Adenoids & Tonsils Coming Out... Any Advice?

Updated on November 15, 2007
D.G. asks from Spring, TX
15 answers

Ladies,

Our ENT just confirmed for me what I had already considered a probability- my perpetually sick & congested 5 year old will be having her tonsils & adenoids out the Monday after Thanksgiving.

Any of you mamas that have been through this with your kiddos got any sage advice/ stories to tell for recovery & beyond. Did you notice a resolution of problems & issues afterwards?

Thanks!
D.

What can I do next?

  • Add yourAnswer own comment
  • Ask your own question Add Question
  • Join the Mamapedia community Mamapedia
  • as inappropriate
  • this with your friends

Featured Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

R.G.

answers from San Antonio on

My 13 year old had it doen when she was 5.
It was amazing.
No more ear infections.
No more sinus infections.
No more snoring.
No more sleep apnia.
Changed her voice.
She has so much more energy.

Get plenty of clear juice & popsicles.
Ice Cream is good.

More Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.T.

answers from San Antonio on

My daughter had her's out when she was 3. Everything was smooth except for coming out of anesthesia! It was not soo fun. The dr. sent us home with Tylenol with Codeine. It worked wonders. You CANNOT give them Advil/Motrin (as stated in a previous post) as it can cause bleeding. Keep her hydrated and lots of soft things for her throat. You will notice after a few days her breath will be HORRID!! But that is a normal healing process. It is the dead skin sluffing off.. (SORRY IF TMI) Good luck!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.

answers from Dallas on

One of my twin girls had hers out earlier this year at age 3. she had been having really scary high fevers on and off for months, ending up in hospitalization. She was really scared and uncomfortable when she woke up, but I was with her and sang comforting songs to her. The next day she went home, and she was really singing and dancing down the hallway! I stopped by the surgeon's office to let him see; I was so astonished at her recovery. For the next two weeks she had some discomfort on and off but we did have some pain meds; mostly we just used motrin and tylenol. She has been much better ever since. I was amazed at her recovery; I hear the earlier the better.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.W.

answers from Dallas on

D.,
I know you have a lot of responses and I am sure a lot of good advice, I just wanted to add my comments. Both of my children had this done my son at 3 and my daughter at 2. The best thing you can get is "sonic ice." Sonic sells 10 pound bags of their crushed ice for about $2 or less. With our son we had to fight him to take his pain meds and he would not eat or drink. With our daughter, we got some Sonic ice and what a HUGE difference. She would eat a cup of ice and then was ready to eat food and drink water, kool aid, gatorade, etc. It was great! About every 3-4 hours she would have some more ice. She recovered so much faster than our son did. I hope this helps. Don't worry too much. She will come through it and will be better after than she is now for sure.

Best of luck,
J.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

H.B.

answers from Dallas on

My daughter was 8 when she had hers out in Feb. She was doing cartwheels outside later that same day. She never cried, never got too scared. It was a breeze!! Kids bounce back sooo fast!!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

D.O.

answers from San Antonio on

my DD had hers out earlier this year at age 6. She always had loud breathing at night, w/ snoring and what seemed like gasping for air. Last Fall & Winter she just had what seemed like a perpetual ear infection. I finally took her to the ENT and he told me that her adenoids were very large (I even got to see them). He put her on some allergy meds for a short while to see what might change, but at the follow up visit he recommended the adenoidectomy and tubes for her ears (for drainage).
Her surgery was very quick and fairly painless. The only iffy part is coming out of anesthesia, it just depends on how your DD comes out of it. Mine had a stomach ache and was just kind of irritable for a few hours, but by night time, she was pretty much back to normal. Since your DD is also getting tonsils out, it will probably be a bit longer for recovery, I'm sure the Dr. told you that.
That first night, I slept in her bed w/ her. Even that first night, her breathing was so much improved! Since then it has just gotten even better. She just wasn't getting enough oxygen, and her sleep is much more restful now. I am very glad we did the surgery, even though in this area. Let me know if you have any other questions. Best of luck to you!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

L.H.

answers from Dallas on

My son, who will be 10 next month, had his removed on the first of June. Now, this is after having an eardrum replaced the May before which entailed the partial removal of the ear and then sewing it back on. I LOVE Dr. Mark Brown in Arlington, but could have kicked him when he said the pain would be worse in front of my son. With the surgery on the ear itself, he was in agonizing pain for days and days. He and I both almost backed out of the surgery. However, it was supposed to help the ear situation so we forged on.

To prepare we stocked up on popsicles, pudding, jello, etc. My son never ate one popsicle. He said he felt like he had something stuck in his throat (swelling) and that it only hurt a little bit, but not bad at all. The day after surgery, he asked if we could go see if we could find a yard sale or two. However, he tired quickly and wanted to go home. So we did.

When he first started coming out of the anesthesia, he was VERY cranky. I was prepared for this from previous surgeries. He also threw up a stomach full of blood. I was NOT prepared for that. The doctor told us that about the third day to the end of the first full week, after surgery, was the timeframe when complications usually arose, if there were to be any. My son did wonderfully. He was also very quiet for several days because he felt like he had something in his throat and it "felt weird" when he talked, so he just didn't.
Really all you can do is be prepared with comfort foods and the pain medications the doctor will provide (get these before the surgery so you will have them when you get home because they cannot release from the hospital/clinic within and hour of patient receiving pain meds). Be prepared for her to be cranky and even downright ugly when coming out of the anesthesia. Also, you might want to have your ENT explain to your daughter that the pain meds that they will receive at home will NOT make her feel like the anesthesia or the pain meds from the hospital/clinic. My son absolutely refused to take any meds (even after the ear surgery) because he thought they would make him feel like he was out of control and detached from himself. There is no reason to be in pain when there is relief available. Besides if you lose the pain, you can relax more and heal more quickly.
I hope some of this helps.
On a side note, had I known that the adenoids sat on top of the other end of the Eustachian tubes, he would have had them removed YEARS ago.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.J.

answers from Killeen on

well i don't know if this helps much but i got mine out at age 18 after having countless bouts of strep throat and tonsilitis. i took so much amoxicillan that i'm now allergic to it! but after i had the surgery (it's been 6 years now) i haven't had one case of strep or tonsilitis.
i don't think tonsils have anything to do with congestion though, that might be due to allergies. my hubby had his tonsils out when he was about 4 and he still is congested almost constantly due to allergies

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

W.C.

answers from Tyler on

Hi D.,
My son had this surgery when he was 4. We made a pallet of warm snuggly blankets on the floor in our room, so that we could comfort him when he woke up crying. It is hard, but they bounce right back! Be prepared for about 10- 12 days of pain (not 5-7). The pain killers are a relief, but my son refused them. We had to mix it into his soft foods and he still struggled with that. If she refuses the medicine, try mixing it with chocolate syrup, yogurt, or juice. Even if they get a little it is better than none. Take Care and good luck! W.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.F.

answers from Dallas on

My 2 yr old had his adenoids out just before New Year's. He was kind of groggy the day of the procedure, next day was perfectly normal, even hyper. The NEXT day he was very fussy. I wondered why he got so grumpy the second day after, and a friend confirmed that the same thing happened to her kid. Advil/Motrin helped though. Not sure how common that is, but the doc didn't mention it. He was back to normal the next day after that.
My son had one more round with a sinus infection soon after the procedure, then was pretty clear for several months. He has had a sinus infection since then, but it wasn't nearly as severe and (unlike the infections leading up to the adenoidectomy) responded to antibiotics.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

L.S.

answers from Dallas on

I remember popsicles feeling really really good when I had mine out. You might stock up on them.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.K.

answers from Houston on

D.,
My son had it done in March. He is developing so much better. He actually eats! He sleeps thru the night now that he can actually BREATH. Thank God for this type of surgery. Your daughter will be so much better off.

Good luck,
J.

C.R.

answers from Dallas on

D.,
I had mine removed too when I was about 8 years old. I was sick all the time and the doctor recommended that I have both my Adenoids and tonsils removed. It helped a whole lot.
I can remember feeling alot of pain when I woke up from surgery and a few days after surgery. They kept on giving me ice pops and stuff like that but I didn't want to swallow for a few days. I'm sure that they will give her some kind of pain medication to help her through it until things heal up. It's also probably done with lasers now and not a scalpel!
Best wishes and a quick recovery for you little girl.
C.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.B.

answers from Houston on

Hi,

My son had his tonsils removed about a month ago at age three. It was a very quick surgery, but it was the longest two weeks of recovery of my life. He was so hungry he wanted to eat everything he was not suppose to eat. He was also in a lot of pain and did not want to swallow his pain medicine because it hurt his throat. Not to scare you but it was all worth it. He does not snoar anymore and he is sleeping better. His behavior has also improved.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.S.

answers from College Station on

hi D.,
We are also going through this as well. My four year old will have her surgery the day before Thanksgiving. I will let you know how everything goes. But for the most part everyone has just been telling me to stock up on popciles and anything cold. And if you were not told yet nothing with caffeine or carbonation for two weeks after the surgery. The little bubbles can make the insistions(sp) irated. That was the advise given to me today form the ENT. But he said it very common procedure and not to worry.

For Updates and Special Promotions
Follow Us

Related Questions