weight gain after tonsillectomy

Just wanted to add another side of the story.  Although I had never had a sore throat, swallowing difficulties, or other issues with my throat, I had my tonsils and adenoids removed when I was 5 (my mother had undiagnosed Munchausen-by proxy).  I didn't gain weight after the surgery as a child.  I was thin as a teenager and was a cheerleader.   I'm in my late 20's today and have always been a very thin person.  My mother is very overweight and obesity runs in my family.  I was actually just doing research to see if the tonsillectomy caused me to be thinner.  However, after reading the many posts to the contrary, thinking it may be coincidence...

My nine year old granddaughter had her tonsils and aednoids removed last fall.  They had been enlarged for years but became larger inaround age of 7.  She snored at night and sometimes stopped breathing.   Anyways, I had read somewhere that after the surgery, thyroid disease could rear it's ugly head.  I have been concerned as there is already thyroid disease in the family! and extended family both sides!   She too has gained weight but not overly. But with puberty beginning I am afraid to see what's coming!  Hopefully, my daughter will take heed.  The most recent development has me really wondering.   She has been diagnosed with scolisois.  Has anyone else had this issue?

Wow amazing. I am 56 and had my tonsils removed4 months ago and have gained over 10 lbs for no reason I can think of. I too am wondering if this is realated!

I am 15 years old - I had my tonsils removed when I was about to turn 14. I was very slim (5'2" and 107 pounds). Almost immediately the weight gain began. Within 2 months I was 125 lbs - I would be happy to even see that number on a scale again - and I hadn't even changed my diet or my activeness. Another couple months (somewhere around December last year) I was 135 lbs. I was freaking out - I had no idea why I was gaining all this weight! My mom is health nut so there's not a lot of junk food in our home - mostly everything I eat is homecooked and organic. We were constantly going to the doctors trying to find out if I had developed diabetes or if there was something wrong with my thyroid, but nothing! They stopped taking us seriously and thought I was just being a lazy overeating teenage girl. I've tried doing so many exercise programs but none of it has worked. I've tried eating even MORE healthier than I already do and nothing. It's been 2 years and here I am struggling to keep myself barely under 150. I went to the doctors the other day and when they saw I was 5'2" and weighed 149.2 and my BMI was over 30% they told me I was obese and needed to start working out. This has effected every aspect of my life. The doctors should've told us that this was happening among other people. I just really hope that one day something will help.

did anything come up in blood work? this sounds a lot like my child, but he was 5. At his 6 year appointment, he'd gained 30lb since his 5-year checkup. Since then he's ballooned up, he's a tall kid for his age (8) but way too heavy for his height. Super depressing.

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My son was 2 yrs 11 months when having tubes in ears, tonsils and adenoids removed. He has gained 20 pounds in a year and is very active.... struggling while looking for answers.....

 

I and my son have both gained too much weight after the same surgery. I have recently been diagnosed with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis- I am learning that if you have this problem that the thyroid could have had the blood halted during surgery, that the thyroid panels they are running May not be the right panel& that this causes a sensitivity to gluten not necessarily celiac's just a sensitivity to gluten. I sympathize with you, I have been frustrated with the medical community not understanding this issue, but now I think it hurt my immune system & I am going to see if cutting out gluten changes how I feel ( tired) & My weight!

Not only did this happen to my son but to me! He played basketball, football & ran track . I have just been diagnosed with Hashimoto's & the more I read I think that having the tonsils removed can sometimes cut the blood supply to the thyroid off for a short time doing damage to the thyroid. I am also learning Hashimoto's can cause a sensitivity to gluten not Celiac's but a sensitivity. This in itself can cause a weight issue. People who didn't have this happen don't understand it is real. It does not mean you are lazy or eat wrong, however something happens to a percentage of the people after surgery for tonsil & adenoids

I am over 60. Had my tonsils removed at 6 years old. Since that moment I have been hungry ALL the time. It is not a matter of just eating too much. Certainly the calories put on the pounds. Also, I was an active child. The state of hunger is an overwhelming emotion. A couple of years ago I discovered salicylates triggered my hunger. Have lost weight without thinking about hunger. Don't be quick to judge. Took me almost 60 years and countless diets to figure it out. I thank God every day for revealing the answer.

Thank you for this very positive comment. Makes me look at my situation differently now! Thank you!!

You really need to get your thyroid tested again. Not just a blood test, there are more accurate tests. My daughter has a thyroid disease and you have lots of the symptoms.

I was 5 or 6 when I had mt tonsils pulled I was skinny kid and I have the picture to proof it too. After the surgery I started gaining weight and I was call a husky size kid. All of my life I have been trying to find out why i gained weight even the doctors say there is nothing wrong with me my thyroid is fine then why an I fat. None of my girls are fat at all so I know there has to be something. Doctors say its because of my diet but I've proved them wrong and they can't come up with an answer. Somebody has to knoe why and how it can be fixed.

I am 59 years old & when I was 8 years old, I had my tonsils & adenoids removed due to a stuffy nose that caused difficulty breathing & sleepless nights. The doctor told my mom that I might gain weight. I was of normal weight & gained 30 pounds within a year. This was devastating for a child. I continued to gain weight & struggled most of my life with diets, obesity & tiredness. I've been researching the cause for years because I know there's a definite link. From what I've experienced & researched, there appears to be a connection with the thyroid.

Same Exact situation here. I had my Tonsils out two years ago at the age of 34. I haven't changed my eating habits too much and I'm not doing any less activities than I did in the past. I'm not saying I was a toothpick but at this point, I'm at the heaviest I've ever been in my life, including during any of my three pregnancies! I was so frustrated with going to the doctors and I have even gone to the ER for related issues. I finally asked my Primary Physician to test my hormone levels (I don't know why this wasn't included in my semi-annual lab work) and it was revealed that I have Hypothyroidism. I was told that my levels were significantly low. I don't understand why I had to research this myself and ask my doctor to test me. I have been given multiple prescriptions over time to treat different things and I refused to take them because I didn't feel that what they were saying was wrong with me was accurate. I argued with a doctor that I was referred to because he began the examination by telling me that I was overweight. I would really like to go back to these "Specialists" and inform them of my diagnosis to prove that it wasn't all in my head. My symptoms were affecting my home, my work, my personal relationships, and anything else that involved my having energy. I have only been on the Thyroid medication for about 4 weeks and I'm starting to feel a bit of a difference.

I had mine out at age 7, I was skinny as anything. By age 10 I was obese and I didn't know it until I was getting bullied. I was as active and ate the same as I did before. At age 16 I researched and found that they had made a correlation between the two but apparently it was only responsible for a small gain. Judging by how many comments I've read over the years this is a blatant lie. I have not been able to get my body fat level under 25%, I am now 31 and still obese, but surprisingly to others I seem very fit and that is because I am strong and fit on the inside I just can't get my body to show it on the outside