Tonsillectomy Recovery Time
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. 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.
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.
-Greg My short bio
Hi all. I am a 35 year old female and I had my tonsils out on Wednesday August 22 so I am on day six of recovery. The pain has been bad but started to ease up two days ago. My doctor gave me liquid Acetaminophen/ Codeine in both a “Regular Pain” and “Severe Pain” dosage. Have been saving the “Severe” for overnight medication. The meds have been wonderful. Was able to start cutting back from the six doses a day to about three but today, day 6, was newly painful. I made the mistake of going in to work for a half day yesterday and the strain on my throat was a bad idea. Question, I was completely unable to talk until two days ago. Did anyone else experience that? As in, I had NO voice whatsoever. Made me nervous. Its back but really really weak.
Thanks for all these tips on the site. I am anticipating a new bout of pain tomorrow (can feel my ears starting to smart) and the next day and then hopefully will be on the mend. I have no idea what the inside of my throat looks like, I can’t open my mouth wide enough to see, hurts too much.
Ice packs around the neck very helpful. Apple sauce a life saver. Dealing with unanticipated constipation.
Any advice I can offer: don’t try and rush back to work. It will just set you back.
R.
I am surpirsed the dr released you to go back to work. On my day 6 I tried to take the kids to the store and as I was pulling out of the driveway my throat opened and started gushing blood. When they tell you not to anything, they actually mean it…lol. I have heard some people have to get cauterized after bleeding but I didn’t thank goodness. You really shouldn’t push yourself. Today, my day 11 I only took meds twice but I was feeling the jaw and ear pain so I am definately not better yet.
I’m 6-1/2 weeks post op. Physically, I feel so much better – I’d had an infection for months that wouldn’t go away no matter what we tried. I’m sleeping better, my memory is better, I have more energy. Though I’m frustrated because I am still limited on what I can eat. Anything that’s bread-y, dry, or starchy just won’t go down. It doesn’t hurt, but I just can’t swallow it. You know what it feels like when you get a pill stuck in your throat…that’s what I feel when I’m trying to eat. There seems to be a mass of scarring in the back of my throat where my tonsils were. I called my ENT that performed my surgery last week and he thinks it’s just scarring and it will probably get better on it’s own. If not, I’ll go back in a couple of weeks so he can run a scope and take a look at it.
I can’t to be where you are now! Congratulations on getting through all of this! 🙂 Although the problem with getting food down sucks…I hope it solves itself, and if not, I hope you and your doctor come up with something! Good luck!! 🙂
*wait
Penny, I’m so sorry you were prescribed tablets for your pain meds. I would call and see if you can get your meds in liquid form. It will get better soon. Hopefully by the end of the week you’ll turn a corner. Suck on ice chips and ice your neck to keep the swelling down. Baby food works wonders for your stomach and it’s easy to swallow. Good luck!
Penny three weeks. You will go into a feeling better phrase but then the honeymoons over. Keep your mouth as clean and moist as you can. Dissolve your rx. I haven’t admitted this before but I added a tiny splash of Clorox to my salt water gargle and it really helped the pain. Good Luck. Susan. And teeth are whiter
Hi I had my Tonsils out last Friday, I was scared stiff. I am 51 and in lots of pain. I have been trying to eat, I drink loads of water nothing tastes very nice and I have managed to eat crisps as they said that the salty crisps would be good to get rid of the sloff in my throat. I have had a sore throat and aching face muscles. I was not too impressed with the doctors as they gave me tablet antibiotics and have not been able to swallow them, I did grind them to powder and take them but I have IBS and my stomach is so upset that I do not want to take anymore. I have been chewing and sucking gum which is good, it keeps my throat moist, I have bought some echinecea and have been taking this. I have been cleaning my teeth and rinsing my mouth with salt water. I just would like a realistic time frame for when i will start to feel like my throat is healing.
Penny,
You should call the dr and ask for liquid lortab. It tastes awful but it does help. I had my tonsills out on August 17 and am just now starting to feel a little better. It is extremely hard and frustrating. I am still out of work throught this week. I just started eating cream of wheat and drinking warm milk. I am 36 years old. This time last week I was crying and never thought the pain would go away. Ice paks on your face help also.
I also used hydrogen peroxide diluted with water for a rinse in addition to a salt water rinse.