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
Brett is right about everything. I am 46 yr old female and had my surgery 6 months ago. I would ask for Percocet – it’s stronger than Vicodin. I have a sensitive stomach and it didn’t bother me. Take it around the clock on schedule and set your alarm in the night to take it.
If you get nauseous easily, ask for a prescription for ant-nausea meds and/or discuss this pre surgery with your doctor. The anesthesia made my digestive system lock up and all the liquids and jello I ate after surgery just didn’t move and I was sick to my stomach the first night-no fun after a tonsillectomy!
IMPORTANT-can’t emphasize enough: start taking a stool softener and laxative the very first day after surgery. Opiate pain meds like Vicodin and Percocet are extremely constipating. You do NOT want to be a week out with no ‘movement’ and just start trying to deal with it that late. Start right after surgery!
Have bags of frozen veggies handy for your throat. It helps to place them on your neck off/on throughout the day.
Yes, your uvula will be swollen and basically laying on the back of your tongue for a good 10 days. Sleep with your head to the side and you won’t feel as gaggy. The ear pain is referred pain from the throat surgery and can rival the throat pain. HEAT helps the war pain as well as chewing gum.
Also, your tongue may hurt from the clamp they use to keep it out of the way during surgery. Mine hurt VERY badly for about 7-8 days and it sucked. It passes though.
I had absolutely no issues with taste but I forced myself to brush my teeth multiple times a day and brush my tongue.bi could t stand the feeling of an unclean mouth.
Truthfully, a BIG part of this post-surgical experience involves sucking it up, manning up, whatever you want to call it. Eat foods, drink water, take your pain meds and force yourself to swallow as much as possible. The swallowing helps the healing!! If you avoid swallowing, not only will you get dehydrated, you’ll delay the healing so push through the pain and just do it!!
Good luck – this board has excellent tips so read, read, read!
My 20 year old son has just had his tonsils removed. His uvula has been fused to his left swollen tonsil for many years. He too was dreading it as read lots on the internet about dreadful recovery! He went to the hospital on his own I picked him up the next day and have had to work today and tomorrow all day. He is managing fine. He doses himself up at night and during the day, he is making himself food and managing to eat fish pie, pasta and bread pudding!!! Scrambled eggs on soft toast. I think it is a case of DON’T READ other peoples experiences on the web if they are negative. Obviously things can go badly for some people but that isn’t generally how everyone will find it. It is a case of manning up and getting on with it. It won’t last long. Believe me having a baby is far worse!!! Hope you all get better quickly.
I am now 22 days removed from surgery. The pain is real. Do not not anyone tell you otherwise. Make sure you have a doctor that believes in the proper usage of pain medication. You will need the strongest pain medication that takes the edge off. You heal much better when you are not in agony. The ear pain is horrible. The change in the taste of sweet foods is also quite sad… but it does come back around week 3. I HIGHLY recommend asking your employer for a full 2 weeks off. Your body needs that time to heal. There is still a risk of bleeding up until about day 16 I was told. At this point I am on tylenol 2-3 times a day for moderate pain. Yawning is pretty bad, but unavoidable. The Uvula swelling I would say was the worst part (well tied with the ear pain. It took about 12-14 days for the uvula to go down to a decent enough size where I was not choking on it and was able to speak again. Your doctor should give you a steroid like prednisone to take for the first week to help reduce the inflamation. Trust me, it works. I also recommend setting an alarm clock in the middle of the night and taking your pain meds on schedule. Do not let the pain get beyond your control, or you will regret it.
I had a T&A on oct 9, so I suppose I am on day 4, and so far day 2 has been the worst, but based on what you guys are saying it sounds like the worst is yet to come. I very clearly have scabs in the back, but the biggest issue for me is just the swelling. I am unable to open my mouth very wide, especially comparitively to pro op.
Here’s hoping that i continue to get better, not worse. I’m mildly dreading the scabs falling off.
Hi Jon, I am with you there! Very scared of having the scabs fall off. What method of tonsillectomy did your surgeon use?
Hiya,
Just a bit of friendly information. I had a tonsilectomy end of august at tbh the worst thing for me was the drowsyness of the drugs. Looking back now it was not as bad as some people make out. Yes there is pain but if your used to having tonsiltius its no worst than that. And just think after you get over this then you will never have it again for the rest of your life 🙂 all i did was stick to my meds and drank so much water, it keeps you going when your throat dries up i would say thats the worst bit so even set ur alarm during the night to have sips. Regarding dcabs, i never once felt mine fall off :s no pain with them at all. And i know it might be bad for some people but i was back smoking again after day 5 just the odd one if i wanted it. The after pain is only going to be bad ifyou dont help yourself! Try eating normal foods as much as you can it will heal it alot quicker. Overall my experience was not as bad as i thought after reading stuff before hand i was shitting myself. But at the end of the day you just hve to man up haha.
Thanks Staace for your comments! Made me feel a bit better. I’m spending all my time being scared about the pain that is to come but I should just be taking it one day at a time. I have been drinking water non-stop and haven’t missed a dose of meds yet. I am trying to eat as much soft food as I can, hopefully I can have a recovery like your’s where you didn’t experience extra pain when the scabs came off.
Hi there, I just had my tonsils removed yesterday with the traditional scalpel and cautery method. Anyone else out there have their’s removed the same day? Yesterday went well for me but today is quite sore. I am scared for what is to come..
Hi i just had my T&A surgery done yestarday and the whole night i couldnt sleep because my uvila is swollen causing me to not breathe through my noise . I can inhale but cant exhale. Im not use to breathing through my mouth when i sleep and that makes it more irritating on top of the pain.also my whole body is aching now cause i didnt get a goods night sleep . Anybody have this problem?. I hope i make a quick recovery soon. Lucky im on a one month vaction so i don have to worry about going back to work anytime soon.
Hey guys. Had my tonsils removed on October 12th as well. So i guess today is day 3 and visually there is no significant improvement anywhere, also pain is now travelling to the ears and jaw/teeth. If i am ontop of my meds it is bareable. I was never given antibiotics or steroids to reduce swelling or infection. only pain meds so i have to deal with that aswell. I am only able to eat pudding and protein drinks and drink water still…. seems to me like im recovering slower than most people out there? Was anyone else like this still by day 3?
Hi Gareth, your day 3 sounds the same as mine. I wasn’t given antibiotics or steroids either and am a little concerned about developing an infection. My tongue is still very swollen. All i have been eating is soups, soft noodles, pudding, jello, yogurt, etc. I think this is normal. Based on everyone else’s recoveries I think we are on track.
Hello
I had my tonsils removed on Oct 2, 2012 and am on day 8 I guess of recovery. I took pain medicine religiously until yesterday and have started to wean myself, but the burning trail down the throat is no joke. Plus I am having the ear pain that stops you dead in your tracks and apparently, I had a yogurt drink on day 2 which might have been too soon, but that might have cause a yeast infection in my mouth and my tongue feels huge. Everything is just uncomfortable and hurts at various stages of the day. When the throat feels better, then the tongue hurts, or the ear…ugh..
I am supposed to go back to work on Monday but this rate I don’t know. All I can do is pray for a speedy recovery like everyone else.
I had my tonsils removed Oct 3. Have you had any bleeding