This post is recapping my experience of having a tonsillectomy as an adult (I was 28 at the time). I know the internet can sometimes be a dangerous place, but reading others’ experiences going through this procedure really helped me prepare for my own. So I’m just going to drop this here in hopes that it may someday help someone else 
Note: I am not a doctor and this post is just about my personal experience. Please consult your own physician for medical advice.
Visiting the ENT
I went to an otolaryngologist in February after experiencing the sensation of having something stuck in my throat. Imagine the feeling of getting a piece of food, like a cracker, stuck in your throat for weeks at a time. This had been happening off and on for the past 9 months but had become pretty consistent and painful beginning in January. Turns out this sensation was being caused by tonsil stones. I knew I had tonsil stones and they were very annoying and painful, but I didn’t realize they were causing this as well.
Deciding to Get My Tonsils Out
My doctor basically told me that my issues were never going to go away unless I had my tonsils removed. I weighed the pros and cons of the procedure:
Pros: The surgery is outpatient and extremely common and routine. There is only a 3% chance of complications (bleeding). I would not get tonsillitis or strep throat anymore. Surgery was pretty much the only solution to permanently eliminating tonsil stones and all of the issues they caused. I could say goodbye to all of my tonsil-cleaning tools, like my water pik:
![IMG_0663[1]](https://pcosnutritionco.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/IMG_06631.jpg "IMG_0663[1]")
Cons: Adults generally have a much harder time with tonsillectomies compared to kids, and the recovery can be very painful. My doctor spent more time talking to me about the recovery of the procedure than the actual procedure itself. He told me that many adults come back in his office and tell him that it was the worst pain they have ever experienced. This was the exact opposite of the impression I had of tonsillectomies, but the only experience I had with them was seeing my friends get them when I was in elementary school. My doctor said it was more painful in adults because of excess scar tissue building up in your tonsils over time and also just the fact that it is harder to bounce back from being hurt as you get older.
I was willing to do anything to get rid of the feeling of something being stuck in my throat, so I decided a week or two of pain was worth it.
The Procedure
The procedure itself was no big deal. I checked into the hospital at 7am, my surgery was around 9, I was in recovery by 9:30 and I was on the way home around 11:30. It was my first time going under anesthesia so I was a little scared about that, but it ended up being fine. My tonsils and all of the tonsil tissue (the skin that goes from the tonsils all the way up to the uvula) were removed. My adenoids were not.
The hospital staff was really great and my throat was practically numb by the time I was discharged. I ate 4 popsicles while in recovery and I took 2 more for the road.
The Recovery
Despite being warned of the pain of this recovery, part of me thought that I was healthy and that maybe it wouldn’t be that bad. I was wrong. So wrong. I experienced the worst pain I have ever felt in my entire life the week after this surgery.
![IMG_0554[1]](https://pcosnutritionco.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/IMG_05541.jpg)
Here’s my general summary of the two weeks after surgery:
Day 1 was okay, as my doctor had told me beforehand that I wouldn’t be in much pain because of the anesthesia. It started to get a little worse that night. I started taking my pain meds every 4 hours and ibuprofen every 4 hours.
Days 2 and 3 were awful. I cannot even describe how much pain I was in. It hurt to move. It hurt to breathe. I could not handle drinking any type of liquid, so I mainly ate jello and sucked on ice cubes. My pain was at a constant 7-8. Sleeping was the worst, and my pain reached a 10 on more than one occasion. It was miserable. I switched to a stronger pain med, which helped a lot.
Things started to get a little better Days 4 and 5. I was still taking pain meds every 2 hours and this kept my pain at a steady 5. It would spike to a 6-8 at times. I was able to start drinking very thin, cold liquids so I was able to drink Gatorade… this tasted amazing
At first, I thought Day 6 was a turning point. My pain was better and I started making “drinks” with a little bit of pureed chicken and low-sodium chicken broth. But then something happened that night and my pain shot back up to an 8. Depressing. This continued through Day 7.
Days 8 and 9 were up and down. Overall I was feeling better but then I had periods where I was in a lot of pain. I started trying to eat more solid food but it was painful.
Day 10 was a turning point. I ate pureed food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I slept for 12 hours that day (in 4 hour increments). I also drastically decreased the amount of pain medication I was taking during the day. I still look meds every 2 hours during the night.
Things started to slowly get better Days 11, 12 and 13. I think being able to finally eat soft foods made all the difference. I no longer needed to take ibuprofen around the clock. By day 13, I was taking the prescription pain med every 6 hours instead of every 4.
Today is Day 14. Last night was the first time I slept through the night… I slept 10 hours! My throat felt like it was on fire when I woke up but it was a huge relief to finally get a good nights sleep.
So as you can see, it has taken me about 2 full weeks to recover. I’m not 100% yet but I am feeling SO much better. I’m not going back to work until Friday, and hopefully at that point I will not be taking prescription pain medication anymore.
Recovery Tips & Advice
Pain management:
Talk to your doctor about your pain medication and different scenarios PRIOR to your surgery so you will feel prepared.
My doctor and pre-op nurse both stressed that it was important to stay on top of the pain (rather than “chasing” the pain), so I took my pain medication on a schedule. The times when I was in the most pain were when I overslept and took my medication later than I should have. I would recommend writing down your medications to help keep track of everything.
![IMG_0664[1]](https://pcosnutritionco.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/IMG_06641.jpg "IMG_0664[1]")
Communicate with your doctor if whatever he/she prescribes you is not cutting it. I started taking hydrocodone at first and it did not even *touch* the pain. It was a relief when I switched to something stronger.
Caregiver:
I absolutely needed someone to take care of me the day of surgery because I felt pretty out of it. But it was nice to have someone there for the days after surgery because it meant I could rest more. I don’t think I will ever be able to thank my mom and husband enough for everything they have done for me these past 2 weeks. They crushed pain pills so I could mix them with drinks, brought me about 1 million cups of ice, kept track of my medication schedule, refilled my humidifier, refilled my ice packs before I went to bed, and got up with me in the middle of the night. There were a few days when I did all of that for myself, and it was overwhelming because I was also in a lot of pain.
This is a shot of my kitchen… aka pill-smashing central! My mom and husband put crushed pills in little foil wraps so I could just pick one up and pour it in my drink when I needed it.
![IMG_0619[1]](https://pcosnutritionco.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/IMG_06191.jpg "IMG_0619[1]")
It gets worse before it gets better:
I wish I had mentally prepared myself for this a little better. I started feeling better on days 5-6 but then things went downhill when my scabs started coming off. I would say overall that I did not actually start to feel like things were on an upswing until the 10th and 11th day after the procedure.
Be prepared for lack of sleep:
This seems counterintuitive because was always think of sleep as being important in a recovery. Just prepare yourself to wake up every few hours to keep your throat wet because you will be in EXTREME pain if you don’t. Make sure your caregiver knows this, and knows to wake you up if you sleep through an alarm. I had several times when my pain reached a solid 10 on the pain scale and they all were when I slept too long.
Some other helpful tips:
- Buy crushed ice to suck on. I could not open my mouth wide enough to suck on cubes out of my ice maker. I ended up purchasing ice from Sonic… I actually went through 4 bags!
- Make mini ice cubes from supplements. I made little baggies of ice cubes made from Ensure Clear. These were great to suck on for those first few days when I really couldn’t tolerate anything else. (I used these mini ice cube trays).
- A good blender will come in handy. I could not tolerate any solid food for over a week after my tonsillectomy. I purchased this Vitamix prior to surgery to puree foods and it was *amazing*. No regrets there. See my link at the bottom of the page for more about what I ate and drank during that first week. If you don’t want to splurge for a Vitamix, I have heard that the Ninja Professional Blender is a good alternative (note, I’ve never used this). If you want to keep things as cheap as possible, I also have this Ninja Master Prep and really enjoy it. It takes a bit longer to blend things than my Vitamix but it gets the job done.
- Have some cups ready that are sweat-free and won’t make your hand cold. I had a cup of ice in my hand 24/7 for the first week after surgery. My favorite were the Tervis Tumbler mugs (like this one with the handle).
- Ice packs were helpful to me. I propped 2 ice packs under my throat when I slept and I think they helped. I actually bought several different kind but mostly I used these and they were great.
- Use a cool mist humidifier and keep it blowing in your face when you sleep. The moist air helped keep my through from drying out. This one is good.
- Sleep at an incline. I could not comfortably sleep laying flat for over 2 weeks.
Surprises:
I felt prepared for my surgery but there were still a few things that surprised me… I knew ‘ear pain’ was a side effect of the procedure but what I experienced actually felt like a double ear infection. This lasted about a day. I got hiccups for 2 straight days. Hiccups + cauterized throat = wish you were dead. My tongue got really swollen and I bit it in my sleep. This resulted in sores all over my tongue.
Regrets:
None! I am SO glad I had my tonsils removed. I could tell immediately that I no longer felt like something was stuck in my throat. It has been over a year since my surgery and it honestly changed my life. I’m so glad I had this procedure, even though the recovery was definitely not fun.
Other tonsillectomy posts:
Just wanted to say thank you so much for writing your article! I am day 8 after my tonsilectomy and I feel like everything you have written matches my experience exactly! It’s def a nasty experience but reassuring to read that it will get better! Thanks again! :-)
I’m glad you found everything useful. You will be so happy you did it, I promise :)
I just has the tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy procedure done and the worst pain for me was when I first woke up. All the other time, the pain was not as bad but the pain was there, trust me. I had the procedure done 9/16/2015 (today makes a full week). Still have a little bit of pain but I am not in solid foods yet. I had to get this procedure because my adenoid tissue was enlarged and causing me trouble in my left ear with hearing and pain. Also, I had to take my tonsils out because I would get sick from strep throat a lot.
Hope your recovery continues to go well!
What method did you have done when they removed them?
They cauterized them
Has anyone had coblation method done? Or do you know if that’s similar method? Thank you!
Yes, I had coblation last week. My ENT swears by it – says recovery is better for his patients than any other method he had used. Of course I have nothing to compare to lol, but so far I’ve been feeling pretty good.
Thank you! That is what my ENT was going to do but I have been holding off on the surgery hoping these stones would go away. I have constant ear pain and sore throat though so I am thinking I just need to get it done. I am glad to hear it went well for you! I am scared to have this done!
Amy- Did they still tell you to plan on taking a few weeks off work? I hope it continues to go well for you!
Yes, they still said to take off about 2 weeks. Apparently bleeding risk persists until about day 10 as the scabs are coming off. (I certainly wouldn’t wanna be at work if I start bleeding!) My scabs haven’t started coming off yet so we’ll see. Maybe the recovery with coblation is supposed to be easier but not shorter? I didn’t ask anything that specific, sorry.
Yeah I am worried about pain meds as well since I tend to have sensitive system to that stuff and get sick to my stomach. I am hoping mine goes as well as yours so far! I’m 29 so I just want to get it over with! Thank you for your answers! I’ve never been so scared for a surgery!
Aww, poor thing! I wish I could say something to make you feel better about it. I wasn’t scared, but maybe I just had a super confident ENT! Lol. I really wanted to get it over with too. I’ve suffered so much being sick the past 6 months. Even 2-3 weeks of misery seemed like nothing in comparison.
I don’t know much about pain meds. Never had to take them before. Doc gave me hydrocodone and acetaminophen solution. I was supposed to take 2 teaspoons every 4-6 hours. I found that if I took the 2 teaspoons about 20-30 min apart, and had a little food and water with them of course, I didn’t feel sick. But that’s just me. I also felt a whoooole lot better once I started taking good ole ibuprofen! I’m actually weaning myself off the hydrocodone to see how I feel with only ibuprofen. So far so good. Still a lot of swelling but not much pain.
That all being said, the only way to know how your body will react is to try the surgery. Either way, I hope your current misery comes to an end soon!
Thank you Amy for your advice! I have surgery scheduled in a month so hopefully it will go well. I am trying to remain optimistic but still scared! I remind myself I wont have to deal with these constant large stones anymore after it is done. I had thyroid surgery in Feb and have never had problems with my tonsils until after that so it has just been bad timing. Thank you again!
Best of luck!!! If you have any more questions or worries, feel free to email me at asbuyandsell@gmail.com.
Thank you for writing this! I had my tonsils out a week today (7th day….not sure if the scabs are off just yet) I’ve been exactly the same as you so far. Though really nervous for this last week, what’s it like when the scabs cone off, is it noticeable? Did it hurt when they came off or was it barely noticeable? I’m getting lots of different answers from the internet just want to know what to expect really – thanks :)
Hi Jess! My throat got especially sore when my scabs were coming off but nothing dramatic happened when they did (like, I didn’t feel each one coming off or anything). I looked in the back of my throat so the main reason I knew for sure that they were coming off is because there was less white back there. Good luck in your recovery…. you’ll be so happy you had it done even though the recovery is no fun.
I had mine out last Wednesday (the day before thanksgiving;not fun.) the first day was hell! I couldn’t talk or eat or drink anything. I slept pretty well though. Tried eating some soup and bread but nothing worked. An airplane pillow works wonders though! It grips around your neck and helps you stay upright. It’s great! I’ve Ben still taking my beds regularly because the pain is so bad. Weirdly, the second day I we feeling great! There was minimal pain and I was eating a lot (for me) still soft things but nothing really hurt. I was talking a lot but that but me in the ass day 3. I couldn’t talk mad i started getting horrible ear pain. I still have the pain and I’m on day 6. Ugh it sucks. It hurts me to talk still and I can’t really eat still. I’ve been resting but the ear pain keeps waking me up. Hoping there’s a turning point in my future. Ugh!!!!
Hi am going in on Monday 11 April 2016 am 58 only having one remove because it 2 big and need to be test so I not looking toward to it and after reading all the about it and how it can be after
I had my tonsils out on the 23rd of may and it’s now the 2nd of june, I haven’t noticed any scabs coming off,but do know this is the worst pain I have ever been in,it’s weird yesterday I went all day without pain med or an ice pack and was able to eat a little and got a slushy from sonic and got half of that down so I bought some baby food I was starving and thought that would go down good OH NO I had bananas and it set my throat of fire the the point I almost called 911 ,so I am so regretting getting my tonsils removed . When will I be able to get something down?
I had my tonsillectomy on the 31st may 2016 the day after my 38th birthday. I’m day 4 post op and it is absolutely no fun. The ear pain is horrendous, the pain and stiffness in the jaw in the morning, not eating a full or proper meal. I do think it will be worthwhile in the long-term, but for now it hurts so bad. I live in England, they don’t prescribe steroids for the swelling, they don’t give you strong pain killers, just antibiotics. I’m thinking, right now a good steroid sounds like a great idea for swelling purposes ?
Hi Emma , I have just had mint removed on 2nd June 2016, I agree with you they don’t give you steroids, all I got given was paracentomol from the hopital day 2 pain was awfull so I got given co codiamol 30/500 mg that worked up to day 7 then stoped working I went my doctor and he said nothing can stop the pain of the scabs falling off so they is no medication I can give you !! As per my doctors are a nightmare , on day 3/4 I was being sick all the time so my mum phoned 111 they wouldn’t give me anti sickness tablets so I had to sit in arrow parks a&e for 4 hours till I got prescribed them ! The whole situation has been a nightmare and the only thing I can eat is Ice cream and jelly , they keep knocking the scabs so they start bleeding and the ear pain is awfull , for the last 2 nights I have had to go to sleep sitting up because of my ears
Hope you feel better soon
For ear pain, I found warm and cold compresses made the pain extremely minimal which allowed me to eat more food. I just had my second tonsillectomy yesterday boor this helps someone.
Im on day 11 and still can’t ceat much i can do jello ice cream but anything milk increases phlegm
I was able to eat a krispy creme in really small bites peaches are good
Try rinsing your mouth in hot salt water as much as possible it helps and you may need a stronger pain medicine and more steroids
I’m shocked you didn’t od from the pain medication by crushing it. 😳 That can be super dangerous for someone who doesn’t take pain medication on a regular basis. And you’re lucky you got to take ibuprofen. I just got mine out last Thursday, and I’m not allowed to take anything except the pain meds. I’m on 20mgs of Percocet every 4hrs and my throat is still killing me. I keep getting migraines, which is why I would love to have the ibuprofen, but oh well. I’m looking for anyone who is experiencing this crazy burning I’m getting. It’s like a bunch of hot air raising from my chest into my throat and it feels like I’m about to choke on nothing. It’s driving me insane and it’s extremely painful! I was hoping someone on here has some insight on this. I know this post is years old, but I’m holding onto hope here bc it’s all I have left.
Hi Stacy- overdosing on pain medication is because you take too much, not because you crush it. My physician instructed me to crush each pill because I could not swallow the whole pill.
I know if you crush Tramadol you can OD even on a small dose.
I know if you crush Tramadol you can OD even on a small dose. There are warnings everywhere about it.
You had 20mg of Percocet every 4 hours? I am on day 7 of my recovery. I have been taking hydrocodone 7.5 mg every 6 hours and it hurts a lot still, but if I had 20mg Percocet i’d probably not feel anything at all.
Hi there, I’ve been taking 15 ml of liquid Codeine/Acetaminophen and 15 ml of liquid Ibuprofen (300 ml) every 4 hours. If I take it on time, the pain is at a 2 to 3 out of 10. I had my surgery on June 1, 2018 and it is now Tuesday, June 5.
I’m pretty tired and have lots of help from my husband and two kids. Today, I was able to eat in very small bites a sandwich very slowly. I haven’t yet noticed any blood from scabs, my breath is not great.
Wish you all the best of luck in your recovery.
Sam thank you so much for writing about your experience, I am 63 almost 64. You have helpped me more than anything esle. I am on day 13. My experience has been so much like yours I had been getting worried because it seemed like it was taking so long to recover.My scabs are getting thinner so I think I am going to get Thur this. Thank you again for the information that is helping a lot of people. Sheila Spurlin
Hi, I got my tonsillectomy on Friday and now on my 5th day of recovery. So far I have regretted doing this as I’m in so much pain. My medications are making me feel neuseous and dizzy and unfortunately made me vomit on 4th day of recovery, which luckily didn’t make me bleed but just a lot of discomfort and stinging.
I’m able to eat soft foods and drink water with pain but I do it because I know it will help with the recovery.
Today I’m in a lot of pain and I’m afraid to take my medications as they keep making me feel nauseous and dizzy and I feel like I’m going to faint when I stand up.
I’m trying to keep an open mind and I know this will be the best thing I’ve even done in the long run but right now things are miserable and painful.
Thanks for your insight on your recovery and I’ll definitely take them on board.
I was prescribed zofran so I wouldn’t vomit. I’ve taken couple to prevent vomiting.
all these posts r hilarious??????????? cant wait till my pain starts so i can join the cryin fest
You know you’ll be right with us. ???
Hi. I had a tonsillectomy Thursday June 9th. I’m 36. I had a constant throat pain since March. The first couple days weren’t to bad. I prescribed oxycodone and acetaminophen. I downloaded the app medisafe which sends you alerts to your phone and keeps track of the dosage. I ended up taking both meds together every 4 hours. I sleep all the time. I asked for the liquid form of meds. There was no ways I was going to swallow the meds in pill form. I’m on day 6 of recovery. I gargle warm water with salt twice a day. Today was the first time scabs started falling off. Nearly choked on them. The pain was excruciating when they came off. I sucked on ice and it helped numb the pain. I also put an ice pack on my throat to help with ear pain.
Hope everyone has a painless recovery.
Lien
I just had my tonsils removed 6 days ago and it hurts sooo bad. I’m only 15 so my dad has been taking care of me and doesn’t seem to understand the pain I’m going through. I loose little bits of my scabs and was wondering if the size will get bigger. Also, it hurts to drink anything. I’m going to try to suck on the ice cubes and put ice packs on. My doctor didn’t prepare me as well as they should have. They didn’t tell me about keeping up on my meds and to take them at certain times. Also didn’t mention the humidifier. This pain is absolutely horrible and it gets worse everyday. Not to mention it’s that time of month. Double whammy.
I am 26 years old and I had my tonsils out on June 14. So it’s post op day 5 and I feel like nothing is helping with the pain. The mornings are always the worst because my throat is so dry and drinking fluids is not what is on my mind when in that much pain. The ear pain is horrible. Doesn’t seem to ever go away. I have been able to eat some soft foods such as Mashed potatoes, Hawaiian rolls, and noodles, but my question is on what day will the war pain go away and when should I start to expect the scabs to fall off? I chew gum frequently to try to relax my jaw muscles, but I’m so over drinking water. Does this ever get better? I’m afraid I will still be miserable before I have to go back to work and I’m a nurse and work 12 hour shifts!
Oh my god have my tonsils removed June 27th 2016 and this has been the worse pain I’ve ever felt … I’ve felt the same way everyone has been feeling except I got an infection now on antibiotics for a week …. I would so rather give birth 50x then ever go thru something like this again lol … I really can’t wait to eat real food instead eating pills all the time …. I can’t wait to feel good again time seems like it’s dragging tho day 7 for me today !
I am on my 6th day of recovery, and I still feel like he surgery was yesterday! I still have ear aches and hiccups, my scabs started falling off yesterday and I could absolutely tell
Hello, I had my tonsils taken out this morning and have been reading articles on it nearly everytime I’ve been awake, it’s currently 1:28 am and I’m eating a peanut butter jelly sandwich. I’ve had an upset stomach for a few hours now and felt confident enough to eat this sandwich without the crust. I’m hoping that my second day goes better than yours if I’m honest. But this article was very helpful so thank you.
What method di the doctor use to do your procedure? was it coblation or harmonic scalpel or cautery?
Male age 44 tonsillectomy.
Immediately post op. I was in a lot of pain which was only just dealt with by oromorph. I was close to being admitted to the High Dependency Unit for IV morphine. I was kept in hospital overnight.
The next day the pain had subsided and I was given ibuprofen and paracetamol to take home, prescribed by the surgeon.
The only thing that helped the pain was some ice cream.
The pain day 2 and 3 was 3/10, nothing worse than a normal sore throat and I was able to eat reasonably normally.
Day 4 I woke with my throat in much more pain. I had very dense scabs in tonsil spaces, some of which sloughed off after a bit of food. Swallowing became painful.
Day 5 the pain was now up to a 9/10 and the meds. had no effect. Not sleeping and unable to eat or drink. Swallowing sips of water was excruciating.
Day 6 early hours the pain was 10/10 and almost unbearable. Couldn’t even think and was desperate. Went back to emergency dept. at hospital. Put on IV paracetamol drip and Diclofenac with oral liquid co-codamol. Pain then eased to bearable level in emergency room.
Prescribed 1000mg tablets of co-codamol, 50mg Diclofenac, anaesthetic throat spray and advised to also take Tramadol when pain was bad. Also given antibiotics in case of any infection.
Day 7-9 pain was 10/10 unless I took all the prescribed meds. which completely knocked me out, either to sleep or floating around the room. Was scared to sleep as this dried out my throat and when I woke it felt like my throat was being blow torched, until the next meds. took effect.
Days 10-11 had the pain slowly easing off enabling me to drop my meds dosage, come off the Tramadol and co-codamol. Finally being able to eat small amounts of food, though swallowing still very painful.
Day 12 had the pain drop to a background of 4/10 and meds. down to 2 Diclofenac a day.
Day 13 was first day I started to feel a bit like myself. Energy levels returning and able to do some normal low level activities but still with background pain around 3/10.
Day 14 was the first day background pain occasionally became unnoticeable, though swallowing still hurt but only at a level around 3/10.
Day 15 was first day without and meds. Occasional background pain with swallowing at level of 2/10. Able to eat and drink normally for the first time.
Day 16 and 17 has background pain only on waking up for around first half hour. Swallowing pain getting slightly better each day. Able to function normally.
Overall, a much worse recovery than anticipated, with several days where even swallowing was so painfull I couldn’t eat or drink anything – getting dehydrated and an unbearable background pain, taking me back into hospital. The only answer was to get so dosed up on painkillers I was completely spaced out.
Now on Day 17 and still recovering, with typical sore throat level pain when swallowing.
Scabs now just thin covering of tonsil spaces. Uvula almost back to normal size.
Wow, I’m sorry you’ve had such an awful experience. I’m glad ut sounds like you’re on the road to recovery, though!
I’m so glad I found your post! I’m 42 yrs old and on day 12 post-op. Still have some pain but not so bad. Still have quite a bit of scabs and ear/Jaw discomfort. I go for my post-op check up on day 16 and I’m scared that if these scabs don’t diminish enough the doctor is going to tell me I need another week of recovery, which I don’t want! My job is 100% fast-paced, physical labor so the longer I am out, the longer it will take me and my muscles/energy level to get back in the swing of things. Please tell me it’s normal to be off recovery with scabs still present!
What kinds of drinks did you put your crushed up pills in to drink? My husband just got his tonsils out a week ago and he’s had a horrible experience. We already had to make 2 trips to the ER in the last 2 days due to his left side tonsil gushing out blood and early this morning they had to redo the whole surgery procedure while he was awake. Ekk! I bought him a humidifier. I would just really like to know what sorts of drinks you were able to drink :)
Oh no, I’m sorry your husband has had such an awful time. I crushed my pills up and put them in gatorade. The taste of that neutralized the bitterness of the percocet. I also drank iced tea. The key was keeping the drinks really cold. I would fill the cup up to the top with crushed iced first and then pour the drink in. Definitely look into Sonic crushed ice… i constantly sucked on that. I hope things get better for you guys!
Thanks so much girlie, I love that you replied so quickly!! I’ll definitely try the gatorade, I crushed up his percocet and put it in water this morning and he was so disgusted. Poor thing! Thanks again so much Sam!
Hey I’m a 15 year old on day 9 of my tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy and my doctor said due to the size of my tonsils I would go through an adult expirence, trust me I did! It was awful. Today was a bit painful and my ear are ringing I want to drink something other than water but I’m afraid it will sting was Gatorade and iced tea ok for that!?
I never had stinging with either drinks. Good luck with your recovery!
I have no taste still! I wish I could taste something. I can taste the Applesauce and thats it!
The BEST thing that worked for me was to freeze Capri Sun juice bags and take them out of the freezer for a few minutes. As they start to thaw they get slightly slushy. I ate it with a spoon. They were the only thing I could handle, even better than ice. It went down smooth and soothed and numbed my throat. I am on day 5 and I would die without these. Try it!
Hi Mo- I’m glad you’ve found something that has given you relief!! :) The most important thing is that you stay hydrated so that’s good that you’re drinking something.
The dietitian in me can’t help but reply to your comment… don’t forget that Capri Suns generally have very little nutritional value. I believe they are mostly sugar, or that the first two ingredients are water and sugar. I’d try to do something similar with a supplement drink (I personally drank Ensure Clear but there are others) so that you are getting something a little more substantial- more calories, protein, vitamins, etc. especially after you body is recovering from surgery. Good luck with recovery!!
I’m 14 days post op. I am so glad you mentioned the sleep part. No one prepares you for that. That’s what I’ve told anyone. Yes its painful but waking up after sleeping is absolutely the worst. I took pain oxycodone and extra strength tylenol ( can’t take nsaids) every 4 hours and is set alarm for that during night and was in so much pain. The humidifier i tried after a couple days and helped keep it moist. I’m starting solids now but every time i eat something it feels like i have peices stuck. I also had one bleeding episode where i ended up in er and had silver nitrate burned in my throat. Not a fun time.
I’m sorry you ended up in the ER! Doesn’t sound fun at all. I agree that sleeping was the WORST and that’s what made my recovery so awful. I think once I could sleep for extended periods of time, I really started to feel better.
Very helpful article. I am 7 days post-op. It’s been a hell of ride so far. It hurts no matter what!
I find it strange the I am the only one on here that cannot drink cold water. After reading this article, I got myself a gatorade and tried it but failed. it hurt, and so does Popsicles.
Today, I started drinking tea and to be honest, I don’t feel much pain. Obviously I am still on the pain meds.
Anyone else experienced this before..?
That’s interesting! When I prepared drinks, they were probably 75% crushed ice and 25% liquid. I don’t think I could have had a cold drink without lots of ice.
I can’t have either. Right now, I am having tea with cookies :). Running on 2 hrs of sleep tho :(
I hope you feel better soon! Hang in there.
I’m 7 days post op and I can’t drink cold water either. Everything has to be room temp. Cold things cause severe pain.
I’m on day 7 of recovery. I have endured massive pain as well. I also couldn’t tolerate anything cold or frozen. Unfortunately that was the majority of the foods I purchased prior to surgery. I’m a 47 year old female who debated for a long time about getting a tonsillectomy but after years of dealing with monthly bouts of tonsillitis I finally gave in. I’m concerned because I’m running low on pain meds. I have taken Norco 7/.5-325 every four hours and alternating ibuprofen 600 mg every 6 hours. There have been many times the pain has gotten away from me even on a schedule. My script was for 40 but I have 3 left. The instructions read 1-2 Norco every 4 hours. I have only taken two at a time twice and that was after awaking with such severe pain I couldn’t stand it. I’m afraid I’m going to run out especially being day 7.. My dr said day 4-7 were the worst days but by reading this I’m having my doubts. Has anyone had a fever after day 6? Day 6 and 7 I have been running a low grade fever. 99.6-100.7 thanks for any info anyone can share with me
I will be 1 week out on Thursday. Water burns!!! Water based popsicles really help. I also made apart of 5 tea bags a green tea and three tea bags of regular Lipton tea. To sweeten that I just bought some natural honey and put a lot of it in. Honey is a natural antiseptic and it will help your throat feel alittle better. Sugur burns!!!
Sorry on alot of meds
Im on day 1 and its not too bad so far. The anastesia already wore off and im trying togo without pain meds for ad long as i can. Pain at about a 3. Does it continue to get worse until it gets better?
Hey Mike… how are you doing today?!
Hi Sam,
It did get quite a bit worse last night. I tried two different pain meds, oxyconton 5 mg with 325 mg of acetametifin worked the best. They also had an RT put me on a oxy max with moisture that seemed to help. I’m on day 2 now eating just soft goods. Pain is a very manageable 3/10. The worst it has been so far is a 6/10. Swallowing anything including saliva of course brings the pain up. Crushed ice works great to keep the swelling down.
Thanks so much for the blog. I think it really heped me prepare for and understand what i will be going through over the next 2 weeks.
Good luck it is bad I’m on day 11 and feeling good. How are you feeling now?
I was finally able to eat normal food again on day 10. Stilll have that feeling of something stuck in the back of my throat but no pain after day 11.
Your not the only one. I’m on day 13 and the first 4 days I could tolerate icecream and ice water and ice. The 5th day up to now I can’t drink anything cold without it killing my throat! I use throat lozengers to help with the pain.
I was happy to find your website. I have had this almost constant feeling of something being stuck on the right side of my throat for months now. I have seen two ENTs and there is no conclusion as to why I am having the sensation. I have had tonsil stones before but they did not think that this is what was causing it because they said they would’ve seen them when they did the video scope. I feel very frustrated and helpless. The option that they have given me is to remove my tonsils but there’s no guarantee that will even remove the sensation. I guess I’m just curious if there was ever any question about whether the surgery would work? How did they know for sure that the tonsil stones were causing this problem and were they visible to the doctor? It’s difficult to make a decision to go into a surgery when it seems like it’s just a guess as to what is causing the sensation. Thanks!
Hi Angela! I knew my sensation was being caused by the tonsil stones because they were somewhat relieved whenever I could remove one or two. I’m sorry they can’t pinpoint your issue :( I hope they get to the bottom of things!
Just diagnosed with tonsil stones. Managed to cough up a huge (molar sized..) one a week ago (prior to diagnosis, which was yesterday) I now have one what looks like behind my right tonsil that is probably equally as large and a pain in my ass. I was told salt water gargle and water pik. I bought a cordless one. I think it was a bad idea. It’s insanely powerful and I can’t get it anywhere near my tonsils without either drowning or not being able to tolerate it. #1 is yours much more variable? Mine is high or low. #2 I assume it’s just point and shoot at it? I wasn’t given ANY instructions and an very afraid to Google a video #3 the other tools, I assume it’s safe to go in and poke it out? Gently of course. I gargled probably 8ish ounces tonight and no feeling change. (besides a stomach ache) I’m dying over here. It’s only been a week – on and off “pain” (I think, have had strange throat closing feelings for a couple months, but assumed it was stress and anxiety induced) I also think I’ve had these for longer than I thought (years). I’ve coughed up some stuff before that I thought was just food stuck in a tooth that dislodged itself. I am so wanting to just remove them (tonsils), but I am terrible with pain. I’m not sure I’d “survive”. :'( any help / suggestions would be amazing.
Hi Sam,
Thank you so much for sharing your experience.
I have an appointment with an ENT on 17th April as like you, I have a constant feeling of something stuck in my throat, and have done for 5 months. I also get a sore throat once or twice a month. My GPs haven’t been able to find a cause for this but recently I’ve noticed that I have a lot of tonsil stones. I can pull up to 5 out at a time, but even when I do I still have the feeling of something stuck back there.
Angela,
I know this post is old but don’t get fobbed off by your ENT. I have small tonsils which are well hidden in my throat so it won’t surprise me at all if the ENT can’t find the stones . If he can’t, I’m planning on asking for a CT scan. A tonsillectomy is the last resort but I’m in a lot of discomfort so in going to push for it. I’m in the UK so it will be an uphill battle, but sometimes you need to take control of your own health, the doctors told me I had acid reflux, without paying any real attention to my tonsils.
All the best,
Jac x
I’m sorry you’re having so many issues! Hopefully they can get to the bottom of things.
Just saw your post and had to throw this out there just in case. I had the feeling of something stuck in my throat for months. A very caring ENT who took the time to really listen did a Ct scan and found that I had Eagles Syndrome. Removed the bone that was causing the problem and the sensation went away. It is very rare. Most doctors are not even that familiar with it and don’t think to look for it. Worth looking into if no answers are found. Hope you get the answers you need and are feeling better soon. Lisa : )
Really weird timing for your comment because today I went to the chiropractor for unrelated issues and had X-rays done. Chiropractor randomly pointed out this elongated bone in my neck. Same area and side as tonsil issues. I immediately thought of your comment. Will have to ask ENT. Thanks!
Hi, I had my tonsills removed on Oct.28 I had problems with tonsil stones especially on the right side, I also lost my hearing in my right ear. I went back and forth to the doctor for many years for throat issues which the doctors couldn’t find a problem. During my tonsillectomy the doctor found a huge puss pocket that was very infectious that had been hidden behind my right tonsils, that otherwise would not have been found.
Oh wow, sounds crazy!!
My Dr.told me no more tonsils no more tonsils stones. You can’t have tonsil stones if you don’t hsve tonsils. I’m on my 7th day of surgery.. It hasn’t been easy. It’s been painful. I’m about halway there. I take one day at a time. I just couldn’t take the tonsils stones constantly coming back. I think 2-3 weeks of pain will be worth no more tonsil stones for the rest of my life. Just my opinion. Good luck.
Hi!Are u talen Your tonsiles out?
Wow! It’s so nice to know that I’m not alone! It’s my first day and I’ve thrown up twice. I’m not bleeding to much but it’s not fun and I can’t brush to hard because of the surgery so the taste isn’t completely gone! Yuck! But I’m so happy to hear it was worth it to you! That’s the light on the other side for me right now :) thanks hun!
It has been a year since my procedure and my family and I look back and laugh about how miserable I was. Those first 10 days were honestly awful but then it got better. I will be thinking of you!
Thanks for creating this site! I’m a 34yo male and had my tonsils out 4 days ago. So far, so good. Some ear pain off and on, and some pain when swallowing, but nothing horrendous. This blog and all the comments were very helpful as I prepared for my surgery. For anyone else considering/preparing for surgery now or in recovery, feel free to check out my blog. I’m chronicling my pre- and post-op experiences. http://tonsillectomyat34.blogspot.com/
Frank- I’m glad to hear your recovery is going well!!! I hope you continue to have smooth sailing :)
Thank you for sharing! I am highly considering the surgery and it’s amazing all the bad stories and misinformation that are out there.
Hey Marcie! Thanks for stopping by. Let me know if you end up going through with the procedure and how it goes!
Hey my tonsils was blocking my air ways so the dr cut them open and drained them… Feels like I had a surgery because I’m going through hell… The coughing isn’t helping at all and my ear is aching so bad I can barely think straight….. Ugh wish it was over already…. Sleeping is the worst…
I’m sorry…. hope your recovery gets better :(
I cannot thank you enough for posting your “tonsillectomy series” – my tonsil issues sound identical to yours! I’m post-op day 1 and your prep tips have been wonderful – I made mini ice cubes out of pretty much every liquid and protein powder in the house the week before my surgery… including coffee! I can tell that my humidifier, my husband, my meds, and my little journal will be my best friends over the coming days. I was so concerned about nutrition, as I am “plant-based” and a physician… but I feel so much more prepared, thanks to you! Hope you are well :)
Those mini ice cubes were a life saver to me! Good luck with your recovery and stop back by in a few weeks to let me know how you’re doing!
I am currently on day 5 of recovery and I just want to say thanks! This has been the only helpful site as to what to expect,day by by what went on for someone! This experience has been awful worst pain of my life. Thanks for sharing with us all.
You’re welcome! I agree that it was the worst pain ever. I just had knee surgery and it has been nothing compared to the tonsils. Good luck with your recovery!
I am a 31 yr old female. I had my tonsils, adenoids, turbine reduction, balloon sinusplasty and my sinus’ scraped 12 days ago. I read all of the blogs prior to my surgery and felt that I was prepared for the pain I figured I would endure. I however have experienced no pain. From the day of my surgery I drank about a gallon of water a day, and I contribute that to my overall painless recovery. I laid in bed the first 2 days. I had a cold air humidifier next to my bed, running at all times. I set my alarm to wake up every 4 hours to take my 20mg of Tylenol with Codeine. About 3 days in, I ate baby food as much as possible. The next day I introduced pudding, jello and oatmeal. I personally preferred everything to be room temperture. Around day 5 I was up and walking around, ,doing laundry, etc. I know that my doctor said I needed to take it easy and not do anything physical that could raise my blood pressure (which increases the risk of bleeding) but I felt fine, and just took it easy and slow. By day 7 I was eating more and just had to make sure that everything I put in my mouth was chewed down to a liquid before it hit the back of my throat. By day 8, I had still not had a bowel movement. I had been using Miralax everyday as recommended. I then took myself off of my narcotics and just started taking OTC ibuprofen. I could tolerate pills very easy, so it was no problem. I did ibuprofen for about a day and then didnt feel the need for any pain meds after day 9. I am on day 12 and still havent had my scabs come off. I don’t know why my scabs are still on? I do hear this is the painful part but I am optimistic. My throat, at most, has felt scratchy or raw, NEVER painful. I don’t know if I have a high tolerance for pain or was just very receptive to Tylenol with codeine but this surgery was smooth sailing and I contribute it to the amount of water I drank from the very beginning. Water helps your body heal so drink tons of it. I don’t know why people would choose not to drink water. I felt like it coated my throat and felt very good. As stated, it was always room temperature, as I did not like too hot or too cold on my throat. I go for my follow up this Thursday to see what the doc says and hopefully will say about my scabs still being on (which look nothing like the pictures on the internet).
Hi erin! Glad you had smooth sailing!!
Woow ! What a article..
Thanks Sam for summing up all the experiences.
This article made me prepared for my painful recovery. Went exactly through same experience as of yours with additional ulcers all over the tongue :(
Currently on day 8 after the surgery and hope to feel better soon.
Thanks again !!!
Good luck with your recovery!
Thanks for all the posts. I had tonsilectomy 7days ago at age 32. I’ve have 11 surgerys not including this one in my life, and I must say this is by far most miserable excruciating experience I’ve ever had…
Can’t talk or whisper, can’t swallow my own spit, horrible ear pain constant, Breathing hurts, lack of sleep and nausea are constant… I’m on liquid Norco and liquid phenegran every four hours and I’m lucky if I’m not in near tears by the third hour and a whole hour to wait thru pain for another dose…
I have been able to eat tapioca pudding and Mac and cheese although it takes an hour to do so and it’s a very small amount at a time… I stay hungry… Had a 102 fever for three or four days and foul taste in mouth… My tounge and middle way down in throat hurts as well.
Talked to Dr yesterday and they said in a couple days I’ll start feeling a lot better to not give up…
I am Deaf and normally talk, so being forced to be deaf and mute is not a fun experience for me…
I would rather have my bad tonsils back than go thru one more day of this misery…. It is Sooo not worth it so far…. If you have to get them out and have problems swallowing or breathing and for safety have to have them removed, then yes do so…but if u just fight frequent tonsilitis then no it’s not worth it at least if your older anyway….
God be with all of us in our recovery and heal fast and w no complications.
I’m sorry you are having such a rough time. I agree that the whole experience was miserable. I think days 10, 11 and 12 were turning points for me… hang in there!
I would like to thank you for this article……it has been really helpful in my journey. I’m 7 days post op and although I’m still in a lot of pain, it’s more bearable now. Thank you for your article once more as it gave me an idea of what to expect xxx
Glad it has helped!
I am 36 and was recently advised to have my tonsils removed due to recurring strep throat. All my life I have suffered this condition but it did stop for about 10 years, experiencing it only once a year. But this time, I had it and has been battling the sore throat for more than a month, changing from one antibiotic to another, thus, my doc says, maybe I should consider a tonsillectomy.
I haven’t come to a decision yet, though I am at 60/40 into saying yes. So I have started doing my research about the pros and cons of the procedure and I am very glad to have landed on this page because it helped a lot for me to understand what I am about to experience once I agreed to have the surgery. Despite the dreadful things I have read, I am still thankful to get advice on how to prepare myself what to do to somehow get through the pain.
Thank you for this very informative article.
Hi Pam,
I am 32 and have been through almost exactly the same thing. Recurring strep throat for years, loads of antibiotics that did nothing but wreck my digestive system! I was TERRIFIED to get my tonsils out but I decided to take the plunge on May 8th because I just could not continue to fear my next battle with strep for the rest of my life. It was also making me feel very rundown. Anyway, I had them out on the morning of May 8th. Surgery went fine, not that much pain when I woke or for the next two days. The pain started to set in on the 3rd day and I’m not going to lie, it really really hurt. But, I am now on day 10 and slowly getting better! And it’s over, no more strep to think about! If I were you, I would get the best pain meds you can and take them religiously until you get through the worst days. You can do this! Good luck!
Ylva
Glad things are looking up for you!
Hi Pam- my doctor warned me that it would not be fun and as you said, I was grateful for the heads up. Good luck in your decision!
I am so grateful for your article and the comments from those who have read it.
34 y/o tonsillectomy day 10. Liquid acetaminophen and liquid oxycodone. I would describe it as a roller coaster experience that started off with nausea but pain that wasn’t so bad, seemed to improve for a day or two (when I realized if I didn’t eat or drink, I wouldn’t get nauseous) and got miserable (when the scabs started to come off, the earache became nonstop and I was told that I was dehydrated from not drinking enough–go figure, right?). And that’s about where I’ve been since day 8.–trying to take fewer pain med doses (they stopped working anyway) and focusing on hydration. Oh, plus pretty serious diarrhea today and yesterday that’s working against my hydration efforts.
I really assumed I’d be sooo much better by now but no dice. To look on the bright side, I do have much more energy than the early days (no sleeping during church this week), I was able to slowly eat 2 bowls of French onion soup from Applebee’s (ask for no cheese on top but shaved Parmesan on the side), when accompanied with hot tea (cooled slightly with a couple of ice cubes). Sometimes frozen custard or gelato feels good then 5 hours later it might feel like torture. I don’t drink Gatorade anymore or eat yogurt–both were coating my throat, getting in way and making it hard to breathe.
I’m supposed to go back to work in 8 days. Wondering if I’ll feel well enough .
Hope things get better for you soon!
Everyone talks about the scabs falling off but doesn’t go into detail what happens during that time. Could someone do that. I’m on my 7th day of surgery. I love this website. Lots of good info.
Hi Debbie- if you read through the comments, I think several people talk about that. It was pretty anticlimactic. It just started hurting again and I saw I had less scabs in my throat.
My name is Haley, and I am a week old-post op tonsillectomy patient. Here is my experience so far, because I found some of these articles SO helpful.
Day 1 (5.12.15) Day of surgery-
I was a scared little girl, I am 20 years old and the only operation I’ve ever had was my wisdom teeth removal. The procedure took about 30 minutes, and I was in recovery in no time, when I got home I had literally no pain at all, I was laughing say this would be hard at all… (Joke was on me) about 4-5 hours later when the pain medicine was wearing off I began to feel everything. I was prescribed codeine with Tylenol 1 tablespoon every 4-6 hours (I took it every 3). That night was okay I slept well.
Day 2- I woke up in a lot of pain I forgot to take my pain meds during the night, always set an alarm to take your pain meds before it gets too bad to handle. I ate jello that day, and drank a lot of Gatorade. Not too bad of a day as long as I remembered to take my medication every 3 hours.
Day 3- pain was at a tolerable level and believe it or not, I quit taking my pain meds until day 5 because I have a very high pain tolerance, and it wasn’t that bad for me, Artifical flavored Popsicles were my best friend, jello, and water. Gosh a whole glass of ice water is the best thing I could ask for.
Day 4/5- were about the same. BUT LET ME TELL YOU… SO.MUCH.SPIT. No medication at all, and I thought well this is a breeze.. (hahah) yeah laugh at my pain in this next day being so over confident that this surgery was breeze.
Day 6- so I had read some stories about scabs coming off, BUT NO ONE TOLD ME MY THROAT WOULD FEEL LIKE MY THROAT WAS IN LITERALLY H-E-DOUBLE HOCKEY STICKS. I woke up with my throat on fire, I immediately tried to take my medication (fire pain), I even wash it down with room temp water, WATER EVEN BURNED. Then, gosh, this God-awful coughing began, I was gaggin, and began to vomit.. Oh yeah blood. Tons of it, bright red blood, I really didn’t have a voice, so I prayed someone would here my beating on my walls, my mom came running and seen these giant huge red blood clots bigger than my fist in my sink, freaking out she immediately called the number of a 24 hour Doctor. He immediately sent me back to my doctor and notified him.he gave me strict instructions to lie down with ice all over my neck and do not drink anything.
When we finally arrived at the clinic the bleeding stopped, but there was still tons of icky nasty blood in my spit. My doctor seen me immediately and looked inside. Glad to know it was just where a scab come off, and it was raw and I was going too fast with the procedure. He cauterized the raw spot and put some sulfate stuff that stops bleeding on it and bam, all done. I was very pleased, and got home and immediately tried to drink water, (room temp because cold things hurt my new skin in my throat) I wasn’t dare about to eat anything that day. I took my meds every 3 hours, and got a humidifier and was lazy the rest of the day. That was the best day, after my trauma, little to no pain if I took my medication, room temp water was my right hand guy. Later my stomach was growling I knew I was starving, so I tried to eat an artificial Popsicle, not like eat but kinda suck and just get some of the juices, and it numbed my mouth, and I ate 3 before I realized it.. A sign of relief. I took my meds right before bed.
Today. (Day 7)- HAHA GUESS WHO SLEPT THROUGHT THE NIGHT AGAIN WITH NO PAIN MEDS. My throat is on fire with warm water again, someone come smack with me remind me to turn my pain reliever alarm on at all times. I am currently debating to run to sonic and get a bag of crushed ice, which I think I am going to do to try to take my pain meds.
I appreciate this whole entire community of answers and everything you guys have been like my best friends through this procedure. Your stories helped me get ideas for myself, you Guys are great!! Hopefully my story will help someone in the future! :)
Thank you for sharing although I’m sorry you’re still I’m pain. Get well soon :)
hi I am day 7 post op for tonsillectomy ….unfortunately I didn’t have a choice to have this done…as I have suffered from a reoccurring quinsy in my throat 5 cases in ten months…this actually closes your throat and you can’t breath….its a peronticular abscess which fills up and gets bigger and bigger….it forms behind the tonsils in between the throat tissue and fills up with pus…and is the most incredible pain…you can’t open your mouth for the pain…hospitalised with it and placed in recusitation unit each time so that they were ready to put a hole in my throat from the outside to allow me to continue to breath….very scary when it happens as you feel like you are suffocating to death and added with the most extreme pain….. So ENT specialist told me no choice as its getting bigger each time and more frequent attacks…this comes from continued tonsillitis attacks..and is the next worst stage of tonsillitis….so I thought I was prepared for the pain as I did a lot of research prior to my surgery…..oh my god….I have a lot of major surgeries over my time and thought I had a pretty good pain threshold….but this a pain nobody could prepare you for…and wouldn’t understand unless they have had there tonsils out….when the dr operated he found two quinsy’s…no wonder I couldn’t even swallow small pills anymore. My throat was so closed over prior to surgery due to these quinsy growing bigger and bigger. The pain is everything you have described and more….was hoping today being day six I might of fella little better but no….yesterday I lost a big clump of tissue and then i lost a clump of tissue or scab with stitches attached to it….not sure if that’s normal for day six…but no bleeding so I suppose that’s ok…I don’t set an alarm for my pain meds because my body wakes up automatically in incredible pain….that’s my alarm…I find in the evening and through the night the pain is worse and early in the morning….so a tonsillectomy and removal of two quinsy’s equals the most pain I have ever experienced in my life…drinking water is so hard and painful and it comes out my nose cause I can’t swallow it…. I have been using a spray moisturiser for my throat and an anaesthetic spray which provides minor relief……prior to taking my pain meds….which is like swallowing a watermelon…followed by incredible pain…so thank you for your updates it has helped me a lot…I am hoping that the following days will get a little better…but based on everyone’s experiences …it still looks like a couple more rough days ahead…..so I will try an update my progress for the final days of this painful process….losing weight so fast as can’t eat much…a soft egg is the bomb…I only eat the yoke cause the White part just gets stuck…I find iced coffee is the only thing that soothes my throat…..and kind of lines it….but can make you a little bit mucassy in the throat….coughing does hurt…but I try to minimise the force….I woke up in recovery coughing which wasn’t good as I bled a lot…but it settled…day 1 is defeinataly a false sense of security as you don’t feel much pain due to the drugs you are on….but after that’s it is all down hill…the pain gets worse every day….I was running an 8 out of 10 in pain level pretty much since day two….and it peaks higher at different times of the day….can’t wait for this to be over…but I think it will be worth it in the long run…as the quinsy’s were just sitting there half full of infection bubbling away for the last ten months…making you feel so sick and run down all the time…and then boom they would just swell up within 4 hours and I would end up in hospital so infected by them…the pain would go down through all my glands into my back…..so goodbye you horrible quinsy’s and tonsils….never to be seen again…here’s to a quick recovery to all that have had the surgery and to those about to embark on this horrible journey ….
Oh wow, that sounds awful!! Hoping this brings you relief!
Just had the tonsil abscess last month. Having surgery. Only have four day supply of liquid meds. It was pretty painful with the abscess so really hope it’s fast recovery after surgery.
The same thing happened to me! I had a T&A about 9 years ago because of an abscess – exact same story. And I just had my second tonsillectomy at age 30…. because apparently they didn’t get it all and it kept coming back every 4-6 months. Although it wasn’t near as bad as before the first tonsillectomy, it still caused a lot of pain and very low energy when it happened. I’m on day 4 and doing alright, I think because this time it was only on one side. Day 3 I had horrible nausea and threw up a ton until I was finally able to get some zofran. I hope you are all better from one tonsillectomy!
I’m sorry! I hope you’re doing better now!
I’m three weeks since tonsillectomy. It was nothing like the majority of posts. I had a coblation tonsillectomy with an overnight stay in hospital. The first couple of days were uncomfortable and a little sore, but the pain medications helped heaps. No scabs fell off either, they slowly dissolved. One suggestion is to plan your procedure in cooler and wet months, the moisture and temperature make it more comfortable. And sip rehydration liquid for the first week, it will make you heal faster. The pain was not bad at all.
Glad things are going well!
I am 21 and post op day 6 today after my tonsillectomy and my pain is stil so bad it wakes me up in the middle of the night. So I can understand the no sleeping part. I would say that I could be more on top of my pain meds as well so I like your schedule idea! This was very helpful for me to read because I was getting worried that my pain wasn’t getting any better so it’s nice to know that there IS a light at the end of the tunnel :p. Probably the worst part of this experience so far is not being able to swallow properly (all because of the pain and my swollen uvula!). I’ve actually had to carry a spit bottle around with me several times because it’s just too much work to swallow. Another thing that I’m finding is that I’m really phlegmy (gross). However, I find that I’m getting a tiny bit better each day so I know the surgery was worth it!
Hi Blair
What are you doing for the swollen uvula? This was an unexpected nuisance added in with the pain. Are you able to sleep on your side? I can’t lay back even a little bit. It feels like I need to cough something up or there is a total blockage unless I am sitting straight up.
Good luck with your recovery!
Day 1 and I am already quite miserable. Tons of ice and water. Drank some coconut water. Drinking a bottle of Ensure now. I have a swollen Uvula so making it more miserable. Ugh…… YOU really helped me prepare…. Now the anxiety from surgery is over so I am hoping recovery flies by. Glad the talking about it planning it is finally over and the recovery begins…….my reason for removing was same as you. So glad to hear so many people say that this difficult recovery is worth it….
THANKS FOR THE BLOG.
Also, when I work out the thick mucus I produce is disgusting. Hearing you had this and it went away after surgery gives me hope…..
Hi Melissa- I’m glad this blog post helped. Yes, the workout stuff is so much better now!
I am 31yrs old about to hv my tonsill surgery am so afraid of the world thing. I hear it comes with so much after surgery. I always hv chronic sore throat and my ENT doctor said I hv to take it out so it won’t cause more harm to my body. I need your advise should I go ahead with it. Help.
Hi Tonia… I would talk to your doctor about your concerns and questions. Good luck with your decision!
I am having this surgery in the next couple of weeks! I am freaking out! Thanks for all the comments and sharing the experiences! very helpful! lets hope everything goes well! I have zero pain tolerance! so lets see how i go! ;o)
Good luck, Lucy!
thanks so much for posting this!
Had mine out 12 days ago. I’m 45 and even though the surgeon warned me I WAS SO NOT prepared for the pain.
I’m still a little concerned….eating is a major problem. After a few bites the food sticks and starts to build up in my throat and I’m swallowing like a damn fool to shift it.
I won’t complain about the weight loss (I’m a woman!!) but drinking and eating is not at all comfortable even still.
The other problem I have is continuous pain and discomfort in my left ear. I know it’s not the case but it feels like my ear canal opens into my throat and whatever is happening in my throat is happening in my ear!! The ache is still quite bad 12/13 days out!
I agree with you that checking stuff online can be scary but I really hope that this can help even one person to not feel so bad after their tonsillectomy and know that there is an end in sight….eventually!
Thanks
Mags x
Good luck with your recovery
My name is Mackenzie, I am 15 and post-op day 2 from the same exact procedure. So far I can force down some water and gatorade. But it is very painful to swallow anything. I tried to eat ice cream, BIG mistake. My throat and uvula is still very swollen from the surgery so the space for liquid to pass is very small .It burns and it very hard to swallow. I have thrown up 3 times since i left the hospital and nausea is present after I wake up or move too much. I recommend calling your doctor and getting an anti nausea prescription. How long do you think until i can eat soft foods? the combination of being hungry and not able to eat anything is torture. What are some foods you recommend?
I have a post about nutrition tips after my tonsillectomy: https://ggnutritionco.com/2014/03/26/tonsillectomy-food-nutrition-tips/
It took me about 10 days to be able to tolerate soft foods. If you get concerned then I would call your doctor. Good luck with your recovery!
Hi I have my tonsils removed in March this year but I have a problem with dry throat everytime I must drink water , what can help me on this dry throat it really eritates me, and my taste bud as well I can taste most of the food.
Thank you
I’m sorry you’re having this issue. I would ask your doctor about it! Hope it resolves soon.
Thank you SOOO much for sharing this with us, reading this post and all the comments have really helped keep me going through my recovery. I’m on day 9 now, but days 4-present have been hell on earth. Level 10 pain has been very difficult to get under control and about day 6 or 7 was when I started to become hopeless. The pain was so much that I became very depressed and frightened of its return when we DID get it under control. I felt as though I was never going to be happy and pain free again. Finally, I can tell it is slowly starting to fade away into more controllable pain, at more of a level 7-8. I started doing research because I just couldn’t take it anymore and had to know when it would end!! Your story really helped to calm me down and now I know I’m getting closer and closer to the end of the worst of it! Thank you so so much for sharing, it is so appreciated!
Btw I am a 21 yr old female
I’m glad you’ve turned the corner! I remember feeling the exact same way you’ve described.
This post has been so lovely to read as all i have seen on the internet is horror stories about people bleeding and having to go back into surgery!
I am currently on day 5 and the pain is going slowly and i can eat more foods such as mashed potatoes and noodle soup! Im really anxious for the scabs to fall off though but i guess the have to come of so you can heal haha! The pain when i wake up in the morning is bad as my throat dries out and sometimes i start choking and then i panic because i dont want to irritate my throat anymore! Right now my throat feels a bit itchy, does this means the dcabs have started coming off? Hopefully it’ll be worth it in the end!
I’m not sure about the itchiness… mine just hurt. Good luck with your recovery!
When will the scabs start coming off ?
I’m not sure if there’s a standard time
My son is having his tonsils removed july 14 and was wonder what type of procedure did your Dr use?
Hi…thanks for posting your experience!
I’m a 34 yo male on day 8 of recovery. My experience hasn’tt been as horrid as some others I’ve heard described, so I just wanted to share to maybe make people not feel so nervous!
Days 1-3 weren;t so bad painwise…but the swelling is the worst during these days. On day 1 the swelling isn’t so bad yet, so make sure you load up on shakes and fluids because it is much harder to drink days 2-3. Also take your pain meds regularly even if you don’t feel pain…better to be safe than sorry!
Days 4-5 were probably the worst for me. I wasn’t eating enough so the pain meds made me vomit and I spit up a glob of blood in the process. Freaked me out so I drank ice water right away and bleeding has not returned.
Days 6-8 have definitely not been fun…and yes it does seem as though I’ll never be able to eat normal food again, but I’m currently managing the pain with 1000mg of tylenol every 6 hours.
I haven;t regretting removing them for a moment, not even when the pain has been the worst.
Glad things are going well for you, Dan!
I had my tonsils out 1 week ago on July 2nd.
Im on day 7 of my recovery now, I’ve had no problems at all been really easy. Started the week in so much pain (8/9 out of 10) but I’m now on about a 2/10 so much better BUT today i have had a TINY bit of bleeding so i instantly went online and looked for what i should do and I’ve been drinking water with ice in since and there has been no blood.
I would advise anyone who is going to have their tonsils to just to get on with the pain and try to eat – not what i did, i didnt eat for 2 days and I’ve lost half a stone. You need to eat as often as you can even if you can’t be bothered as it will lead to a much quicker recovery.
by the way, I’m a 14 year old male.
I don’t know how long it been since this was put up or if you’ll even see this. But I’m sixteen & it’s day four. Pain is excruciating and I’m out of meds until tomorrow. (My mom had to buy some for me from a co worker) I’ve been eating Popsicles for the past hour to try to numb it so I won’t have to take the three pills I have until later. And I haven’t had to get up to get them once thanks to my sweet little brother. I’m not having much trouble sleeping I just choose not to cause of the pain when I wake up. I can’t tolerate pain very well at all. But my mom also got me some Xanax which is for anxiety but it really relaxes me and helps me sleep so I’m going to try that and hopefully wake up a little better. Today had been the worst day of all. I’ve had two episodes of crying hysterically which is bad because I can’t seem to not whine I guess you’d say which hurts a lot. I also haven’t talked in a few days unless I feel perfectly fine. It’s a good thing my whole family has cell phones. I almost had to go to the Er ye
I got cut off from
Hang in there and good luck with your recovery!
Hello Sam,
Thank you for this wonderful article about your experience with the tonsillectomy recovery. Now I have a reference I can read with day-to-day experiences and see if it is normal to feel the pain I feel. It is good to know I am not the only one who is going through this hell. I just got my tonsils taken out 6 days ago and the pain is unnaturally horrific. I have not had 1 day yet where there is minimal pain. My scabs came of yesterday and I felt like someone was pressing a hot iron inside my mouth. Pain medication was not doing the job. Here’s to not having tonsils!
Your description of the hot iron brings back vivid memories of my tonsillectomy. I tried to describe the pain to people but it’s hard to understand unless you’ve been there. I hope you turn the corner soon!!
Hi Sam,
I’m reading your experience and am amazed at how closely it resembles mine. I’ve had a sensation of something stuck in my throat for the past nine months. I eat very healthy and am very active. I tried all the self remedies, and even the water pick to try to make it better. But after multiple visits to the ENT, tests, and endless attempts with medication, it was decided that it would be best to have my tonsils removed.
I also underestimated the recovery process, it sucked!
Here’s my question; it’s now been close to 6 weeks post surgery and I still have the same sensation of something being stuck mid way down my throat. I didn’t notice it until probably the 3rd week post surgery (may have been due to the pain overpowering it). I have a fantastic Dr, so I’m sure it has nothing to do with the actual procedure. I’m just curious if you ever experienced that sensation that we’ve both seem to have had, post surgery. I hoping it’s just part of the recovery process, but am not sure..
Thanks!
Steven
I did not have that sensation after my surgery. I actually noticed a difference immediately after my surgery. I wonder if you have a hiatal hernia or something. Have you had an EGD?
Yes, I have. Plus, a CT scan that came back negative. I’m reading on some other sites that some people had experience it after surgery but it eventually went away, so maybe I just need to give it more time.
Well anyways, great page and happy it worked for you. :)
Wow, that stinks… i hope it goes away!
Hi I’m 60 years old I had my surgery on July. 10 one. mounth ago and I’m stall in pain.I would not do it again. I’m calling the Dr. Needing more pain meds.
Steven, I’m experiencing that now. I’m 50 years old and 19 days post surgery…I’ve always felt a little something annoying on the right side of my throat and figured it’s a scab and that will go away soon. The sweet awesome surprise is the feeling that food is stuck shortly after eating most food and it doesn’t go away. The pain is gone, but this feeling is horrible and dare I say worse. I am constantly trying to dislodge with tongue movement, swallowing, coughing, clearing, gargling etc. it’s making me crazy! It goes away, right? I am about to lose it!
Thank you for posting this. I’m on Day 9 after getting my tonsils out and just now starting to feel better. I didn’t have to take hydrocodone this morning — Thank God! I’ve been sucking on Sonic ice too :) Do you remember how long before your voice was back to normal? Did it take the full 2 weeks? I am 30 years old by the way…
My voice was never affected so I’m not sure. I hope your recovery continues to go well!
hi im 47 years old i was told today that i have to have my tonsils remove could you please tell me the pors and cons about HAVIN your tonsils remove
Hi Doris- I’d recommend talking to your doctor about it. Good luck!
Thank you so much for this blog. I’ve read it at least 20 times and all the comments too. It has been 6 days since my tonsillectomy. I’ve shared many of the same experiences as you and some of the other readers. I’m looking forward to feeling 100% again. The worst pain so far has been the ear pain. Just like everyone else, I still don’t regret having the surgery even though these past days have been extremely uncomfortable.
Glad you found the experiences helpful. I hope your recovery continues to go well :)
This post annoys me because it exaggerates the pain, and misrepresents the journey of recovery. Most accounts acknowledge that you start off with little pain, it builds to day 6 or 7, then eases off. I read loads of accounts of miserable agony, for me the pain reached a level of 8 on the worst days, but for the most part was well under that. One mistake that a lot of people seem to make is eating liquids only, soft food only, avoiding intake. The trick to keeping pain manageable is keeping the scabs moist and thin. Eating solid food sloughs off the scabs, drinking plenty of fluids every couple of hours day and night keeps things moist, and gargling especially with fizzy water really helps too. If you do this you’ll be fine. If you give in to the really minimal pain on the first couple of days then you’re scabs will get bigger and drier, and you’ll suffer much worse later on. Maybe this is a UK vs US thing, in the UK you get fed a sandwich before you leave hospital and it goes from there, solid food as often as you can. There are so many sensationalist and frankly misleading accounts of tonsillectomy recovery in adults online. Don’t let these stress you out. Do as I have written above, and take the medication you prescribed at regular intervals dauwand night, and you’ll be fine.
Hi David- glad you had a good experience. I don’t think my account is exaggerating the pain in any way. It was truly the worst pain of my life. Sorry if that’s “annoying” to you.
I just think it’s slightly irresponsible to paint that picture, people researching this subject (I was one of them) are overwhelmed with horror stories, when the reality isn’t that bad. This isn’t childbirth, or a leg break, yeah it’s painful but it’s very manageable, especially if you eat and drink sensibly and take the prescribed drugs. In my opinion your blog is deliberately sensationalising the experience, the Willy Wonka meme being a prime example, which won’t help the stress levels of those waiting for the operation. Stress aggravates everything, including perception of pain. I’m not picking a fight for the sake of it, I just want people to hear a balanced account of what this procedure leaves you to deal with. Peace.
You’re entitled to your opinion, but there is nothing “deliberately sensationalizing” about this blog post. The post is based on the author’s personal experience and could prove useful to others who are preparing for or recovering from a similar procedure. I am on Day 7 and find her description of the pain to be fairly accurate. It has been a challenging recovery for me, and for many others here who have posted replies after having had similar experiences.
I actually found the Willy Wonka meme to be humorous and it was one of the few things that made me smile during the past few days, From what I’ve read, and from my personal experience, the author’s account is very balanced. If anything, I believe your experience to be more out of the ordinary.
David, you must have been really lucky. But I think you are the exception rather than the rule. I had my tonsillectomy 14 days ago. I have done all the things you suggested and the pain was still the worst I’ve ever had. Far worse than having a baby and worse than any of the other major surgeries I’ve had. Things started to improve around Day 10. Please don’t minimize other’s experience.
David,
It’s not exaggerating the pain. I’ve had 3 kids 10/10 and a tonsillectomy was a 7/10 compared. It’s is the worst constant pain I’ve ever had and my surgery and experience is very similar to Sam’s. I ate solid foods and actually it did me more worst than good. The food got stuck on my scabs and rotted. Yuck. It didn’t make any difference in the scab. This article is one of the most helpful personal experiences written online compared to others. My pain started to increase again on day 6/7 but I am awaiting day 10 to get here fast. Thanks Sam for writing this and helping so many others with your PERSONAL suggestions. They were
It’s helpful than what my doctor suggested.
I just woke up at 5 in the morning with excruciating pain I’m going into my 8th day. My pain has really got bad between days 6-7 and now 8. I usually wake up in pain, but its not to bad. My dr never mentioned the humidifier , does it help a lot with pain ? & also when did you take the ibuprofen?
Hi Christiana- the humidifier helped a ton. I kept it right by my face while I slept. You should talk to your doctor about the ibuprofen because it’s an NSAIDS and some doctors don’t want you taking it after surgery…. mine was okay with it but I talked to him about it first and he discussed the contraindications with me. I wouldn’t add a new med without talking to your doctor first :)
Hi I’m on day 11 and I think my scabs fell of ,I’m really hungry I want food but not sure what foods to eat .and also I feel a little pain when I swallow even though my scabs fell and it hurt when they fell lol Help?!
Hello Sam!
So happy that you wrote this about having your tonsillectomy. I am much older than you were when you had your procedure, I will be 43 next month. Although I have had a history of this ALL MY LIFE, since I was 8, my mother did not know enough about it and literally was scared, so I suffered all this time and thought I was over it through my mid 20’s and 30’s until about 35. Now it’s back worse than ever and have literally have had strep throat and tonsillitis 6 times since May. I have consistently been on Antibiotics and Steroid (YUK). I have weighed out the PRO’s and CON’s of the surgery and all of the horrible stories and anticipation of the discomfort that will come post surgery. I have realized that the surgery will be something that will change my life completely. So I am ready to deal with the recovery process, just unfortunate that I not only work full time and will be doing some training for 2 weeks after my surgery (so not much talking) but I am also a full time student completing my degree (thank goodness it’s online).
Thank you for your post, I have taken some of the things you mention and I have written some notes down for things to request such as lidocaine viscus swish and swallow so that I will not have to take around the clock narcotics but have a different type of pain medication that is nondrowsy along with the others that will allow me to rest a bit at night.
Eagerly anticipating my schedule.. 7days away ☺
Davina
Hi Davina- good luck with your procedure :) I think with anything, it’s always good to be prepared for the worst and hope for the best. At least the recovery is very short!!!
I enjoyed reading everyone’s experiences! It was a horrible one for me. Day 2, I had an allergic reaction to the pain killers prescribed so I’ve been taking 4 of the Motrin Liquidgels every 6 hours. Day 2-3 weren’t bad, on pain levels. They said day 3 was probably gonna be the worst. I don’t agree with the doctor and nurses. The past few days I’ve been in agonizing pain. It’s day 9, and I do feel better! I haven’t peeked at my throat yet. But I do have to admit day 6, I gave up and didn’t eat/drink. I was vomiting up some weird flakey things, which I’m assuming is part of the scab. I HIGHLY regret not eating or drinking. I was so sick, and so weak. Seriously, eat and drink as much as you can. Day 7, I started to eat normal food (soft food) and I downed several Powerades. I fought the pain, cried. I still threw up and had the flakes come off. Day 8, I ate chicken and mashed potatoes :) It was so good. Tonight, my boyfriend wants to go get Chinese. I’m hating him right now, but the rice shouldn’t be hard to eat. I’m glad to say the pain has become tolerable, and I’m regaining strength. Scabs will hopefully be gone soon!!! I’m so excited.
I read this post the day of my surgery and thought that this surgery would be an easy recovery. I underestimated it, greatly. Thank you for posting this! I wish everyone a full recovery. Remember stay hydrated no matter the pain!
Hi Lainey! I’m glad things are going well. Thanks for checking in!
How long do i have to suffer with the dryness in the throat at night it is the worse pain and worse feeling , i am barley sleeping at all this is my 10th day of recovering from this.
Hi Terry- I’m sorry things are still rough for you. Have you tried a humidifier? That really helped me. I slept with it right next to my pillow.
Yes i did still having problems i guess its the healing process . Thank you for answering me this site has helped me alot. To read that other people were experiencing the same thing. Thank you
Hi guys so I am in the military and on Thursday 3SEP15 I’m having my tonsils removed. I spoke to the doctor and he explained the worst of the worst and I’m mentally preparing myself for the worst, like they say think of the worst and hope for the best. I’ve been reading a lot of what everyone wrote and all your tips are amazing. My only concern is I am going to be going through this whole thing alone unfortunately, I am stationed in Virginia and all my family lives in California. I have friends and co workers here that will be checking up on me but overall it will be just be me. Has anyone here gone through it alone and if so HOW? To be honest I knew it was going to be bad but the more I read the more I am starting to worry if I am going to be able to do this alone. I’ve gone shopping to prepare, popsicles, Gatorade, ensure clear, pudding and jello, if anyone has any tips on how to go about this alone please please, any tips advice secrets anything helps. Thank you
Hey Joey! Sorry I am just now replying to this, as it seems like your surgery is coming up very soon! I think you will definitely be okay by yourself as long as you make a lot of preparations. I think the simple things you’ve listed like jello and popsicles are good… but I would also grab a few meal-type things to have on hand. I would prepare some soft foods, like mac and cheese, and freeze individual servings so that you have something quick and pre-prepared to grab if you feel like eating. Or if you don’t have time to do that at this point then maybe buy those little microwaveable cups. I would also set up an area where all of everything you need is within reach (like meds, cell phone charger, humidifier if you need one, etc). The two most tiresome things for me were crushing my pills (because I upgraded my pain med in that first week, lol) and refilling my little ice bags. If you don’t have solid pills then you wouldn’t need to worry about. You could also buy some refreezable ice packs and rotate them. I also needed someone to go out and buy more crushed ice like 3 different times… so maybe if people are coming to check on you, ask them to bring some crushed ice. Hope it goes well!!
Hey Sam, I really appreciate the feed back and now that I read this I totally forgot to get ice packs! The butterflies are starting to kick in :/
I do have to say I thought I was prepared before but after reading this I was no where near being ready for this surgery. Thanks to people like you sharing first hand experiences of what you went through and putting it out there for people to use is amazing and I honestly appreciate it. Without reading this I would be in all kinds of trouble!! thank you for being the Guinea Pig ;)
Good luck tomorrow!
I am having mine done Thursday 17 September 2015. I have no one here either. I’ve never been this afraid of anything. Anxiety is eating me alive. 43 years old and do not do well with pain. I am a terrible patient.
Hi Cheryl,
So I am about 12 days post surgery and i can say I am doing amazing. To be honest I thought it was going to be a lot worst and last a lot longer. Don’t get me wrong the first 5 or 6 days were pure hell but i slept pretty much the whole time. For me being alone i had to prepare in advance and i think you should do the same. Get your normal jello pudding ect, have crushed ice in the freezer in advance and what i loved the most was freezing Gatorade and then letting them slowly melt and brake up all the ice and it becomes like a slushy which is soothing on the throat. The day i got home i crushed my pills and got everything done i needed to get done because the pain medication they give you at the hospital really stays in you until the next day therefore you don’t really feel much when you get home. Another HUGE thing to remember is DO NOT forget to take your medicine!!! that is the most important part. Pain management is huge!! I had set about 6 alarms on my cell phone to wake me up every four hours to take my medicine and one morning i forgot and the pain hit my like a ton of bricks!!! its gong to be difficult at first and miserable but just know the pain and un comfort is only temporary and you will heal. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to ask!!! Other wise i wish you the best of luck and a speedy recovery!!
Hi Cheryl- I think Joey gave you some excellent advice. Just get your things together beforehand and I’m sure you will be fine!! As painful as it was, it was very short-lived. You will feel back to your old self in no time. I hope everything goes well.
I am just waiting on being picked up to be taken to the hospital, was fairly calm till I read all of this I am now a wreck. Didn’t think it was going to be even half as bad as your all describing ?????? wish me luck x
Hi Nikola- there are lots of commenters who said it wasn’t so bad. Hope everything goes well!!
Again, like so many others, just want to say thanks. The docs don’t adequately prepare you most of the time for after surgery. This site has been such a relief to me. I’m having mine out Sept 14th, God willing, and I’ve just been scared half to death. I am 48 which is really old I guess in tonsillectomy years. Thanks for doing this. Its really been a help and comfort.
Hi Lisa- don’t be scared! I think if you have things prepared that it will be fine. Good luck on your procedure.
Tonsils finally out at 57 Here in Germany. 7 day hospital in-patient over here is the norm. I’m on day 7. They are really concerned about the bleeding.
Thanks for the tips on this blog. Really helpful. Ibuprofen, paracetamol, novomalgin
Matt
Hi Sam!!
I just wanted to say thank you so much for posting this! I’ve been having the exact same feeling of something being stuck in my throat for close to 2 months now. It comes and goes, there are days I don’t feel a thing and other days my throat feels so swollen I’m afraid to eat! I also get pain in my right ear. I saw an ENT last Wednesday and he found tonsil stones in both tonsils, worse on my right side. Did your symptoms come and go like mine? I haven’t committed to surgery yet, lol I think I keep hoping that it will just go away on its own.
He suggested I have them removed as well though. With work and vacation days, I probably won’t be able to have this done until end of Decemeber/early January. Hopefully that’s ok to wait like that?
I’m definitely afraid of the pain though!! It sounds awful, and my doctor even told me it’s a very very painful recovery for adults. I’m hoping 2 cyst removal surgeries and 4 kidney stones might prepare me a little bit for it. Maybe ;) But thank you for your very thorough and helpful blog entry!!
Hi Rachel- mine kind of came and went as well. My doctor told me that if I removed them, they would just come back. I found that to be the case with me. The pain sucks but at least it’s temporary!
Amy- One more quick question… have you started eating anything for solid foods? Or did they give you an idea of how long you can’t eat solid foods? Thank you! This blog has been really helpful for me so I appreciate it!
Just curious, why a cool air humidifier over a warm air one. Will be purchasing one soon for upcoming surgery. I am 48 yrs old, female and scared to death now for this procedure, actually consideriing cancelling now. If I do go through with it I am thankful to know ahead of time some things I can do to help in the recovery.
Thank you! Janie
Well, my throat burned so I liked cold things
I didn’t need a humidifier what so ever, I slept through the whole night without waking up and when i woke up the pain wasn’t that bad, I would recommend to wait until maybe the second day of recovery and if you really feel you need it then send someone off to buy one for you instead of potentially wasting money :)
My surgery is scheduled for Oct 21, what is Coblation, never heard about it but I will be calling my ENT shortly… Wondering why this surgery isn’t done via laser yet. Would think laser would be so much easier… then again, I am NOT a Doctor…
Coblation is a gentle way of removing soft tissue, Good luck with getting them out! Hope you have a better recovery than i’m having!
I had mine removed in May of this year. I am 36. It was the most horrible pain of my entire life. I have two kids. I gave birth to one of them completely without drugs, at home, in the bathtub. I would have gladly given birth every day of my recovery rather than the pain I was feeling while it was going on. Thanks to the Vicodin, though, it has all become a weird fuzzy memory.
I was able to get out of bed and start doing things again on day 10. By the 2-week point I was able to eat solid foods and was pretty much back to having a normal life again. Don’t plan on doing anything but lying flat on your back for 10 days, though. I literally could not. I also did not enjoy anything going down my throat, even ice cream, so it isn’t any kind of kiddie vacation. It sucks, plain and simple. Oh, and plan on having someone with you, helping you to take your meds and getting you smoothies. You won’t be able to do it yourself. Thankfully I have a wonderful friend who did this for me, and lots of others who brought my kids dinner for a week and a half. (My husband passed away and I was living far away from family at the time.)
It is now October, and it still hurts so much when I yawn that tears come to my eyes. Other than that, though, all is well. In fact, all is better than well–this was honestly the most horrible pain of my life and I would do it over again tomorrow if I had to, because it was totally worth it. I feel so much better. Strep and tonsillitis every couple of months was extremely disruptive to my life and even when I wasn’t in bed with infections of the throat and 102 degree temps, my immune system was totally shot and I just felt wiped out all of the time. I felt like a horrible employee at work and often couldn’t take care of my children. Since having my tonsils out, I have not had one case of strep or tonsillitis. I no longer live in fear of it. I also have more energy than I have had for probably 15 years. I am so glad I did this.
Hi everyone,
I had my tonsils removed a couple of days ago and the pain has been pretty bad,but i believe its going to get worse,I couldn’t eat anything for the first day or two but I could drink almost anything,I found iced smoothies from mc donalds god sent they made me feel like I had actually eaten something and i felt i could take my painkillers without feeling nauseous,of course i got my mam to get them for me as i have barely left my bed the past 5 days. Slush puppies were also really good they numbed my throat a bit and took some of the pain away. In regards to eating,I stayed overnight in hospital and when i got home I managed too eat a little cottage pie, how i have no idea and i feel sick even thinking about it now! I wouldn’t recommend eating ice cream as i feel it created more mucus and i had to swallow more which was painful. The soups you make in the cups i found went down a treat and after eating them my throat felt a lot better i did eat the hot and they didn’t hurt my throat, I also found cold custard really good and scrambled egg is edible too im not a big fan but i felt good that i was finally able to eat something somewhat solid. Sleeping has been good for me and i sleep through the whole night without waking up,when i wake up y throat is not that painful which i find kind of weird,the only night i didn’t get any sleep was the first night and i believe it was because i was in the hospital and it was too bright and noisy plus the nurse kept coming in every 20 minutes to check my blood pressure and pulse,I’ve never even heard of a humidifier before the surgery maybe because literally no one i know has ever had one they’re not popular in Ireland but i didn’t need one at all. I don’t think y scabs have nearly started to fall off yet and i’m actually quite nervous, would anyone care to share their experience with their scabs it would be really helpful? y doctor didn’t put me on antibiotics so i’m also worried ill get an infection i was wondering if anyone else didn’t use antibiotics and how did it go?, I keep getting this itching sensation at the back of my throat and y eyes start to water and i have to cough does anyone know what this is? Thank you!
I was never put on an antibiotic. I don’t see why you would need that unless you had an infection?
Hello, and thank you for writing about your experience with your tonsils. I’m amazed at how many replies you have gotten in such a short time! I decided to throw my own experience into the mix.
42 yo woman on day 5 post-op. I can honestly say I wish I hadn’t had it done. I’m an ER nurse, and so I had a lot of input from different levels of medical professionals before I had the surgery. Most of the advice was “Do it! You’ll be in a pain for a day or two but you’ll be so glad you got it done!”
THEY LIED.
I wish I would have read your article before surgery. I had no idea about the lack of sleep. I would doze off for 15 or 20 minutes here or there for he first two days, but I didn’t get any real sleep until day three, which got me a whopping 2.5 hours.
My surgery was complicated, and a 20 minute procedure turned into a 1 1/2 hour ordeal when – in the ENT’s words – one of my tonsils started to “gush blood” and lost about 250mL of blood. So now I have several Vicryl (dissolvable) sutures poking at my inflamed sores. Also the amount of puss is quite wicked. I don’t have the nice coating I see in Google images. No, mine look like someone smeared thick chunky bleu cheese all over my throat. Yeah, fun times.
My pain was the worst starting on day 3 and continues to get worse. I was only given enough pain medication for 6 days, so I will probably have to call the office on Monday. The pain is EXCRUCIATING! The only relief I get is from ice cream and popsicles, which I have to melt most of the way on my tongue before swallowing. I’ve been able to eat other soft foods but do my best to avoid them as no matter how small I mash it, chunks get stuck in the puss.
Now I’m terrified of the scabs falling off that I may start to bleed uncontrollably again. This has been the second worst bodily experience I’ve had in my lifetime – the first being a very complicated childbirth. If I had it to do over, I would have left them in, swollen or not.
Of course, I am in pain as I write this, and perhaps once the healing is done the benefits will outweigh the pain.
But I doubt it…
More complaining…. | CounselorNayNay
https://counselornaynay.wordpress.com/2015/10/14/more-complaining/
Thank you for your help and advice!! I am finding my second week to be emu have more difficult than the first!!!!
Has anyone tried the throat lozingers that have an ingredient to numb the throat. I bought a couple boxes of Chloraseptic Lozingers for sore throats, it has benzocaine and menthol. Wondering if it would be helpful or harmful. My surgery is next week. The Pharmacist felt it would be helpful but I am nervous about trying it incase it burns.
Any advice or suggestions? Thank you!
My mom got me these but I was scared to use them. It’s not a bad idea to have lots of different things on hand to try out!
Ask your surgeoon
Hey there fellow ouch r’s ~ I’m Ryan & had my nose straightened out and tonsils etc removed all at once at the age of 43 ~ on day 7 and still alive ~ no need to break my days down telling you how I felt because it’s the same as the 100’s of stories I’ve read while laying here continually looking for that one story that tells me what I want to hear :) …. Not gonna happen this is a painful surgery no way around it ~ my doc told me my tonsills where the biggest he had ever taken out of someone ~ I knew then pain was SURE to follow ~ so with that being said and knowing by reading days 1-5-6-7 seeming identical to most I’ll tell you how I have managed ~ first & for most keep up on your meds!!! I wake up every 3 yrs and take meds and TRY to get some water down ~ then at points through the day your throat will feel tight & dry so by accident I found that standing in shower with water on HOT shooting the other direction obviously ~ just stand there and breath for 10 or 15 min ~ it helps a little ~ also I’ve taken vacation from work & TALKING ~ I text my kids & whoever else I need to ~ smiles ~ hugs & fist pumps carry a lot of weight around here ~ my other biggie is I’m not eating to much of snything ~ already lost 9 lbs & feel good as far as that goes ~ so I think eating possibly makes it more painful ~ so go into this knowing your gonna diet & lose some weight :) so hoping in a few days I’m on the down side ~ good luck
Hey I am 23 years old and im on day 5 of my recovery, and let me tell you I thought this would be a piece of cake, but I wasnt AT ALL. The surgery doctor spoken to me a month before my tonsillectomy surgery. He warned me that because I am older It would be more painful and longer to recover….I was really scared when he told me that, but being honest is what I needed. So all the things that you experience in your article I am as I write am experiencing this terrible pain. I hope this will fix me from getting sick all the time.
Omg i just replied to this page….im so scared. I get mind done on thursday :(
Hi! Thank you so much for posting this. I originally went to urgent care on 9/27 for horrible sore throat. Dr said it could be any kind of virus and put me on a general antibiotic..safe to say i got worse..4 days later i went back to a different urgent care and thankfully that dr knew what he was doing. Because i was only swollen on one side of my throat he told be to go straight to the ER. They did a CT scan and found an abscess. I stayed overnight and the ear nose and throat dr did the surgery the next day. I recovered instantly. No more pain but still had post op recovery. Well its been 3 weeks and im having the same symptoms again :( went back to the dr today who did my surgery and he said “yup. I was hoping this wouldnt happen. We need to get you right in on thursday for a tonsillectomy”….i was all for it until seeing on every website on how excruciating it is!!!!!!!! I mean i know i need it done but im just really scared. My pain level now EVEN ON PERCOCETS IS A 5…and i want to cry. I dont know how im going to make it this next two weeks. I sound like such a baby. Is it really THAT bad??? :((((((((
I think if you are already in a lot of pain then you will be glad you had it done!!
Hello Sam,
I am 23 years old and I am scheduled to have surgery on Nov 12th. I have been doing a lot of research but after reading about your experience I have to say it has been the best advice I have come across.
I do have to mention though that after reading about the amount of pain you were in makes me extremely nervous/scared. I just hope that it will all be worth it in the end.
Thank you so much for this post. I’m in the process of recovering from my tonsillectomy (7 days out) and this post really helped. :)
Good luck with your recovery!
37yo male here. Just had a combo of tonsillectomy, UPPP, turbinectomy and septoplasty to correct my obstructive sleep apnea. Surgery happened last Friday, so I guess today would be my day 6 of recovery. One of the doctors did warn me that pain will get from day 3-5 before it starts to get better, and boy, last night was intense.
I was given Arcoxia to help with pain management, but was told to only take it in the morning, which kinda sucks because the pain (5-6) at night makes it hard to sleep. I’ll be checking with the doc when I see him again on Monday for my review and for the splints in my nose to be taken out. Probably ask for more/stronger painkillers if I am still in pain by then.
Been eating nothing but yogurt but starting to introduce porridge (with egg, because protein helps with healing, yes?) into the mix.
So anyway, thank you for your generous sharing. :)
Very Positive Story
Today is day 4 of my tonselctomy and adnoidectomy. I am a 48 yr old female. I followed this blog, have read every entry and wrote in a few times myself. I was truly petrified and on the verge of chickening out. To date my experience has been amazing. I would say my pain level has been a constant zero. My throat feels different of course, odd feeling but with my regular doses of Extra strength tylenol and rotating with ibprophene. I have yet to feel uncomfortable. I have been awaiting to wake up and feel something awful but to date I am pleasantly surprised to wake up feeling good. From this post I was able to be very prepared. Things that have truly helped is the humidifyer and a large insulated water mug to hold ice. I have been dringking ice water like crazy, it feels great and they say it is helpful. I also tried eating and was surprised how well it went down and fetl great so I have eaten every day. Noodles, scrambled eggs, pancakes, steal cut oat porridge with blueberies. My biggest tip I think is the most helpful.. Arnica Montanna. This is a herbal pill that may possibly have made the difference. They are tiny little pills that you put under your tongue to dissolve. I took 6 pills 200 c 3 times a day 2 1/2 days prior to surgery and every 3 to 4 hours after. They taste like a mint candy so it is very easy to take. It promotes healing, reduces swelling and bleeding and has zero interactions with medical drugs. My Uvela has not swelled at all, adding to my comofort and ability to eat and drink. I STRONGLY suggest doing the research on Arnica, it is available at health food stores an my local pharmacy carried it. So for now, I have reduced my pain meds as I just don’t feel I need as much but will continue taking smaller doses. I will post again if any major changes but want to really thank Sam and all the guests that posted. I learned alot, have been well prepared and am thrilled to say … pain free.. as long as I keep quiet…talking is not great. Good luck to all!
Wow, awesome!!! So glad you are doing well :)
Thanks for sharing! I’m up @ 3a on day 7 with excruciating pain and reading your post has made me feel a little better about what I’m going through. I’m so happy to see you guys say that day 10 is going to be uphill. Keep Hope Alive!
Hope everything goes well with your recovery :)
Im 40 a vegetarian (one who still consumes dairy,but have am egg intolerance) and starting day 7 post op.one food that has been a huge help to me so far is cut up watermelon ,nice and cool outta the fridge and hydrating, just kind suck on it till its small enough to swallow what’s left,baby food veggies and fruit,found that ice cream did not go well as im having lots of trouble with phlegm .had some cold kfc mashed.potatoes the other day that went down nice.working on compiling a list of the buffet of food i will eat when im better..lol.
Hope your recovery continues to go well
26 year old male, I got mono when I was 21… Which causes my tonsils to swell to a very large size. Mono kept me in bed for a good four months. Doctors told me tonsils would eventually return to normal after, never did, I spent five years constantly clearing my throat, always having a wolter bottle with me Incase i felt like I was choking and always feeling like something was stuck in my throat. After years my doctor finally admitted I should get them out, my ENT said they were the size of a normal gal bladder… He said he’d reccomend getting them out but to warn me he’d never received a thank you card from anyone, and since I had a physical job Id have to take 14 days off.. I ofcourse was skeptical, I have had major reconstructive surgery on my face and 2 surgeries on my arm and knee… None compared to this..
Day 1- not bad , very drugged up , drank as much as I could as often as I could, I literally would finish a water bottle and get a new one, this helped a lot.
Day 2-4 was frustrating, pain was severe, but Aslong as I used my pain meds I was fine ( find it weird everyone seems to of had liquid meds, as I hd pills and to be honest weren’t that hard to swallow with lots of water) I continued to drink water and Gatorade as much as I could.. I had a few Popsicles and some pudding but found eating uncomfterable.
Days 4-6 starting to feel a bit more human,throat still very sore but manageable with meds and lots of water, tried to eat kd but felt like it was catching and making me gag..introduced ice cream at this time, and slushis, just used a spoon instead of straw.
Day 7- out of pain meds, so just regular advil, throat still extremely sore when I wake up but not bad after I get water into it. Able to eat a pancake and some soft mushy scrambled eggs.
Day 8- today..still not feeling the best but definitely better, a bit more energy to sit up and move around a bit, scabs are definitely drying out but not to extreme. Id say pain is comparable to a common strep throat.
To be honest prepare for a long recovery. I figured by day 7-8 Id be eating pizza and burgers again and almost 100 percent, but am very far from it.
I noticed most people didn’t mention it, but jaw pain was there, hard to open mouth more than a few inches. Also my tongue hurt quite a bit in the first few days.
My tips:drink water as much as you can, take your piain med and spend the next two hours just constantly sipping until you’re done a few bottles.
Jello is amazing for your throat and helps your stomach. Ice cream is good after a few days in and you can handle a little mucus in your throat.
Don’t constantly be checking your throat, try to ignore it and focus on drinking and resting. It will heal itself and you won’t bleed unless you overdue it or try and eat something too soon. I know it’s frustrating not eating real food for 10-14 days but definitely better than having to go get re cauterized and having a new scab to heal.
I also put ice into a bag and put into a long thin sock. I tied it around my neck so the two bags of ice where under each side of my throat and rotated on and off whenever the pain was extreme.
Done 13 lbs on day 8, but starting to feel better each day, so hears to hoping days 9-14 just improve more and more.
Can’t wait to dig into a nice steak or burger.
Good luck with your recovery!!! I agree that jello was amazing.
I left a comment here before about the watermelon.im on day 10 and not doing well at all ,my dr sent me home with only a five day supply of pain med and prednisone, i ended up getting 2 more days of pain med for a total of a week and that was using it sparingly. I called my dr the other day in agony and asked if i can get a couple more days of pain meds,he said no,thinks im a drug addict apparently (which im far from,i hate meds that make me fuzzy) i also informed him that i have a crazy amount of swelling,was instructed to take advil which because of other meds im on for ra im not suppose to take,in desperation i stopped my ra med for now and started the advil,well its been a day and a half,i cry on and off when im not doing that im sitting here clenching my jaw from the pain,i was up to eating pudding and yougert and watermelon but now cant even do that ,my tonuge is numb agian and just drinking water alone is painful. Im heading to the immediate care center in the morning because i cant take it.please tell me if i just sound like a big druggy baby….do dr normally only give one week of pain med for this? I was side lined,if i had known i would have skipped more at the start when it was more bearable and save my med for now.anything other then water feels like knives in my mouth …:(
At immediate care,dr says its the 3 rd case this month thats been here after tonsils removed and were under prescribed pain med.she thinks the doctor who did it has a full grasp on how truly pain ful it is,they are helping me…thank goodness
Wow, so sorry that you are having this experience!! To answer your original question, I initially got a liquid pain med and I’m not sure how many days it was worth because I couldn’t swallow it. Then I got some upgraded pain meds and if I took them at the maximum dosage, it was only 4 days worth. We had to go pick up a new Rx every 4 days and it sucked.
its really cool that you documented your procedure. Sure it will help alot of people.
I had my tonsils removed in 2013 ,was the worse experience of my life, unfortunately for me it didnt feel better in 14 days :(
My op had become infected , as my doctor hadn’t given me any antibiotics.
My the 3rd day the i couldn’t swallow even my saliva.
The pain in my ear was 10 times as bad as a normal earache. i should literally bang my head on the wall, wanting the pain to stop. The earache was worse at night.
After doing some research on the net , i found out that the op was probably infected. By this time i had a heavy chest, couldnt swallow my medication, and because i was coughing alot, the op had opened and was bleeding.
Ended up going back to the doctor, he then had to prescribe me kiddies meds in syrup form so i could start clearing the infection.
After couple weeks it finally healed . After healing took about 3 months before i could get taste of food.
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO KNOW IF YOU FEEL SOMETHING IS WRONG GO TO DOC IMMEDIATELY. AND MAKE SURE YOU TAKE YOUR ANTIBIOTICS.
Oh wow, so sorry you had that experience! I didn’t take antibiotics after my procedure. My doctor told me that wasn’t standard in terms of it being a preventative thing.
Hi I’m a 15 year old girl today marks 2weeks since my surgery. I had an unusual surgery. I had some adenoid work and a tumor removed with some tissue. I’m a lot better than I was before that’s for sure ! Worst pain ever. I’ve just been really sad . I haven’t been able to eat much of anything honestly I’m crying just thinking about how I can’t eat. Any suggestions on foods? I can’t lose anymore weight.. :(! Please I can only seem to have some protein shakes and mash potatoes . I tried jello pudding and all that stuff. I have very bad gerd and so can’t eat soups I’ll get nauseous.
Hi Nicole, I hope things have gotten better since you first left this comment!
I am 33 and am scheduled to have my tonsils and possible aednoids out in exactly a week. I am nervous because I don’t have big tonsils just craters that fill up with stones!! YUCK!!! But I have broken out in a terrible rash type thing that is all over my body and so I went to a dermatologist who took a biopsy and blood samples. Went back for results and its strep seeping out of my body even more yuck!! So she suggested I go see an ENT. He asked if I got strep throat often and I do. So he suggest he cut them out and I am scared because unlike kids whose tonsils just kinda slice right off, I get mine cut out!!! I am scared! But I am going to follow your advice!!!
I’m 16 and had a tonsillectomy 17 days ago because of chronic tonsil stones :/ I had a bleeding episode on day 6 of recovery and was cauterized with silver nitrate.. then 2 days later I had another bleeding incident and had to have a blood clot suctioned out of my throat, and I stayed overnight in the hospital. After I left the hospital, three days later I had more bleeding (worse than before!) it was coming out of my nose and everything. I had to be rushed into emergency surgery to be cauterized yet again under anestesia, and I stayed in the hospital for about 3 days :( I read that the bleeding risk is less than 2% so I guess I’m just one of the lucky ones lol. Though all in all the pain for me has not been very bad, just the bleeding. Now I’ve been doing great after the second surgery, and I’ve finally been eating a semi-regular diet. So hopefully I’ll be fully healed in no time :)
What an informative blog…..thank you! My 22 year old daughter will have tonsillectomy in 2 weeks. She has zero pain tolerance…and I’m not exaggerating. With each strep throat, she thought she was going to die. I’m quite concerned how I am going to manage her pain. How generous are these ENTs with the pain Meds?
Hi Inga- my recommendation would be to speak to your ENT in advance about the plan for pain medication. That was helpful for me feeling comfortable going into the procedure. I was given an Rx for liquid Vicodin as I left the hospital but eventually upgraded to a stronger narcotic. The only problem with that was that someone had to actually pick up the Rx from the doctors office. It was nice knowing that in advance.
Thank you Sam! Did you have to call your ENT post op to tell him Vicodin was not sufficient? As an ER Nurse, I would think Vicodin would not cut it until a week post op. I will definitely be quite frank with her ENT how worried I am. The fact that Christmas is 3 days after surgery, I’m also worried I won’t be able to reach the ENT if the need arises
My mom did, but I had a discussion prior to my surgery with the ENT and he said Percocet was an option
I had mine out today. I have stayed up on my pain meds but am starting to have increased pain. I am definitely not looking forward to the next few days. My MIL is an OR previous ER nurse. She told me to swallow as much as possible, sorry can’t remember the reason. She also said to get lots of protein. She said the protein will help the body heal behind the scabs to be prepared when the scabs come off. She said that would also reduce the risk of bleeding. I don’t know if this is going to help but I am trying it. I hope protein drinks will continue to be my friend. When my doctor called this evening I did have to ask if he could switch the liquid Percacet to pills. I have had to hold the vomit done each time. I usually don’t mind the taste of a medication but that liquid stuff is horrible. So I am going to see how I feel taking a pill in the morning and make the decision to switch or not. Definitely, frightened about the rest of recovery after reading some of the other comments. It will still be worth it, I had mine removed because of tonsil stones also.
I crushed Percocet into a small glass of Gatorade. It wasn’t the best but it helped with the bitterness. Good luck :(
Thank you so much for posting this! My son will be having his tonsils removed (he’s 24) and I’m extremely nervous about it. I hate to hear about all this pain but I think it’s far better to be prepared for it all than not. Thank you for all the tips, I will be purchasing all the items that helped you through this. This has been the best and most informative post that I’ve come across thus far. Bless you sweetheart!
I had my surgery on Tuesday, it has been 4 days and this is by far the most excruciating pain I have ever been in. I am 16, me and my family are planning on going down south on the 22nd… I’m afraid I won’t feel well enough to go… How did you feel on your 14th day?
Hey Daphne… The end of this post details my recovery by days. It looks like day 14 was the first time I slept through the night. I felt a lot better at that point and had really cut back on the pain meds. I think just being tired was the worst part at that point.
So happy I saw this the night before I had mine taken out. I’m on day 5 and it’s awful. The ear pain is excruciating and I’m wondering when and what is it like when the scabs fall off? That’s what I’m most anxious about now
My throat had started to feel better and then it got worse again. It wasn’t anything dramatic so I wouldn’t be too anxious about it :) hope you feel better soon!
Thanks! It seems that right after I take the liquid medicine and ice water is when I experience the most pain. When was it around you started talking again?
I talked the whole time. I’m sorry you’re in pain :(
After reading your experience, I decided at 25 years old it was time to get mine out. My tonsils were swollen for 3.5 months straight, I finally got into the ENT, and he said that they needed to come out, especially since I’d been having tonsil stones as well. Underwent surgery today at 10:20AM, so technically I’m on Day 1 of recovery. My doctor told me before the procedure that he would be using the Electrocauterization method for removing my tonsils, went fast and easy. Sent home with liquid hydrocodone, told to take ibuprofen as needed for inflammation and pain.
I was wondering, has anyone else had a really swollen uvula after their tonsillectomy? Mine is swollen, and it’s interfering with swallowing. I have found that cold beef broth is delicious and helps out a lot, along with some of those little Luigi’s Italian Ice (I think that’s the brand). Is there anything else I need to watch out for? Like anything that could set off a bleeding episode? Also, if the liquid hydrocodone isn’t strong enough, should I just stick with it or give my doctor a call?
Hey Nathan- hope you’re still doing well! Not sure about things that would set off a bleeding episode but you could always talk to your doctor if you’re concerned about it. I’d also ask him about the pain meds… I’m sure everyone is different.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience it helped me a lot going into surgery. It’s been a week since I got mine done and still haven’t been able to eat solids and I even lost 9 pounds. I’ve been living on chicken broth and a little of jello here and there but mostly ice chips. And for the past two days my ears have been killing me:(. When would you say you were fully healed? Or felt like you could eat anything?
Hi Lauriel, you can check out my posts (I have one where it details my recover day by day) but I want to say I started to feel a little more normal around day 10ish?
I don’t think I was fully healed for about a month in terms of being able to eat stuff like tortilla chips or something really acidic.
My 22 year old daughter is now on day 5 and is experiencing all of the same symptoms pain etc. that I am reading about. We found something that helps ear pain: hand warmers inserted inside an ear warmer head band so that the hand warmer does not touch the ear. These hand warmers are the ones that you shake to activate and then place inside gloves for protection from the cold weather. This adaptation has made a huge difference in her ear pain. Up until now she had to either hold the microwave heat pack on her ears and was unable to hold the frozen peas packs to her throat or vice versa. Hope this helps others.
I’m two and a half weeks post-op. I had three things done at once: tonsillectomy, UPPP, and palatoplasty to help remedy my obstructive sleep apnea. The pain was just as Sam described — the absolute worst of my ENTIRE LIFE. HANDS DOWN. Day 7 was the worst day. On a scale of 1-10, the pain was at a 23. Had to go to the ER and be given IV fluids due to the excruciating throat and ear pain. The doctor also shot me full of Dilaudid, and that actually helped me sleep a bit –three hours, which was the longest I’d slept since having the surgery done. Lukewarm drinks were best for me, as too cold or too hot would cause severe stinging throughout my entire mouth. Ice packs, as Sam mentioned, propped under the throat were a godsend. I would often use frozen peas because they easy conform to the neck and keep everything cold to where the swelling would diminish, thus really aiding the pain. Though the procedure is unbearably painful, your doctor obviously thinks the benefits of having it done outweigh the risks. Keep your eye on the prize and the pain will have been worth it.
Oh wow, you had a lot done!! Glad you’re doing better :)
I got my tonsils and adenoids removed yesterday and it’s been painful but manageable so far (I guess this would be day 2?). My ears dont hurt yet and I’ve been able to eat mashed potatoes and soft pasta relatively easily so far. I’m just SO SO nervous about the pain that might set in in the next couple of days… I don’t know how I will handle the excruciating jaw,throat and ear pain everyone describes after day 3. If I got through the first two days easily, do you think I am well prepared for the pain that is to come? Or is it really just shocking and unbelievable? How long did the worst of your pain last? If the Percocet is helping the mild/moderate pain so far (but not totally getting rid of it) do you think it will be helpful when the pain gets very severe? I really should stop reading so much about other people’s horror stories but I’m so anxious I can’t help it. :-(((
I’ve used a lot of your tips though and I think that’s why it hasn’t been too bad so far. I think the worst part is not being able to just sleep through the pain because you have to keep your throat moist (I set my alarm to remind me every hour of the day) Thanks for sharing and I’m glad you got through yours!
Aw, try not to be so anxious about it. If you’re good after the first day then maybe it won’t be so bad. I remember the morning after my surgery being really awful. I don’t think Percocet ever completely got rid of the pain. It just made it tolerable. I hope things continue to go well!!!!
Vicky, 24, Male, India – Soon to go for tonsilectomy.
Hello Sam, and to all people for their helpful brave comments, TWO things I got, PLEASE Resolve/Comment/Help.
1. Is AFTER surgery(few months/years later) patient is completely relief from pre tonsillitis symptoms/problems or similar problems occur even after surgery.
My mom had gone tonsilectomy, she suffers from sometimes sore throat and illness. And there had been cases that people after do suffer and they had to take care about it later.
2. I’m suffering this illness from past 7 or 9 years, – constant sore throat, cough, illness… and all that from cold air/water, from tangy spicy food items. My mom says that removing tonsils won’t cure. But there had been people which had good cases too and. It’s a big myth for me.
Please please help me out, should I go for a surgery.
SKIP – for time conscious [My personal doctor says surgery is not required its not that extreme and on illness I mention the tonsil pain he just checks throat and give some fever and tonsils pain relief tabs. And a ENT specialist says that you are suffering from so many years you are living half life – warm temperature and half taste( no spicy, lacticating, icy food) you need a surgery, pills are just temporary relief.]
It’s like a do or die surgery for me. I might handle pain throat (surgery recovery period) but no more constant illness dizziness cough formation……. Even it occurs after surgery.
Please do be honest. And Thanks for your courageous experience, I will be very thankful.
Hi Vicky- I’m not a doctor so I can’t really comment on recommendations for you. I have noticed a drastic decrease in the number of times I’ve gotten sick since my tonsillectomy but again that’s my personal experience. Good luck!!
My Tonsillectomy: 22 y/o female. Got it because I had frequent strep and tonsillitis, and tonsil stones. Surgery was quick and easy, check in, get ready, IV, wheeled to OR, pass out, wake up in recovery all drugged up, then go home. Recovery was not so easy.
Meds I was given and instructions for administration: hydrocodone every 4 hours, odansetron (an anti-nausea/anti-emetic) every 6 hours, and instructed to also take ibuprofen every 8 hours.
Day 1 (surgery day) was a little rough just because I was so out of it, and I threw up a couple times due to nausea from the anesthesia and taking pain meds on an empty stomach. Days 2 & 3 were bearable. The pain was there but it wasn’t TOO bad, and I could eat wet bread, applesauce, and some other soft foods so I wasn’t taking pain meds on an empty stomach. Days 4 & 5 the pain got a little worse and ear pain started, and I couldn’t eat as much. Days 6 & 7- these days were the worst for me. The throat pain was intolerable, I was counting down minutes until my next dose. I had to force myself to swallow water, any food was miserable, and the ear pain was mind-numbing. I stayed in bed most of these days. Day 8- Pain weaned a little bit this day, progress, but still miserable. Day 9- breakthrough. Don’t get me wrong, it was still painful but it was like a bout of strep throat, which was a relief compared to the last few days. The only sharp awful pain that happened this day was what I’ve come to know as scab pieces coming off and this would happen maybe 2-3x an hour. Eating was still awful but I was able to get a little down, only took half doses of pain meds. The problem today was the constipation. This was very painful, read tips below. The pain weaned off slowly each day after this, reducing the meds each day. 14 days wass roughly back to normal as far as eating and drinking, but there’s still tenderness for a little while after this, until about 3 weeks.
Overall: Drink water. Everyone says this, but I know I didn’t even listen the first couple days. Yes, it hurts to swallow, but getting dehydrated and your scabs getting dry will be much more painful, could result in bleeding, and will end up taking longer to heal. More water = easier, quicker recovery.
If I had to do this again, I would start taking stool softeners day 2, seriously. Swallowing pills sucks, I know, but I didn’t start this until day 4 and I didn’t have a bowel movement until day 9- which had gotten really uncomfortable and was painful to do. I did stool softeners days 4 and 5 and then stool softeners with laxatives days 6, 7, 8, and 9.
People say drink ice water and suck on ice- this is a personal preference. For me, colds burned so I drank lukewarm water the entire time.
The worst pain I felt was when I would wake up in the morning. Sleeping is great b/c you feel no pain but I learned from trial and error that it was better to make myself wake up every 2 hours and drink water/take meds if it was time even though this hurt a little each time because it curbed the pain I would feel in the morning.
Just wondering, did your doctor prescribe you some medicine after your surgery or before?
I’m supposed to be getting my tonsils out in 2 weeks and I’m starting to prepare.
Any major tips on things I MUST have?
Please and thank you!
After. The end of this post details some things I recommended.
Thanks for putting up this blog. 35 yo / male, getting a third opinion next week, but have two “oks” from two different ENTs on a tonsillectomy (possibly adenoidectomy) for tonsil stones. A few questions:
1) For those who have had a tonsillectomy for stones, have this completed alleviated your stones and breath?
2) Like many, I have stones on the left side that come and go and feel in my throat (over my life, these typically come up after a few months but these ones will not budge) – is the feeling of something caught in your throat alleviated post tonsillectomy as well? I think my biggest fear is having them removed and them not “getting” the lump that are stuck in there. I assume they suction the area and remove any excess stones?
Thanks for any guidance and answers!
I had no issues with tonsil stones or the feeling of anything being stuck in my throat after surgery.
thanks so much! I can’t wait to get these things out. driving me mad!
This has been the most helpful article I’ve read so far about tonsillectomy THANK YOU!. I’m a day 10 it’s 3 am)?and my experience has been horrible. Reading your article gives me hope and makes me feel better. Waking up after napping is the worst and sleeping has been a challenge. I’ve lost 13 lbs and right now I have no desire for food. I think my scabs might be falling off because I’ve experienced a burning feeling on both sides of throat when I try to drink water and even when I swallow. Thanks again.
Hope you’re feeling better today!
Hello! I have a question for you, or anyone else who happens to read this. I am about 12 days after my tonsillectomy, and the last few days my teeth never feel clean even after I brush them, my gums are slightly swollen, and now I have a small canker sore in my mouth. What’s causing this? I am brushing my teeth a ton but it won’t go away, did anyone else have this problem?
I am not sure what causes it but my mouth felt gross for a while after my surgery. Hope you’re doing well with your recovery otherwise!
Hello.
I am a 22 year old guy who had his tonsils removed on January 13th. When I first found out I had received this appointment I was mortified beyond compare, but I pulled through!
On day 1, I really didn’t feel much as I had received a lot of medication as my tonsils were gigantic so I was pretty much dozed off all the time. Day 2 was horrible… HORRIBLE! I cannot stress these words enough. Even with all my medication this was the worst pain I’ve ever experienced, in my life! I’ve had my face peeled off by falling into a bicycle stand from a small outdoor garage, so I’ve experienced pain.
Day 3 and 4 were both manageable with the medication, but swallowing still hurt. During day 4 I developed a constant throbbing in my ear canals and they are now really sore and sensitive to the touch and sound.
Day 5(currently on, about to turn to day 6 though) was actually okay. I woke up and took my mess because the pain was excruciating(it usually is when you wake up, or so I’ve heard from others) but throughout the day as the meds wore off, so did the pain. By the end of day 5 I had very minimal pain, even when swallowing. The scabs have already started coming loose and its healing up nicely.
I am still scared to try solid foods or even some soft foods. I have stuck with my yoghurts and ice lollies and j will continue to do so throughout my healing period.
Overall I am a very pain tolerant person, but this has by far been the worst experience of my life – and I couldn’t be happier! My tonsils and problems are finally gone, for good.
I am going to sleep now and I haven’t taken any pills, so I will get back to you when I have more updates :)
Hello again!
It is now day 7.
My scabs are almost off entirely, and I’m already savoring the moment by spending my time with my family tonight for Pizza Night! Yes, you heard correctly, I am eating pizza!!!
It feels amazing and I barely need any pain relievers whatsoever, all the pain there is is when I swallow, and it’s similar to stinging, so it’s not even pain anymore. It’s comparable to when you rip the skin off of your lip and it’s sore for a day or two.
Thanks for making this blog, for which, I would not be able to cope with the pain had I not known there were others currently experiencing the same as me!
Thank you so much for this! I will be getting my tonsils out this year.. I am 27 and extremely nervous. Mostly because I am afraid of the pain. I got tonsillitis 2 weeks before my wedding last year and I was rushed to the ER by ambulance because my fever went up to 105 degrees, and at that point was not making any sentences.
It was so painful, so I know the surgery will be awful. But now that I will have your tips this will be so helpful. Thank you again!!
Melissa
The good part is that recovery is pretty quick and then you won’t have to deal with this kind of stuff anymore!!!
Hi Sam,
First, I wanted to thank you for your detailed and accurate review on your tonsillectomy. I am 38, had the procedure 7 days ago and I am glad I read your review beforehand. I read it while at work and my coworkers tried to downplay online reviews. BOY, were they wrong! This is by far the most painful experience ever. It’s a constant battle to eat, sleep, and drink basic water. I am taking pills every 2 hours (Norco and tylenol), and sometimes that isn’t enough. I am on day 7, but I feel I took a turn for the worst. Days 2-5, I was able to eat plain sweet potatoes (white potatoes had too much starch and made my throat burn), Gatorade, sherbet, and popsicles. However, I checked my throat and I believe the scabs are shedding and the area is very red, so everything I swallow burns like hell and my ear aches are a 8. I am still averaging about 1-2 hours of sleep before I have to grab more ice chips. I had to go back and read your review to know that I still have a few more days, but I am so HUNGRY and TIRED. I can’t wait to look back and be glad I did it. I keep saying to myself, “No more stones and frequent bouts of tonsillitis.” Thank you.
Hi ginger- just wanted to point out that norco has Tylenol in it. Make sure you check with your doctor to make sure it’s okay to take additional Tylenol if you’re already taking norco. Hope your recovery continues to go well!!
Hi I am Markette,
I think that having my tonsillectomy was the worst pain I’ve ever experienced in my life. Mind you I am a disabled veteran and I have two kids that deliver vaginally. I think the worst thing for me was not being able to eat any kind of fruit. Everything burned! My doctor just basically told me but if I just ate bland foods everything will be OK. The sad part about this is that my explanation of a bland food in his exclamation of it was totally different. Everyone tells you that you can eat all the ice cream that you want but, they Forget to tell you that it’s going to feel like nails and knives stabbing you in the throat. They also forgot to mention that you shouldn’t eat oatmeal. No one is ever said hey don’t eat oatmeal is going to burn and get stuck in the back your throat. I made sure I told this to my doctor so that the next person would know. For the first few weeks I couldn’t drink water, because it burned like fire. Although I did find that if I made a homemade tea made of four packs of green tea, six packs of regular tea,Lipton and honey it was bearable. I also found that I can eat smart pasta with Ragu brand mozzarella sauce. Salt is the enemy! If you know it has a lot of salt or a lot of sugar just say no to it for the first three weeks after surgery. By around week 3 1/2 I was able to eat a Subway steak and cheese sandwich. One thing I tried was trial and error when it came to everything I tried to eat and drink. Some Foods that I tried I knew would burn, but I took a bite anyway. Something I will say is that if you eat something knowing that it’s going to hurt it will build up your pain tolerance faster allowing you to get back to normal food and drink faster. Although this is true you should still stay away from anything that could become sharp jagged after it’s been bitten into. That’s including chips, hard cracker fresh fruits, candy, Chex mix, cereal. I’m sure the list could go on and on but just try to use commonsense. One thing I did learn is that dairy-based stuff. like ice cream or those instant nutritious drinks make your breath smell worse. The only thing that I found that was super soothing was biotin dry mouth mouthwash and toothpaste a chloroplasts mouth spray.
Oh yeah I was 32 years old at the time
Just as an FYI to those following this blog, I’ve open as a first step to try the laser/coblation cryptolysis treatment. Doctor’s guidance was that I would need 3 full weeks for a full tonsillectomy recovery (35/male) and I’ve opted for the cryptolysis option as a much more minor procedure with what he describes as an 80% success rate. Can be done while awake, but given the flaps in front of my tonsils, I’ll have to go under general anesthesia. Procedure is Monday and I’ll report back on my experience. Dr. Change is apparently a rock star (to the extent possible) in this area so I’m excited to have gotten an appointment to see him so quickly.
Good luck all. Link below describing procedure FYI.
http://www.fauquierent.net/tonsilstonecryptolysis.htm
Thank you for posting this , really helped me to see what I should be expecting after surgery especially since everyone was telling me if kids can do this surgery it will be easy for an adult .
Today is my 4th day after the surgery and the pain is excruciating! I have been feeling very nauseous. Even the most bland foods made the back of my throat sting
Today I had some ensure so that I can have some vitamins
I am day 7 of recovery from a tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy, uvula trim and reconstruction, septoplasty, rhinoplasty and balloon sinuplasty for 8 of my 10 sinus cavities. It has been excruciating at times and your blog has been very helpful. I am a 49 year old male. Almost everything you have said has been spot on. Cold drinks have been the preference for me. I don’t like warm drinks anyway, but soup one day was nice. I just weighed myself again and lost 13 pounds total so far, 1.2 in just the last 18 hours. Today I am focusing on drinking all day and trying to eat more food. May even ask my wife to pick up some ensure. I have had a few milkshakes, jello and pudding. Ate a meatball last night but had to chew forever. Next post-op is tomorrow, day 8.
My biggest problem is that at my last post-op appointment the doctor removed the tubes and packing from my nose and said that I should be able to breathe through my nose now. Well, I cannot. Everything has crusted up. Spend my entire day and night next to a cool-mist humidifier, saline every 5 minutes, It is like concrete. Hoping the doctor will help me with that tomorrow as I am hoping it will help my throat feel better.
The worst part now is waking up. I only slept 3 hours last night and did not want to go back to sleep because the pain had finally subsided. My doctor prescribed me lidocaine and I am now using that every 3 hours. Helps relieve the pain and allows me to drink,
The pain from this surgery is real pain. It is tough. I almost went back to the hospital a couple of times. I find that just pacing relaxes me and helps the pain subside. Not sure if that will help anyone else, but try it.
Thanks for putting this out there to help people. All the tips are great, but the most interesting thing I read on here was the comment from someone in Germany that this surgery comes with a 7 day in-hospital stay. I honestly think this should be the norm for this surgery. This is a lot to go through on your own and feel that IV and hospital care would shorten the duration by a lot.
Had my tonsillectomy yesterday. Woke up in the recovery room in a lot of pain. They gave me morphine and the pain wasn’t too bad after and I was able to eat soup and ice cream straight away. They told me to eat normal foods however when I chew I feel like I’m not sure where the food is because I’m not used to having so much so space on either side of my mouth near the back where my chewing teeth are.
Previously I chewed lots and food rested against my huge tonsils before I swallowed, because I was worried about food getting caught in the crypts. Plus, I keep feeling bits stuck in my throat (scarring maybe?) so I’m having a panic attack that I’m choking as I chew. I’ll have to re-train myself to eat now. I’m on day 2 and got sandwich stuck earlier that made me throw up. Think I’ll stick to soup, biscuits and mashed potato.
All in all the pain isn’t too bad with the medications. If I don’t take the medication I can see what people mean about horrendous pain. Tongue, jaw, throat, roof of mouth. Waiting for the real pain that people talk about to kick in…..but feel happier in general that those ghastly things are gone and there’ll be no more tonsil stones.
I am 39 yrs old and today is my day 9 of my tonsillectomy recovery. My recovery wasn’t bad as what I expected. I didn’t have any pain on day 1 because of the anesthesia , so I took advantage eating and drinking. Average pain level was 3/10 through day 8. Last night ( day 8) I took milk of magnesia because my bowel has not move in 6 days and it was so painful that I could not understand what was happened. I guess that medicine was glued in my throat and could not clean them. I was in pain for 15 mins. That was my horrible pain ever.
Anyway, just be sure you have an ice pack to put on your neck. I bought 2 so I have extra in the freezer. This helped me tremendously. Also humidifier is a must. I took a nap and did not turn the humidifier on and woke up with pain and dried throat. After I turned it on, I felt the difference. Force your self to eat and drink. I advice to take medicine 15 mins before eating.
Believe me, it wasn’t that bad, but we all know that every recovery is different from others.
Good luck!
So for what it’s worth I’m going to write my experience because all these posts certainly helped me on what to expect. So far I am on ND finishing up day 2 of tonsillectomy. Day 1 was pretty smooth sailing mainly because I was so drugged up. Day 2 has been not too bad either. I mainly drink water, ensure, and I mixed flavorless whey protein into Gatorade. My biggest advice and two major things that have worked so far is super hydrate yourself no matter how much it hurts to swallow. ND secondly set alarms and take your pain pills religiously. Don’t let the pain catch up. Stay on top of it. I’m fearful that eventually over the next few days my smooth sailing is going to hit some roughert patches. My tongue and uvula are so swollen. My doctor also put me on prednisone to help with recovery and inflammation. Good luck to all I will post again with updates.
I am a 28 year old female with a long history of tonsil stones, allergies, etc. When I noticed i was getting worse (headaches every day, constant tonsil stones and tonsil throbbing) I went to an ENT about a month ago. I now have a surgery date of March 29th. I’ve had some painful procedures (had a root canal a few years back, may be my #1 most painful procedure. Was in so much pain i had to be put on steroids). I’ve already scheduled 2 weeks off from work. I am scared to death to do this surgery and i still have a month to go. I already have the mindset that its going to be very painful, im going to be 100% miserable. Please keep me in your thoughts. This site helped me understand what to expect.
The only thing im worried about is that my ENT said i would get liquid vicodin. I see that it didnt work for you so im afraid it wont for me – i’ve taken it before for dental procedures and it barely did a thing. But i guess there’s nothing i can do about that.
I would go ahead and have a conversation now about what his thoughts if the pain is not controlled with liquid Vicodin
Hello! Update: I am now 6 days post op. Oh what a journey! Definitely ready for it to be over. My advice,drink lots and lots of water. The scabs taste gross and you’ll smell them too which is nasty. I’m wide awake at 3 am due to coughing which I’m trying not to! I had complications on day 1 but seem to be going through the normal recovery now.
I am 4 weeks and 2 days post op. The painful part is long gone and while at the time it seemed terrible, looking back it doesn’t seem so bad. My doctor prescribed Percocet and lquid Hydrocodone. The hydrocodone definitely worked better for me. I am not full recovered though. The throat is not a huge concern. My Problem is my nose. See all I had done above. My nose still hurts and I am still very stuffy. I see the doctor again in 6 days and I am going to have a serious conversation with him and consider going for a second opinion. I also have a bump on my nose that was not there before. If you can take off from work, do it. I started working half days on day 2 because I didn’t want to use vacation. If I had to do it again, I would take off 2 weeks.
Female, 49 day 7 post-op. I have asked myself the following question many many times these past few days…. What the hell was I thinking when I agreed to have my tonsils removed??!! Day 1-3 was pain level 2-4. But the last 4 days have been horrible! Ear-ache, can’t chew proper, my neck is all swollen, my mouth is full of blisters and I am so constipated due to taking all these painkillers that I don’t think I will ever be able to normally sit on my throne again for #2. :( To add on the misery; I developed a yeast infection because I was prescribed antibiotics. Apparently you can develop yeast infections when taking this.
I am keeping the faith because I am reading over and over again that it was worth it…. that there is light at the end of the tunnel…that the sun will come up again…. But for me right now it’s definitely the worse pain I have ever encountered. (4 natural child births without epidural was a walk in the park compare to this)
Oh wow, hope you’re doing better by today! I had the same GI issues. Once I stopped taking the Percocet, things went right back to normal!
I’m 18 and on day 8 of my recovery and up until about yesterday or today it was been complete hell! The day of surgery wasn’t terrible because I still had a bunch of meds in my system from the surgery, was able to swallow liquids relatively easily as well as talk fine. Day 2-4 were definitely the worst I was given oxycodone for the pain and it barely touched the pain. I wasn’t able to drink, move, talk and my ear pain was terrible. I found keeping an ice pack around your throat and holding a heating pad or hot wash clothes to your ears does wonders for ear pain. Also I’ve noticed after the surgery I would get very hot, lukewarm and even cold baths were amazing. Day 5 and 6 the pain was still pretty bad but not unbearable, i ate a lot of slushies on these days really helped soothe my throat. Day 7 my scabs started coming off which reduced my swallowing pain sooooo much however I can not long drink or eat anything with the slightest chill to it. I have to have warm water, warm tea, etc. I take my oxycodone every 3 hours like the doctors prescribed still because it makes the pain nearly unnoticable making it much easier for me to eat and get foods down. Day 8 is so far pretty good, still on the warm drinks/food only and swallowing pain is down to about a 3. I also have been getting occasional coughing fits that started once scabs began falling off which are very painful.
Update I’m on day 9 now, pain and nauseous increased a lot during the later part of the day yesterday, however I started eating ice chips and then I was able to go back to colder food and liquids, today I’m making my first attempt at solid food. I’ve been off my painkillers for 14 1/2 hours and my pain is minimal so I’m hoping that things are starting to look up for real this time
Hello! I read your blog a few days before my surgery, which was yesterday. I had heard from 2 of my friends the same thing you said–that it was the worst pain they’ve ever been in :( I was so nervous, but I haven’t felt any pain whatsoever the past day? I am currently on day 2 and I have been eating semi-solid foods since I left the hospital yesterday. I’ve been hydrating like crazy, so I bet that’s helped a little bit. Meds have been every 4 hours so the consistency probably helps. I mean, I had a little bit of pain before bed last night and during the night, at which time I would take a drink to wet my throat. Will it get worse do you think? Has anyone else not had any pain after this surgery? I actually had my tonsils and adenoids removed yesterday at 8am. I wonder if I’m not noticing as much pain because I’m used to chronic tonsillitis, which is the reason I opted to have these little buggers taken out. That pain is horrible :S I guess I’m just worried it’s all going to hit me at once or something; I hope that’s not the case because I am a full-time student with a 2-year old son and I am busy busy busy.
It’s been almost 2 years since you’ve written this, but I just wanted to say thank you!!! I had my tonsils and adenoids removed on the 16th of February. As I was reading this, I was nodding my head in agreement with a lot you mentioned about the pain. After having a full hysterectomy and a double mastectomy (with two follow up surgeries), I thought this was going to be so easy! I was completely wrong!! Lol. This was the worst surgery I have dealt with. Guess I should’ve gotten the tonsils out at 7 instead of 27! Haha
Although my pain is lasting a little longer than your timeline you’ve posted, it’s nice to know I’m not being a huge baby when asking for help lol. Thank you again for writing this! Definitely has helped me relate during my recovery! Wish I would’ve found this before my surgery to help me prepare! LOL (:
Getting mine taken out in about three weeks. I’ve had 2 C-sections and my gallbladder taken out. Trying to compare the pain. So anyone that’s had these surgeries and a tonsillectomy I’d appreciate your input.
my name is rosemary, im 19 years old and i just recently got my tonsils out, this past monday actually! i had tonsils, adenoids & what they called an inside out nose job, to help me breath better! when i first got out of surgery i was eating ice just fine and and felt like it wasnt going to be to bad but once i got home things changed. im in constant pain! i wake up in the middle of the night balling because i cant move my neck and i cant breath out of my nose & my throat is so dry it feels like its on fire! when i drink water it feel likes im ripping the side of my throat.My jaw and ear on the left side are killing me. My nose feels like its been punched 5 times and doesnt stop bleeding so i have this mustache bandage across it. My vula is so big that its blocking my air way. its now sunday and none of this has changed, i cant eat anything but ice on occasion. someone please help me? :(
Hi! Thank you for sharing your experience. I am a 52 years old, and have fought tonsil stones all my life. They have gotten much worse as I have gotten older, and I can only assume it is from scarring and more areas for formation. I am now ready to do something about, but had heard so many horror stories about adult tonsillectomies. I CAN DO THIS! I am calling an ENT today.
Thanks again! Lisa
Hi. I’m not sure if you’ll see this but I have a hand full of questions. I got mine removed with my adenoids a week ago today. I haven’t eaten much at all since last Sunday. But I guess that is normal. First question/concern, was your throat white? Mine is white. I can see the scabs a little bit but I didn’t expect my throat to be white. Second question/concern, the right side of my throat gets almost like sharp pains going through it. If I live my tongue wrong, if I talk a certain way, if I swallow sometimes I feel it. It almost burns? I have no idea if that’s normal or something I should look into. Thirtd question/concern, my doctor told me not to take advil. They said it’s a blood thinner and I shouldn’t take it. I want to because I hate to rely on the medication they have me. I’m on my second bottle of it and I can’t stand being on them. Fourth and final question/concern, my spit today is milky and think, is that normal too? I hope you get back to me because I’m really freaking out. I thought I would be better at this point. I’m glad your process went well.
Well disclaimer that I’m not a doctor so definitely call your doctor with these concerns. The white part is the scabs. Advil is controversial after surgery. I had this discussion with my doctor but obviously if your doctor said not to do it then I’m not going to tell you otherwise :) I hope you feel better, though!!!
So glad i found your post. I just had my tonsils and adenoids out last night.
I had strep on the biweekly basis growing up and my pediatrician always found an excuse to not do the surgery despite my mother and i begging.
I am now 27. I had severe repsiratory issues and have for over 15 years. I am tired of it so i went to a renowned hospital in the area (thankfully i live close to a major city). Saw one specialist who immediately got me out to other specialists and they all work together. The ENT on the first appointment said i have sleep apnea and need my tonsils out. He said that i have huge tonsils and they close my throat. In many situations. And he cant believe it was never done based on my history.
After we all delt with the respiratory issues, ENT recommended surgery. So. Off i went. Yesterday was a series of disasters. Showed up at 10am as requested. But there was a delay due to an unattended bag. Ok. Get that cleared and things resume. Next the steralization machine broke and that needed to be fixed. I did not go back into pre-op until about 2:30 and wasnt in surgery until 5pm.
Despite this, i will say my doctors and nurses were AMAZING. My doctor stopped by several times and updated me before surgery. Answered my questions. Laughed at our jokes and joined in. He went over medications and complications. My nurses were sweet. The anesthesia team was amazing. Got out. No issues. I remember them transferring me to recovery and the anesthesia nurse asking me if i was in pain and i someone indicated yes. She gave me medicine and instructed the recovery nurse to check every few minutes and i could have a bunch more. They were great. Got my pain to a 4. Brought my mom in.
The recovery nurses were getting me out of there..rushing to discharge..my doctor told them to give me an extra percocet before i left due to a loooong drive home and he wanted me to be ok for the ride. The recovery nurses tried to get me to eat crackers and swallow the pills. I said i couldnt. They eventually crushed them up and put it in grape juice.
I was doing great. My brother had his tonsils and adenoids removed and deviated septum repaired a few years ago. He was…in hell. Couldnt talk. Couldnt move. Or eat. And hes a tough guy. He was a mess. My mom and i were expecting close to that because my past history of surgery indicates i dont do well. So my mom was mystified that i could talk (well..whisper but it was understandable conversation) and was able to drink water and juice. We get home. Painkiller wearing off after 2 hours. Mom made me some lukewarm chicken broth and gave me juice. I was pretty good. She brought me applesauce with my pill crushed into it. Was pretty good. Got some sleep. She left a note for my dad. Who heard me stirring and brought me my next dose at 1 am in applesauce. It was..more painful but..manageable.
I just woke up at 3 am..in terrible pain. Juice was painful. I cant talk. The pain is…awful. i woke my mom up at 4:50…basically crying. She made me more applesauce laden with pain meds. Brought me an ice pack for my throat. And my current love- cup of crushed ice. I would like to marry this crushed ice at this point.
I have to say..im so happpy my doctor gave me plenty of pain medication. He listened to me. And knew i have a low tolerance for pain but hate asking for prescription help. So he stressed that i need to follow his orders and take them..and he was generous. My friend just had her tonsils done 4 weeks ago. Her doctor only gave her tylenol. She told me to ask for something if i can because she was in horrible pain.
Silly me i thought last night would be the worst of it and the standard for my pain. Oh was i wrong. But at least i know this is par for course. Im going to look into cool mist humidifier.
Thank you!!!
I am 42 years old and am on day 7 of my tonsillectomy surgery. This has been a very painful experience but I’m hoping it will all be worth it in the long run. I have tried eating baby food and it burns like crazy. Ice cream is too thick. I have found that Italian Ice has helped the most. I’m hoping the pain will start easing up so I can actually eat normal food and not be in so much pain. I do not recommend this surgery for adults. It’s extremely painful.
Hello Sam. Thanks for this post, it has really helped me psycho logically.
I had my uvula cut and tonsils remove. I have to say today is the 5th day and I feel like cutting my head off. The pain is something else, eating is definetly out of it. To make things more rough in this part of the world been Africa “Nigeria” so many of the things recommended here for relief at not been sold here.
Have only been able to have access to ibrofen which I take every 8hrs due to fear of over using it since have not been eating anything.
I just want to know which is better cold things or hot things. Cos right now my parents are of the opinion that taking hot things will make it heal faster but all my research online shows most people taking ice and cold things. Please can you suggest the best to me and any other medications I can use too.
Thanks.
After reading many reviews I was super nervous pre-op. I’m 22 yr old female and had my tonsils and adenoids removed 6 days ago. I won’t lie, days 1-3 were the worst for me. Anesthesia gave me a headache on day 1. Day 2 I threw up that night probably from my meds and lack of eating (Percocet). After that I refused to take Percocet and started controlling the pain with aceminophen (Tylenol) 500mg every 6hrs and the pain has been manageable. Today I’ve been able to get it down to every 8hrs now. By day 4 I was eating solid foods. I’m a foody and couldn’t help but eat even if my throat hurt. Sucking on ice after eating has also helped me. I’m going on day 7 and I’m ready to get out the house. I haven’t experienced any ear pain or real sleeping problems either, humidifier has probably helped me a lot. Key is to drink LOTS of fluids (water and gatorade worked for me) and try to eat as normal as possible. Continue to brush your teeth and shower, you will feel better (and start gargling with water when your up for it). Hoping this is a little bit more encouraging for people who have been consumed by horrible reviews like me. There is a light at the end of the tunnel ! Good luck everyone.
Holy crap! It’s like I’m reading my life story for the passed week. I had mine removed last Tuesday (19th) and I’m 24 years old. The day my ENT told me they had to come out and scheduled the surgery was the Friday before (yes, 4 days before my surgery)
He gave me very little warning as to how much pain I would be in. The first day seemed fine. Got out of surgery, was talking, felt okay, little tired but generally okay. Little did I know, the trip to hell was just a day away.
The amount of pain I’m still enduring is just not natural!! My mother (who showed me this post) rushed me to the ER Saturday, 2 days ago, because of the amount of pain I was in. It took 3 shots of morphine just to get my blood pressure down!! One bag of IV, and the strongest steroid they could give me for the swelling.
Seriously, I hadn’t eaten in like 2 days!! I was starving and would have done anything just to eat.
Thank god for my mother! I came home that night, was so sleepy from all the morphine that I just passed out. Slept right threw the alarm I had set for the pain meds! BIG MISTAKE!
Talk about wanting to just chug the pain meds and its entirety!
I cant sleep. I choke and then when I cough, I feel like I’m going to cry!
My jaw is crazy sore. I can’t even open it. The “double ear infection” is so bad that I have to cover my ears when I swallow! I literally just puréed avocado and chicken… Like baby food! I DONT EVEN EAT MEAT!! Meat makes me sick, but if it’ll make me go to the restroom after days of being on pain medicine and being stopped up, I’ll try anything!
I’m glad to know that I’m not the only one who feels like this was extremely painful! I seriously thought I was going to pass out at one point. Like I said, I’m still going threw this. This is day 9 for me. I cannot wait until it’s day 838392 and I don’t have to think about this anymore.
I’m so glad I found this! I’m having this done on May 4th because I have obstructive sleep apnea (I suck at sleeping LOL). I had already been thru this when my daughter had hers done (at age 5) but she had the adenoids & ear tubes done as well. I was a preggo anxious wreck then being on the caregiver side of it. My girl absolutely did not want to drink the day of, but by day 3 she was about back to her normal self. This time, I’m gonna be the patient! And I’m again an anxious wreck!! Just not preggo this time. Aside from the pain factor, the thing that has me so anxious is that my husband plans to be back at work the next day. He’s taking vacation the day of so he can drive me there & home. With 2 kids that I’ll have to get up for school the next day & a 3yr old that is home with me all day, I’m kinda freaking out about that part. My husband says it’s just my throat area & I’ll still be able to function & logically I agree with him EXCEPT for knowing how much rest is important with recovery from anything. How am I gonna get my kids up for school when I can’t holler “Time to get up!” at 7am in the morning. Ask them what cereal they want, tell them it’s time to get dressed, tell them it’s time to go out to the bus. And then my 3yr old, she can’t read so I can’t write down instructions for her like I could for my 9yr old. :-( How can I convince hubby I need him for more than just one day? Without sounding whiny & needy?
Hi Sam, so wish I read this before earlier to inform my family on what to expect. I am on day 10 and my age is 57yrs, my tonsils were good, just that I had a mass before one of them. I had referred pain directly to my ears, this was relentless, and food and water temperature certainly affected the pain to off the chart. After taking many pain relievers, which is something I never do, I went to Homeopathy remedy which helped with the nerve pain, it’s my best friend at the moment.
My family really didn’t know what to do and treated me as if I would just bounce back like children do.
If any other adults that i know happen to be having this procedure than i will certainly forward your page to them .
Thank you for sharing
Leisa
Found this very helpful, currently 7 days post op. Your story sounds very similar to mine so far. Gives high hopes :)
thankful greetings from Finland,
Anna
My 19 year old daughter had hers removed May 13. Her recovery was very similar to yours, with one very scary addition. On day 22 (yup, DAY 22) she had resumed nearly normal activities, still not everything. She came to us at 12:30 am and was bleeding lightly. We had her gargle ice water and pressed gauze on the bleed. We did call 911. By the time they arrived the bleeding had stopped but she went to hospital anyway.
After about 2 hours of “sitting there”, and getting the sense they thought we overreacted, she began to bleed again. Over an hour period it went from moderate to unstoppable bleeding. They couldn’t get the bleeding to stop. Surgeon was on his way in to take her back to the OR to cauterize it, but she was bleeding so profusely. Finally I said I wished I had a Chinese herb used to stop bleeding. Thank god the Dr. heard me because it triggered her to think of using a moist black tea bag to stop the bleeding! It worked so she stabilized enough to go to OR for surgery.
She’s ok now but we all have a little PTSD from this, plus major setback in recovery.
Two things:
IF YOU BLEED CALL 911 (this could have been fatal!!!)
BLACK TEA BAGS WORK!
My 19 year old daughter had hers removed May 13. Her recovery was very similar to yours, with one very scary addition. On day 22 (yup, DAY 22) she had resumed nearly normal activities, still not everything. She came to us at 12:30 am and was bleeding lightly. We had her gargle ice water and pressed gauze on the bleed. We did call 911. By the time they arrived the bleeding had stopped but she went to hospital anyway.
After about 2 hours of “sitting there”, and getting the sense they thought we overreacted, she began to bleed again. Over an hour period it went from moderate to unstoppable bleeding. They couldn’t get the bleeding to stop. Surgeon was on his way in to take her back to the OR to cauterize it, but she was bleeding so profusely. Finally I said I wished I had a Chinese herb used to stop bleeding. Thank god the Dr. heard me because it triggered her to think of using a moist black tea bag to stop the bleeding! It worked so she stabilized enough to go to OR for surgery.
She’s ok now but we all have a little PTSD from this, plus major setback in recovery.
Two things:
IF YOU BLEED CALL 911 (this could have been fatal!!!)
BLACK TEA BAGS WORK!
Tonsillectomy and pallet reconstruction.
Day 12 and still regretting the surgery.
I seemed to get a raw deal on this one.
-spent the first night in ICU as I bled for a while after surgery (enough that they were preparing for a blood transfusion)
-caught a chest infection on day 2 and 3 from partial collapsed lung from surgery (KEEP mobile as soon as you can)
-day 4 and 5 I suffered from a virus and vomited lots.
-day 5 I came down with a stomach bacterial infection called clostridium difficile.
All up I was in hospital for 8 days.
Day 12 today and I’ve still not eaten more than a few mouthfuls of anything without choking and vomiting.
Easiest thing I’ve found to eat is skin less apples but struggling to eat more than half an apple a day. Coke and Dr Pepper seemed to help the scabs to heal quicker but line the mouth throat pretty much causing chokage after a while. On day 11 I discovered appletiser is the easiest thing to drink.
I’m regretting the surgery to date, and waiting for that day to come that will make me change my mind.
Hey thanks alot for the help I got mine taken out 9 days ago (6/9/2016) I’m 21 and yes getting my tonsils out really sucked and it still dose but I feel like the pain isn’t as bad just know every morning is hell so have your pain killers crushed and in a drink ready to go! Other than that I still feel like when I drink too much at once it feels like Bruce Lee kicked me in the throat and I’m hoping I can get back to work soon
Q when we’re you able to get back to work??
Hello I am Pj
I am over 50 female I just had a bad experience with acute tonsillitis and if I can endure this pain I am ready to endure the next level to get rid of the problem. I have experienced all levels of pain discussed even the ear pain I am making the appointment with the referral in a day or so I am still in the process of being on antibiotics and pain meds which are liquid. My tonsils are still very sore but I have enjoyed being able to drink ice water today still cannot eat and have not eaten since June 18, 2016 have lost 6 pounds and I know this will increase when the surgery is at hand. I was concerned about my voice but not any more because I am a faith believer and stand on the word of God. Glad that God directed me to this Web site for support.
Thank you so much for this post. I’m also 28. :) I’m on day 9 and it is very, very difficult. Even though I have absolutely no history with addiction, my doc will not prescribe anything more than hydrocdone (norco) + Ibuprofen combo. The pain is real, but I really appreciate your account here.
I was very afraid of the Tonsillectomy because i read that recovery was painful AF. I’m from Mexico, and i got my Op at a private hospital. I went under surgery the past saturday, and today being friday, I can say my recovery has been easy. On a scale of 1 to 10, i was on 0 as long as I didn’t drank anything (including my saliva), and when I had to drink, I was on a 6-7 the first 2 days and then on 2-3 the next days. I think i had an excellent surgeon, excellent painkillers (Metamizole [2 every 8 hours], Ketorolac [Sublingual, 1 every 8 hours] and Etoricoxib [1 every 8 hours], in addition to a coagulant) and luck. This is my 6th day, the scabs are still there, and the pain is minimal. I have been sleeping 8 hours straight everyday except the 1st and 2nd day, and since I take my painkillers at 12:00,20:00 and 4:00 I don’t wake up in pain. I think I’m fortunate to have a really easy recovery. There’s still a long way to go, but I hope the recovery stays the same or gets easier. I’ve been eating almost normally for the past 2 days, eating pasta, mashed potatoes, chicken broth with veggies and a chicken leg, homemade sandwiches and even cookies with milk. I hope most of you have a great recovery, and for those who are suffering from the pain, cheer up. It’s gonna get better.
To prevent jaw stiffness, get chewing gum, I know it feels strange to chew and I know it hurts (that was painful for me), but it really helps. Chew it while you’re bathing, so you can spit out all the saliva you’ll generate.
I’m having my surgery next week on the 1st of September.
After reading your post i’m seriously considering wimping out lol….. not
Very nervous though.
Got my scripts early and yes they issued Hydrocodone and no it most likely wont be strong enough for me at all.
Thank you for writing this, my husband is 32 and is going to have his tonsils out because he always has a sore throat and gets strep a lot he got it 3 times in a month earlier this year.
I’m so nervous about the recovery and taking care of him as well as two small kids, so your article gave me some good tips!
Thank you for writing this. Earlier this year I started to experience the same sensation you described, the feeling of something stuck in my throat. Then, my throat would get sore and radiate into my ears. I did some research and found out it was tonsil stones. I was able to get most of the stones out of my right tonsil, but none out of my left. My left tonsil is still swollen and the pain has come back. I really want to get my tonsils removed, but I was worried the doctor wouldn’t think my reasoning would justify surgery and also the horror stories of the recovery for adults terrify me. Seeing that you we’re happy with the end results of the surgery is leaning me towards getting it done.
Am just finishing day 2 after my tonsillectomy in England. I had a constant sore throat and tonsil stones. So far, so good. Was given tea and toast in hospital. Had some chips later on as I was told not to eat soft food. Have been eating crisps, toast, rice cakes and a curry today. Bit worried about my ears hurting tomorrow..they feel sensitive tonight. Been having paracetamol every 4 hrs and a throat spray. Havent needed the cocodimal yet. Have been drinking lots of water. So, far very glad I have had them out. Lets see how the next few days go.
After scrolling all the way to the bottom of this looooong blog, I hope this in the right place. I had major sleep apnea and about 42 yo I had my tonsils and uvula removed and something that hardened my tongue in the back of my mouth so it wouldn’t flop back into my throat when I slept. After suffering with thoughts of giving myself a tracheotomy because my whole throat was swollen I finally had my follow up appt. with my doctor. It was only then that he told me that I should take the loratab elixir he gave my and put it the freezer before I took it. It won’t freeze solid and definitely went down much easier. Something to keep in mind if anyone is having trouble swallowing anything. Just curious though, after my surgery I experienced really bad claustrophobia for a long time afterward. This was about 10-15 years ago and it’s gotten much much better. Just wondering if anyone else went through that. The night after my surgery I woke up about 2am in a panic thinking I couldn’t breathe. That might have been what set it off. Thoughts?
I’m having tonsillectomy after a month. This article was so so useful thank you! I really hope it would change my life too cuz I’ve been in misery for the last 3 years
Good luck!!
I had my tonsils removed on Oct 13, 2016 and I am still not better! My tonsils have not scabbed yet, and I feel like I have sand in my throat. This is the worst pain I have ever felt in my whole entire life (BTW I am 42!) I have given birth twice and it did not hurt this bad! OMGEEEEEE!!!! Popsicle’s and extremely cold applesauce were my life savers. I also had an infection on my tongue (Thrush) and it hurt like crazy-I had to take an antibiotic and suck on these tablets to dissolve on my tongue to allow me to even eat after the infection appeared. I dealt with a fever 99-103 the first few days and felt horrible. I then began to eat ice like crazy to try and bring down my fever but it was the infection; I ate a whole bag of ice (22 lbs). I am glad I had it done-no more Tonsillitis or Strep or Pharyngitis; I sucked down so many cough drops I could own a company! I am still having issues with eating (I am way to old for this!) but it is all worth it in the end (I hope). Glad you are doing better.
I hope you feel better soon!!!!
Thanks for the advice! I’m getting my tonsils removed tomorrow! Because of you I will buy a cool mist humidifier today;)
hi,
I am planning for tonsillectomy with in few weeks.But I am really confused that will it help me in future or not?Because i went to some other doctors for opinion and they told me that it is not 100% sure that you will not get throat infection after tonsillectomy.I could like to know from you that did you get any strep throat or any other throat problem,after tonsillectomy?
Hi Amy, thank you for your blog. I’m not even sure you’ll be reading this since it was a few years ago. But, Holy crapola! I’m supposed to get mine out-my ENT said my tonsils are shredded and food is getting stuck and causing a bacterial infection. . I’m a 48 yr old female with a history of strep and tonsillitis when I was younger. For the past year I’ve been experiencing peritonsillar abscesses and stones. Which brings on low grade fever, weakness, rapid heart beat, high blood pressure (because of the pain) and terrible taste in my mouth. After reading this, I think I’m going to try and live with the pain. rather than get them out! When they can do laser for tonsillectomy, I’ll reconsider. Lol .I’m curious if you also had a low grade fever or any other symptoms like I mentioned? I use a long q-tip to remove the “stones” which is disgusting. Thank you for suggesting the water pik, great idea! I’m definitely ordering one. Getting older sucks! ;-)
Hi Kelly! I didn’t have any of those symptoms. Be sure to stay in contact with your doctor about them. The water pik was a suggestion from my ENT but it was good! Good luck with your procedure.
This article made a huge difference for me. Like others described, I was on my own when I did this, and there were lots of moments when I really didn’t know what to do. All of the suggestions have been really helpful. Here are a couple of things that I’ve read about that I found helpful as well.
1. Vanilla Ensure made a huge difference about days 5-7 when I was getting really weak. I used it to dilute the liquid pain meds that burned going down, and it seemed to coat my throat in a way that felt good and seemed to keep things moist for longer.
2. I sort of made a steam room out of my bathroom with the shower and that also helped, especially before I was trying to sleep and wanted things to be really moist. At one point, I just sat in the bathtub with the shower running for as long as the hot water lasted.
3. My doctor prescribed a small bottle of lidocaine that I would gargle with when I was having trouble swallowing even the pain meds. I would dilute about a teaspoon of it with a bit with water because it was too thick, but once I got the mix right, it made a big difference. I also found that just gargling with water helped.
4. There were several moments when whatever I’d been doing didn’t work any more. Ice cold water with the sonic ice worked for about a day and a half, but then it didn’t. For whatever reason, slightly warm tea with a bit of milk worked for several days after that. Just be prepared to try different things: different temperatures, different types of liquid, different sleeping positions, different combinations of meds. I got lots of good ideas from this blog, and that helped give me hope in some desperate moments.
5. When I was trying to eat, it helped to do it while I was watching tv. I don’t normally eat while watching tv, but the distraction helped me not focus on the pain and to get it down. I saved up a lot of shows that I’d been wanting to watch, and I was so, so glad. As mentioned before, I was surprised by how little I could sleep at first, and I might have gone crazy without lots of good tv.
6. Lastly, doing some good neck stretches help alleviate the ear pain, and I think helped reduce the swelling. My neck was especially cramped because I was sleeping in some weird positions to be able to breathe.
Thank you to everyone who posted here. Seriously, I’m not sure if I would have made it without this site. Hang in there peeps!
I just had my tonsils removed in March…or was it May…anyway I’m 22 and those were the worst 2 weeks of recovery I have ever been through I couldnt even drink water! I also had tonsil stones but I didnt think about the cons of having the surgery I was just tired of always feeling like I had food stuck in my throat…its been months now but there is still a soreness or tenderness on the right side where my tonsil use to be. Thats how I ended up here I was looking for a reason as to why it’s still like this. If you still check this after 3 years I would like to know if you had similar things happen? I’m wondering if its not just my sinuses because my ear and under my eye also ache but I figured I’d try to do some research on what happens months after the surgery…
Thank you so much for writing this post! It’s currently day 5 for me. Day 2-3 pain was 10/10. Yesterday I got up and was amazed how much better I felt. I was talking finally and was able to eat a lot more variety of soft or small pieces of food. Then last night everything came crashing down. I could only sleep a couple hours at a time because my pain meds are not keeping up. Today it seems like everything I eat burns like acid. It’s the worst on the sides of my tongue way in the back. I was starting to get really alarmed and loose hope so I’m so glad I found this blog post. It’s encouraging to read that so many other people experienced ups and downs during recovery. By the looks of it, I’ve been doing a lot of the same things as commenters here so I believe I just need time now. As a busy mom of three tiny kiddos, this is kicking my butt! Three epidural free childbirths did not prepare me for this pain! Thanks to everyone who commented! Hope you are all doing much better now!
feel better soon! <3
It was real hell and i appreciate your efforts for writing this post and your picture in bed during procedure section looks well.
My husband who is 66 yrs old, had his tonsils removed, uvula removed and soft palate trimmed to resolve sleep apnea. The surgery was the end of November, 2019. He is feeling much better at this point but now that the initial horrible pain is gone, he has little to no taste of food or drink. He feels like his taste buds have been damaged. The Dr. says that his taste buds should recover and hopefully that will happen soon.
Has anyone else had a similar experience that they might be able to share?
The 28-year-old woman tells her story through this blog. The problem of tonsillitis causes more pain in adults than in young children. If you are treated with a surgeon’s advice without delay, it is good to say that it is easy to get out of this pain. Our nieces also suffer from occasional sore throats. I’ll be happy to share this with her too. Thanks for sharing everything.
What kind of ice packs did you use for your throat? The link no longer goes to a product. Preparing for a tonsillectomy in a month and a half. It sounds rough and I know it will be but I like the mentality of doing it best and it will pass and hopefully all the reasons for it will be no longer a problem! Love the post. Thank you.