain back under control.
- Keep a written log of your medications as you take them. It’s easy to forget what you’ve taken and when. If you would have problems that require help from the doctor, it can come in handy.
- Read about others’ experiences and share your own. (Check out the tonsillectomy forum)
- Plan ahead! Stock up on items you’ll need ahead of time.
- Take something with your pain medicine. Carnation Instant Breakfast or Ensure will at least provide a base in your stomach and reduce nausea.
- Drink ice cold liquids!
A few bonus tips- read on>>>>
A few bonus tips for a better recovery:
- Plan some minor events. Even a simple event like a walk or a bath can take your mind off the discomfort and help your mindset during tonsillectomy recovery
- Chew sugarless gum. When pain gets referred to the ears, and it often does, chewing gum can ease the ear pain. It also keeps the swallowing process active, which many believe aids in tonsillectomy recovery. A warm compress on the area can also relieve ear pain.
- Ice! Whether it’s a high-tech ice bag or a bag of frozen peas, applying ice directly to the throat and neck is a great way to reduce inflammation and take the edge off of break-through pain. (thanks Kate!)
- Those are my top tonsillectomy tips. For a detailed daily checklist, check out my upcoming book.
I’ve put together a collection of items that I think would be helpful, if not essential, to making tonsillectomy recovery a little more pleasant. Check out the General Store.
Some Extra Tips – After Tonsils are Removed:
- It’s REALLY important that you drink. I know it’s almost impossible at times, but you must. A trick I used was to use Cloraseptic (sp?) numbing spray. (There’s also a lollipop your doc or pharmacist might know of)- to numb the throat a bit. Then I’d take the medicine. Once the meds kicked in (1/2 hour?), then I’d try to eat. My favorite foods at first were Jell-o and creamed soups. (sweet potato or broccoli by V-8 were good)
- You must keep drinking. It helps your throat heal and keeps you hydrated. One reader, a nurse, said she went to an emergency room and demanded IV fluids. Wow! Maybe not such a bad idea!
About the author
My name is Greg Tooke and I’m a tonsillectomy patient myself. For most of my life I lived with huge tonsils with craters that the Ear Nose and Throat doctor called, “cryptic.” I got tonsillitis and strep throat several times every year. I snored at night and woke suddenly, catching my breath. Like many people, I had sleep apnea and didn’t even know it. Speaking of breath, tonsil stones were making my breath smell awful at times. I’d heard horror stories about adult tonsillectomy , tonsils that grow back, bleeding, excruciating pain, and even death. I was afraid.
Finally, with the advice of my doctor and a resolve to improve the quality of my life, I scheduled my tonsillectomy for the day after Thanksgiving. (a last meal??) You can read all about my tonsillectomy story in the pages that follow.
Greg
So today is day 9 since my surgery, including the operation day. I am 20 yrs old and always had swollen tonsils, in fact I’ve never seen them not swollen. I felt alright the first couple days, then by day 4 – day 7 I was so miserable. The worst part was the tounge/ear pain for me. No matter how much medicine I took or what I did, I had constant pain that never went away. Those days, I could only choke down a jello and broth. Yesterday things started getting better. I was able to eat a couple pieces of zucchini and some mashed potatoes. Today I have no pain hardly unless I’m eating. Then, I can feel it’s a little irritated in my throat and my ears hurt, but not the same excruciating pain I had earlier this week. Ever since day one I drink 2000ml of fluids a day, so I never got sick or had bleeding. Throat is slightly itchy too, must mean it’s healing. Hope by next week I’m almost back to normal.
I’m at a similar stage as you. Today is day 6 since my surgery, including operation day and I’m 19 years old. What day did your throat pain seem to decrease?
Today I went for my 2 week follow up. My pain has decreased a lot but I’m still having trouble eating normally, talking a lot makes it hurt as well and I can’t move my tongue normally yet. (Side to side and sticking my tongue out etc. ) because it’s still quite painful. The doctor said that my pathology report came back with very rate findings. He stated that mine is the first he’s had this year. There is no cancer thank God but there are cystic crypts. The way he explained it is that my tonsils were do swollen and full of scar tissue and infection that they extended into the muscle so there was some cutting into it hence the additional pain and healing time. It really isnmiserable. I thought I’d be healed by now 🙁 He prescribed “Miracle Mouthwash” that is used for cancer patients and numbs the mouth and throat so that talking and eating will be a lot less painful.
Anyone else ever deal with this?
Thanks,
Maria
Sorry, very rare findings not rate.
I’m sorry I can’t be help since I just got mine out today but I also had scar tissue and he had to cut deeper also. They didn’t tell me any extra healing tips but said I have a higher chance for bleeding since more of the blood vessels were cut. Did you have any bleeding after? I’m happy your cancer free! If I hear of any tips I will be sure to share them with you! I hope you feel better!
Hi Greg,
This site is fantastic! Thank you for creating it! I do have a question: My tonsils were removed 3/13/14 at 51 years of age. My healing time was two weeks as normal. I have two concerns:
1) My throat seems to feel as though something is stuck there all the time. It feels really dry.
2) It appears that my hearing is still not back to normal. They still ring a lot.
Did you experience this or has anyone else experienced this?
Hi Mary, I’m 45 & I had my tonsils out 4/22/14. I have similar symptoms. The dryness of the throat I have been using Biotin spray. The hearing problem with the ringing, I’m going back to the doctor next week. It just throws my equilibrium off. Thank you Mary, take care!
Hi Mary, and thank you. It actually takes about six months for the tissues in the throat are to firm up and get back to normal. I remember experiencing the same feeling you describe. As for the ear ringing, I’m not sure. I know the ears, nose, and throat are all sort of connected. You might want to run that by your doctor. Best of luck to you!
I’m getting my toncils out on Friday July 25th 2014! I am 29 and am so thankful for this site! I am trying to get as prepared as possible and stay positive for my recovery! I will be sure to write back and give any tips I have and let the people who are planning surgery how recovery goes! Here goes nothing!
I’m 18. I got my tonsils out today. July 22nd 2014. It hurts and Popsicles help a lot and cold liquida
I hope your recovery is going smooth Fancy!! Cold liquids and popsicles are going to be my best friend for the next few weeks!! 🙂
Hi Ashley,
Good luck with your surgery! I had mine removed March 13th 2014. I am 51 years old. The recovery was not too bad. What helped me was Gatorade and popsicles! I got the Gatorade from the Dollar Tree and popsicles from Target. After two weeks, I started feeling better. The great thing was that because I could not eat, I lost one pound per day for two weeks! That was awesome! My only concern now is I still have a funny feeling in the my throat. I went to my ENT and he thinks it may be acid reflux. I have never had that before and it did not appear until after the tonsillectomy. It may be part of the healing. It just feels like something is caught in my throat. Four months later and my taste buds are still off. I can taste salted things but the sweet things do not taste very sweet. I guess it will take time. The older you are, the longer the healing time….so I’m told, lol! Anyway, hope this helps you! Take care and hang in there!
Thanks for the response and well wishes Mary!! So far so good! That definitely stinks that your taste is off!! Hopefully it will come back soon!! Thats great that your recovery went smooth! I’m excited for the two weeks to be over but I know this will be well worth it after recovery!
Today was the big day! Everything went off without any problems! I went in for 8:50am and l was able to leave by 12:45. So far with all the drugs they have given me I have had ZERO pain!! I have been drinking like its my job (water, coconut water, sports drinks, ice chips and I even ate a soft banana) I know this no pain thing isn’t going to last so I’m trying to prepare myself for the change. I set my alarm for every 4 hours when I’m due for my next round to stay ahead of the pain. I took a half hour nap and did notice that the short nap left my throat a little dry. I will definitely be back tomorrow with my next update! 🙂
Today is the day after surgery. I’m doing great so far! The pain has been kept at a 4 or below until a half hour or so before pain med time and it goes up to a 5. Last night I made sure I woke up every few hours to drink something and for my pain meds because they said its hard to get the pain down if you wait too long. I read a great tip to use a spray bottle with water to wet your throat since it gets pretty dry after a few hours of sleep. It definitely helped to make it feel better before drinking something. I also bought a humidifier for our room to help with the dry air at night. I have been able to eat mashed potatoes and some baby food haha. Well hopefully tonight goes well and I’ll update again tomorrow! Oh and DRINK DRINK DRINK!!! 😉
Day 3 of recovery! Today was definitely a bit harder pain wise but still only got up to a 6. I used a cold pack and a hot pack today and it seemed to help. I try to have a drink of water and ice in my hands at all times! I made a chart to keep track of my pain scale, pain meds, and fluid intake to be sure I’m doing everything possible to heal fast. Food is pretty impossible but I tried Mac and cheese and it took me about 40 minutes to eat about a half a cup! I think I’ll be sticking to baby food for a while now! I have also found my ears have been bugging me a little. A strange thing that also started is sometimes the drinks have been going up my nose if I take a big sip so now I know to slow down! Just remember to keep drinking and stay positive! I know that’s helping me!!
Today is day 4 (including surgery day) and it is getting rough! The ear and tongue pain is at about an 8 and the swallow pain is right there too. I also have been itchy with the pain meds so its been a fun few days. I’m staying positive and drinking as much water as possible through the pain! Food on the other hand is not really happening which is okay as long as the fluids are going in. Last night was tough and the two times I had to wake for pain meds I felt light headed and not well. I have been falling asleep randomly on and off all day today too. Hopefully tomorrow is better but honestly its still not as bad as I thought it was going to be so far! 🙂 I’ll be back tomorrow for day 5!
Day Five..same thing different day. Drinking lots of fluids and staying on the pain med schedule. I dared to test my pain level and cut my pain med on half (1tsp vs 2tsp) at my noon dose and oh boy was that a bad decision!! By 2:30 I was in SO much pain!! (8+) It was in my throat and ears so I couldn’t seem to distract myself enough to help! Needless to say I’m back on 2tsp and back at a 4 pain level which is doable! The scabs are definitely growing and I’m really curious to when they will fall off! That will be a happy day as long as everything is healed nicely. Today was filled with pain so I hope tomorrow is better!!
Today was day 6! Today was pretty similar to yesterday. Drank a ton ate a tiny bit and tried to heal! As of this am I’m down 8lbs! The pain has been getting worse about a half hour to an hour before meds are due. It goes from a 4 to a 7 fast! I’m guessing the scabs will fall off within the next few days but I realized I never learned what happens when they come off. Do you swallow them, spit them out, or even notice it has happened? That’s something I will definitely let you all know! (I’m sure either way it won’t be pretty 😉 ) I have also been getting in a 20 minute walk everyday to keep myself from going crazy! I think if you feel well enough ((This is My opinion. Obviously ask your Dr for medical advice)) you should get out for a little each day even if its to sit outside. It has helped with my mental health for sure! Well on to day 7!!
Day 7…. All I can say it OUCH!!!!! It has been a day of water and pain. The pain is keeping high even with the meds. Its mostly in my ears at this point. I was able to eat a few bites of mashed potatoes and egg but not much. After trying to eat I did a salt water gargle and found that little bits of my scab came out.. Now I’m in LOTS of pain and still have an hour until meds 🙁 I can’t wait for this to be over because The pain is starting to make me feel crazy!! I still have 10 days that I can just focus on getting better so let’s see what Tomorrow brings! (One week from surgery date) Good luck to you who are about to take this journey!!!
My surgery was a week ago today! This first week was challenging but I can see a light at the end of the tunnel! My biggest tip would be the water! Drink as much as you can! I always have a cup of water in my hand and I record it on a chart I made. That’s my 2nd tip! Make a pain med and water chart and I also suggest a pain chart. I made that one just in case I needed stronger or different meds. I wanted to be able to show the Dr my different levels. Next tip is set an alarm for night meds and drinks. You will get a dry throat over the night but it will help to wake up every two hours or so (you will need to do at least every 4 for pain meds) for some water. I found a spray bottle has been awesome to use before you take your first sip! Next tip is now that my scabs are starting to come out (nasty right!?) I found gently gargling warm salt water makes it feel better and helps get out the loose scabs. The pain is getting worse as the time goes on but I know it will be worth it! One week down and one more to go!
Today is day 13. (Surgery July 25th 14) It has been a really great recovery compared to may I have heard about. I still have pain and it definitely gets bad at times (up to a 9) BUT the meds help to bring it back down to a 4or 5. The biggest difference about my recovery that is completely different is I have been able to function 100% normal even if in pain. I originally thought I would be stuck in bed for a good part of it and I only spent one morning in bed and it was just because I wanted to and not because I “had to”. I did follow the drs orders and I have still not worked out and picked up anything over 25lbs but have gone on little walks and have gone out and about. One thing I can say that isn’t going well is eating. I’m still unable to eat much. I lost 11lbs so far and with the pain I’m wondering at what point I will be ready to eat! I have my follow up with the Dr on Friday so hopefully He can give me a better idea about that. The biggest tip still would be DRINK DRINK DRINK!! Also the alarm for your pain meds is a huge help at night although by the time you can take it you will definitely know it! OUCH! Good luck to those with upcoming surgery! I’ll write back after my Dr appointment!
I went to the Dr yesterday ( 2 weeks from surgery) and he said everything looked great! He said the huge holes in the place of toncils will go back to normal which I was worried about. All of my scabs are gone but I’m still in a little pain when I swallow (3). I still can’t open my jaw all the way and when I yawn it is no fun! I’m just starting to be able to eat and I only need pain meds when I wake up and before bed. I can tell thankfully I’m close to the end!! Fingers crossed!! 🙂
Hey Ashley! Glad you’re off to a good start. Keep drinking and eat what you can while you can!
Thanks Greg! Your blog site was amazing and helped me get me ready as much as anyone can be! I feel I will have a great recovery since I was able to prepare so well! 🙂 I’m excited to add my tips, tricks and experience with people on their future journey. 🙂
I am on day six of my recovery and there seems to be very little ease in my level of pain. I am taking plenty of pain medication but thought they would be helping more. I also didn’t anticipate the pain to last this long so I’m just wondering how long, on average, does it take to start returning to normal? Aswell as this I have started having very bad ear aches in the last two days..is there anything you can recommend for this? Thanks!!
Hi Rachel,
It took me at least two weeks before I started feeling better. It is taken FOREVER for my taste buds to come back! Yes, my ears bothered me also. You kind of have to give into the discomfort and take the pain meds around the clock. Even though you’ll be drowsy, they help.
Hang in there and feel better :-)!