Tonsillectomy recover uncomfortable feeling in back of throat not going away

I am so glad to have found this forum....everything else I have been reading has said the recovery is only 2 weeks long...i am 40 years old and had a tonsillectomy ( the ENT in Cincinnati is supposedly known for his great surgical skills) 2 months ago. I have that lump feeling in my throat too. I dislike eating and the "lump" feeling gets worse after I eat and my speech even will sound garbled. 

 

suzie..I also do get pain on the right side...in one way I'm glad to feel after reading this that it's scar tissue ( I've been back to my ENT twice and he has said nothing of the sort..blows me off with " You'll recover, all of my patients do"...but this feeling is driving me crazy, affecting enjoyment of life and when the pain comes..it feels like it's coming from a damaged nerve on the right side. The right side hurt 10X worse than the left side from the moment i woke up from the surgery.

suzie, you were seeing your doctor again today..what did they say? I also read about Eagle's syndrome and that scared me. but could that form ( the tonsil fossila area forms bone) so quickly after a tonsillectomy??

Donna

Hi Donna, I am so sorry it has taken me so long to reply. I have pretty much been in a deep depression since I went back to my ENT. First of all, I am so sorry that you are in so much pain and discomfort. I can completely relate as I have been feeling the same way. I have the scar tissue as well and at times I just want to tell my ENT to take it out so I can at least feel like I have a normal throat. I mostly have pain on my left side, but recently it has been switching so it is in the middle and sometimes to the right.



I have been to several ENT's and at first they said it was the scar tissue, and now they are telling me that it is soooo unusual to have any pain and they have not seen this too many times. My one ENT says he is pretty confident that I have glossopharnygeal neuralgia (GPN) which I pray to God every night that I don't have. I do not have the typical symptoms of it, my pain is constant and mostly on the left side in the tonsil area and down the middle. Typical GPN is characterized by shooting episodic pain, although sometimes the nerve is so damaged that it is becomes constant pain. I have been a wreck since thinking that this what I have because it is the most awful debilitating condition you can have with not a lot of relief except for nerve medicine etc. The only surgical treatment is brain surgery to cut the nerve or remove the pressure it is putting on the glossopharnygeal nerve.



So, the other ENT I saw said it was way too early to say if I have GPN or not and both ENT's seem to think the pain will go away once the scar tissue resolves but both say the pain is not normal at all. I did go to another ENT at one of the best hospitals here in Denver and he thought I could have Eagles Syndrome and ordered a CT scan to rule it out. I decided not to get the test but mostly will be having an MRI, ect in the next few weeks.



Both ENT's have told me that I need to see a neurologist as this pain is caused by something in the brain, so I am scheduling an appointment.



There is not a lot they can test for in regard to GPN, other than numbing the nerve to see if your pain goes away.



I still think I am going to be fine once the scar tissue goes away but am growing more sad and depressed by the day thinking that my pain actually has to do with a nerve in the brain.



I am not saying this is what is going on with you, but if you have pain on one side in the tonsil area, it is a good chance it is a nerve thing.



I know how you feel Donna and if you want to call me or email so we can talk about things directly, I would love to speak with you. My ENT's have said the same. Oh the scar tissue will go away and the pain- bla bla bla- it has been 7 months for me and they now both don't want to deal with me and are shipping me off to the neurologist.



I can barely function because of the pain- it is pretty much ruining my life so I know the feeling.



Are you feeling any better pain wise? I would recommend moving forward because trust me I did not get better after two months and has been no change in my symptoms. Talk to your ENT about the nerve issue because my ENT has been pretty honest with me as depressing as it is. Everyday I wake up and wonder when this nightmare is going to end and the pain. I keep praying about it.



Let me know how you are doing. -Suzie

svantate wrote:

Doglover211 wrote:

I am so glad to have found this forum....everything else I have been reading has said the recovery is only 2 weeks long...i am 40 years old and had a tonsillectomy ( the ENT in Cincinnati is supposedly known for his great surgical skills) 2 months ago. I have that lump feeling in my throat too. I dislike eating and the "lump" feeling gets worse after I eat and my speech even will sound garbled. 

 

suzie..I also do get pain on the right side...in one way I'm glad to feel after reading this that it's scar tissue ( I've been back to my ENT twice and he has said nothing of the sort..blows me off with " You'll recover, all of my patients do"...but this feeling is driving me crazy, affecting enjoyment of life and when the pain comes..it feels like it's coming from a damaged nerve on the right side. The right side hurt 10X worse than the left side from the moment i woke up from the surgery.

suzie, you were seeing your doctor again today..what did they say? I also read about Eagle's syndrome and that scared me. but could that form ( the tonsil fossila area forms bone) so quickly after a tonsillectomy??

Donna

Hi Donna, I am so sorry it has taken me so long to reply. I have pretty much been in a deep depression since I went back to my ENT. First of all, I am so sorry that you are in so much pain and discomfort. I can completely relate as I have been feeling the same way. I have the scar tissue as well and at times I just want to tell my ENT to take it out so I can at least feel like I have a normal throat. I mostly have pain on my left side, but recently it has been switching so it is in the middle and sometimes to the right.

I have been to several ENT's and at first they said it was the scar tissue, and now they are telling me that it is soooo unusual to have any pain and they have not seen this too many times. My one ENT says he is pretty confident that I have glossopharnygeal neuralgia (GPN) which I pray to God every night that I don't have. I do not have the typical symptoms of it, my pain is constant and mostly on the left side in the tonsil area and down the middle. Typical GPN is characterized by shooting episodic pain, although sometimes the nerve is so damaged that it is becomes constant pain. I have been a wreck since thinking that this what I have because it is the most awful debilitating condition you can have with not a lot of relief except for nerve medicine etc. The only surgical treatment is brain surgery to cut the nerve or remove the pressure it is putting on the glossopharnygeal nerve.

So, the other ENT I saw said it was way too early to say if I have GPN or not and both ENT's seem to think the pain will go away once the scar tissue resolves but both say the pain is not normal at all. I did go to another ENT at one of the best hospitals here in Denver and he thought I could have Eagles Syndrome and ordered a CT scan to rule it out. I decided not to get the test but mostly will be having an MRI, ect in the next few weeks.

Both ENT's have told me that I need to see a neurologist as this pain is caused by something in the brain, so I am scheduling an appointment.

There is not a lot they can test for in regard to GPN, other than numbing the nerve to see if your pain goes away.

I still think I am going to be fine once the scar tissue goes away but am growing more sad and depressed by the day thinking that my pain actually has to do with a nerve in the brain.

I am not saying this is what is going on with you, but if you have pain on one side in the tonsil area, it is a good chance it is a nerve thing.

I know how you feel Donna and if you want to call me or email so we can talk about things directly, I would love to speak with you. My ENT's have said the same. Oh the scar tissue will go away and the pain- bla bla bla- it has been 7 months for me and they now both don't want to deal with me and are shipping me off to the neurologist.

I can barely function because of the pain- it is pretty much ruining my life so I know the feeling.

Are you feeling any better pain wise? I would recommend moving forward because trust me I did not get better after two months and has been no change in my symptoms. Talk to your ENT about the nerve issue because my ENT has been pretty honest with me as depressing as it is. Everyday I wake up and wonder when this nightmare is going to end and the pain. I keep praying about it.

Let me know how you are doing. -Suzie

suzie,
I became so sad when I ready our post because I also think this is what is happening to me. so I guess this means the ENT did the surgery wrong? he must have taken out too much tissue and destroyed a nerve?

I have only seen the ENT who did the procedure but he is basically done with me...so I have looked online and will see another one at University hospital in Cincinnati (where i live).


My primary care doctor just put me on Lyrica last week as she also believes this is a nerve issue. I feel the pain all the time just as you do but mine is in my right side and goes to my ear too. do you have any ear pain? I'm getting so depressed..I work and talk on the phone and I also feel like my speech is off as my throat is constantly tight.

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also, my regular doctor has started acupuncture and nerve stimulation to try to calm the nerve. if we have eagles syndrome that means it's turned to bone and the only thing to cure that is surgery. omg..i've been so worried.

I am in the same boat. I had tonsoillectomy almost 4 years ago and I have been suffering from the complications since. I feel something stuck on the one side of the back of my throat all the time. It gags me when I talk. My throat feels tight. I have been too a numbers of doctors for 2nd opinions. One of the doctor did another procedure trying to correct the scar tissue but nothing improves! For me, I feel there is no way out. Yes, I feel depressed every day.

I get this all te time Its been 6months since I had my op,but I've got a constant gritty feeling in my throat! It makes me gag all the time its awful. If I move my tounge it gets worse it's like I've got a lump of food lodged it often makes me sick! I've tried everything to get rid of the feeling and nothing works. I ended up going the doctors and the said if it don't change in 2weeks come bk,if I had known half the thongs I was going to experience I would not have had it done! I can't taste, I'm always ill and I've also got a crappy chalky texture in the bk of my throat when you Ashdod help you get phobbed off. I also would like to know of this gets better :0) Laura

I had a tonsillectomy and adnoidectomy done two in a half weeks ago. I was in major pain days 1-8. By day 9, I felt soreness but no pain. I feel that if you feel sore, it is because you are healing. I see white film covering my bumps back there, which I call my burnt victim bumps. That is after all what they did back there, burn the back of your throat. Anywho, I feel like I have flem back there, and that is annoying. The feeling that you can't swallow your food, and you need a big gulp of liquid to wash it down. Unfortunatley this forum is all the info I have on this feeling and what is causing it. My biggest recomendation for all patients who have gotten a tonsillectomy is, drink nothing but ice water. You will heal beautifly, the pain is lessen by the ice, your body is fully flushed with water, so it helps you heal. The ice constricts blood vessels so bleeding is less likely, and most of all, it's easier to wash down that scar tissue, everyone is talking about. What has been said makes a lot of sense, and sounds logical. I'm sure post nasal drip may also have an effect on that bothersome feeling. But swear by that cold water, and maybe some ibuprofen. I gargled, and that helped that feeling too. I'm feel great most days, just a little sore at times, and that feeling of something stuck in my throat that I can't spit out. The most annoying thing for me these days is sneezing, and yawning. Both hurt, and sneezing is so gross, cause it goes everywhere! It's disgusting. But to close off this experience of mine, anyone you know, and use it for yourself too, if you have or are getting a tonsillectomy done, no matter if it's week two stick to the ICE WATER! You'll feel relief. Now, to feeling better, and having a great recovery.

Have to ask a question. How long was it before you could taste food and it taste right?

Hello so I had it done 1 week and 1 day ago, I know that it's still early but I too have that lump feeling in my throat, it's so sore and my whole left side feels tight and causes difficulty swallowing. I would have thought this was completely normal but my right side is painless, so I went to see a doctor who diagnosed the problem as thrush (from the penicillin) I've been given some drops and hopefully this clears it up. This may be completely irrelevant to everyone but I thought as the pain you are describing is how I feel it may be worth asking about thrush.

I got my tossils out toaday and i fel the same way when i have to swallow cold my mom said my voice is leaving and to be quiet

i am curious as to see if this has improved for you since this post?!

It's been a month since my surgery and I'm having kind of the same uncomfortable feeling. My uvula is longer now and sometimes I gag. My speech is different and I have a lisp now. Noone seems to notice but Im definitely not speaking the same. I think my voice is the same but I'm struggling now to get the words out. I had a follow up 2 weeks after and the doc said they can cut down my uvula. No way do I want anymore surgery or pain!!

Hi Stephen or anyone who can help! I am on day 8 of recovery from tonsillectomy and have been in hell since the beginning. However, it's not from the pain, but the sensation of gagging on the right side of my throat/back of mouth. I still can't speak because every time I move my tongue to speak it makes me gag. Could this just be part of the healing and scanning process?? It feels like every bite of food I have, it gets stuck on that side too. The rest of my throat is healing ok. Just one sided. Please help :(

Suzie, I know this is late but I just received an email indicating that I had a response waiting for me, so sorry!

I am really sorry that you are going through so much pain and mental grief from this surgery. I wish things were different for you. It has been 3 1/2 years since my surgery and I am totally fine now. The scarring went away after 4 months or so and I have forgotten about it. I am sorry to hear about the possible GNP and have never heard of this condition before. I hope that in the long time it has taken me to read your response you have fully healed and gone past this horrible phase or recovery.

I feel terrible as I don't have any information for you at this point, but I truly hope you feel better and get past all this.

Please, if you have any more questions let me know.

Be well,
Stephen

I know the feeling and I can only tell you that in my case the gagging sensation did go away. Unfortunately it is something that you have to get through. The only thing that helped me was keeping busy (and drink tons of water). I know that is really of no consolation to you but this is something that time needs to heal, but in my case I did get through it and have completely forgotten about it at this point. I wish you well and a speedy recovery, Stephen