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’ll stick to the basics and make it short:
Honey and water worked as the best throat soother. Stopped coughing. Can’t have enough of it. I had it after most of meals (you don’t want to have honey first then good later or it might get stuck on ur scab)
Citrus products even in artificial ice cream form my throat didnt like. Baskin Robbins rainbow sherbet was suddenly too sour for me.
Mango pudding made gas burping hurt the throat
Baby tomatoes = death. What was I thinking!!! I had hoped baby tomatoes are white blood cells friendly aiding recovery but my god it was like acid. Hurts so bad I recommend it for torture at the most severe kind.
Cough syrup does exactly the first two words in this sentence. Drink it and ull cough. Not tonsillectomy friendly.
Banana didnt work for me at all. Had it day one believe it or not was chilli hot. This alone tells you that you are going thru a new world of experimentation so if ur shopping for tonsillectomy friendly food buy one piece of everything before you stack up on tomato poison surprise.
Popsicle ice creams better than spoon fed ice cream. I found them better to chew a chunk off and manage how cold you can tolerate before you swallow (ok it’s too cold still let it sit on my tongue before I swallow). Spoon ice creams were never cold enough.
Dairy I chose to stop completely as I feel like they are flem making and point is to not cough or spit as much as possible. I had jello with custard or a Popsicle with dairy inside it when I ran out but yogurt or the like no.
First day I was on the drip the entire day (with antibiotic shots and painkillers interrupting when necessary) I drank a lot of water. Peed on average 2-3 times per hour? Yeah 50 restroom visits that day sounds about right. Maybe 40? Better wear something comfy. I’m at day 6 now and my doctor is found it shockingly impressive that I am not bleeding (scab still white and clean), he actually called and asked how’s my fever and bleeding and I reported none so I’m glad the water and bathroom visits were worth it. Also a key thing to mention is drinking water is easier in the first few days, it will get harder later so better up the water intake a lot it will only get harder later. There is no such thing as too much water.
Don’t bother visiting the dentist for teeth cleaning before the tonsillectomy you are better off doing it later.
Bread = ouch maybe dip it in ur soup?
Jello the only solution to almost painless eating. At times I found it easier to have than water. You don’t want the gushing and flooding of water hitting certain spots on ur throat at certain pressures which are too high.
So far I found 2.5 hours is the maximum amount of uninterrupted sleep, and, the longer i slept the more it hurt. Key is to take short naps. Ur throat must be hydrated. If you’re on the drip though then your kinda drinking water while ur sleeping which is awesome.
I did not know it would take 3 weeks to get to a 100% recovery. I would have stayed at the hospital more. If I could, I would get a drip machine and stick the needle in my wrist at home.
Grainy food to the simplest degree made my tongue swell. Strawberry seeds were too too grainy.
Ice cream becomes harder to eat after day 3.
Got ear issues or teeth issues? Fix them before the tonsillectomy (same thing goes for nose) it’s ENT for a reason and everything will hurt more after tonsillectomy to a certain extent.
Sweet foods always were more relieving than sour or citrus.
Should be enough said. Good luck.
I am a 38 year old female who is now on day 6 post op. Had them removed Tuesday Feb 12, 2013. Went in scared to death having never had surgery before. Surgery was a piece of cake. Went to a local out patient surg center. Got wheeled in at 9am and was in the car on the way home at 11:30. Seemed like it took 5 minutes. Pain in the throat was pretty bad right away. They sent me with a prescription for loritab elixar and a liquid antibiotic. Taking the pain med was like pouring acid down my throat. Had to end up getting a syringe from the pharmacist so I could take it a little at a time. Eating has been really difficult. I drink “ice cold” water constantly and have been taking the loritab religiously every 4 hours. I tried ice cream but it seems to flem me up immediately. Instant rice was good for the first 2 days but now it feels like I am swollowing glass and it feels like I have pieces stuck in my throat that are rubbing and very painful. I eat a lot of bleneded ice. Looks like snow. I am starving and have very little energy. I feel kind of disoriented but I think its because of the lack of food. Yesterday the ear and jaw pain really started to settle in. Ice packs on my neck helped until then. Now they just seem to make the pain increase. Called my ENT doc yesterday and he said that I am taking to much pain meds and he will need to send me to a pain management doc. That really upset me because I have not taken more then what he presribed but I cannot go longer then 4 hours. He did call me back and said I could take benadryl to help me sleep. I tried that last night. I did sleep hard for 4 hours and then the pain in my ears and jaw woke me up. Still had to take the meds every 4 hours all night. We have an adjustable bed and I have been sleeping pretty much upright since day one. Wasnt sure that was really making a difference but I noticed last night I layed the bed down I think out of desperation and I woke up at 7am with the worst ear pain so sitting upright must be doing something. I am starving but no food seems to work. The food has to be absolutely smooth or it hurts. I think I am drinking 8 – 10 bottes of ice cold water a day. Seems anything with flavor makes me nauseated. We bought apple sauce, pop cycles etc before surgery but everytime I try something with flavor it makes my stomach usset. Thats why I have been eating so much ice. No flavor but cold.
I do not think I have lost any scabs yet but I can finally see the top of my throat. Things have been so swollen. Everything is white like they said. My poor hubby has to smell my breath, which if it smells anything like it tastes he must hate me… I am only on day 6 and it seems I still have a long road a head of me. One of the things that has really upset me is the information the docs gave me. Actually it was the surgery center. Doc hasnt really done much. They really need to give you more than a one page “this could happen” kind of thing. Mile stones, what really works and does not work, the realization of true pain. Ear and jaw pain and how to deal with it. The fact that day 5 is way worse then day 3. The ENT doc only saw me one time before surgery which was the day he suggested I get my tonsils removed. We have no rapport with each other and I am not sure yet what or if my primary doc will do for me. Its a 3 day weekend so that is not helping any either.
All I can say to everyone is hang in there. There is some comfort in knowing I am not the only one going through all this but it sure would have been nice to have had some realistic, “what to expect” information. The ear and jaw pain is by far the worst pain I have experienced. Swollowing seems to be getting easier but I can sure tell when the 4 hour mark up. I have been told only cold because heat can cause bleeding so I am at a loss as to what to do with the ear and jaw pain. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Food suggestions would also be great as I cannot stand anything with texture. I wish each of you a fast recovery.
Sorry to hear things are not going so well for you! This definitely a miserable process. I am on Day 18, and still haven’t lost all my scabs. I am still on soft foods (per doc’s orders) and still taking pain meds as needed. I know the end is in sight, but it is a LONG process!
My go-to foods have been Jell-O and mashed potatoes. Both are smooth and neither burned going down. Applesauce is okay sometimes, but just after a scab comes off, it burns going down.
I stayed on a 3 hour pain med schedule (alternating the Loritab with liquid ibuprofen). The Loritab didn’t help much, and my doctor changed me over to Roxicet, which is stronger. You may want to ask your ENT or primary care doctor about that.
Days 4-10 were the worst for me. Days 10/11 were a turning point. I still have discomfort and pain, but nothing like those horrible days!
Hang in there and hope you get some relief soon!!!
I am on day 9 and I can say that pain got significantly better day 8 and 9. However, still in pain. The foods that I’ve been able to get down include, fried/runny eggs, jellos, smoothies made with almond milk and only peaches and cherries (non acidic), and very bland broth. That is about it. I’ve tried others to no avail.
Hi everyone. I’m 16 years old and getting ready to have my tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy in 2 days. What should I expect for the first couple days post-op? I got prescribed augmentin after surgery as well as liquid pain meds which I can’t remember the name of. Also, my doctor told me to get liquid tylenol. When was the worst pain? I’m sorry I’m just a little nervous and don’t know what to expect. Any tips and pointers would be appreciated. thank you
Hey Brendan! Just read through some of the pages on here and you’ll get some really good tips. There have been numerous great ones since I had mine back Jan. 3rd.
One tip is that make sure to get your antibiotic in liquid form as well. They do make it, and I’m pretty sure the pharmacy will change the form easy if it’s not written that way. Also, unless the store near you is different than mine, they don’t make ‘Adult’ liquid Tylenol. If they don’t, just get children’s Tylenol and take the max kid’s dose. As for your pain med, there’s a good chance it’s probably Loritab Elixir, which is Hydrocodone/Tylenol mix. If this is the case, make sure not to take the liquid Tylenol if you’re still taking the pain med. Also, if you do get the Loritab, I’m going to give you fair warning that after the first few days, that sucker not only is disgusting taste-wise, but it also feels like acid going down your throat. There’s pretty much 2 ways to deal with that. 1) Dilute it in a little bit of a slushy. It doesn’t completely mask the taste, but that’s how I got it down the first few days. By days 4-8 (which tend to be the worst pain wise for most, so make sure to follow the whole no-school-for-at-least-a-week thing!), I had reached the point where I would down it like a shot and immediately follow it with a drink or two of water.
Hope that helps!
Thank you Amber, It’s always good to have a little bit of understanding of what to expect going into the surgery. And wow, I really lucked out on a website designed just for information on what to expect! Yes I have the augmentin in liquid form (thank god) and I believe you are correct with pain med. Mine came in a dark brown plastic bottle (i’m not sure if the bottle means anything). Oh well, I’m due for the surgery at 7:40 AM on Monday. I will be making this website my homepage for the next week or so. And I have no school this week so hopefully I’ll be ready for school by the following monday, but I’m in no rush. Just want to get better. Thanks again.
Need some advice. On post op day 10 and still in a lot of pain, mainly ears,teeth, and of course throat. Tried everything recommended, even went for follow up and dr said “referred pain” so I am miserable. I’ve tried ice, heat, pain meds, sleep, oragel, only soft foods amd plenty of fluids. Bout to just lose it mentally. Help!
Hi Brendan, I am 35 and just had my tonsils out on Feb 11th. I’m not going to lie it sucks but it wasn’t horrible for me. I didn’t need pain meds after day 3, I barely use Tylenol now. I my only advice is to start hydrated. Drink as much as you can. You should drink at least a quart a day. I made myself drink a quart of Gatorade a day. Also have your parents buy a humidifier. I am on day 6 post op I still am not eating solids but I feel great! Good luck!
Need some tips please. Left hospital with no antiobiotics, cracked on day 4 went doctor to make sure this level of pain was right was told no you have an infection. Have been on antiobiotics since. Can’t have strong meds due to allergies so I’m on plain panadol. Felt good and thought yes I’m nearly there then last night by far the worst pain I’ve experienced felt like acid running down my throat and a weird balancing act where I had to keep my head at a certain degree to avoid my ears exploding. Can feel scabs potentially coming off.
9 days, including day of op. pain near intolerable. Have literally not slept in 2 days. Doctor have me sleeping pills which made me nice and relaxed but with the pain was unable to fall asleep. Lots of comments here about people waking up in pain and sleeping all day. How are you all doing this? Sleeping tablets won’t even knock me out.
Any suggestions, pain I will grin and bare I just need sleep!!!!
Thank you so much.
I am on day 9 the only thing I am on is hydroco/acetaminophen. I honestly can’t sleep. At first it was at all but now I can get like 45 min of sleep at a time before my throat dries up so bad and begins to crack or the spit forming in my mouth starts to pour out. The only thing I have found to help is to skip my dosage :/ and make sure I always have a ice cold water next to me. When I wake up I drink the entire glass or get a new one and lay back down. I sleep with the mist thing blowing on me and a heating pad on my jaw to relax the pain. I’m still in a lot of pain but that is what is working for me. My doctor can’t give me any other meds because I am having a hard time swallowing
The whole pain/ sleep thing was a challenge for me too. After not sleeping the first night really at all, I was in agony, I realized the hydrocodone/acetaminophen liquid mix would make me sleepy but not knock me out. By the end of the 2nd day after surgery I started to microsleep and would nod off sitting up and wake up 5 min later which made me crankier than anything. I learned that when I started nodding off that if I used meditation techniques when I felt the drowsiness kick in helped the most. Taking deep breaths and allow the drowsiness to take over, succumbing to that with each breath I’d drift off to sleep regardless of the pain.
However, with that I’d only sleep for about 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours. I’d wake up with my throat on fire. So I started a routine… wake up eat a popsicle to numb the throat, then drink ice water, use ice packs around the throat and jaws off and on, and do anything to distract myself (usually playing on the computer). About the 2nd to 3rd hour after waking I’d begin to hurt really bad but I’d tough it through 1 more hour and take my meds again. Then I’d wait for the drowsiness feeling to start hitting, then I’d cuddle up in my blankets/coat (sitting up, couldn’t lay down to sleep) and meditate breathing slowly and succumb to the drowsiness, sleep another hour to hour and a half, wake up and repeat the process. I did this day AND night for the first 2 weeks pretty much. I slowly worked my way to sleeping more as the pain decreased.
Hopefully this helps you some, you may also just need a stronger pain med, even with your allergies the doctor should be able to come up with something even in a different class of drugs that could cut the pain a bit more. It doesn’t hurt to ask.
Hi all! Day 16 and feeling great, throat is still a bit tender but doesn’t really cause any problems except when yawning. Massively turned the corner on day 10, went out for dinner/drinks with friends and didn’t have any problems but it did cause a little bit of pain the day after. Haven’t taken any pain stuff since day 8 or so. Feeling better and better every day, so glad it’s over! Was making me so depressed not being able to do/eat anything haha. Hang in there everyone! It definitely gets better all of a sudden, it felt like it was just getting worse and worse at some points but all of a sudden it seems to disappear. My throat still has white bits around the sides but it seems to be going down everyday. This has been the best website to hear other peoples experiences, didn’t know so many people were still having their tonsils taken out! Anyway, good luck with it everyone!!
This is so encouraging! I am ony day 9, still pain, but was able to go out and walk around downtown a bit! I can’t wait to get a real meal! Glad you’re doing better.