Tonsillectomy Pain Management
I added the topic of tonsillectomy recovery pain medicine to the, “Before Tonsillectomy,” menu for a reason. The time to discuss pain management with your doctor is NOT at 3 a.m. on day six of your recovery when you’ve run out of pain medication. Sitting in your doctors office before surgery with a clear head, during his or her normal hours, is the time to have a rational discussion of your tonsillectomy pain medication. It’s also a good time to discuss other medications like anti- nausea drugs and steroidal anti inflammatory medication. I go into more detail in my book, but suffice it to say that pain management is best discussed in advance, in the light of day, with clear heads.
There is no one right answer to the question of how to address tonsillectomy recovery pain medicine. I recommend discussing expectations with your doctor before any prescription is written. Some doctors appreciate how painful a tonsillectomy recovery can be for an adult. Some do not. Having experienced it myself and read the accounts of thousands of tonsillectomy patients I can say with confidence that ten days is a pretty average length of time that pain management will be an issue after surgery.
If I had it to do over, I’d ask my doctor to write a prescription for a pain medicine without acetaminophen, (e.g. Tylenol), in it. Many common narcotic pain medications contain acetaminophen. Too much of the stuff can be quite dangerous. A problem arises when one tries to ween off the narcotic pain medicine and switch to simple acetaminophen. If there’s breakthrough pain, taking another drug that ALSO contains it can be dangerous. If the two are separate, the patient can alternate as needed. Ask your doctor.
In my book I also discuss some of the effects of taking narcotic pain medicine for several days- not as a doctor, but as a patient who experienced it. I wouldn’t face the surgery without these medicines, but a little knowledge could have helped me cope better.
Tonsillectomy pain medicine isn’t always chemical. Drinking cold ice water, chewing gum, or applying ice to the throat can also help reduce the pain and inflammation associated with tonsillectomy surgery. Many patients also get short term relief from throat sprays like Chloraseptic.
In short, I recommend being your own advocate in your pain management. Be straight forward and honest with your doctor and ask for a second opinion if you feel your doctor is not addressing your concerns.After your tonsillectomy, don’t be afraid to contact your Doctor’s office with questions or concerns about your tonsillectomy recovery pain medicine.
I’m going into day 4 after my tonsillectomy and my pain Meds don’t last long enough. It’s Vicoden with Tylenol liquid and I am suppose to take it every 4 hours, but it doesn’t last more than 2 and 1/2 to 3 hours (getting shorter every time). I am so swollen, I almost choke every time I swallow. Called the doc today and told me to “suck it up.” Been crying and feeling pretty discouraged here.
I have surgery scheduled in 2 days and I just got off the phone with the doctor who is doing the surgery. I wanted to discuss the pain meds recommended here and she plans on putting me on Lortab only. She refuses to give me any anti nausea drugs as she doesn’t think it is necessary and she has never heard of her patients requesting it. She is also reticent about giving me a steroid for swelling of the uvula. I feel like I am going to be completely unprepared for the recovery now despite my insisting she provide me those necessary medications. This has me completely stressed out before the surgery.
Hey John – Don’t stress. Lortab should work fine. As for the inflammation, diligent icing can go a long way- that and a steady flow of cold liquid. Also, sleeping in a semi-upright position will help.
Best of luck to you friend!
I am going to need a tonsillectomy but pain is a concern because I will not be taking any narcotic pain medication after surgery. As a successfully recovering opioid addict, I will not get anywhere near narcotics or anything even close to it. What are some good methods for relieving post-op pain without any medication and just how severe is the pain?
Hi Jenn. Congratulations on your success battling addiction. I won’t lie- tonsillectomy recovery hurts. A few things come to mind: liquid Tylenol- FOR SURE, ice- lots of ice cold fluids to gargle with and drink, a humidifier to keep the throat moist. You might also try Cepacol throat spray to numb and take the pain edge off. Here’s a link to some products that I either used, or had recommended to me here on the blog. Good luck!
Hello all!
So I had my tonsillectomy (coblation method) today 1/18/14, and I do have the narcotic with acetaminophen in it. However I have foung great relief by adding a childrens motrin (ibuprofen) to my pain mgt routine. I take one medicine every 2-3 hrs depending on the directions and I alternate meds. If I take the oxy at noon I’ll take the motrin at 2:30. Oxy at 4pm ibuprofen at 6:30pm. Has anyone ese had success with this?
Ibuprofen is a blood thinning NSAID. That may aggravate bleeding (slows clotting) if you have a problem. You’ve got 10-14 days ahead where that’s a high risk. I’d recommend contacting your doctor for some low dose oxycodone without any added painkillers (like 5mls) so you can get the relief you need without worry about acetaminophen level worries. It’s just smarter to do so IMO. You can alternate the two is it works for you, or cut the dose a bit to where you get pain relief but still feel clear.
I’ve got a question (I’m about 2 weeks pre-op) What about decongestants? Does anyone have any experience with what to use, does it help? I’ve always had a significant post-nasal drip (like beyond normal) and am wondering how this will impact recovery.
Has anyone tried the lidocaine spray? (IIRC, it’s a script) I’m thinking it may be an alternative to narcotics and might be useful for days where there’s less pain. But I will reserve the right to all the morphine I feel I need. I just want to avoid it if the pain level’s doesn’t warrant it. If I can, if it does.