Tonsillectomy Scabs- How and when do they fall off?
Regardless of the tonsillectomy method used, some sort of scab is going to form over the the area from which your tonsils have been cut, coblated, and/or cauterized.
It’s normal. It is normal. People often become obsessed with the appearance of the tonsil beds as they recover from tonsillectomy. Almost like a recently lost tooth, it can be hard to resist the temptation to explore the new landscape. This too is normal. I strongly advise against molesting the area with foreign objects. Those scabs will fall off on their own. Touching, poking, or scraping on them increases the risk of hemorrhage and you don’t want that.
Many Otoraryngologists, or ear, nose and throat, (ENT) specialists recommend eating a somewhat rough diet, (think dry toast), to keep the affected area clear of excessive tonsillectomy scab build-up. This advice is most often given in the United Kingdom and Australia. Most ENT’s in the United States advise a soft diet.
Which ever route you take, there will likely be formation of tissue that covers the tonsil beds. I recommend following the advice I give in other pages of this site; keep the throat moist, avoid sharp foods, stay hydrated, take pain medications on schedule, sleep upright if possible, and leave those tonsillectomy scabs alone. They will normally begin to slough of at about day seven or eight of your recovery.
What Happens When Tonsillectomy Scabs Fall Off
You may feel a sharp pain occasionally as the tonsillectomy scabs fall off. This is common. This is normal. There is a slight increase in risk of bleeding while tonsillectomy scabs fall off. If you do have some bleeding, try gargling with ice cold water. This will usually stop the bleeding. If this doesn’t work, and bleeding becomes profuse, call 911 or get to a hospital immediately. Don’t panic. In there relatively rare cases, health care professionals have great success at stopping the bleed.
Daily Photos of Throat After Tonsillectomy. Caution: Scabs
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Today is day 6. I am a 42 year old female who just had a tonsillectomy on Jan 19.
Since I was 15 I have had problems with my tonsils with strep throat and tonsil stones, and after repeatedly being sick for 2 whole months in Sept & Oct, my ENT advised me to proceed with removing my tonsils. We scheduled it far in advance so that I could get through the busy holiday season at work, which meant I had all of Nov, Dec and half of January to think about it and research all I could to prepare my self for my recovery.
I immediately came across this site and bookmarked it, visiting frequently to read as new entries were added. It was reassuring to have a place to go and get real advice from actual people living through their recoveries.
Since I had so much time to prepare, I started gathering what I thought would help me in my own recovery.
The following are all items that have now been so helpful to me in my own recovery, purchased mainly at Bed, Bath and Beyond but you can google and find them on Amazon too:
Zipzicle® Ice Pop Molds: I thought when I bought them that I would fill them with interesting flavors. I ended up pre-filling them right before my surgery date, many with just plain water and a 7 day supply of my coffee (so that I wouldn’t have caffeine withdrawal and get headaches) They have turned out to be a life saver, game changer in my recovery. When the back of my throat is on fire and so sore I suck on a plain water ice pop and it helps relieve my pain. Sucking on the ice pops constantly and using this pain relief pack (below) have been a major help in calming the pain cycles.
CVS Health Reusable Cold Pain Relief Pack: I bought 2 of these 4” x 10” size that comes with a soft sleeve so that I could rotate them out of the freezer and I would always have a cold one. I basically have one wrapped around my neck 75% of the time if not more often. I am hoping that keeping an ice pack on will ward off these evil ear aches I read about. So far so good!
Cloudz Memory Foam Travel Neck Pillow with Snap & Pocket: This pillow has been great support for my neck and it’s so soft & cozy plus the snap let’s me tuck the “cold pain relief pack” under my chin and hold it in place while I am resting, sleeping or walking around.
Magic Bullet Blender: I thought I would make interesting smoothies, but all I want is ice and water and I blend it to make a ice slush.
Everything I drink goes in a sippy cup with straw. I find it easier to drink out of a straw.
Brookstone® 4-in-1 Bed Wedge Pillow: Everywhere I read, it was recommended to sleep upright, especially the first days when you are really swollen. I have really liked this pillow and have easily transferred it from my bed to the couch.
Homedics Uhe-CM15 Portable Humidifier: I have a large regular humidifier that I keep running 24 hours a day in my bedroom since my surgery. But I bought this portable humidifier so that I could put it right at my bedside so that the mist would go right into my face. It’s great becuase it’s so portable I have been able to also bring it into the living room next to the couch that is the other place I park myself through out the day. You just need to remember to clean it otherwise it will stop working properly.
Children’s TYLENOL® Oral Suspension: Cherry flavor. I bought 2 bottles before surgery not knowing if I would be able to swallow regular size pills. It was a good thing I did becuase I have found it very easy to swallow the liquid form.
Benadryl: Helps with itching if you are prescribed Oxy. The itching was not so much of an issue for me. I would just take one Benadryl pill before bed to help me sleep every night.
Kleenex: For the crying fits and melt downs
Scrap paper or a notebook: So helpful in communicating. I keep wanting to speak but when I do it just makes my throat sore.
Get yourself the softest cuddliest robe. It has helped me to keep warm since it’s January in Boston and I am sucking on ice pops and have a cold pack around my throat! Brrrrr! I have also been living in soft warm comfortable sweat pants and sweatshirts.
I had no idea what I would be able to eat, or even want to eat so I stocked up on applesauce, lots of different baby foods, flavored ice pops, and dairy free ice creams, jello, pudding, eggs. Everywhere I read it said Mac n cheese. I don’t normally eat Mac n cheese but from day 2 it has been something that feels good going down and tastes good. My taste buds have changed and I have been really picky with flavor, that is why I prefer the plain water ice pops I made over store bought flavored ice pops that are too sweet.
I bought several books and magazines, but I have zero attention span and am unable to concentrate so I have not read anything.
Netflix and OnDemand have been great ways to pass the time when I am up.
Day 1: Day of surgery, I go in around 7AM, and was released around 1:30. I was prescribed Oxycodone and a nausea medication that I took immediately when I got home. I have been taking 2 Oxy’s every 4 hours, and 20ML of Children’s Tylenol every 6 hours. I was also recommended to get Colace to help with constipation that will happen due to the meds. I didn’t find that worked at all and ended up after day 4 buying senna with a stool softener. That worked! You do need to stay on top of taking it so you don’t get bound up, which really just feels awful becuase it makes you feel like you have a rock in your belly.
So Day one- safe to say you can call it the honeymoon phase. You get home and you think, ok, I’ve got this! That’s becuase you still have anesthesia in you and all else they gave you. I was able to talk a little. I had some applesauce and some baby food and even some scrambled eggs with water added to it to make it really soft.
On the day after my surgery flowers arrived from friends and family. I put some in the living room and some in my bedroom, the 2 places I have spent all of my time. It’s nice to look up and see something pretty sent to me by someone who cares.
Day 2: It’s so important to take your meds as scheduled. I set my phone alarm so I don’t forget- you don’t want to forget. You can go from ok to so not ok in seconds and then you are crying becuase the pain is real and you can’t deal. When ever this happens I try and relax, release any tension in my face, try and let my tongue leave the roof of my mouth and relax.
I keep a journal in my notes section on my phone of all the medications I take all day long, what time, and how much.
Day 3: What I have learned is every day, hour, minute, second is going to be different. It’s almost like you need to learn to roll with the punches. Some times you are going to have no pain and be like wow! I feel great, and then minutes later it’s not ok. If it’s not ok and it hurts I let myself cry and let it out. Somehow that makes me feel better. The evening of Day 3 was a really tough night in managing my pain. I tried to sleep as much as possible becuase I was at level 10 of pain.
Day 4: I have entered the stages of moderate to severe pain. It was another difficult day of monitoring my pain. I slept through most of it. Several crying fits. I have been craving Mac n cheese. Chocolate pudding, drinking lots of slush ice water, ice pops and ice pack around my neck.
Just tried to sleep the day away with intermissions of ice pops and icing my neck and meds.
Day 5: I started off having a good day. Pain was totally under control. (It was also my last day of the Oxy pills, and I had already tried stretching from 4 hours to 5.5 with terrible results and also tried taking one pill rather then 2, but that sent me into horrible pain- this could be why Day 3 & 4 we’re horrible days for me. My Dr prescribed me another 5 day supply of Oxy that was picked up for me) I am still taking 2 Oxy every 4 hours, but changed the Tylenol to be every 4 hours at 480ML. My Doctor said I can have 3000mg in a 24 hour period.
I had energy all day, I even walked around the house to get my body moving since I had been stagnant since Friday, and didn’t take a nap until around 4:30. When I woke up around 6pm I was hungry and tried to eat some soft potato and that set my throat on fire in raging pain – the pain was excruciating and I had to instantly put an ice pop in my mouth and ice pack around my neck. When I finally got it under control (usually it takes a good 15 minutes) I was able to eat some Mac n cheese- so far the one thing that is happy going down my throat.
Just a side note; I have been brushing my teeth and my tongue 3-4 times a day.
Around midnight I woke up, gasped and coughed and felt the sharpest most horrible pain that sent me over the edge. It was time for my meds at that point so I iced my neck and sucked on an ice pop waiting for relief. Most likely when I coughed a scab tore off. I guess this is beginning of the next stage which from what I have read goes on until approximately day 10-12. I had a hard time calming down so I went into the kitchen and had half a pint of dairy free ice cream while sitting on the couch. This is when I decided I would start writing and documenting my experiences with my recovery.
I have had no interest in visitors since I can’t speak. I don’t want the silence filled with noise. I don’t want to be entertained by anyone. I just want the days to rush by so I can get back to my life. I am very fortunate that I am married and my spouse has been an enormous help physically and emotionally there for me.
It has been really nice that my family and best friends have been texting me each day to say hi and check in on me. Make sure you let people know what you are going through. I have found that by opening up and letting them know helps them to understand the pain and challenges you are facing. It’s even been nice for them to call just so I can hear their voices even though I can’t talk back.
Day 6: I woke up around 8:30AM, time for meds, in horrible pain, and iced my neck. I have a ice coffee pop every morning and really enjoy it. I have been fortunate this entire time and have had no issues swallowing my pills and drinking the icy slush water I make in my magic bullet.
I shouldn’t jinx myself, but I think constantly icing my neck and sucking on a plain water ice pop truly has helped me. I have not experienced the ear pain yet that I read about. I know I am headed into the next 4 days if not more of dealing with the scabs and that I will experience excruciating pain as they fall off.
Everyday, I make sure to get myself in the shower, wash yesterday away.
I am trying to find strength in knowing I am loved and not alone, and that possibly by sharing my story it may ease someone else’s recovery. Recovery is a process and it takes patience.
I know that when this is all over, it will be worth it. It’s so weird to look in my throat, which is hard to do right now becuase my tongue is so swollen, I can’t open all the way, but I can see the large voids, now white scabs that were once my tonsils. And, I know I won’t miss all the craters and holes in them that would cause me such sickness over far too many years. A Doctor should have done this along time ago. So I just need to keep this in my mind as I heal and go through my recovery.
Sending good healing vibes your way as you prepare for your surgery and best wishes to you for a speedy recovery!! I surely am wishing myself the speediest of recoveries as I take on the final days of recovery.
Hi everyone I’ve been reading everyone’s experience so I thought id share mine!
Im a 30 year old female I had a tonsilloctomy done January 8th 2018
And the first 2 to 4 days I was fine, I came home talking n everything like normal, I was able to eat popsicles, Jell-O, ice cream. N even managed to eat alfreado pasta the second or third day but then day 5 I woke up in excruciating pain not only in my throat but also both my ears, so bad I cried my eyes out for what seemed like forever but probably lasted a good 20mins of pain! It got so bad later that day I went to the ER because I was scared my throat was infected! That’s when I found out anywhere from day 5 or 7 through days 8 or 10 are the most HORRIBLE for pain because the scab peeling process begins and it sucks very much or for me it did! I had that kind of pain off and on from day 5 till day 9 and still have horribly sore throbbing ear pain in both ears and had some drainage from my ears && also have had SOME hurting sore throat feeling but I can deal with it manageable pain, && this is day 13 today so if I manage to survive today tomorrow is suppose to be my last day of pain, n Im so glad this is nearly over with i never thought I was gonna make it specially when the scabs started peeling!!!
Hope everyone manages to survive 14 days of OMG why did I do this! Prayers that everyone has a fast n easy recovery!
I ENJOYED READING ALL THE STORIES I READ N ENJOYED SHARING MINE WITH Y’ALL!!!
im a 12 year old girl and this is so painful I think im on day 6 or 7 but i need to know which day the pain ends and what do the stitches (if you got them) look like. also I am concerned cause the tonsil beds look nothing like the pictures
Im a 19 year old male and for some reason decided id do this with no pain meds just to test myself im 5 days post op and at sometimes im rolling on the ground in insane pain ive also eaten a hamburger everyday since my op and ive been fine. Yes i sound dumb but im just a bored college student on break
I am a 66 year old male, Had mine out on Dec 29th. The 1st two days adjusting to the pain and swelling was tough. I made the mistake to try to go without the heavy pain meds to start, not advisable! Hardest parts aside from the pain was the lack of sleep and then once I figure out how to sleep waking up to having to take those morning sips of water. after about the 5th day ice no longer worked for me and actually cause more pain. I switched a heating pad on my neck and it seemed to relax the nerve pain. On the 7th night I was so wicked out by the meds that I just stopped & used the heating pad. This worked fine for me for the next day and a half, but then the scabs started to come off and I am back to 500mg of acetaminophen & the heating pad. All I can add is a tonsillectomy is some of the worst discomfort I have ever had, but it was nice to have a “map to go by and the it is pretty darn accurate. Good luck to all!