My 4 Year Old and Pain Control After Surgery

My son had this done at 3 1/2. We rotated Motrin and Tyelonl as well and that seemed to help. Hubby and I were each responsible for one - I had motrin, he had the tyelnol. That way one we didn't over medicate him. Also - when there were times that didn't seem enough, we were given some medicated lollipops. He would suck on them for 30-40 seconds and it would numb on contact. It was rough...as I got the stomach flu and my husband was at work...my mom had to take care of him - and wondered why he was so bad at her house...she withheld meds and gave him orange juice for breakfast...

Have you considered trying homeopathic remedies? Our family, as well as many of my coworkers & friends, have sworn by homeopathic teething tablets. One brand we've used is hyland's (no affiliation with them, just like using them), and they do have other types of remedies for other uses (earaches, bumps/bruises, colds, etc). These are safe to use in conjunction with what your MD has also prescribed, and the particular brand I've mentioned can be found both at health food stores as well as your grocery/pharmacy chain.

In the meantime, lots of cuddles can also help with the pain from surgery.

HTH.

My son (who is 4) has his tonsils and adnoids out last summer. It did seem to take a long time (maybe even 10 days) for him to finally start feeling better.

If he's sleeping, I wouldn't wake him. The night is actually the worst time because they aren't swallowing, so his throat is very dry and dry throat = pain, at this point. So, if he's sleeping through it, let him sleep and I'd only give him the meds if he wakes up.

Things we did was to give regular tylenol during the day and then the hard stuff (we had codeine) right before bed and then again if he woke up.

Things that you can do during the day is to keep him hydrated (more than usual). Keep that throat wet. Also, he can chew as much gum as his little heart wants (gum was HUGE for us, and maybe the best advice we got with the whole experience) - another good way to keep everything wet. Cold drinks will help numb things as well.

I know the first few days are awful, but it will get better.
B.

why would you wake him up from sleeping to give him meds. He must be doing ok seeing that he is fast asleep.

J.

My son who is now 7 had his tonsils and adnoids taken out also at the same time had tubes put in his ears and they did what we call a rotor rooter on his sinuses last year. They gave him some pain killers and he needed then for the 1st. day. He was ok the second day. I would suggest calling the doc. because the pain meds. aren't working and after a certain time he should be feeling better and if he isn't there may be an underlying condition that isn't helping him heal correctly. good luck! please let me know how u do. D.

My daughter has that done last year when she was 7. She seemed to get better after about 7-8 days. I know how hard it is to see him go through this but it does get better soon. I would call the doctor and see if you can give him something with the Loratab. Or maybe even the pharmacy since it;s the weekend. Good luck, I will be thinking of you this week.

I wouldn't wake him. If he screams for an hour he's sore and he's making it worse by screaming. Wait until he wakes up on his own. He will probably just whimper and then you give him the meds and he's fine. He will get uninterrupted sleep which he needs to heal and so will you. I would even try a cup of cold water or a little bite of popsicle with the meds to sooth the throat. That might keep him from screaming. Never heard of a little one with that much pain...has he been to a follow-up. Every little person I've known is a little sore but eating and drinking well within a day or two. I could be wrong but maybe he needs a followup....And maybe he's crying because you are waking him up. He might be reacting to you as well. Do you treat him like a big boy? Are you over babying him? Try pumping him up and making him feel a little tough and see what happens.

Hi! Ahh poor little guy. I just had my tonsils out about a month ago. Days 5-10 were definately the worst! I hate taking meds, so I stuck to the motrin every 6 hours the whole time with the exception of 3 days I used the "good stuff" at night. I'm glad to hear he's eating. Is he drinking? I found that warm foods and drinks worked best at this time. Drinking lots of water was key! The day I didn't drink much, I got increasingly miserable, so I sat up sy 2 AM and forced myself to drink a huge mug of warm/hot water. Anything cold made my throat scream, room temp for that matter was rough. Mac and cheese was AWESOME for me. Follow the post-op instructions and help distract him with lots of TLC, play games, read stories and so on. At night I used a warm vaporizor! Keeping the air moist really helped too! Warm and steamy bath may help. If he has any drainage down his throat I thought the phlem sticks in your throat and tugs and pinches if you are dry on the scabs. Try to keep the air moist. Best Wishes. I hope he feels better soon! if it's at all encouraging, I was feeling better and was back to work on day 11. I was still more tired than usual and still sore for about a week after that.

Hi!
I am a therapist specializing in empathetic touch connection (especially between parents and children). Here is a suggestion that works and all you need to do is what you have already have done,just take out the worry piece. Hold your little one in your arms and place his head on your chest(heart area).If he's not touchy feely, just visualize it. Visually send love to his pain. Even if you're skeptical it will make a difference. I have observed this thousands of times.
Blessings,
S.

Hello...My son who will be 6 this week had his tonsils taken out when he was 3....after the surgery he did real good so they let us go home...then after the 2nd day of being home we where back in the hospital because he refused everything..even frozen pops(which he was taking just fine after the surgery in the hospital). Nothing I did for him or gave him eased the pain. I know it is so hard when your children are in pain. The one thing I would try that eased my sons pain just alittle bit was a warm wash cloth over his throat....try that and see how it goes....I know what you are going through...Good Luck

My son had the same surgery last year. He was out of school for 2 to 2.5 weeks feeling about 90% after 2 weeks and was 100% recovered after 3 weeks. The first 2 weeks were mixed with quiet times cuddling and him screaming out in pain. It was a long hard road to recovery, and the Drs. kept saying that his recovery was longer than usual but not unheard of. But the upside is that it was the best thing we ever did in terms of relief of the symptoms he had prior to the surgery. He used to have a hacking cough like an old man every time he got a cold, and he got a lot of colds. Since the surgery, he doesn't cough anymore and is rarely sick. He is also sleeping much better. The recovery was hard but the benefits for us far outweighed the 2-3 weeks of hell we went through (and we couldn't get him to take the prescription pain killer so we had to rely on tylenol!) Hang in there - it is for the best, it does get better, and it is unlikely at 4 that he will remember it. My son has already forgotten! I hope this helps.

I have had 6 surgeries, including this procedure done. All of them were done between ages 3 and 16. I was in 3rd grade when I had this done and to this day, it was the single most painful thing I've gone through. It was a totally miserable experience so I can really emphathize with him, poor guy. I agree that I wouldn't wake him because it takes a lot to get to sleep in the first place when you're in pain like that. It's one of those storms that both of you have to ride out. Cold feels better than warm with something like this so lots of popsicles, ice and icecream and maybe some chicken broth for a little more sustenance. All in all, let him sleep all he can, this is when the body heals itself and of course a lot of TLC.

If you don't NEED to wake him during the night, don't! That's my suggestion. Unless the doctor has told you to do so, I would try letting him get his sleep and give him the meds he needs when he wakes up. It can take about 10 days or so until he starts to feel better, it's not a fun thing for these poor kids to go through. Let him cuddle with you...that makes little ones feel so much better! So, let him cuddle with you on the couch and watch a favorite program or movie, or read to him. Also try to distract him with favorite things he likes to do, like color or make brownies with you or play doh. Or have him help you make his favorite pudding flavor to eat later after dinner (jello is fun, but you're dealing w/ boiling water so be cautious if he helps).

Otherwise, definately call the pediatrician and/or surgeon if you feel your child is in more pain than you think he should be in. Ask more specific questions about the timeframe for a full recovery you could be looking at.

GOOD LUCK and I hope he feels better soon!

I had my tonsils out when i was almost 30. I iced my throat for days because it helped. Make sure he is drinking enough liquids,it is the most important thing to keep his throat moist. If you don't it hurts worse. Lots of popsicles too.The entire 10 days were the same for me and i felt like it would never end ,then on the tenth day I "turned the corner" and each day after I got so much better and quickly. The hard part is the discomfort and monotony of it all . If you keep him entertained and have a change of scenery even room to room it will help. Don't forget the liquids:)

My friends 4 yr old son had this done Friday. He was in a ton of pain as well. Not only is she an OB nurse, but she also called her Dr. to confirm that this was ok, but she gives him motrin and Tylenol 3 at alternating time, so every 3 hours he is getting some medication. He is feeling MUCH better. I also was on this medication cycle after my c-section in December and it helped tremendously! Motrin ROCKS! Call your ped and see if that is ok! Good luck and hopes for a speedy recovery!

It gets better. Just make sure he is drinking as many fluids as he can (our doc said 6 oz every hour) and keep him hopped up on the meds. Our experience was around 7 days he was back to normal. The tonsil/adenoid surgery was my son's 8th surgery altogether... this one by far was the easiest. Hang in there, he'll be fine. Do some special things for him throughout the day, watch his favorite movies, color with him, start reading a book together. Anything to take his mind off the pain is good. If you allow video games, go to the library and rent a new one for him to master during this time, too. Good luck!