Eating After Tonsillectomy
Eating after tonsillectomy can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, the nutrition derived from solid foods is essential for out overall health and recovery from tonsillectomy surgery. The very act of swallowing also helps the throat recover. On the other hand, pushing foods past the raw and tender area of the tonsil beds after they’ve been cut and in many cases cauterized, can cause excruciating pain and, even bleeding. We need to go slow as we resume eating after tonsillectomy surgery.
Liquids. Let’s start here. Since you’ll be drinking at least 8 ounces per hour during tonsillectomy recovery. Put some thought into what you want. Sport drinks are good. They provide electrolytes and needed calories. Since most of the calories are from sugar, you’ll want to try some other drinks too. Avoid anything acidic, caffeinated, dairy, or thick for the first week. I was amazed by how many things I drank went down like battery acid or left a troublesome film on my throat. (tonsil bed) Water is always good, but it’s hard to stay interested in it. I also enjoyed chicken and beef broths. Don’t heat them beyond, “fairly warm.” Hot has an inflammatory effect on tonsil area tissue.
Gelatin was the first thing I was given to begin eating after tonsillectomy and I thought I’d gone to heaven. It tasted wonderful and, for some reason, I found it easier to swallow than water. It’s cool, soothing, and counts as hydration. Hands down, Jell-O, Jelly, or gelatin is my top pick for foodsfor eating after tonsillectomy surgery.
For the first five days I wouldn’t venture too far beyond the liquids and gelatin. It’s contrary to what your mother might advise but, like sleep, a normally healthy endeavor can result in an hour of searing pain. I tried mashed potatoes on day two and had tears in my eyes. For about a day after that, I stopped eating . I don’t recommend this. Eating after tonsillectomy is important for several reasons. Nutrition, activation of muscles in the affected area, and feeling of well being are all benefits of smart eating after tonsillectomy.
Also keep in mind that most prescription pain killers can cause nausea, especially on an empty stomach. It’s important to get some kind of food down before taking pain medicine, even if it’s just a liquid food like Ensure.
As your throat allows, try some foods like oatmeal, macaroni and cheese, (NOT al dente. cook it!), ramen noodles, mashed potatoes, gravy, or cous cous. Oatmeal was, without question, my breakthrough food as I began eating after tonsillectomy. I’m still eating it almost daily, probably because of the good feeling that it gave me in my second week.
When I was recovering, I used to daydream about eating steak. It seemed so unattainable. I couldn’t even handle mashed potatoes. When could I ever enjoy a nice juicy Steak?? I told myself, once I got through this, I would reward myself with a delicious slab of beef. To this day, I love my bloody Mary steak marinade recipe. Try it before surgery, or after you’ve recovered. Salud!
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 tGeneral Store.
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Im Erin! Day 10 post OP, everything seems to be healing perfectly and I’m in very little pain as far as throat pain goes. But my ears hurt SO BAD. I have no idea why. Anyone else experiencing any issues with ear pain?
Try chewing gum. It helps!
Ear nose and mouth are conected. your pain is quite normal and it will go in no time!
My ears are so bad!
My throats pains are bad but my ears have had me on my knees crying!
I am on day 7 (counting surgery day), and my ears hurt worse than my throat for the first 3 days! Day 5 I thought I was feeling better, but I woke up on day 6 feeling worse than ever! Last night I took 2 doses of my pain medicine and lay on my husband’s chest while he sat propped up in bed with an ice pack on my throat and cried myself to sleep because the pain was so intense. Today is a little better, and I’m waiting to see what tomorrow holds.
Omg I’m jealous that nost of y’all can eat!! I’m a 22 year old female and on day 8 (or 9 if you count operation day) Had a COBLATION TONSILLECTOMY scabs clearing now
*Day 1 my uvula was so freaking big I kept chocking and swallowing it so the only thing I consume was water and meds !* Day 2 I ATE ICE CREAM….WHAT THE FREAK? BIG MISTAKE DON’T EAT ICE CREAM MUCUS BUILD UP LIKE SOME ONE PAINT IT THERE I WAS MISSERABLE THOUGH I WAS GOING TO DIE Y’ALL I WAS SO SCARED IT MIGHT GO TO MY NOSE AND CAUSE ME TO SUFFOCATE *Day 3 food? What’s food I had popsicles and ice chips to help slack off the mucus IT WORK TRY IT sadly I later tried to drink and all my fluids seem to go up to my nose. my nose burn when I took my meds *Day 4 🙂 I thought I was able to eat throat felt the best yet so I tried a small piece of chicken omg it taste burnt Y’ALL THE CHICKEN WASN’T BURNT EVERYONE ELSE ENJOYED IT MY DAD KNOW HOW TO COOK BUT TO ME IT TASTE BURNT SO I DIDN’T EAT. *Day 5 I still felt good enough to eat my mom cooked one of my favorite meals just for me 🙂 good old bush baked bean and hotdogs with white rice and fried chicken…I took one spoon full of baked beans and hotdogs and it tasted burnt! By now I have been turned away from all food because I’m scared its going to taste burnt I had a mental break down I boohoo cried like a baby day 6 NO FOOD JUST ICE AND WATER DAY 7 I TRIED A LUNCHABLE JUST THE MEAT AND CHEESE IT DIDN’T TAST BURNT BUT IT DIDN’T TASTE AS GOOD AS IT WOULD NORMALLY BE I ATE CANDY AND MINTS AN COOKIES I CAN EAT SWEETS ITS GOOD…ITS DAY 8 AND 12:09pm haven’t eating anything yet don’t feel like it..sorry for all this writing but I really just want to know when will food taste normal? It things tasting burnt normal?
Today (day 8 for me) I had an omelette! I was so excited but very let down when it tasted metallic. I have been craving chips and guac since day 2 and I just want to know when I’ll be able to eat them again T.T
I had my tonsils out a month ago, Remembering to keep you head up when you drink is interesting, nothing like liquids pouring out of your nose. My main problem is excessive nasal mucus and not being able to swallow. I have no pain but just can’t seem to get it together. Never got my pain meds filled there was no pain. Just alot of stuffyness.
When do the Scabs come off?
I’m on day two, and so far jello and cream and chicken soup have been my foods of choice. It has been difficult for me to drink anything because it starts to go up my nasal passage, so the jello keeps me hydrated and goes down really easy. I sip the cream of chicken soup from a cup (heated just slightly above lukewarm) and it goes down so smoothly. I take special care to chew the little chunks of chicken really good before swallowing and haven’t had any problems. I also tried chicken and stars soup because the star noodles are tiny and go down easier than larger noodles. I was able to eat that pretty easily as well, but kept getting the sensation of the stars getting stuck in my throat. I think I was actually just feeling the scabs from the surgery though. Maybe tomorrow I’ll venture into mashed potatoes drowned in gravy to make it really soupy and easy to swallow.