I’m considering a tonsillectomy because I have problems with my tonsils every 6-8 weeks. Now I tried to get this done while in university back in Canada but in Canada the bar for adult tonsillectomies is quite high. However, here in America, they are much less hesistant (ah, private health care). What’s making me second guess this is the whole surgery aspect and that I’ll be out of comission for at least five days.
Just curious if anyone here has had this done as an adult and had any thoughts to share?
Well, my mum got it done but that was waaaay back in the ages and in my home country India. She recalls that she got lots of ice-cream to eat after it :o)
I had mine taken out when I was 19. Not too bad but it hurts like a %#$&^. They tell you five days but I seemed longer. More like 7 to 10.
I had my tonsils taken out when I was 24. My experience was a little different since mine had to come out while they were infected. This made the whole thing a little more complex and they warned me my recovery would be worse than normal.
For me I was totally out of commission for about 5 days. About then I got up to about half speed and then slowly got better over the next week or so. I felt great two weeks later.
I’ve heard from other’s who got them out as an adult that they had much better experiences. You can go ahead and use my experience as your worst case scenario.
I just had mine out on Feb.1. I am 41. They told me I would be very tired, and sore. I never was all that tired, but I’m not a super active person anyway. I was told to take 10-14 days off work, which I did. I think I could work after 7 days, but talking and eating is still a problem. I have trouble talking very loud or for very long without getting screetchy. My throat hurts every time I swallow. I am still eating soft foods, but they hurt anyway. Ice cream is actually too cold to eat–it is very painful.
Well, i got my tonsils out 5 days ago. If you have had strep throat and know how bad it can get, i suggest you get it done!! I am 24, and have had infections all my life. Yes it is very painful, you cannot even bear the pain to swallow your own saliva. But as the days go on, its gets better..(im still waiting). I have 2 weeks off work, and know that i will need it. I have a few friends that have had it done as well and they say that they have not been sick at all since the procedure. I suggest you get it over with.
Just wanted to let you know that a had a bilateral tonsillectomy and adenoid removal done last Thursday (5 days ago) and I’m not sure whether I would choose to do it again if I could turn back time. I am 33 years old and have given birth twice and believe me the pain in my opinion doesn’t care to the tonsillectomy at all! It’s been 5 days and it kills to swallow anything! I can barely speak and when I try the pain is too much to bare. On the positive side, if this means never getting strep ot tonsilitis again, that would be great! Remember that everyone’s pain threshold is different, so maybe I just don’t have any luck. I’ll let you know in a couple of days how I feel then. Good luck and take care!
I just had my tonsils taken out earlier today at 8am. i am 21 years old, and in good health. I experienced some pain after surgery, but an injection of demerol courtesy the hospital fixed that. i have been talking today, eating, and feel generally great. They gave me a bunch of vicodin and its doing a good job. let’s hope the next few days are as good.
This DEFINATELY beats a terrible strep infection!
Hey Matt,
Don’t know if you went ahead with the surgery, but I’m scheduled for a tonsillectomy on the 26th of April. There is a great blog at “healthboard” The people on give all the dirt on the recovery – varying from easy recoveries to blood curdling horror stories.
Good luck!
Hey Matt,
I’m going in for my tonsillectomy tomorrow, and will be blogging the recovery – stop by if you’re interested!
I’m 18 and I got my tonsils removed 3 days ago. First of all it hurts so badly!! They told me that it would start to feel better 3 days later, but it doesn’t even feel a bit better. Not only is there extreme pain, their is a big mucus build up in my throat and i’ve woken up 3 straight nights coughing it out of my throat. I’m not starting to feel better AT ALL, and I don’t know what to do!!
Did you have the surgery?? I just learned I have to have my tonsils out. I am 28 and scared to death!! I am sick of having huge infected tonsils though. I’ve heard this is the best option.
Hi! I am 27 years old and I got my tonsils out 9 days ago. It has been a long 9 days. The pain has gone from mild to moderate to SEVERE to moderate and so forth. For me, day 5 was the worst as I believe that’s when some of the scabs started to fall off. I still cannot talk very well, I sound like I have a mouth full of marbles and eating is a challenge. Ear pain is another thing that has occured but not unbearable. The nights are the hardest and the mornings. They say by day 10 you feel remarkably better, however I have to see it to believe it…I will keep you posted…Good luck, and remind yourself WHY you are doing it. Avoiding any other tonsil infections must be a good reason.
I’m scheduled for surgery on the 3rd of May, and am a bit nervous about the whole thing. I’m looking for any kind of information that you can give me. Let me know if you did it, and now your doing.
Thanks,
jennifer
Hi Jennifer,
I am now on day 9 of post op. I am starting to feel better, I am still eating liquid foods though! My best advice, would be to have LOTS of bottled water on hand, I used a tea towel and a frozen bottle of water all day long and put it on my neck/throat area, it really helped. Also, it is SO important to drink as much liquid as possible to keep your throat wet, I think this is why I am having a pretty good recovery. I really only hurts when you swallow, so that is why you should keep it moist. I have been chewing gum too, they say that helps speed up recovery. I am not sure what medication they will put you on, I was given Tylenol with codeine, actually, I had to mix infant tylenol with the codeine myself, and found the codeine made me feel sick to my stomach. I was on Codeine for two days, then when that was gone, I just used infant acetaminifin (sp?) becuase it is liquid and coats my throat. I found a dose of that every 4 hrs helped a lot with the pain. I will admit, it isn’t a nice experience to go through, but as I am starting to feel better every day, I feel it will definately be worth it. *Also, make sure you get someone else to p ick up your prescription after your surgery; I went to wal mart within minutes of being released from the hospital and nearly passed out! Good luck with your surgery, if you have any more questions, feel free to ask!!!
I’m 2 days post-op tonsils removed,pain is different for eveybody,i,m taking tylenol 3 mixed with childrens liquid tylenol pain is starting to become more tollerant.I,m 31 and had enlarged tonsils my whole life.If i had to do it over again i would do it in a heartbeat.My only advice is to drink a whole lot of water.
I had my tonsils removed 1 week ago and my doctor advised eating solid foods the day after surgery. The more you eat and drink (water)the faster the recovery. It keeps your throat cleaner so the scabs aren’t so painful and you shouldn’t have any ear pain if you follow those guidelines. I was also given prednisone to take after surgery which I think helped with the swelling and pain tremendously. I really didn’t suffer too much with it at all but feel I had an excellent doctor. The only thing he said not to eat is chips or crusty bread. I also had septoplasty and sinus surgery and it has not been too bad of an ordeal. I thank my doctor for that.
My daughther has had 3 bad bouts of sore throats with-in the last 4 mnths she’s going to be 22 in a couple of days & was told by our doctor she might have to have her tonsils out because her adnoids are still swollen from 2months ago when she went in for strep throat. My question is for Randi .. The suggestion from your doctor to eat solid foods 1 day after surgery seems to make sense to me but; which foods did you try ? I don’t want her to choak & I’m trying to minumix her painful healing as much as possiable
I am 20 years old and had my tonsils and adnoids removed 8 days ago. I will admit this has been by far the worst pain I have ever gone through in my life. Days 4-6 are the worst because that is when my scabs started to fall off in the back of my throat…I would suggest not eating any hard foods for at least a week…I have been living off apple sauce, ice cream, mashed potatoes, pudding, etc.
The nights are the worst, I dont get more than four hours asleep usually and my parents are even pharmacists and have hooked me up with some zyanax and other medications…my best advice would be just suck it up, stay nourished, and it will all be over in about 10-14 days!!
hi! im 24 and i got my tonsils out 5 days ago, the first day was ok ’till, i could talk, sleep, watch tv, my husband even took me to the mall so i dont spend all day at bed..everything was wonderful till the 3rd night.. stared the pain so BAD i didn’t take that much of pain medicine ’cause im scared of its dependecy, but anyways, yesterday was the worst day first time since surgery that i got nauseas,was so painful to eat or drink water, and i had to started taking painkillers every 4 hours, i thought it was ’cause i come back to work already , and i persuade myself that is everything in my mind…but im getting worst. today i dont feel that bad as yesterday, but its so hard to talk and if i dont take the pills on time, started the pain… i heard that the first couple days arent too bad, but im getting worst and i dont know why… :( im working right now so its kind of distracting from the nauseas and the constantly pain but i cant even move too much with out geting nauseas…
I had my tonsils taken out exactly 1 week ago and, man, has it been a ride. To be honest, I haven’t been in severe pain up until today. Swallowing has been an issue, but I could eat soft pasta and soup for the past few days without much trouble. Today, however, it felt as if a knife was shredding the left side of my throat! Every time I swallow it stings. When I looked at the back of my throat earlier today, I could clearly see a cut/possibly where my disgusting white scab is separating from the healthy skin. Either way, it’s extremely painful; I think today I’ve forced water down and I’ve only eaten three forkfulls of pasta and two spoonfulls of soup. I’m hoping that tomorrow the rest of the scab will come off or something because this is driving me crazy.
Also, I could kill for some pizza right now…. Solid food sounds like an absolute dream… :/
I am 43 yrs old, mother of 4 daughters. I can handle pain or so I thought. I decided to have this tonsillectomy done. I must’ve been temporarily insane.
I am on day 6 now and i am miserable. My throat feels like broken glass whenever I try to swallow anything. I did manage chicken noodle soup ok for the first 2 days but now I cant get anything down. Everything feels like fire. The dr. gave me LOrtab Elixir. Burns like gasoline going down. I can’t drink anything but water which sucks, can’t lose the nausea, can’t have a BM, cuz I can’t eat! I have lost 6 lbs in 1 wk. I feel so drained and weak. Gotta go back to work in 1 more week. Hope to God that is possible. I swear to you, childbirth was easier than this, and I had twins on the last go round.
I got my tonsils out yesterday and I must say after going on the internet and reading so many blogs and comments about adult tonsilectomies…I was almost convinced I would be in intense pain…..so let me tell you, honestly, IT IS NOT THAT BAD.
I’ve been drinking a ton of ice water and taking my pain medication every 4 hours and I really don’t feel much pain at all. There is a fullness/swollen feeling but that’s about it. I am enjoying watching DVDs and just taking it easy for a week.
So anyone thinking of getting their tonsils out…I’m in my 30’s and it was fine…just find a good Dr. that you are comfortable with…it’s not as bad as everyone thinks! Good Luck!
i had my tonsils removed when i was 22. i always had those white spots on my tonsils even when i wasnt actually ill.
its been 2 years now since i had the surgery and i think that was the best decision i ever made.
this is not to say that it was easy..cz it deffinetly wasnt..i cant begin to tell u how painful it was for the first 5 days. and my uvula was so swallon i was afraid to choke on it.
the best advice i can give is the following
– do not have dairy ice cream u should have stuff like granita cz the milk makes ur throat sticky and made me feel i was going to choke.
– drink a lot of fluids (all cold ofcourse) so that ur throat doesnt get dry and hence hurt more
– do not worry if u cant eat anything (even soft food) for the first day after surgery
– do not eat anything with sharp edges like chips or crackers for atleast 10 days
– get a lot of bed rest
– demand pain killers. will help a lot trust me
– your uvula may swell a lot as in my case i seriously felt i was going to choke on it whenever i swallowed
-YOU will most probably throw up when u get home after surgery because of the anesthesia so dont worry just remeber not to panic because throwing up with ur throat’s condition will be scary
good luck and trust me it will be worth it!
I just had my tonsils out today, and they dont seem to hurt too much yet. My friend Cathy had them out and she told me to just eat cold sherbert and drink A LOT OF water. The durgery center also told me that when you wake up the pain is the worst because your throat is dry and can crack and bleed, so they told me to try to wake up as much as i can during the night and just keep my throat really moist and they said hopefully that will speed up the recovery. they also said to take the first 5 to 7 days to just lay in your bed. good luck!
I’m a 27 year old female, and am 8 days post surgery. The actually day of the surgery was a breeze because you are so out of it from the anesthesia. However, day 2 was a nightmare….then came day 7 and literally I was in tears all day, so bad I made my doctor fit me in that day to reassure me everything was okay, and it was…it gave me peacE of mind but I have never felt so bad in my life, felt like I was swallowing hot razor blades. Let’s just say I would rather have another C-section everyday of my life!! My dr. said day 7 & 8 would be the worst then I should see the light at the end of my tunnel…I sure hope so!! Oh one more thing, everyone talks about how much ice cream you get to eat, this & that….well, I found it only made it worse, it was way tooo cold going down so I stuck with room temperature water. GOOD LUCK & HANG IN THERE!!!
I’m 44 and had tonsils and adnoieds removed 13 days ago….. scabs are coming off , and I am still hurting like crazy!!!!! Child birth was easier. %^&(((## this hurts!!!! When will it end????? People thinks I am faking it cuz I am still hurting…. (I can tell) as its been almost 2 wks.
I’m 18 and had my tonsils removed about a week ago. Do I ever miss eating real food :(
This whole experiance has been VERY painful even with meds. It kills everytime I swallow, and I am very sick of people telling me to cheer up because I get to eat lots of icecream.
I’ve been nauseous all week! When will this end? I also had the pleasure of vomiting and having to spend my Day 2 night in emerg.
I’m also waiting (not happily) for the scabs to come off *wince*. I really, really, reeeeally hope this all gets better soon, and that it is worth it in the end.
Marc,
Take the pain medication they gave you and drink lots of ice water…you should feel alot better soon! Hang in there!
im 16 years old i just got my tonsils out 6 days ago [5.20.08]
about 45 min to an hour the surgery was over & they woke me up they put me in the recovery room and gave me morphine for the pain they brought me jello & apple juice but the morphine & anesthesia made me vomit so they had to give me nausia medicine.when i got home i slept most of the time & drank alot of water. i tried to eat ice cream but i didnt really enjoy it as much as i thought i was goin to. day two and three i was in alot of pain my ears were sore i culd hardly swallow i had a fevers on & off and i was gettin so frustrated i couldnt eat real food i was in alot of pain.
day 4: i took the pain medicine & that made me very sick i vomited more then once & was very dizzzy & the scabs started to cum off it was disgusting![i stuck to tylenol which really really helps].
day 5: i felt so gud i was eating turkey mac & cheese & chicken cut up in small pieces..i was laughin talking and smiling..i took a look in my mouth and the scabs were almost off. i didnt get much sleep i woke up in the middle of the night to find my mouth bleeding i was spittin blood & the scabs were cumin off even more.the bleedin stoped and i went baq to bed i woke up and the scabs continue to fall off. im in as much pain the nights r very painful because im asleep and dnt drink alot the mornings r okay and the afternoons r a little better.
-this is a painful experince & takes time away from important things like work & school family & friends.me im missin 2 weeks of school & finals r coming up and im goin to ve very behinde.it hurts to swallow & my ears still hurt but not as bad. i lost 4 pounds but ill gain that right back.
ALL I KNOW IS that this is goin to be worth it in the end because i will not get as sick like i use to [knock on woood!!]
STAY CALM HAVE LOTS OF GOOD DVDS LOTS OF ICE WATER & COLD DRINKS & USE ICE PACKS :)
BYEEE
i am a 21yo male and am currently on day 7 of recovery from tonsillectomy and let me say this has been a very brutal ride. i had read about a billion blogs online prior to the surgery and although it made me 10000x more nervous, it really prepared me for what was to come. the first 3 days of recovery generally were very easy and not too painful. my tonsils weren’t infected or enlarged prior to surgery and the dr. said it went very well taking only a total of 13 minutes in the OR…for the first 3 days i was eating mostly soft foods and i ate very reglarly, probably more than i did on a normal day…let me just say that the vicodin saved my life (ive taken it every 3 hrs on the dot without missing a dose) and that you shouldnt feel bad about using it when pain occurs bc thats what it’s for..Day 4 was a bit worse and i definitely started noticing more pain but overall it was manageable…Day 5 through 7 though hit me like a train…i woke up on day 5 and instantly knew the pain had arrived…Day 6 was even worse bringing me to tears. I had woken up on day 6 with an intense shooting pain and then i discovered in the mirror that a scab had ripped in my throat and that it was bleeding..i was very afraid of this bc of all i had heard about the bleeding horror stories, so for the entire day i gagrled cold water and salt water which reallllly helped..i tried to eat as much as possible during these days despite the pain and drink as much water as hmanly possible…drinking water is KEY…if i hadnt been drinkning so much water since day 1 i believe the pain would have been much worse which seems impossible but true..the past 2 days ive tried to take less of the vicodin during the day and only at night/morning which are the most painful times…last night i woke up at 4am (i havent slept more than 3 hrs a night since the operation 7 days ago)in the worst pain ive ever felt in my life…my throat wasnt bleeding this time but the pain in my throat/head/ears was mindboggingly painful…i covered my whole head with ice packs (which have helped a lot this whole week) and had to take 3 vicodin to get any relief–i though i was gonna pass out from the pain lol…4 hours later i woke up (4 hrs ago) and i srprisingly felt muchhh better..i think the pain is beginning to lessen now (knock on wood) and i see the light at the end of the tunnel…sorry if this scares any of you but its better knowing what in store for you rather than being hit by it blindly….also, its only for a relatively short period of times and will make a huge difference in the long run…i thought this was gonna be a breeze the first few days post-op but dont be fooled! for a few days youll wish you were dead, hah, but itll be worth it in the end (it better be!) also, ive noticed that chocolate flavored foods are verrrry painful so try to stick to vanilla icecream, pudding, etc…i hope this helps and dont worry youll be fine!!!
Greetings all,
I had my tonsils and uvula removed on July 17. Looking at about 6 days now. I’ve had Strep throat a zillion times in life and this really isn’t much worse than my worse case of Strep.
Day 1 No problem! Plenty of heavy pain killers
Day 2-4 Reality. Plenty of Lortab Elixir
Day 5-6 Moderately more pain, yet still manageable
Still sucking down the pain killers pretty heavily…not sure when that will back off, but I’m on my 2nd bottle.
I cant bare to look down my own throat, even at 34, so I don’t know if i have scabs or not anymore.
Oddly enough, I have two sets of pain:
1 – Topical (Swallowing)
2 – Deep throb (throat muscle)
I can manage the topical…but not so much the deep throb. I have 5 stitches on the roof of my mouth where my Uvuela was….I haven’t looked, I can just feel them dangling down when I swallow. Fun!
I run a slight fever like clock-work every night…usually topping out at 99.9, which is normal. To fend it off, I usually use an ice pack. (Mix 1/4 rubbing alchol with 3/4 water and freeze it in a freezer ziplock – works like a charm)
My Diet:
Big bags of Crushed Ice from Sonic ($1.79)
Case of Ensure Vanilla Flavor ($26.00)
Electrolyte Fuel System (EFS) (better than gatorade)
Apple Sauce
Thats it for me so far. Next week will start on:
Mac N Cheese
Mash Potatoes
Creamed Spinach
Its worth it….now I wont ever have to hear my girlfriend (Now Ex) complain about my snoring.
I am 33 and 6 days post tonsillectomy and thought I had a high pain threshold so either I am a complete softie or this is the worst op ever! I have given birth twice naturally with no pain relief, have fillings without injections and never take time off work sick so presumed that when the surgeon told me how much pain i would be in after the op he was hamming it up a bit and that i would be fine and just enjoying my 2 weeks off work. How wrong could i be!
Last night I was up at 3am in tears as my ears and throat hurt so much I seriously thought i wanted to die. I have been forcing myself to eat and drink since the op as know this is supposed to aid recovery and here in the uk we are told to eat rough foods such as toast etc from day 2 onwards to help clear the tonsillar bed so have been doing my best to do this but i really underestimated the pain this op would cause.
Apparently my tonsils were very deep rooted and took longer than anticipated to remove so not sure if this is why it is so bad but i am not sure if i knew in advance how much this would hurt i would go through it again especially as i have 2 little ones to look after as well.
Not wishing to scare anyone as everyones case is different but i honestly thought it would just be like a bad case of tonsillitus which i suffer from at least every other month – for me this has been much worse but just keep thinking it will be worth it in the end!
listen i had my tonsils out when I was 18 years old (one week ago)
I’m usually pretty tough when it comes to pain but let me tell you i have never been in such pain in my life! this was the worst pain i’ve ever been in, and honestly if I knew it hurt this bad I don’t know if I would get it done. Not only can you not eat but you are sooo congested and my ears are killllling me! not to mention my jaw is so sore and my whole neck is so swollen, I can still hardly open my mouth. They give you perks…which you will need to take because the pain is so bad….but you won’t be able to eat so you feel like a drug addict popping pills on an empty stomach.
good luck to whoever decides to undergo this herendous procedure.
I recommend a waste basket to spit in, an ice pack around the neck, LOTS of chicken broth, a milk shake to crush your pills in, and a grandmother to take care of you.
Hey i’m 14 years old in grade 9 and i got my tonsils taken out a week ago. My throat hurts more then its ever hurt before. It feels like knifes are just stabbing my throat and my ears. I can hardly swallow anything. In the past 2 days I’ve eat like a little bit of cake mix and drank 10 bottles of water. It kills to swallow. When i take my medicine a sharp pain goes through my throat and to my ears, which brings tears down my face :( I use a hot water bottle or an ice pack to help with some of the pain in my ears.
For the meds I take 5 ml of codeine and dunno how much tylenol every 4 hours. It the most painful thing i’ve ever been through and im glad i wont have to go through it again. It feels like someone is constantly choking you and taking glass and scratching your throat and inside your ears. What makes you go insane is that it doesn’t stop and just keeps paining constantly , worse at times. Today is Sept. 8/08 on a Monday. I’m 4 hours from my home and missing the first 2 weeks of school. Which I didn’t want to. But if i’m not better by wednesday i’m going to cry even more. I want to be able to buy school clothes and get my hair cut and died before I come home. People were saying that your in most of the pain in the first 5 days after your tonsillectomy. But for me its been more painful after the first 5 days :( anyways i’m starving and in pain. I’ll reply back tomorrow !!!
I can’t wait for my throat to get better! i miss pizza and fries and spagetti and chicken and fruit and everything else lol:( oh myyyy im about to have some chicken broth now .
oh im not an adult .. but i was just reading this and i didn’t notice that you said “Just curious if anyone here has had this done as an ADULT and had any thoughts to share? but those are my thoughts
i figured out a way for my throat not to hurt as much .
1. spit instead of swallow 2. swallow only when i have a liquid in my mouth . like pudding, soupl or w/e or jellow thats i’ll i can eat and , constantly sip on water.. Your troat still hurts but not as bad.
I did it as an adult…yes, it is hard to swallow afterwards but if you take your meds the pain is not bad at all. I just ate applesauce and drank lots of ice water for a week. It wasn’t as bad as everyone says.
Everyone has a different situation. These blogs really helped me prepare for my surgery. Therefore, I had to write my own.
You can check it out at
http://laurenstonsillectomy.blogspot.com/