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 am on day 7. This is the worst it’s been so far. I was hoping it would start turning the other way. Guess I have another bad couple of days?! Bummer! I’m ready to be done with this!
Ugh, sorry to hear it got worse and you’re having a rough day! Hopefully you wake up tomorrow feeling better. I was hoping the coblation method would keep your recovery a little better. Do you have ear pain? Just wondering your level of pain on your worst day. My coblation surgery is July 18th. Any info would be appreciated. Hang in there!
I had my tonsils removed 6 weeks ago. Prior to surgery I was all over the net reading horror stories…..don’t believe them!!! I do not have a high pain threshold at all!!
I can honestly tell you that days 1-2 are cruizy. It hurts a tiny bit…no where near close to having tonsillitis! Day 3 I have really bad breathe!! So gross that my poor husband had to open then windows of our bedroom but the pain was the same about 2/10 with 10 being the worst. Day 4-6 were about 4/10 pain. Day 7 was the worse 7/10 however I think this was more the fact that it was unexpected pain on one side and that I thought day 5 was meant to be the worse. I thought something was wrong so I went to see my GP and he just replied “Oh that is just day 7” and that I would feel better in 12 hours….no joke I felt better in like 4 hours. All in my head!! After day 7 it started to get better from then on. Day 10 I felt pretty go, still not talking heaps though. The less you talk the faster it heals. By day 15 I was feeling pretty good and back to work as a high school teacher!!
Tips for after surgery
1) Try and eat normally – bread is the key to getting rid of those scabs! I mainly ate bread with jam on top. Eat sometime like jelly afterwards to try and cool the throat down. For dinner I was eating pasta with a cream sauce and mashed vegies. I also ate muffins. Just eat all the time, even when your not hungry. It will hurt a bit but take your time. Each mouthful is getting rid of the scabs! Remember this! (Don’t drink carbonated drinks like coke…I tried at day 4…its very sensitive….but by day 5 I was eating chocolate!)
2) Constantly sip WATER – it keeps the scabs moist.
3) Take your meds especially days 5-7. I mainly took panadol (Australian stuff which you just get from the shops when you get a headache). Taking a low level med will get your base level of pain covered. Take the strong stuff when you need it. I refused to take the strong stuff until about day 4 and then I only took it at night time to get a better sleep.
4) Get someone supportive to be with you and cook for you! I just became a bit emotional at day 6 dont know why but just did. Prior to surgery I told my husband to tell me to eat when I refused. This helped, as I ate more and I could see the scabs go away quickly.
By day 10 all the scabs had gone, but be aware it will be sensitive for a couple more weeks after that. I couldnt do a complete yawn until 4 weeks and this is normal.
Most of all be positive!!! If you think it will hurt, it will. I went in feeling really positive and I think it worked. Yes it hurts a bit, but think of your worst bout of tonsillitis….its less painful than that. I have no regrets about the surgery. Last week (week 5) I got a bit of an infection and had to get some antibiotics. But again I’m back to normal 2 days after the infection. I will take this any day over tonsillitis. For those people who say that the surgery is worse than child birth…..I say, bring on child birth then! 🙂
Best of luck with your surgery!
Hi, everyone. I am a 25 year old female, otherwise healthy, who had a tonsillectomy the morning of 6/12.
This is just the end of surgery day, so I’m not sure how you guys count. Is today “day 1″? Or do you start counting by post-op day 1, being tomorrow?
Either way, today wasn’t too bad. I have been drinking a lot of water and eating popsicles and pudding. My throat isn’t exactly comfortable, even with pain medication, but it’s not unbearable yet; I imagine that part is still to come. I did as much research as I could about this surgery/recovery, so I think I’m about as well prepared as possible.
I have a humidifier running on low in my bedroom to help keep the air moist. I also have Biotene dry mouth rinse and a spray; my mom is a dental hygienist and suggested they would help keep my mouth and throat from drying out. I just used the rinse after brushing my teeth to get ready for bed, so we’ll see how effective it is.
As far as pain medication is concerned, I have just finished my 3rd year of pharmacy school a couple days ago and opted for oxycodone 5mg tabs because I do not do well with liquid medications and I knew that these tablets are very small. I am supplementing that with OTC acetaminophen capsules which are slick and easy to swallow, so I am still getting all the ingredients contained in Percocet or Roxicet without larger tablets or foul tasting liquids. Given that I just took more pain meds, I’ll be going to sleep here momentarily, but I do have an alarm set to hopefully wake up and take more before they wear off. I am really hoping for a tolerable recovery process!
I’m 25 too…my surgery date is coming up next month. Hopefully being very prepared will help prevent any issues or crazy pain. Good idea on the Biotene, I hadn’t thought of that. Please keep us updated and good luck! Wishing you a speedy and tolerable recovery.
Did you get the coblation or electrocautery method?
I am 32 and getting my tonsils out tomorrow. I had an abscess, which burst, so they recommended removal. I’m had a septoplasty and sinus surgery (balloon sinusplasty and FESS). Can anyone say if the pain level is anywhere close to those procedures? Anyone else having surgery tomorrow and want to be my tonsil buddy? lol
~Laura
Not familiar with those procedures but having just gone thru a re-bleed (part of that 4%) my recommendations are: get your prescriptions in advance if you can and in liquid form. Don’t eat milk/diary products they cause mucus and you will feel like coughing it up but will be hesitant to do so and for good reason. Put an ice pack on your neck. I got ice cream and jello from the health store – whole foods – not made with dairy and pork products. Also a cold mist humidifier helps with moisture in your room.
I’m 25 and getting my tonsil out tomorrow too. I am so nervous!!! Too many bouts of tonsillitis and strep
Good luck! I’m 25 too, getting my tonsils out in July. Please let us know how your recovery goes. Wishing you the best!
I am 25 and just got mine out not even a full 24 hours ago (almost to the 24 hour mark).
PinkZeppe & apitman7 – Tonsil buddies??? Good luck with your procedures today!
I’m 11 months post surgery. I have never regretted the surgery and have felt so much better. I’ve only had one throat infection in the past 11 months. My 18 year old son is scheduled to have his tonsils removed on Friday. I’m more anxious for him to have the surgery than I was to have it done myself. Perhaps it’s because I know exactly what the recovery entails. He’s a tough kid and has a high tolerance for pain. I know he can do it, it’s just going to be difficult to watch him go through this.
I had the UPPP tonsillectomy June 5TH. Today being the 11TH which is either the 5TH day or 6TH day which ever way you want to look at it. Some say the day of surgery doesn’t count. I’m a 59 year old female great health except my breathing which has improved greatly after surgery. I felt good the first 3 days. The fourth day was not good. I tried to extend my pain pills from 4 hours to 6 hours. Mistake. It started with the lortab read that it caused constipation which something did. I assumed it was the pain pills. Tried taking a laxative still not as good as I hoped. After reading some of the posts here it seems I am just starting to go through the worst of it. I may have thrust also. White tongue. Back hurts between shoulder blades. Have had the ear ache & jaw pain. Have DR appointment tomorrow which will be one week since surgery. I am afraid of getting a clot or bleeding now. I feel like there is something stuck in the back of my throat & I try to cough it up & can’t. I’m afraid if I try to hard I will start bleeding or get a clot like I read. I definitely do not want to start all over again. This is not picnic for sure .Had to start the tylox and motrin again because the pain was to much to bare. I know I have heard there is light at the end of the tunnel which the breathing has been a GOD sent in itself but the pain & sickness is horrible. Not sure if it’s the scabs that is feeling horrible in the back of my throat. I unserstand once the scabs fall off you start feeling better & then some feel worse. Everyone deals with pain differently but what I have read so far almost everyone has had similar reactions. I will be happy once the nausea & constipation stops & whatever is hanging in the back of my throat is gone!!
What forms in the back of the throat is a white/grayish scab. Do not try to cough it out too soon…..could bleed. You don’t want to experience a bleed and go back through this all over again as I did on day 9. And I didn’t try to cough mine up…it came out on its own. It bled off and on and then just wouldn’t stop and I developed a blood clot. I posted the full story. This time around I’ve been putting an ice pack on and off thru the day and also thru the night hoping that helps.