Tonsillitis,Tonsil Stones, and Tonsillectomy Recovery
Tonsillectomy recovery can be a long dark tunnel. With all the anxiety leading up to tonsillectomy surgery, and all the challenges of recovering from a tonsillectomy, a patient can easily become overwhelmed. The best weapon a tonsillectomy patient can arm them self with is information. Knowledge is truly power. Going into surgery unprepared is the most common mistake made. Your doctor, while trained in treating tonsil problems like tonsillitis, strep throat, and tonsil stones is an excellent resource. If you and your doctor decide that a tonsillectomy is the right choice, your job is to arm yourself with the best information you can and, perhaps more importantly, tonsillectomy recovery. I’ve maintained a forum for patients recovering from the surgery for several years. Most patients report that their Doctor’s attention quickly wanes after discharge. Many people complain that after their tonsillectomy, their doctor was pretty hard to get a hold of. The key to successful planning is self advocacy. Planning for tonsillectomy must begin weeks before surgery. Get support from your health care provider, your job, your family, your friends, and other tonsillectomy patients. We’ve built an amazing community of adults considering, anticipating and experiencing tonsillectomy recovery.
Tonsillectomy for me was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. After a lifetime of chronic tonsillitis, strep throat, tonsil stones, and sleep apnea, a couple weeks of pain and anxiety were a small price to pay. Three years ago, when I finally made the decision, there wasn’t much support for patients considering a tonsillectomy or recovering from one. The internet was like an ugly landscape of random horror stories and snake oil salesmen with cures for tonsil stones, bad breath, and belly fat. I decided to create a one stop resource for adults considering or recovering from tonsillectomy.
Tonsillectomy Recovery Resources is a place you can research topics relating to tonsils and tonsillectomy. I’ve experienced and researched topics like tonsil stones, tonsillitis, strep throat, tonsillectomy methods, oral thrush, and tonsillectomy recovery time.
I learned a great deal about tonsillectomy as an adult. In particular, I learned that it would have been better to undergo the surgery as a child. Tonsillectomy recovery as an adult is much tougher. There are however numerous tonsillectomy recovery tips that can make the experience a little easier. Simple practices like drinking and drinking and drinking can have profound positive impact upon your tonsillectomy recovery.
Tonsillectomy recovery tips like chewing gum to alleviate referred ear pain are not obvious or intuitively logical, but can make all the difference when nothing else seems to help. I’ve collected, researched and shared many of these morsels of wisdom and published them all here in one place to help others.
Tonsillectomy recovery questions like yours may have already been asked and answered. Try searching the site using the Google search box at the right side of the page. Type in a term like, “tonsil stones, ” or, “tonsils,” and see what you find. Feel free to comment on most of the pages of the site. Open and active communication is what makes this community such a valuable resource for everyone considering tonsillectomy or in the middle of tonsillectomy recovery.
Relax and be yourself. Ask questions, share concerns, and offer support. It’s our community. Thank you for joining us!
-Greg Tooke
From Our Readers
Read what our Facebook friends had for advice to adults preparing for tonsillectomy:
I posted another question for our Face Book friends. This is a group of about 350 adults who have had a tonsillectomy within the past five years. It’s an amazing community of supportive and thoughtful adults without tonsils. 
I wanted to assemble a collection of tips for new patients who are planning tonsillectomy surgery- particularly adults since they have a more difficult recovery, but also because they would typically be the ones doing preparation for themselves or a child.
Tonsillectomy Recovery For Adults – How to Prepare
So here is the question:
If I could recommend one product to someone preparing for tonsillectomy it would be___________.
And here are the responses;
Grace- Water!
Mari Re- A snow cone maker-a must!!
Dayna – Humidifier!
Dee- Do a lot of good deeds before so when ur praying for relief he will help ya. Seriously. Water is great and a humidifier helped me greatly.
Shiva – Coma
Sarah -Ice chips… if morphine isn’t available
Katie-DONT DO IT!!!!!
Shannon – Toradol
Jean – Water, a recliner, and a humidifier.
Meghan- Percocet.
Misty – After pain meds it would be pudding for me.
Donna- water
Kate-Several big flexible ice packs–always keep one in the freezer so it’s ready to go whenever you need one.
Kierstin -If you live in the US sonic crushed ice saved my life ! You can purchase it in a bag like at the grocers, and it’s tiny enough to lodge between the back of your tongue and scabs, and just rough enough when you swallow it, it scratches the back of your throat just delicately enough to semi relieve irritated ears ! Seriously I cried for this ice over a few day period haha
Bethany -My brother-in-law owns an amazing gelato company. He made me the most delicious mango sorbet. Even when my throat hurt bad and I really didn’t want to eat before taking my meds, I could always get excited for some delicious sorbet
Jean -I would agree with the flexible ice packs! Ice was my life saver!
Karen -Cool mist humidifier
Vickie -Straws
Hollie – Liquid medications! Tablets just wouldn’t go down
Doug -water
Kiersten- Instant mashed potatoes! I know….gross but a lifesaver
Kiersten -Lol-I thought pain meds and water was a given!!!!
Jayne-Hard drugs!!
Diana – 2 weeks to recover
Rhiannon – Pop ice and a cool mist humidifier
William -A humidifier
Rosie – Jello, peaches, netflix, and hot bathes.
Christy-After pain meds, the magic mouthwash, mashed potatoes after you can somewhat eat. Go to an urgent care if you are starting to get dehydrated. I lost 14lbs in 7 days.
William -Magic mouthwash?
Tonsillectomy Resources Wow! Great stuff. Thanks everybody!
Brandi – Pain meds and Sonic ice chips – I think I would have died without both!
Chente-Pain meds.
Crista – Ice packs!
Chente -Also- Thought I would pass along something re: magic mouthwash just to make others aware so it doesn’t happen to them. At one point after using the wash and I swallowed to pass saliva, my mouth and throat were numb and the saliva just kinda sat in my throat and I couldn’t pass it and then I choked and started coughing really bad. That isn’t what you want to do after a tonsillectomy. So just be careful and swallow with caution!
Beth Ann – Ensure or Boost drinks
Jina -Humidifier, ice packs, crushed ice with water. Boost drinks in the beginning for energy.
Kitty – An alarm to remind the next med and note pad to write down the meds as taken. It was hard to remember in the middle of the night. Both help to keep meds on board and the pain at bay.
Christina -Ice and pain meds
Chente -Pain med journal!
Rachael – Pain reliever in liquid form.
I’m 29 and 2 months post op from having my tonsils removed. Along with my deviated septum fixed, sinus cavities explored and removal of some parts of my sinuses, everything in my nose was three to four times bigger then it should have been. That’s right I did both surgeries at the same time. My tonsils were swollen like ping pong balls and when removed the left one came out with 2tsps of whatever tonsils stones are made up of. The first week wasn’t fun because doing bothe surgeries I had splints up my nose and had to breath through my mouth. Most important part of getting tonsils out is keeping your mouth wet. I lived off of applesauce, jello and ice the first week. I bought the mini ice cube trays, which were perfect size to let them melt in your mouth. Anything with mil didn’t taste good to me. By the first week I was eating mac and cheese. For me ear pain and tounge pain was the worst the heating pad was my saving grace. I didn’t have much pain while swallowing, keep your mouth wet. I also stayed up on my pain meds, I had liquid hydro codon, and started to ween myself off after a week and a half. Was fully off pain meds by week two. By day 10, warm liquids tasted better then cold. My scabs took three weeks to fall off, every day they were a little smaller. The no taste thing is real, I can taste bold ER flavors, garlic and salty food, but some of it is still bland. Because I had sinus surgery I also couldn’t smell, which is taking its time to come back. My tonsil area is almost done healing, right now my uvula is not centered because the right side fully healed before the left. I don’t regret my surgery, food doesn’t get stuck, I have more room in my mouth and I can breath much better. I read these forums befor my surgery and it scared me to read other people’s experiences.
My advice:
– DRINK LOTS OF WATER. They gave two bags of fluids during surgery and I was drinking lots of water the day before.
-Ask the dr about steroids for swelling. They gave some during surgery.
-Rest- I thought I would want to watch movies, sleep was all I did.
– Do what the dr tells you for recovery.
I haven’t had any nausea yet but probably due to the anti nausea patch that anesthesiologist gave me before surgery. Suppose to take it off tomorrow, that’s why I’m eating what I can today. doing the salt water gargle after eating every meal. This website has been a great help to me so I want to share my story hope it helps others.
just had surgery this morning, doing fairly well. I wanted to make sure I ate some real food before hospital meds wore off so along with water and juice I had some room temperature mashed potatoes and gravy and also yams. (Dr ok’ed he encouraged if you feel like eating eat) Found a new item at the grocery store that’s wonderful Edy’s Outshine fruit and vegetable Popsicles. You get food and a frozen treat!
I had a partial tonsil and adenoidectomy that was on November 4th and things weren’t too bad for the first 5 days or so. The heavy pain medicine I’m on really helps and I’ve had no ear pain as of yet. The scabs seem to be fading on my right side of my throat and everything feels great there. But now all of a sudden starting day 6, the left side of my throat is in excruciating pain.The pain medicine doesn’t even rid it completely. I just don’t get what caused that, and why my other side is doing so well. Maybe it has something to do with that side always had the much larger tonsil. There was some dried blood there not too long ago, so I don’t know if something irritated it or not. Anyone else experience one side healing slower than the other?
April,
I hope you are feeling better by the time you read this. i did not have the tight feeling in my throat. I had mine out on April 14th. Now on day 14 of recovery and just about back to normal but for me day 4 was one of the worst days. If I am counting correctly you should be on day 10 or so or your recovery and for me that was when i turned the corner. Just continue to try and get food in your stomach and stay hydrated and take the meds. You should be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel by now. Hope you are 100% soon.
Thanks Russ. Im getting there. Its tge reffered ear pain that is killing me. I had to stop the T3s because they were burning my stomach. Im feeling better now that im off. Man do i want real food lol.