RECOVERY AFTER TONSILLECTOMY IN ADULTS

Hi i had my tonsillectomy a week ago today and to my luck it wasn't as bad as i thought. I could eat straight away solid in fact i ad a cottage pie and jelly three hours after waking up, i had to stay in hospital overnight and apart from waking up every one -two hours to drink and go to toilet the pain wasn't too bad at all. next day i went home and i felt fine tired but fine no pain and bvery very ungry, so ha d some pizza . to be honest the worst days so far were day4 and 5 were the pain was a bit annoying and swallowing was a bit stinging. but today i'm fine i've got a bit of a sore throat my white scabs are mainly all off and feel like my old self again. i uess i was lucky, my only advice is drink lots of water (i drank nearly 5 litres of water a day) and try to eat solid straight away make sure you chew them properly and you'll be fine!!!good luck!!!

I'm 39 years old and had my LINGUAL tonsils removed 2 days ago. First night of sleep was awesome. 2nd night (tonight) was not so good. I began feeling like I had to clear my throat and cough (nurse told me not to). After getting to the point of feeling like I was going to suffocate and wheezing, I coughed reflexively. Thus far, pain has been very minimal and I take my Vicoden every 4 hours. I'm just worried about this coughing situation. If I feel phlegm and start choking, I'm going to cough no matter what. ANyone have a suggestion? Maybe a cough suppressant?

hi everyone

this site kind of made me nervous about getting tonsils and adenoids removed, but i figured four strep throats this year couldn't be as bad as this surgery. boy, was i wrong! i had surgery on wed sept 5 and overall i am glad that i got this surgery. day1 and 2 post oper were oK, but day 3 was terrible. i have ear pain and sore throat like you wouldn't believe, but after reading every post on this site, some of the suggestions are really valid ones. What works for me is to take my liquid hydrocodone evry 3 hrs vs. recommended 4 to calm the pain. I tried to go the 4 and i just cannot go that long. if i eat some breyers ice cream with the medication, not only does it numb the pain, but it makes the pain go away(temporarily, that is) for 1-2 hrs. i hope this continues to work. also, the ice pack works on the back the neck. pray for me, and i will do the same for each of u. cause from what i am reading i have not exited the rough part of the woods yet. sorry, if i seem to be rambling on and on,but i am trying to get out the details as i think of them. i guess that's what medication will do 4 ya.

I am on day 5 post op and i am in so much pain i didnt think it was possible to be in. I has a baby 9 weeks ago and had a very difficult labour and was very ill but i think i would rather do that again than this if i am honest.

My pain killers which are cocodamol an diclofenac seem to have no effect now. I was not given any antibiotics and had to go to A&E tonight because the pain was just so bad. I was told i have an infection and now have antibiotics. Please someone tell me that this will get better. Should i be resting, i dont know how much activity i should be doing. I keep fantasizing about food. Everything tastes like wet cardboard and now i am freaking out about the whole scab thing. I feel lke there is something back there but i can hardly open my mouth to have a look.

so i was pretty nervous about this surgery because i've never been through one before.. never experienced great amounts of pain either. i think i had a cautery technique --half of my throat is a gray or white colour. really disgusting. im 26.

surgery day was fine. very little pain. very little. i was thinking to myself 'holy sh*t i must have a pretty high tolerance to pain!'. morphine is awesome.
as much water as possible. no food. didnt take any pain meds. at night i was concerned i would choke on my own saliva though so i slept upright in a chair.

day 2: again, very little pain. i think the morphine used the day before was still working a bit... or maybe the body was still in a shock state or something. 'wow im rock hard!'. as much water as possible. no food other than popsicles but soon sick of sugar. was not taking any pain meds until i got a massive headache . from then on i have not been able to stop taking them every 4 hours(extra strength acetominophine not the heavy pain meds given by my doc)---ambient pain comes back after maybe 3 hours. slept again in the chair.

day 3: pain. pain. pain. slept a lot. couldnt eat anything until later in the day and then only a bit of soup. ' oh my god this is too much pain'. pain in my throat when swallowing. pain in neck. pain in ears! frequent headaches. used ice pack for neck and ears. discovered best way to drink water without pain (worked for me maybe it'll work for you).
---hold up cup to mouth as if you're going to chug something but only take small gulps down the center of your tongue keeping the throat open. i've found this method the best b/c you get more water down (which is good for recovery) while getting it down in least painful way (first gulp hurts but subsequent ones feel less painful b/c cool water is covering them). this method is opposed to the quick sip one=more pain less water.
also on this day i noticed that water tastes really bad!!! actually everything does. i guess this has something to do either with infection or something. my girlfriend made us watch a comedy. i started to smile but it hurt so i covered up my face and was shaking my hand so she would stop laughing. but she couldnt stop and i end up laughing (not out-loud) and laughing and then crying because of pain. inflammation and pain up considerable after this episode. DONT laugh or cry:)

day 4: same or more pain. ears feel as if they're going to pop. throat is really really inflamed. taking meds as i'm spose to though... using multiple icepacks. voice is somewhat audible. sound kinda like a duck. im told it's not good to talk so im keeping it to a minimum. still not really eating food. ive tried to eat some bread, some alphagetti, some manicotti, some popsicles, but after a few mouthhalffulls my throat is screaming.

right now it's in the afternoon of the fourth day. pain is ok right now. it kinda ebbs and flows. it's good to get outside and walk around a bit (not too much b/c of lack of calories) to get some fresh air and to remind yourself why you had the surgery done in the first place! it's going to get better. i had a client tell me this over and over the day before my surgery and i've repeated it many many times.

here's to hoping tomorrow it gets better!

My tonsils are coming out and im scared to death :-( Im 33 and was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphona in 2000. I went into remission in 2001 and now, 6 years later they think it may be back. I had a PET Scan done (have them every 2 years or so) and my tonsils and nasal pharynx were lit up, which means cancer cells were detected. So, I go on Wed. to have them removed. I understand the recovery is pure HELL! But, is it hell because of the pain in your mouth? Not being able to eat or drink? being tired?
Im wondering what its like for a week or 2 after. Did you do things around the house or run small errands? Or were you confined to your bed with ice chips? haha I have 2 small kids...i cant be stuck in bed 24/7 even if i do have a little help here and there.
Id love someone to let me know how they spent their 2 weeks after surgery as well as some food suggestions. I was told nothing "red" and of course the only flvor icicle/jello i like is cherry and strawberry...LOL I dont like milkshakes or yogurt either.

Ok, looking forward to hearing from you all...
Dawn~

Hi Dawn,
I'm a 26 year old male and had my tonsils removed because of breathing problems. The recovery is pretty painful. I am currently on day 7 after the surgery and am still in significant pain. The pain is definately not as bad as it was the first couple of days but i believe that the scab is starting to fall off now, which is more annoying than painful. I was not able to eat the first couple of days at all and had to force down some water just to stay hydrated. I havent heard that you can't eat red things, I've been pretty much only eating cherry jello for a week until yesterday. Other things i have been able to eat are mashed potatoes, overcooked pasta and soups. The thing is I don't have much of an appetite due to the pain that comes with swallowing. I found the best way to eat is a half hour to an hour after you take your pain meds. As for minor errands and doing things around the house. I have had a suprising amount of energy, more than i thought i would. I went out yesterday to the supermarket to get some soups and to just get out a little. My best advice for you would be to take the pain meds when youre supposed to even if you dont think you need them. Keep some ice packs on your neck and ears due to the swelling and pain. I bought a humidifier to put in my room when i sleep which has definately helped with the dry throat in the morning. Most importantly keep hydrated it may hurt to swallow but its worth it. Very cold ice water seems to work the best for me. Just remember that as bad as things will get they will ultimately get better and this is something that you need to have done. I wish you the best of luck and hope everything works out for you.

I got my tonsils took out on 9/4/2007 it was not that painful. It is just very uncomfortable. What made the pain come is when i had to cough uo the mucus that hurt like hell. But other than that it was fine. I just have a hard time ajusting going back to work because i got use to being sleep around this time. Its better if you get them out because you dont have to go throught the pain of tonsillitis again.

i had my tonsils removed on the 6th of september. after a night of pain i realized the next day i could not taste anything at all. is anyone else going through this/or has gone through this? its so frustrating because it makes it real hard to keep my strength up while struggling to eat. :'(

I am on Day 6 and gotta say this website assured me I am not alone in ehat I am going through. I had a newer method of tonsillectomy done which is with radio therapy waves and cooler temperatures than the traditional method with heat. Supposedly, the recovery time is half compared to the traditional way so I went for it.
Make sure you are not allergic to ehatever meds they prescribe you. I was allergic to Vcodin, so I am on liquid codeine. It has not bothered my stomach at all. I have not thrown up but I have been constipated for 6 days now. Isn' that awesome.
The pain is pretty bad days 1-3. And then on day for a piece of my tissue came up and freaked me out. My doctor said he sowed my blood vesels so they don't bleed during recovery. WHIPEE!

I hold my ears when I swallow. It helps me.

Your Best Friend THrough This:
ice packs for your throat
chicken broth
liquid medicine....take it on time or 1 hour earlier if you don't want to shoot yorself
popsicles
NO ACIDIC FOOD, OR SPICY FOOD, OR SOLIDS=PAIN
Keep your mouth hydrated or you will be sorry, don't let it get dry

Late nights b/w 3-7am is hard if you forget to wake up for your meds. Put your alarm on.

Have someone by you for the first 4 days.

Don't talk a lot. It stresses your voice box.

So, now I am waiting for the wonderful part of scabs to fall off....

Good luck to you all. It is all worth it in the end.

I just made a new topic, when I probably should have just posted in here.

I'm going to repost it -

"I'm an 18-year-old female, living in the UK. I had my tonsillectomy on Wednesday, which would make me day 5/6.

Firstly, I've gone through agony over the past few days (which was expected, yet I didnt envisage it to be this bad! You never really can...). My throat and my tongue feel like c**p, and as of today, I've felt a different sort of pain in my throat - instead of the usual 'sandbelt switched on, full blast', it now feels constantly like I'm being pinched with tweezers.I assume this is the membrane falling away? Alos I've felt nauseous, faint and achey (which I hadn't been feeling prior to today).

I'm on Diclofenac, Paracetemol and Codeine - which were working until today, but now they seem to be less effective.

Anyway, I'll get to the point. I'm supposed to start University on Wednesday. My family don't seem to understand why I'm terrified to leave the house, and whilst I'm certainly not planning on being the life and soul of the 'party', right now I really don't think I can manage the outside world at all. But obviously my family just assume that I'm using my tonsillectomy as an excuse not to start this part of my life, which is ridiculous.
I just want to know how long it took others sufferers to recover (even though I know not all cases are the same) or any advice or opinions at all.

I would love to not have to miss out on my first week of Uni, but at the same time, I don't want to rush my recovery - I'm terrified of unexpected bleeding, fainting because I feel uncomfortable, or catching an infection.

I know my post is a big long ramble, so if you got up to hear, thanks for listening to me :) "

And as for the 'dont eat solids or talk' thing, here in the UK, it seems to be the opposite. straight after my recovery from anaesthetic I was encouraged to eat as normally as I can and talk as much as possible- to get the muscles working and prevent hemorrage. It was (still is) ridiculously painful, but I think it makes more sense this way? I've ate toast (on day one!), regular meals, fish, chips, popcorn, and loads more. Also I've had a few really long phone calls with friends to keep the vocal chords flexing. Hopefully in the long term, this method will work out for me.

Well, this is how it's been going with me. I'm a 23 year old guy.

I got the surgery on the 12th, and immediately after the operation I went and got 2 soft tacos from taco bell. I ate mexican food not 3 hours after having my tonsils out. The first day was a blast. I was so messed up because of the pain medication that I was talking and laughing and having a good time. I even ate some chicken and noodles with mashed potatoes later on in the day.

Day 2 was also fine. I was in a little pain, but nothing too severe. I started having to take stool softeners because of the vicodin. I still was able to eat chicken and noodles, but anything other than that hurt too much. I was constantly drinking Propel or water.

Day 3 was a little worse. I hadn't had to go number 2 since the surgery, and I think that caused me to get really bad acid reflux. Also, my uvula was really swollen and my throat was hurting a lot more. I was still able to eat and drink. I figured if I could keep stuff down that the nutrients from it would help me heal and keep up my immune system.

Day 4-5 were about the same as 3, but progressively getting better. I kept eating and drinking and taking my pain meds as often as was allowed. I also started drinking smoothies which helped with the swelling in the back of my throat.

Day 6 I felt much better. My throat was no longer all that sore, and I was regular with my trips to the bathroom again, still taking the stool softeners and magnesium pills. I was also able to mix up what I ate a bit. Unfortunately on day 4 I had started to lose my sense of taste, and everything started tasting bad. I did find one thing that still tasted right, cinnamon toast. So I had some of that and some french toast. I also ate some popcorn.

Day 7 I felt fine. A little pain in my throat from where the scabs had started to come off, but nothing too bad. However, it's really gross when the scabs start coming off. Pieces of the scar tissue started coming off that were about as large as a quarter. Brownish yellow chunks of dead flesh the consistency of cottage cheese. Coughing them up is rather gross, but don't freak out. It's suppose to happen.

Now I'm on day 8 and I'm doing my best to make sure to get all the loose scar tissue off that I can. The left side of my throat is starting to get sore again, but nowhere near as bad as the first few days. I believe it's because the freshly grown tissue underneath the scar tissue is now exposed. I've only experienced minor bleeding, nothing too serious. I've managed to get most of the scar tissue off of the right side of my throat by gargling with mouthwash and water, and clearing my sinuses. It's gross, but I feel better after doing it.

I believe that eating from day one has helped me heal much faster, and kept my immune system in check. I'd suggest to anyone who gets their tonsils out to try to eat as soon as they feel they can. Your body needs the vitamins and nutrients in food in order to keep your immune system up. Chicken and noodles or soup are both good choices.

That is hilarious! That must be the worst advice ever. Stop lying. You should not eat solids for 2 weeks unless you want to bleed and get cauterized in the doctor's office. Straining you voice by speaking more is the dumbest thing I ever heard. Are people that stupid in the UK? Also do not eat warm food till 2 weeks unless you want bleeding to happen.



As for me, on day 7 I had bleeding start. It freaked me out. It was a lot of blood and I assume it was the scabs that were falling because they were not there anymore the following day. The doc said the bleeding occurred because I had warm food which encourages bleeding. Thankfully, he said my healing was going great and I did not have to get cauterized. He said not to strain my voice because if my new raw skin gets irratated, my blood vessels could break open and then I would need to get cauterized. Anyways, I feel the pain has dramatically decreased since the scabs came off. I had my first night of full sleep on day 8. We'll see what happens!

Funny seeing how I've been eating solid foods since hour 3 and I've been fine. I've also been talking a lot.



I'm on day 7 and I've only have very very little bleeding. Almost all my scabs are off and I'm doing dandy.

I had my tonsills out at the age of 45. If I had known how much pain I would have been in I wouldnt have had it done. A week after the op I collapsed due to dehydration, this was because I was constantly vomiting. They discovered I had an infection and put me on antibiotics. Then I haemoraged and had to be admitted to hospital and have my throat cautorised. This left me with the feeling that I had something stuck to the back of my throat and I had the constant fear that I would choake or not be able to breathe. I was off work for over a month and still dont feel right nearly 3 months later.