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.
Hi on day 11 of recovery best day yet ,done some excersise in house just a little bit still sore and got ear pain but takieing my meds ,over the worst I hope ,all I can say yes it is brutal best tip I can give is ,drink water and eat ,yes it is torture bud I belive it helps so much with your meds and recovery mist days I eat porridge for breakfast .soup with bread for lunch ,and beans and egg and toast also eat a big bar of chocolate every day to keep coloured up ,that’s why I think on day 11 I can eat normally with a little bit of pain ,today I had bacon and egg roll 1 empire biscuit ,bar of chocolate for dinner salmon carrots ,salad and peas with a roll ,I belive its managble because I eat hard food Al thru recovery even when it was hard good luck all
So it is day 11 since my surgery and I still cannot swallow anything (Water, water ice, mac and cheese, etc) more than three times in a row without being in excruciating pain. I miss food. I actually had a mental breakdown on day 10 because I was so afraid of how much it would hurt to eat my room temperature ramen noodle dinner. The pain meds kept me asleep and somewhat out of pain for a few days but at this point I have converted to advil as my pain reliever.
My tongue feels raw while my jaws and ears are under such pressure. I am miserable and wondering if something isn’t going right.
Is there a light at the end of the tunnel for me? Or am I in for even longer feeling like this.
Danielle, I’m so sorry you’re going through such a rough time. I would recommend you go back on the stronger pain meds. I took mine for 3 weeks, and it made a huge difference.
I also had to take them a few minutes before eating, to help with the pain. You need food & nutrients to help you heal.
Have you spoken to your doctor about these issues? That should be the first place to go if you have serious concerns.
You don’t mention your age. From what I understand, the older you are, the longer the recovery time. I’m 50 and my post-op recovery was similar to yours, but only about a week of terrible pain. I took full-strength meds throughout and was able to eat somewhat. I did, however, lose 20 lbs. To this day, I am convinced egg salad saved my life. It and popsicles were all I could eat.
My advice is to call your doctor tomorrow morning, stay on any medication that’s prescribed, and eat food with protein as you body needs it – even if it’s only two bites at a time!
Danielle,
I’m on Day 12 today. Days 7-11 I did not eat or drink anything except tepid room water to stay hydrated and out of the hospital and even that was excruciating! The scabs had started coming off, causing pain like I cannot describe and the feeling of any food or water touching the wounds was 10/10, gasping, black out pain. I pretty much just laid around my house crying constantly and trying to remember what my life was like before this surgery. I went to my dr. on day 9 because I was sure something was wrong, and he said no, you’re just healing. It’s miserable. If you
I woke up the same this morning (day 12) and was the same, but miraculously tonight I was able to eat again and drink water. I ate three bowls of pasta in a row with some pain but totally bearable. Still can’t drink cold or hot things or things that “coat” wounds in your throat without excruciating pain. But I can eat something, and the end is coming.
Your moment is coming. Hang in there and try to stay hydrated. Go to the hospital for an IV for fluids if you are dehyrdated, you will feel 100% better. And get out of the house if you can. There’s a light at the end of the tunnel, I know it doesn’t feel like it.
Hang in there.
Well I juat jad surgery this paat Wednesday and while I’m so relieved it finally happen I’m so ready to be over all of this. I am on post op day 5 ans I think today was the worst day for me. The pounding headache and ear aches make me want to kill someone. I’m trying to stay optimistic about it all because in the long run I know it’s worth it, but geez recovery is a pain in the butt.
I’m 6 days post op and doing great. As long as I take the pain meds as scheduled, the pain is under control. I’ve been able to eat lots of different soft foods, so hunger hasn’t been an issue. I have lost 5 pounds, though, but who’s complaining? My doctor was amazed at my progress yesterday at the checkup post-op. I was pretty scared about this surgery, but have been pleasantly surprised at how well recovery has gone. I’ve been resting a lot, but still able to do things for myself & go out and about a small amount to keep from going stir crazy. I’m so glad I went through with this. At 44, one doctor told me getting strep throat 3-4 times per year would be easier than surgery. I just couldn’t face that for the next 20+ years, so decided to go for the surgery. I’m so glad I did. Looking forward to a healthier me!
Glad to hear your recovery is going so well! Mine did too. I think it’s very important to share the good stories.
It’s been about 2 years now since I got mine out and I’m still so happy I did. I never get sick anymore! (*knock on wood*)
21 years old, been having recurring infections and recently had chronic tonsillitis for 6 months so dr finally thought it was time to take them out. About time! It had changed the way my voice sounded I had trouble swallowing food among other problems these tonsils of mine have cause. Anyways I am now on day 7 post op and I can actually sit comfortably for a couple of minutes and type this… Surgery wasn’t bad, and actually day of surgery was probably the best of them all. Maybe cause I was still a little under anesthesia. Slept most of the first day and only ate ice chips. Day 2 and 3 had pain to swallow but not the ear pain. I stopped taking oxycodon the night of day 3. Those days I didn’t eat much, had about 4 spoonfuls of mashed potatoes and pudding before taking the meds. Drank lots of water and juice. Avoid citrus stuff. God mom gave me a strawberry smoothie and it stung so bad! Anyways on night 5 I could honestly say was the worst night so far. Woke up with terrible pain in my throat, outside my neck , ears, teeth well even my hair hurt. Ran to get the pain medication ( didn’t actually run) but it helped some not much though. The rest of day 5 got better. Day 6, which was earlier today, was actually good. I managed to eat a sandwich ( with no ketchup) took me about 3 hours to finish it but it was an accomplishment. I Recommend to take quick short showers because I would get really dizzy and had to sit. Yeah try not to faint in the shower please. Also been constipated for 7 days now and it’s going great. (Not). I would also recommend to have acces to netlix, just finished Greys anatomy :(. Or a book. And definitely have someone to take care of you. The first few days you literally can’t do anything for yourself. Hoping to wake up better tomorrow because I’ve been craving wings for the longest…. Even though I know that’s not gonna happen. Good luck to everyone going that plans or that is going through this journey like myself. Halfway there!
Oh I forgot to mention, I’ve been having saliva stuck in the back of my throat and it feels like it’s closing up. I try to swallow it it but it just stays there. Not sure if this is normal on day 6/7?