Adult Tonsillectomy Recovery

[Luv Bunnies]

DS20 had his tonsils and adenoids removed 8 days ago. The recovery has been really rough for him. He's still in a lot of pain, especially when he wakes up. The doctor gave him 7 days of heavy-duty pain killers and they've run out. He also gave him 7 days of anti-nausea meds, which have also run out. The doc said to call for refills if needed, but DS really wants to get off that stuff. The meds make him feel loopy and basically kill what little appetite he has. We've been alternating Motrin and Tylenol around the clock for the past day. He does OK during the day, but when he wakes up and his throat is dry, he's in so much pain! Early this morning he was about to cry, and this guy doesn't cry easily.

Anyone with experience with an adult trying to recover from this surgery? He's read some blogs that detailed other people's recoveries, and some people seem to have considerable pain up to about day 14. He was hoping for the pain to be tolerable after a week, but it's still pretty strong. He's been surviving on otter pops and ice chips. We've gotten him to eat a few soft foods (ice cream, pudding, milkshakes, etc.). I tried giving him very soft mashed potatoes. He said it felt like the tiny grains were getting stuck in his throat. We bought some protein shakes last night and I'm hoping he can get some of those down today.

DS is a musical theater major. His professors started telling him that they could hear him inhale when he sang or spoke, especially on recordings of his voice. Two of his classmates had the same problem and had their tonsils removed last summer. We went to an ENT when he was home for winter break, and he confirmed that his tonsils were very large. He recommended having them removed, so we scheduled the surgery to happen as soon as he got home for summer break. He has the whole summer to recover and start learning how to sing with all the extra space in his throat. His voice was beautiful before. We're looking forward to hearing it when he's ready to sing again. But man, this recovery has been so hard for him!

 

[J'aime Paris]

Sorry your DS is suffering! Hope he perks up soon!

Many years ago, a friend of a friend had hers removed around the age of 30.
She had a rough, long recovery. I think it was about 6 weeks until she could say she felt better and could eat properly.
I'm not sure if that's normal, but I've heard that adults have a tougher recovery than kids from tonsils especially.

 

[Christine]

Adult tonscillectomies are notoriously rough and painful. Doctors take a lot of caution (and warning) before doing them. My cousin had hers removed at 16 and said it was one of the worst things she ever had done. Another friend had hers done at about age 19 and I think it was a rough two weeks, then it was fine.

My daughter was young when she had hers done and I remember it being bad for about 10 days and then it was a turning point.

I think the 14 day thing might be accurate. I would encourage your son to try to maybe get some more pain meds for a few more days. Maybe they could switch to something like a short course of prednisone. My son had taken then a few times as an adult when he had a hellacious sore throat and it works pretty well.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

Yes, the doctor also told us that adults have a more difficult time recovering than kids. Many of my friends said their young kids bounced back in a week or so. I feel so badly for DS, but at least we planned for a long recovery. He starts a job as assistant director for a youth musical in mid-June. That gives him a month from his surgery date before he really has to go anywhere or do anything in particular.

 

[waltonmkb]

I had mine out at 18 and one of the most awful experiences ever! I was allergic to the antibiotic they gave me and threw up for about 8 hours straight. It took about two weeks for the pain to go away and I survived on popsicles, ice chips, and milkshakes. The cold would numb my throat.

 

[kimblebee]

I had mine out when I was 19 so I don’t remember much. I do know that my pain killers were how I found out I was allergic to Codeine. I know it took about two weeks before I could eat anything solid. Soup stung really badly.

 

[tinkerbellandeeyor]

Yes, the doctor also told us that adults have a more difficult time recovering than kids. Many of my friends said their young kids bounced back in a week or so. I feel so badly for DS, but at least we planned for a long recovery. He starts a job as assistant director for a youth musical in mid-June. That gives him a month from his surgery date before he really has to go anywhere or do anything in particular.

My surgery was much minor then that probably one of most minor one out there and it still felt like the facial from not heaven it was just to tighten the muscle in my left eye so I could see but when I had the same surgery at 16 I was at school the next day this time around it was about a week before I was up and around

 

[traces7]

I had mine out when I was 39. The first 4 days or so were the worst, as far as pain. But I do remember I couldn't eat very well until about a month after! It hurt to swallow. I don't think I needed pain pills after the first week. I was only off a few days of work.
My DD had hers out 2 years ago at age 18, and she did great. Pain not too bad and she was eating normally in a couple days!
Good luck! It's no fun I know! Hopefully he'll start feeling better soon!

 

[JustCallMeMommy]

My recovery wasn't bad at 24 (and I also had my nasal septum straightened at the same time), but my exH's was brutal when he was in his 30's. Ask the doctor if he will prescribe lidocain lollipops - they were a lifesaver for exH! We had to get them at a compounding pharmacy.

 

[lostprincess_danie]

Had my tonsils out earlier this year after a year-long battle with tonsillitis and obstructive sleep apnea. I'm in my mid-thirties. The recovery was as horrible as the doctor had warned me. For me, it definitely took the full two weeks to recover and I did not have any major complications.

Has your DS been setting an alarm at night to wake up to continue with the pain meds and drink a little water through the night? I set a three-hour repeating alarm. Took liquid Motrin alternating with liquid Tylenol. If I missed a dose it was awful. Also, keep a humidifier running on the nightstand throughout the night to keep the throat from drying out during sleep.

As far as food, I gave up trying to eat anything because it was too painful. Everything tasted gross anyway. As long as I was getting enough fluids my doctor was okay with it. I was able to handle scrambled eggs, popsicles and vegetable broth by week two. Mashed potatoes and oatmeal felt like cement going down.

Talking and singing were difficult for about a month. It was like finding a new way to use my voice. My husband commented that my voice was deeper for a while but returned back to normal after another month or two. I only sing for fun and for mostly myself. Without those pesky tonsils in the way any more my voice feels clearer and like it's easier somehow to really belt out a tune.

Hang in there! It's an awful recovery but most everyone who has gone through it will tell you that it's worth it.

 

[Skippy918]

I had mine out at 20 after multiple repeated bouts of tonsillitis. I don’t remember how long I was on the painkillers for, but I was home recuperating for a week and back at college the next week and ate soft foods for a month. I do remember it feeling like I was swallowing sand.

 

[tinkerbellandeeyor]

You guys are brave I will die before getting mine removed

 

[stitch'sgirl]

I agree with lostprincess_danie. You can't sleep through a dose of pain relief. My ENT told me that the body has a much more difficult time subsiding pain if there is a gap in meds. I never heard of the lidocaine pops, but there is also lidocaine spray available over the counter if the doctor okays. Hope he is feeling better soon. I remember not being able to convince my throat to swallow the pain was so bad.

 

[morgan98]

My mom has hers out in her 50s. She was a teacher, so she had them removed right after the school year, ended but before she left for her 6 week trip to Italy. She had them out about 3 and a half weeks before she left.

She was still no where near 100% when she left. She was shocked at how bad it was. They told her it would not be easy, but she had no idea it would be like that.

It was hard for her to eat and she could not drink wine during her recovery.

 

[HappyDznyCamper]

Some very good advice, meds around the clock, humidifier, lidocaine lollipops, soft foods. For the meds, see about a refill on the Rx but use them only at night that way he will be able to sleep and hopefully not be as sore when he gets up. Warm tea with honey is also good, the honey is soothing and naturally has some antibacterial properties, the tea has tanin(sp) that also helps with pain and healing. The most important thing is to keep ahead of the pain, that means taking pain meds BEFORE you need them, so yes setting an alarm for every 4 hours(or whatever the RX says) is what should be done.

 

[HappyDznyCamper]

I almost forget, try to get him to drink warm jello, it sounds weird but something about the warm gellatin is soothing on the throat.

 

[happily single]

I had mine out shortly after I turned 20 and the pain was absolutely terrible (and I gave birth once with no pain meds). I can’t remember exactly but it took me at least a month or longer to recover. Trying to talk was horrible. I sounded like a deaf person.

Hope he recovers quickly

 

[HappyDznyCamper]

How's he feeling??

 

[leebee]

DD had hers out at 16 and was an absolute wreck for 2 weeks. Make sure all his pain meds are liquids, and that he takes them regularly, as prescribed, around the clock. Set an alarm for the overnight doses, and have a little water if possible, too. Write down each dose so you don't forget and double-dose; this was extremely important for DD as she was taking liquid oxycodone (from a dosing syringe, not a spoon). She took it for 2 weeks, but one day she started to take it, her eyes almost crossed, and she handed me the syringe and said "I don't need this anymore." Then she was on Tylenol and Motrin for another two weeks. All in all it was about 6 weeks before she felt like herself again, although she returned to school after the first 2 weeks. Good luck!

 

[fortwildernessishome]

The doctor gave him 7 days of heavy-duty pain killers and they've run out. He also gave him 7 days of anti-nausea meds, which have also run out. The doc said to call for refills if needed, but DS really wants to get off that stuff. The meds make him feel loopy and basically kill what little appetite he has.

I think your son needs to decide if he would rather have less pain or feel loopy. If the doc said to call for refills if needed that's what I would do. I understand that he wants to "get off that stuff", but truly, pain meds are given for a reason and sometimes you need to take them despite the harsh side effects!