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 all,
I’m 27 and after years of chronic strep my doc decided tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy. I’m on day 11 and FINALLY off the med’s. I was given roxicet ( liquid percocet) and zofran(nausea). After day 3 I could no longer take the roxicet as it gave me migraines. I switched to hydrocodone and acetomenaphin which was much better. Ice chips were my best friend and I drank so much water it was like my job. I drank 2 bottles an hour and woke up every 3 hours for meds. Don’t let them wear off. I almost have my Voice back. The scabs started to fall off on day 7 and I was in excruciating pain! Still on the road to recovery, still eating soup and the only good thing about this is I’ve lost 7 pounds. My first and hopefully my last surgery.
Also I forgot… Ibuprofen 800 crushed up in applesauce helped me though the hours when the pain meds would wear off due to getting used to them.
I’ve already been taken off the metronidazole, was having bad reactions to it straight away.
Doc told me this evening that if this doesn’t clear up in a week via conventional methods, the only remaining step is to return to hospital and turn it over to the ENT folks. I really hope it doesn’t come to that.
Wow, I really hope it doesn’t come to that for you. When you say conventional methods, you mean like gargling with salt water and the like? Healing thoughts coming your way, lets hope it gets back on track and that you don’t wind back up at the hospital!
Conventional methods being anything my GP can do for me via prescription
Day 14 for me. My throat is still sore but I’m noticing a vast improvement. Just wanted to comment on people who suggest dry toast to lift the scabs. Mine are just now beginning to come off. I lightly gargle with water and spit them in the sink. Seems much more gentle to me. They will come off when they are ready, no point in forcing it. I also had a miserable time with constipation from the Oxycodone I took for ten days. It is notorious for that. I switched to Tylenol and in my opinion works just as well. It’s not a safe drug to take for too long. Get off of it when you start to improve.
Visit to the doctors complete, and I’ve come home with a third prescription for antibiotics. The red rings either side of my uvula are apparently very definite infections (so Amy I’d go get checked to be safe if they hurt the same). Been given Metronidazole, 400mg. Have heard horror stories about the nausea it causes, but gonna just have to suck it up I guess.
Hiya Ben,
Im on week 3 now and mine got infected during the ²nd week. I was precriped the same meds and it made me sick every time i took one, you have more chance at night keeping them down, just before you go to sleep, but taking in the morning is a killer within half hour i was sick.
I couldnt keep them down and ended up going back and getting some other meds.
Good luck.
Ah Ben thats horrible! How long was your first prescription? I’ve been considering taking some left over ones I had from my last tonsillitis just to make sure the infections keep away! Haven’t really been looking in my throat too much so I’ll have to look for some red rings. Any more information about what they look like?
Hope your infection clears up 🙁 How far post op are you?
I’m Day 11 today. Day 10 was when the infection fought back. Day 3 was when it originally arrived.
Oh no Ben, I’m sorry to hear this! And you’re right I think I should definitely get it checked out. Thankfully I already have an appt set with my primary tomorrow about the swelling and rash, I’ll have him take a look at my throat too. My throat has been feel extra bad today, way more painful, swollen and harder to swallow anything. I reverted back to solely soft foods because of it…. really not liking the set backs.
I really hope the antibiotics help you out sooner rather than later and that you don’t have the nausea/vomiting side effect.
Day 7 here, thought I’d turned a corner at day 6 but slept through my alarm again and the pain had come back with a vengeance! Forced down my meds and had ice for my throat but I feel like i’m developing a tolerance to these pain meds and they’re not working like they used to haha, HOPING that tomorrow it calms down a bit. I’ve finished my antibiotics cycle now and I’m worried that I may need more because the back of my throat is still very white… really don’t want an infection!
Most frustrating recovery ever haha you never feel like you’re getting better!
You might be okay without more antibiotics. Now, if your mouth itself starts getting really sore and feeling like it’s raw, and your tongue and the roof of your mouth looks white, then you will need to contact your doctor, because if that happens, it’s probably thrush. Thrush is a yeast infection that can occur in the mouth when the normal flora (bacteria) has been wiped out, namely with liquid antibiotic use. They’ll either give you a liquid to swish in your mouth to coat it, or with me I actually got a disolvable tablet. It only takes about 2-3 days for your mouth itself to start feeling better.
I hope things start getting better for you!