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
I had my surgery on 15 Oct 12. I felt great after surgery but around 1:15am I woke up to use the bathroom and ended up puking everything I consumed after surgery. The next day, the same thing happened, I threw up everything I consumed. Oddly through all that, I had no pain until yesterday which is day 5 or 6 depending if you count your surgery day as a recovery day. Doesn’t matter what I do, the pain does not ease up. I’m almost out of pain meds so I have to go see my doctor tomorrow for more. Yesterday was the first time I experienced ear aches. It doesn’t really bother me much. The first three days my tongue was swollen but when day four came, the swelling is no longer an issue. I heard day 5-7 is the worst and I’m in those three days. Omg I just fell asleep right now while typing this on my iPhone lol. Anyways I hope after today the pain will go away. Good luck everyone that’s in the process of recovering.
Well I just got done throwing up again. Hasn’t happened in a few days do confused on why I’m throwing up again now. It’s frustrating and I feel dizzy. Wish I wasn’t feeling so off. The pain I can deal with but the dizziness and faint feeling is killing me!
Hi Silvia, sorry you’re experiencing so much nausea! Are you eating a little something before and after swallowing your meds? I think this helped me.
Yes I’ve been eating a little before and after the meds. I think my is going through shock since I’m not taking so much medication like I did the first few days. As of right now I’m feeling good and hopefully I continue to feel better 🙂
Hope you feel better soon!
Hi guys! Well it’s day 9 for me. I know I am not fully recovered yet, but so far I consider my experience to have been a positive one, and I’d like to share it with those awaiting their tonsillectomies. In the months, weeks and days leading up to my tonsillectomy, I spent hours and hours scouring the internet reading people’s experiences with this surgery. Some thought this was a bad idea, but I think it prepared me for the worst. There are plenty of horror stories out there, and I won’t discredit any of them, because some people truly do have horrific recoveries from this surgery. But I want to tell you guys that not all, and it seems not most, of the cases are this bad. Mine certainly hasn’t been. As a summary, day 5 was most painful for me, I haven’t vomited, spit up any blood, I haven’t felt any scabs come off, and my pain has been tolerable.
Surgery day itself was a breeze. Day surgery and OR staff were very friendly, and I was in and out of surgery before I knew it. When I woke up I could tell something had been done to my throat, but I wasn’t in a lot of pain. I went home a few hours after surgery. As the days went on, it became more painful, especially waking up in the night and first thing in the morning. I had a lot of ear pain, and swallowing was uncomfortable. However, it was never unbearable. There was one time I broke down into tears but it was out of frustration of not being able to communicate with my family. After Day 5, it slowly became less and less painful, and today as I sit typing this I am literally in no pain whatsoever, even when I eat and drink.
What has worked for me:
– sticking to my pain med schedule, even during the night
– oxycodone ever 4 hours, oxyneo every 12 hours
– waking up in the night (every 2 hours) to drink water
– drinking more water than imaginable
– popsicles
– ice chips
– humidifier (I’m not sure if it worked or not, I haven’t tried sleeping without it)
– keeping a medicine log of what time I’ve taken what medicines
– having a teaspoon of senakot every night starting from the first night to avoid constipation
– having multiple ice packs to rotate in and out of the freezer. Rolling them into a scarf and tying them on my neck.
– not speaking for a week (even now I am only talking a couple words here and there)
– sleeping on the couch with a few pillows stacked behind me
– keeping a cooler near me with soft snacks to have with my medicine
– always having at least a few spoonfuls of food before taking my painkillers, then having more to eat once they kick in
– chewing gum
– subscribing to netflix
– I’ve used chloraseptic throat numbing spray the first few days but it didn’t do that much for me. Still useful to have on hand if you’re worried.
– heating pack for ear pain
– having someone give me head massages from time to time
– having someone hold heat packs on your ears while you eat, if the pain gets really bad
– pudding, jello, drinkable yogurts work good with medicines
– eating fairly normal foods from the start (I didn’t do the toast thing, but I did eat kraft dinner my first day and have continued to eat thicker soups, oatmeal, ramen noodles, eggs everyday. I never once allowed myself to have only a chicken broth day)
– eating as much as I can. I had something of substance every 4 hours and sometimes in between, with the exception of my 4AM meds I would only have a drinkable yogurt.
– taking it easy – I have spent 9 days on the couch so far!
– having someone around to help you and to remind you/wake you for your medicines.
I hope these tips help some of you! I had my tonsils removed primarily for tonsil stones. I am already so grateful for the surgery, I feel so much better. Please, if you think a tonsillectomy is going to help you and have a positive impact on your life, seriously consider it. I heard someone say prepare for the worst, hope for the best. This sums up my preparation for surgery and I would say my recovery has been great. Read up, drink up, and stay positive!
I read this blog a couple of days before my surgery. That was stupid. I had my tonsillectomy on October 16, 2012. Days 1 and 2 weren’t too bad, in fact, day 2 was great. Then came day 3, the attention getter. I can only liken it to childbirth and passing kidney stones…non-stop. Yesterday the pain of swallowing 2 sharp flaming double-edged swords was still quite evident but I felt better. That brings me to today, day 5. I’ve painfully coughed a few bloody masses and this morning spit up a small concentrated amount of dried blood.
My reason for my surgery was the ENT discovered a mass/tumor in my right tonsil. I’ve always had tonsil stones and was supposed to have a tonsillectomy as a teenager. I’m not saying stones lead to tumors but I consider everything when the chips are down. My pathology report won’t come back until the middle of next week so I appreciate your prayers.
All in all, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be and wish I’d have done this years ago. Oh yeah, I’m a 53 year old male so that’s no walk in the park either. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences…they helped me a whole lot.
And thanks to this blog my lovely bride is getting me some Lidocaine Popsicles which will allow me to swallow the pain meds! Hurry home honey….
Hi Ray, My/our prayers ARE with you. I had mine removed because my right tonsil was enlarged and ‘irregular’, and the ENT thought it best to get them out, because I’m a long-term smoker, which is a main cause of tonsil cancer. He didn’t do a biopsy, because it may not have picked up cancer cells. My pathology report came back all-clear! I’m on Day 10 and feel great except for one painful spot near uvula. My entire experience has been EXTREMELY positive. I have been eating solid food [omelettes & toast] from Day 2 [as recommended by hospital – because it keeps the scabs clean; chewing keeps the mouth working normally; and keeps up your nutrition ], and I’ve been eating [very slowly!] normal meals ever since, [with the help of Xylocaine viscous – [lidocane]. But I have not eaten any dairy [mucous]. No trouble talking, eating etc. My daily routine is virtually unchanged, except for the first few days when I was tired a lot – probably from all the pain meds.
No pain meds. for last two days. Please read my posts below re Xylocain -,[lidocaine] as I know this was the main reason for my relatively pain-free experience. [And NO – I’m not a lidocaine salesman, haha :). It’s just that it has worked SO WELL for me. Good luck, Ray. ♥ Pat
Thanks Pat. You’ve given me encouragement to try something a little more normal than a Gerber competitor puréed up in our kitchen.
Praise God my pathology report was normal and the tumor was benign.
Today is day 7 and was, by far, my roughest. I’m not spitting up any blood but the pain almost got the better of me today. Hopefully the cotton balls in my throat will begin to break free within the next day or two…which will bring more pain but I will at least have turned a corner.
….and I’m sucking on a Lidocaine Popsicle (sucker) as I type. If you were a Lidocaine rep, I’d try and get on your route!
Hi Ray, haha 🙂 re lidocane rep! Glad we can have a laugh, now we BOTH have had good news. I’m so very happy your path. results came back with a benign tumor, [but SUCH a scary time awaiting the results!!]!
I also found around day 7 quite bad. [I think some of the scabs were coming off], but my Xylocaine!!!! helped me eat normally.
I’m on Day 12, and feeling great. No meds. of any kind. Still have a slightly sore throat, like when getting a cold, but other than that, I wouldn’t know I’d had the tonsillectomy [at 56 !!]. Loads of best wishes ♥ Pat [Australia]
P.S. Yes, try to eat ‘normal’ food, if you can. I think that is the secret to a quicker recovery. [and mentally – you don’t feel like an invalid].
This is day 8 for me. The fur balls, white scabs all over the back of the throat, are just beginning to come out this morning. It will take about 2 days to “cough them out” and it’s raw skin underneath. This is, by far, the most painful day yet because the raw tonsil bed is exposed. Sometimes I just shake with the pain and sometimes I just try and shake it off. It’s going to be a brutally long 2 days…
I’ve got 7 Lidopop 2% to help me through, along with some very potent liquid hydrocodone.
You sound like you’re doing great down under and 95% of your recovery is behind you. I sure hope I can say the same in the next 2 days, too.
As for food…I’m going to attempt a scrambled egg this morning…after coffee (a man has to prioritize)!
Okay Pat in Australia, Ray in Tennessee is headed to the kitchen! Wish me well.
Keep an eye on blood you’re spitting up. If it doesn’t stop, or gets worse, you should have it checked out.
Hey guys! I’m just finishing day 7 post-op right now. Is it possible that my scabs haven’t started to fall off yet? When I look in my mouth I notice there is less white but I haven’t actually FELT any scab come off or dangle or anything like some of the experiences I’ve read about.
Hello Petra,
I am on Day 10 of post recovery. I like you, haven’t felt or seen any of my scabs fall off. Take this as a very good sign! If you are eating regularly and also drinking plenty of fluids, this actually helps aid in this process. BY keeping your mouth extremely moisturized, this helps the scabs to fall of naturally thus causing you little no pain at all. And of course, by eating regularly, well they go down with the rest of the food versus coming out the other way. I actually prefer this than to coughing them up. I thank my lucky stars for a doctor that believed in medication because on day ten, yes I am still experiencing that burning throat. I had mine removed the cold scalpel method and the doctors really, really did an amazing job of getting every single nook and cranny back there….But how this translates to my healing process… well I’m sure you can paint a picture. I hope this helps and wishing you and everyone a speedy healthy recovery.
Hi I had mine out 2 days ago & my throat tickles so much it’s making me cough?! Did this happen to u?
Hi Petra and others. [I couldn’t respond on our previous posts, so posting here.] I’m on Day 9, and YES!! definately turned a corner today too! Awoke with little pain – only very sore on left side, near uvula. I had a look in the mirror, and where it is painful, there’s still a white patch, but on the right side – no white at all, and no pain!. So the scabs must be coming off without me being aware. I still can see white down the sides of my throat, but not painful. Have not needed pain meds. today. So hopefully, we’re on the mend! Good luck. ♥ Pat
Whoop, whoop!!! And I’m encouraged to as the first part of my fur balls came up/off this morning. Wow, did that hurt but I think the pain was more from muscle spasm than exposed tonsil bed. I’m hoping the rest of it comes off today, tomorrow at the latest, and my pain corner has been turned. Thanks Pat.
Hi! I just wanted to jump in and share a positive experience. I’m a 40 year old female with sleep apnea. I delayed getting my tonsils out for many years for fear of the pain and bleeding. I finally decided to do it on October 9th of this year. Something my surgeon did that I have not read about on this board, is sutured up my wounds. He said in his opinion, it reduces pain, risk of infection, and bleeding. I would say he’s right. I was in a bit of pain for the first 3 days – nothing unbearable. I’ve seen no blood whatsoever. Now I’m on Day 9 and am almost back to normal. I don’t usually do well with pain and operations so I’m very surprised that I’m one to share a positive experience. If you have to have your tonsils out, consider asking your surgeon about suturing your wounds after he cauterizes the vessels. I don’t have scabs and the wound site is sealed so it doesn’t come in direct contact with anything painful. To all you are who suffering, I hope it gets better for you really soon.