Tongue pain after tonsillectomy

hi i had my tonsillectomy done 8 days ago and I am 21 years old. I got them taken out because I had like 5 different infections in 5 months. I would literally get sick if I walked on the floor bafooted, then 3 days later an infection. I also had strept a few times in high school. Plus my 'lympth note' (thats what the doc called it) had been swollen for along long time and it hurt. So after the surgey I was not in too much pain.. A few days later I've been having alot of ear pain, and ice packs save my life. Ummm my mouth is hurt, my tongue is all swollen and it hurts and it's yellow and white on the back. When I brush my teeth I brush my tongue but it still doesn't turn it's original color. I have lost weight = ( I'm already really skinny so I don't want this. I'll gain the weight back I'm sure, as soon as I can eat again. Swallowing water, food, even saliva hurts! But if I swallow quickly it's much better, then I shake off the pain. Never have I been thro anything like this, but I'm glad it's almost over. I'm so sick of being stuck in bed doing, almost everytime I get up my area which got surgery on starts pumping, pain starts and I can feel my pulse in my head. Sometimes I wwake up from my sleep because of the burning pain. Okay I'm having pain this moment got to go take some pain killer.

Definitely making me feel better.

I'm 26, I've had chronic tonsillitis and strep since I was a child and finally after getting tonsiliths, pockets, horrible pain, and strep recurring every 2 months for the past 4 years they took my tonsils. Today is day 9. I keep reading the little thing they tell me and laughing, about how it says you can start adding solid food back after a couple of days.

Yeah. Right. I've had one real "meal" in 9 days, everything else is bites here and there of things that I basically have to gum down and force myself to swallow. Swallowing water, hurts. Applesauce, hurts. Anything, hurts. If it isn't sharp stabbing, or horrible burning pain in my throat, it's these weird tongue spasms and pharyngeal spasms that make me almost want to scream my head off. Pain medicine helps, but trying to choke it down is a chore in and of itself.

I knew things were going to be more difficult as an adult, and as a nurse myself, I thought I was more aware or prepared, but I keep finding that I'm not as prepared as I thought. I can't even dry swallow right now without feeling like something's trying to rip through my throat, and anything I do manage to eat, I swear it feels like it's just sitting there lodged in the back of my throat, waiting around.


I do feel somewhat better now though, because at least I'm not the ONLY one. If it was just me, I'd be a lot more worried and panicked that something had gone wrong during the procedure and we just weren't aware, or I wasn't aware of how to ask the right questions, but since so many people are complaining of these symptoms, I'm hopeful that eventually it'll get better.

Has anyone had these spasms though? When I swallow, it's like the base of my tongue just goes numb and vibrates for a moment, before there's a sudden intense pain. Anyone else had that?



P.S:

Also had thrush as well, on Diflucan as we speak for it actually.

It's day 7 for me, and since day 2 I felt some sort of sharp pain in the back on my tongue. I have no idea. but it's like in the corners of the back of my tongue near my throat, the back of my throat is fine, but when I swallow I feel a sharp pain on one of the sides if food or something touches it. If it gets really bad it starts hurting my ears. I figured frozen fantas from McDonalds always help, ice cream and stuff actually always sting my sores.

 

Is this just scabs forming? or is it something else?

stacydelgado wrote:

Thanks a lot, people! My son was supposed to get his tonsils and adenoids taken out tomorrow. Since reading all of your posts, he now refuses to go to the hospital. You people have scared him to death!! He has frequent tonsillitis, so you people are all; jeopardizing his health! And for what? Posting how you feel afterward? Give me a break!!!

Really sir?! we are talking about our pain to see if anyone has something in common, if we do then we feel comfortable that NOTHING IS WRONG WITH US! don't rant about this, don't come and research, tell your son not to research atleast. The younger you are, the better it is!

Hi I am a 16 yr old female. I just had surgery on Wed got my tonsils & adnoids removed. My throat hurts but not too bad haven't yet to have a fever or ear ache. Though the tip of my tounge more to the right side is so numb I can bite it and feel it but it is just numb don't understand why. It looks like the rest of my tounge. I haven't been hungry at all but iv been makeing myself eat in fear of makeing myself sick. Once I got home from the surgical center I puked and there was some blood in it which I was told was prob just blood from the surgery. Haven't puked since and im so happy for that.

I am a 13 year old female. I had surgery (tonsils and adenoids removed) on Wednesday, and it is my second day. I have been having strep/viruses related to my throat every month, and many doctors said I should get them removed. My throat is painful, and so are my ears. It is hard to swallow water/other fluids, though I understand I need them to keep me from getting dehydrated. I am forcing them down my throat, but every time I swallow, it burns! : (

Okay so I had my tonsillectomy just yesterday. My first thought was how bad  my tongue felt. I was considering getting my tongue pierced sometime, totally not going to now because I would not be able to put up with the pain.I haven't been able to sleep because of my tongue. It is so swollen with mucus blocking my throat. I tried spitting some up, helped a little, but I still can barely swollen. Water keeps getting lodging in the holes where my tonsils were and its so very irritating. My boyfriend is taking care of me luckily, but I try not to pester him much. I feel like a giant baby and I'm 25 so I shouldn't. I had chronic tonsillitis since January of this year, 9 cases all year so I was ready to get my tonsils removed, but now I regret it because I never hurt from tonsillitis. I missed work so much though and too many doctor bills. I just want to know when the mucus will subside so I can breath and swallowing again. I ate some soup, yogurt, and tried to eat some mac & cheese. I could barely get any of it down. I have oxycodin for my pain killers, and some steroid pills in which I take 6 the first day, 5 2nd, 4 3rd, 3 4th, 2 5th, and 1 6th. I wonder if the steroids will help. I didn't take them yet because everyone was telling me to start on them the 2nd day since I got them later in the evening. My neck is very swollen currently too. Popsicles and dairy seem to make the mucus worse. The doctor said my tonsils were very large when he removed them so maybe recovery time will be longer. Please dear lord I hope not. So I totally recommend getting your children's tonsils removed asap so they won't have to go through this. I just want to curl up in a little ball and die at the moment. Slightly depressed and very aggravated about swallowing. Oh and when I try to land down the sleep I can breathe with my nose pointed upward towards the ceiling, I have to lay on my side so I can breathe. It feels like something blocks my throat hen I lay with my nose pointed to the ceiling. Normal or not?

Hello, I recently got my tonsils and adenoids removed, im actually on day 7 of recovery. I also got my turbanites in my nose trimmed and a partial septum. Ive been in quite a lot of pain, but i know in the end it will all be worth it. If you are someone seeking advice or researching before an operation. The most important thing is to drink drink drink. As much as it hurts, still drink because if you're like me and dont, you will end up in the hospital getting an iv to get fluids in you. And trust me thats not fun. But i learned now and im keeping hydrated now. Drinking water, gatorade/powerade, they have electrolytes which is good for the body. Also my mom pick up some vitacoco which is coconut water that is even better. Also eat soft foods because you dont want to take chances of scraping off the scabs. The scabs come off slowing and in parts. Mine are coming off now and the soreness come back when this happens. This healing process is literally up and down. Just drink, eat, keep up on your meds, dont get behind on them. Oh and if you stay on your pain killers, be sure to take a non cramping laxitive or something to help you because you will get constipated. I hope this info helps some of you. If you have questions just reply :) oh and one thing im not sure about and would like to know if anyone has an answer is that half of my tongue is numb-like and i dont know why. Could it be from a nerve that the dr hit?

When you experience AS MUCH pain as we ARE experiencing you NEED to know that you are not the ONLY ONE that is hurting SO BAD. How old is your SON???  Do more research so he can READ how much BETTER it is for a younger person to have this surgery than an ADULT!!! My five year old had this same surgery 5 months before me and was eating spaghetti on day 2, and only took Tylenol for Pain relief. I started out with Demerol and am no on percocets. AGE MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE WITH THIS TYPE OF SURGERY!!! DO YOUR RESEARCH!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am a 41 yr old female.  I had my tonsils and adenoids removed as well as a septoplasty 11 days ago.  First day out of hospital pain was more in the jaw and mouth area.  I believe this is from the device that holds your mouth open while they remove your tonsils.  I used lots of ice and arnica cream externally on my jaws to help with the pain.  This lasted about 3 days.  Then the pain moved to the back of my throat.  I am not going to lie.  It was the worst sore throat I have ever had....but still not unbearable.  I used bags of peas that were frozen and wrapped them around my neck.  30 minutes on 30 minutes off for 2 days.  This seemed to help alot.  Now on day 5 I start coughing up stuff that looked like half cooked hamburger meat.  Sounds gross but it is the scabs coming off which is a good thing.  Day 6 the pain moved to behind my ears which to me was the most painful part of the entire process.  This pain behind the ears last 2 days and again was not unbearable. Day 8 I am eating again with minimal pain while swallowing...ate 1/2 of a Taco salad!!!  Yeah.  Before day 8 I stuck to mash potatoes, jello, pudding and lots and lots of water!! Also would like to add....I only took pain pills till day 6. Day 9 out Christmas shopping.  Day 10 was my first full meal since surgery.  Steak, green bean, corn, baked potato, mac and cheese.  Had to chew everything 10 times the normal chewing but the pain while swallowing is nearly gone.  I feel so much better already.  Breathing better, drainage in the morning almost completely gone.  I feel like I am on the up side of the recovery.  My voice still has a little congestion to it and the back of my throat still has a few white areas where it is still healing, but most of all the pain is gone.  Hope this helps someone out there going thru the same thing.  Lots of water and ice first 8 days will do you wonders. I buy my Arnica cream at whole foods and it worked wonders on the trauma to my jaws.  Good luck to all and if you are currently in pain.......it does get better!!!!

Come on, get a life. This is what these forums are for. What are you doing searching for this stuff if you don't expect people to put their experiences?

i'm 17 years old, and i'm on day 6 of recovery. the pain seems to get WORSE every day. i wake up every night around 3am, in extreme pain. i've lost 10 pounds so far (plus) lol. but i hate watching everyone eat regular food :'( i feel like i'm never going to be able to eat like a normal person again! i'm on tylenol with codeine, it starts to make my throat feel better, then 5 mins later i'm out. it makes me have hot flashes & feel dizzy. i've had a headache, and earaches come & go :/ i am not looking forward to the scabs falling off :( which should be happening any time now...

I'm and ENT and came upon this blog out of interest.  I have read each of your responses.  There is still much to learn from the patient side, when well explained that helps after a decade of operating.  Thanks.

As regarding tongue pain, the gag holds the tongue down during the operation, and is made of metal.  Sometimes cautery heat transmits through the gag to the underlying surface layer (mucosa). As for numbness, the gag can compress the tongue long enough during the operation to cause the nerve to be squeezed.  It can take a few weeks for both of these issues to resolve themselves.

You're right that these issues, along with a long list of others, would be best shared with patients at the time of consent. I will endeavor to add them to mine. However, perhaps you could stop to understand that with all operations, there are minor parts of the recovery process (minor not because they don't hurt a lot, but minor because they resolve themselves over time), that vary widely in the general population, and don't involve a return trip to the operating room, and so don't make it into the preoperative discussion.

I do tell all adults that the recovery will be longer for them.  Swallowing, in particular, takes longer to recover in adults, sometimes several weeks before the foreign body sensation at the base of the tongue resolves itself.

18 years old: Currently I'm on day 5 post op, and the throat & ear pain is bearable and was to be expected. However, what was never mentioned was the tongue pain. Excruciating tongue pain that keeps me awake and haunts me. Was never told that the tongue was going to hurt worse than the ear/nose/throat combined. So glad you can only go through this once in your life because I never want to do this again. 

I just had my tonsils removed and my tongue is swollen and white and it hurts more than my tonsills

do any body know is this normal. they told me that they had to stich my tougue as well becouse they

cut it.