or
How long does it take to recover after tonsillectomy?
Tonsillectomy recovery time is unique for each patient. The recovery timeline for children is much shorter than for adults, with seemingly less pain. My own eight year old son was back to his old self in less than a week after his tonsils taken out. This may have fanned the flames of my unreasonable expectations of my own recovery time as an adult. His was fairly typical of a child his age. Children’s bodies heal faster than adults’ do.
Tonsillectomy Recovery Time
What to expect after tonsil surgery
The timeline for recovery for an adult is a different story. Age matters. In fact, it appears that the older an adult is at the time of their tonsillectomy, the longer the recovery is, in general. Based on my own adult tonsillectomy recovery, and the stories of thousands of my readers, I’d put the average adult tonsillectomy recovery time at approximately 10.43 days. Yes, I’m that good!
Humor aside, ten days seems to be pretty typical. I added the .43 because so many people, myself included, thought they had it licked and went back to work around day ten, only to find they weren’t quite ready. As scabs slough off in second week of recovery, many adults experience a bit of a pain relapse, just as they thought they were almost recovered. This is a really tough period for many. They’ve spent almost two weeks with minimal sleep, minimal nourishment, minimal activity, and lots of pain medicine. It can be downright depressing for adults recovering in this second week.
Check out our new tonsillectomy recovery video- Caution: Not always pretty
Do yourself a favor: Get Netflix or Amazon Prime – here’s a link for 30 day free trial!
I do hear from many adults whose recovery times are closer to a week – perhaps due to my good advice, perhaps due to genetics. It’s hard to say why some adults’ recovery timelines are shorter, and their experiences less traumatic. There are also cases that drag out further. If you’re one of a small minority that requires re-cauterization for bleeding, or don’t take the proper precautions, (many of these are outlined here and in my book), your tonsillectomy recovery time may be as much as three or four weeks. I want to make an important point here- one that I cannot overemphasis: Stay hydrated! Keep drinking fluids! Dehydration is the worst enemy of the tonsillectomy patient.
My advice: ask your employer, your family, your friends, and the rest of the world to give you two weeks for your adult tonsillectomy. You may surprise them, hopefully for the better.
Recovery is unique to each individual- sure. We know that recovery time for adults is longer, and maybe harder, than for children. I remember my own son bouncing back in less than a week! My own experience taught me that ten days off from a job that required lots of talking was a bit light. I generally advise two weeks. As I’ve said, most employers will let you come back early. That’s easier than asking for more time after the fact. I’ve read the accounts of thousands of tonsillectomy patients- most of them adults. I’ve learned that the time required varies. I wonder though, how many tonsillectomy patients never really post about their experience.
Are you one of those quiet ones lying in the weeds? I’d like to get a better feel for the average adult tonsillectomy recovery time. Please take a moment and share your own experience in recovering from tonsillectomy surgery. You can help us all!I’ve put together a collection of items that I think would be helpful, if not essential, to making tonsillectomy recovery a little more pleasant. Check out the Tonsillectomy General Store.
-Greg Tooke My short bio
Hello all, I had my tonsils removed this past Friday, in the 13th of December. I had them removed due to reoccurring tonsillitis as well as tonsil stones through the year. I am 20 years old.
Overall I would say I am rather surprised at how slow the recovery process is taking. Today is technically day five and I feel about the same as ever, though from what I’ve heard I suppose it can be a lot worse. On the second day I ended up throwing up, and haven’t had an issue with nausea since.
The pain hasn’t really been dulled, I am on oxycodone due to the nauseous reaction I’ve had to Vicodin in the past. I’ve found that an ice pack to the neck with continuous ice cold water helps a lot, but swallowng will always be unpleasant. I have to cut the pills in half to swallow them easily, but that’s not a large issue.
Some foods I’ve taken to, I thought I’d share. Jello was my first go to, then sherbet, then pudding. Eggs I’ve been able to do from day one. Currently I am eating pumpkin pie and loving it, doesn’t sting or burn in the least bit. Other foods I’ve had are Wendy’s frosties – which aren’t thick and easy to swallow (I believe this is because it’s more yogurt than ice cream) and fruit smoothies. Also Kellogg’s protein chocolate shakes are to die for, as they actually manage to make you feel full.
Other foods I’d recommend would be pasta, I had fettuccini pasta the second day, but I suspect something in the sauce upset my stomach. Non the less, it was easily swallowed and eaten.
If you do throw up I recommend grinding up some Tums and swallowing that. Throwing up really burns the location where you had your tonsils removed and Tums helps neutralize the stomach acid without making your stomach more upset.
I have a humidifier and I don’t know how terrible waking up would be without it – swallowing burns extra bad first thing in the morning. I recommend ice water as soon as you get up. Also I have my alarms set four hours apart so I can continually take pain meds – and drink about a glass eacht time, even through the night. I think that helps a lot.
Something weird to note, on day one my tongue was rather swollen and numb, and achy. It has since gone away.
Can anyone recommend me some more foods? As well as some personal insight on when I can start eating more solid food again? When will the pain start dulling?
I’m 40 years old and I had my both my tonsils out on the 31st October and I’m now day 10 of recovery! I think had I read all these post before my surgery think it would have put me off getting it done but then again no one told me about day 5. lol Day 1 was ok could still talk, was abit pukey and the after care at Guys hospital in London is totally shocking had to discharge myself earlier. I didnt realise that the same nerve that runs from tonsil to ears would be affected and I suffered quite badly of the spins and vertigo hence the contant being sick. Day 2 I felt ok and I thought this isn’t to bad so I decided to browse round the shops but contantly looking around made me well get the spins again. My dad in his wisdom decided to give me chicken curry for dinner and all his chicken, I think he meant well. Just ate the rice so all I could manage was cold cups of tea, water and milk oh and ice cream. I found it better to sleep upright maybe when you lay down gravity creates a pulling sensation and it was just as well because on day 6 in the early hours of the morning whilst asleep woke up choking on my own blood. I manage to stop the bleeding by cold press on the throat and drinking cold milk.
I went to see my doctor who gave me some antibiotics I think just to be on the safe side and my mouth was compleatly white and reading posts here and there I now know thats thrush. Don’t tell you about that do they before the op so I guess these posts are good to read so you know what your suffering with is considered normal. The next day I brought up some dead smelly tissue, Oh and if you go outside and the weather is cold put some cotton wool in your ears because you will get bad earache after. I did get strange clicking feeling in my ears on day 3 and 4 but that soon past too. None of the hospital imformation tell you the pain has to get worse before it gets better and days 4,5,6 and 7 is the worst in my opinion. Taking 30mg of codeine is crap dosnt really control the pain and I took paracetmol in the early days but the only thing worked for me was ibupfrofen on the worst days. Deflam throat spray is rubbish also but I did get some tyrozets lozenges they help abit.
Although initially ice cream works in the early days of recovery I found now I cant tolorate anything cold if anything it triggers off a bout of instant pain oh and trying to talk feels like your tongue has got knots in it. The pain only seems worse for me now only morning and night so I’m only taking painkillers then. I’ve noticed since the swelling off my tongue is slowing going down and I’m not speaking like quasi mo do as much that all the nerves in your tongue are more sensitive. Maybe its because when they clamp your tongue nerves are regenerating. For me sore tongue and gagging on the scabbie bits far more annoying. As for the scabs that are their now, feel like bloody shards of glass and getting a strange tightening of the throat. I might be brave later and attempt a pizza but sod will I eat the crust tho thats just asking for trouble. lol I think in total I’ve lost about half a stone so I think now its more of a case of lack of food and weakness. Personally in my opinion 2 weeks off work isn’t enough time to recover. So being that my job is a cashier and involves alot of talking I booked an extra week off work just to make sure im recovered compleatly. I had planned whilst I was off to do abit of decorating in my flat, but who was I kidding. Think that idea is truly gone out the window because I dont think I’ll have the energy! I hope this post helps give someone and idea how you might feel after but hopefully I’m now over the worst. Oh and I forgot to mention if you fancy anything sweet have some marshmallows. 😉
First let me say it has been really helpful to see others that are adults and who are in my same age range (35-40) who have recently experienced this type of surgery. I am one of those who had strep throat every year since age 16 and most recently 5 to 6 times a year. I simply could not take it anymore and with the high rate of exposure to others and me being a mom of two young children now, I really had to think about how having this surgery would not only impact me but also impact those around me. So I had the surgery on Oct 29th. After everyone including my own Doctor trying to talk me out of it due to the pain they described that I would go through, I had the surgery and am glad that I did. I haven’t reaped the rewards just yet, but I know they will come. Right now, I like many of you am experiencing “guck mouth” which I describe as a mixture of intense saliva, feelings of scabs stretching and hanging deep in my throat, ear pain that is absolutely ridiculous in the mornings or after bouts of sleep and oh yeah can’t forget the dreadful taste and smell that is in my mouth. My hubby keeps trying to kiss me and I shutter away in embarrassment…smile. But honestly, overall it really has not been that bad. I expected it to be intolerable based on what everyone said and shared in the many stories that I read, but it hasn’t been that bad for me. Don’t get me wrong…it has been very painful!!! but not what I would have expected. I had my wisdoms taken out a few years back and that to me, was far worse. With my constant regime of ice water, smoothies, noodles and pain medicine (literally every 4 hours) I’ve been able to handle it. I can’t let that medicine lapse though LOL….and I agree with the individual who said that sleeping can be the worse. Right when you get into a good sleep….something wakes you and all of a sudden, the pain hits then spreads throughout my entire mouth cavity. I think the most aggravating aspects is my swollen tongue…it’s sticky and constantly moist in the back….Just feels like I am walking around with a wad of guck in the back of my mouth and it does make talking really hard. My youngest (2 years old) keeps looking at me with this sad look, like “why won’t you talk to me mommy?”….smile. I am hoping week two won’t be that bad. While I am resting and trying to sit still (even though I did have to go out and get some air which helped a lot), I need to get back to work…but health comes first….Hope this helps someone….
My tongue won’t stop swelling
And my tongue won’t stop swelling