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
I am on day 3 going on day 4. Swallowing is awful. I have been trying to get as much sleep as possible but waking up is the worst cuz of dry mouth. I have been forcing myself to get as much as I can. My doctor told me that I was the judge on when to take the meds and how much. Ive been trying to stay on at least taking the pain meds every 5-6 hours and getting something when I do. Mac and cheese has been a staple as well as orange sherbert. I had some green juice that i was drinking but it gave me a nasty taste in my mouth so I have since stopped drinking it, not sure if the bad taste was the juice or the scabs. I am trying to deal with the pain. But i just want this over. I feel like I’m missing out on so many things. All i do is sleep, eat, take meds, and watch tv. Its kind of boring and getting to me. I hated missing church today but my mom thought it wasn’t wise for me to go out so soon after surgery. I thought the surgery was gonna be the worst part but recovery truly is the worst part. Hoping it starts to get better. Should I be trying to open my mouth more? I feel like if i do, i might open up the wounds back there. I’m scared something bad will happen or that my mouth will be stuck like this forever. Talking is muffled and hard to do as well. Grr. frustrating. starting to wonder why i had this done.
I too had my doubts on day 3-4. One thing I noticed and through all the research I’ve been doing was thrush in my mouth, anything carb, dairy, sugar will inflame it and start making your ears tongue and jaw hurt . For me that was the cause of my pain when swallowing. I suggest stay away from Mac and cheese and sugars. Today on day 8 I’m finally finding life with yogurt with probiotics make sure it’s either organic or sugar free but it must have active probiotics. That will help your tongue ease up and will help you swallow. All it takes is half a cup and eat it slow just let it lay in the mouth and eat it as slow as possible. I take about 30 minutes to finish half a cup. My pain went down 75% . Also you have to keep hydrated.
Stay away from the carbs and sugars while recovering just do natural non citric juices,,,, but get that yogurt or some active probiotics they will help you out on days 5-8.
Oh that smell in your mouth switching the diet may help it not smell as bad.
Give it a few more days. Have you tried applesauce or vanilla pudding? Keep drinking and/or sucking on ice chips. I’m 61 and it has been 14 days and I thought I was going to die at that point. I actually ate mashed potatoes on Day 9 or 10. In just a few days you will feel better. Drink, drink, drink!
Hi, I’m 33 years old and Today is day 7 and I’m starving!! I can’t eat because it feels like I’m chocking and the pain medicine makes me sick to my stomach.. I feel dizzy, lightheaded, constipated and worst than the last 6 days.. When will I feel better???
Im on day 6 and couldn’t eat because of my tongue/throat. It just hurt to swallow anything even saliva. Unfortunately you need food in your system for the meds to take full effect and for the antibiotics to work properly (Ive read). Today i finally managed to drink a full natural fruit smoothie, try to avoid dairy and carbs as it can trigger Oral Thrush. I think thats what was making me gag when i swallowed. This morning I tried this and I felt relief right after. 2 caps of organic apple cider vinegar and half a cup of water mixed. i just swirled it in my mouth and some how the vinegar fought whatever was living on my tongue and made it tolerable to swallow. IM on meds now sorry if it doesn’t make sense . lol
I am 15 and on day 7 and this has been awful. Will the humidifier help me? What does it do? Also it feels like my throat is dry, but I’ve been drinking all day! The dry feeling is really setting me back with drinking and eating. Still trying to decide wether to get a humidifier or not.
Thanks
helloim Jusminda and im 21. i just had my tonsils out on the 10th June 2014 so im on day 1 almost day 2. had not much pain only a lil bit. but im eating properly even though it hurts but that
is expected. meds are awesome and the throat gargle is good. i will definately try the frozen veg or icepack as when i eat food i get relly heated all over.
Y
Hi. You were given throat gargle? What kinda? I am on day 5 and NEED something to help with swallowing and excess mucus.
Thanks.