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
Hey guys… Advice if you please. My op is scheduled for the 28th Feb – now my question is… I have to drive 4hours to go to this specific E.N.T (I wont personally be driving), but ok regardless of that… Do you guys think i’ll be able to make the trip back home after I come out?
Hey Tam,
Will you be staying in over night? A lot of people are still really groggy and don’t really know whats going on when you come out of the surgery due to all the pain meds so you’ll probably fall asleep when in the car. If you are staying overnight it’ll give you a good indication of how you will travel. Some people get really nauseous and vomit a lot straight after surgery so you may want to try and get some meds for that if you can. I was perfectly fine the morning after my surgery, it gets worse like 5 days after the surgery but the morning after wasn’t too bad at all! If you go home the day of the surgery you’ll probably fall asleep in the car haha, well I probably would have anyway
Er no, LOL… my consult is the 27th (so obviously i’ll be staying over then) and 28th is dum dum dum dummmm day. And only now did i think to ask, will I be able to make the return trip?! I really dont want to be in another town, in somebody else’s bed whilst trying to recover from what seems like could be the worst thing that ever happens to me (first op…EVER <um touch wood! lol). hence the question… I have no problem falling asleep on the road – i'm not driving lol. Ok, so note to self, get lots of drugs! Thanks!!! 🙂
You will still have anesthesia meds in your system for a while after (I didn’t even need pain meds until the evening the first day because the residual anesthesia meds were enough for me, your mileage may vary, obviously) so I don’t think it will be a problem. Make sure you are still sitting up – don’t lean the seat back all the way – but take the opportunity to get some rest on the drive back. Make sure you have a bottle of water. I had complications and I didn’t think my surgery was the worst thing that ever happened to me. It wasn’t fun but I’m so glad I did it, it was so worth it. And I like medical stuff so I thought it was pretty interesting, even when it sucked. Don’t worry, you’ll be okay.
Hi Julie- I remember you saying before that you had yours out the same day as Bob, but how many days post-op are you now? What differences have you noticed in your overall health or have you yet? Hope you don’t mind me asking, I just think most of us could use a glimpse of the end of the tunnel every now and again… to help remind us why we are sitting through the pain.
Day 6 now, actually slept in today and the pain wasn’t that bad so hopefully thats a sign that it’s getting better. I haven’t had any jaw or ear pain like the rest of you though? I wonder what thats caused from. I am however having a bit of pain in my back tooth but it feels more like it’s going up a nerve from my throat and making it feel like it’s in my tooth a little bit, but it’s very mild and definitely not stopping me from doing anything. Other than that I’ve so far had no complications i.e. bleeding. Surgeon said it gets more painful days 5/6/7 but then it drops off pretty quickly after that and you feel miles better so I can’t wait for tomorrow 🙂 Hows everyone else going?
Also, has anyone tried using throat spray stuff to numb the area? I started using it and although it doesn’t numb it completely, it seems to make a bit of a difference plus it’s anti-inflam so that could be helpful for some of you!
Oh haha and Amy that was a bit gross to read but I always find it satisfying when you see gunk coming out because it sort of gives you the feeling that somethings actually happening and you’re healing!
And Ben I have had dulled tastes but not completely different if that makes sense. Stuff doesn’t taste as nice as it once did haha but hopefully that will go away pretty quickly
Sorry James, not trying to be gross… I mean I know I was, but I wasn’t trying to gross people out. 😛
It’s just important to know these things if you’re the type of person freak out about experiencing things no one else has talked about.
The pain in the ear or up through the head, possibly the jaw are all signs of nerve pain too, sounds like you lucked out by only experiencing the tooth pain. My doctor said something similar about those days being the worse, but I think that varies for each person. My pain was the worst until the middle of the 9th day, but you sound like you already turned the bend so I’m sure that’s a relief. 🙂 Hope it just keeps getting better and better for you! 😉
I have been reading this site for about a month in preparation of my tonsillectomy (for frequent strep and tonsillitis). Reading all your posts has been both scary and helpful all at the same time! I felt like I was very prepared for my turn. I had my surgery on Thursday, January 31st (I am 32 years old). Days 1-3 were very manageable. I was kept overnight at the hospital, which I am grateful for. I alternate Loritab with ibuprofen, so I get some meds every three hours. The ibuprofen seems to do nothing, and the narcotic gives me relief for about an hour and a half. My doctor told me that the meds would only cover about 80% of the pain. I have been doing very well with my water consumption. Food is not appealing, but I can manage Jell-O, applesauce, and some mashed potatoes.
Last night I entered the misery that is Day 4. I couldn’t sleep, the pain intensified, and shot right up through my ears. Ugh! Today has been the worst by far, feeling nauseous, weak, and weepy. As an added bonus, I had a slight cold going into surgery. The anesthesiologist said it would get worse, and it has! The cold is now in my chest and coughing is agony. Any tips to suppress this? I know the pain will pass, and that I have several more tough days to go. Checking in with you all is so helpful. I know you all have been going through it, too! 🙂
That’s not fun about the worsening cold. 🙁 Loritab has codine in it, so that I would think should help some. You could always either see if your ENT or primary physician could prescribe you some cough medicine (if you do this and go to your primary, make sure s/he knows what all meds you are currently on so there won’t be any drug interactions), or if you don’t want to do that you could get some over the counter cough syrup, and if you wanted to play it safe, you could take it to one of the pharmacists like at walmart or CVS or the like to see if they foresee any possible interactions.
If you don’t want to go with that, there’s always things like Vick’s Vapor Rub or they even make something like a humidifier that puts the Vick’s in the air. Sip on water whenever you feel a cough attack coming on, because I’ve found in previous bouts with bronchitis that for some reason it does help fight the attack. At night sleep propped up as high as you can handle; this will help keep the stuff from settling in your lungs at night while you sleep. You could either take a hot shower, or if you don’t actually want to get in, run a hot shower and sit in the closed bathroom next to the shower and breathe in the steam. It helps dilate the broncholes in your lungs and lower congestion.
Hope some of this helps!
Stay away from the ibuprofen. It’s a blood thinner if you break a clot the bleeding could be very bad and you could end up back in the OR. I’m on day 10 now but I broke a clothe very late in the night on day 4 from a single cough. The blood pores out of your mouth like something out of a horror movie. I was told by ENT no NSAA for at least 2 weeks post op. my advice call the doc ask for stronger meds. They’re almost always very willing to hand then over in this case because they know how painful this surgery is.
Ibuprofen a thinner? That’s a new one on me. I know it has some bad effects, particularly potential for a bleeding stomach. My ENT specifically prescribed ibuprofen for the recovery 😮
Unfortunately Silvia you’re just coming into the worst of it, days 5-7 will be your most painful for throat and ears.
Sounds like you’re doing the right thing with resting and sipping water though. Just a few more days to go and you’ll get through it! Started getting better for me around day 8-9 I think.
Hang in there. 🙂
Thanks Bob…..well, not what I wanted to hear I guess but I’ve read day 6 starts off bad and is gets worse as the scabs come off, so better to be prepared I suppose! I just keep telling myself one more week and I will start feeling normal again….I can do it. 🙂
On day 5 here…ear pain seems worse, and they are very sensitive to sound. Jaw hurts a lot still too. Ice packs are my friend! I am still taking pain meds every four to five hours….if I stretch it longer than that, the pain is unbearable and I can’t sleep. I’m still eating soft foods….nothing seems to have much flavor for me….I’ve lost 5 lbs. so far. Tired of laying in bed and watching movies, but if I get up and do too much it wears me out, so I’m taking it easy. My scabs are still intact and I sip on ice water all day, hoping to keep them hydrated. The worst is at night….that’s when I feel my throat getting dry even though I’m running the humidifier right next to me. I hoping I’m through the worst….but each day is new, so not sure what tomorrow will bring….just trying to stay hopeful!
I know what you mean about getting worn out. About a week after my surgery, I went to the store for the first time, and just walking around the store getting groceries and more of my pain meds for even a half hour or so had me so worn out it was crazy. I had to work myself back up to being able to do more than just walk across the house or make a 5 minute run to the store.
Definitely keep up on your pain meds and I’d keep ice water next to your bed to sip on thru the night. With me popsicles help hydrate and cut the pain faster than even water, so if that helps you I would suggest actually getting up to have a popsicle to kill the pain so you can go back to sleep. I will say though with me, the feeling of getting worn out from doing things that shouldn’t get you that worn out is something I still struggle with and I just ended my 10th day.