Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

Original poster

To think pain doesn't have an expiry date?

22 replies

PigInMuck86 · 25/11/2016 21:22

7 days ago i had my tonsills removed and fuck me the pain has been awful. Codine just takes the edge off but knocks me out. GP said i was maxed out on pain meds. 7 fucking days of little sleep and barely any food. In bloody agony. And now people are asking if it really still hurts. I need help with childcare so i can take the miracle codine and just pass out and people just keep saying it can't still be this bad after 7 days. AIBU or just in a pain sleep deprived hangry fog?

OP posts:

Lilaclily · 25/11/2016 21:24

Oh gosh you poor thing

It's not infected is it, how long did the gp say the pain would last ?

123bananas · 25/11/2016 21:26

You poor thing

Dd2 was still using pain relief 10 days after her tonsillectomy. We had reduced it a little around day 7, but then the scab healing reached a new stage and she was in agony so had to increase it again. Luckily by day 12 the pain reduced again.

VivienneWestwoodsKnickers · 25/11/2016 21:32

I was the same as you, I'm sorry you're in so much pain. It was at least a week before I was in less pain, and two weeks before I could swallow more easily.

To help with pain control, are you waking up in the night to take tablets? Don't allow yourself to sleep through, because they will wear off and you'll have to start again every time from a position of no pain relief at all. If you can stay topped up, you'll find the pain is better controlled.

Tonsillectomy as an adult is heavily under estimated, and I would never put myself through it again.

You are totally reasonable.

Have you got enough support?

gleam · 25/11/2016 21:38

Maybe you need a different type of drug - go back to your GP?

Bluntness100 · 25/11/2016 21:39

Well to add to your woes, ,,,my daughter had hers out at fourteen following chronic tonsilitis from about the age of two, inc her being sent away from her first scheduled operation as they could not operate as they were so bad, she was sick as a dog after and kept in over night as they burst when they touched them and she swallowed the Gunge when they burst, and they had to be sent for autopsy,

Yup she was sore for a few days, and yes on medication, but sorry, not to your level, and she was according to the surgeon, Who was in his late fifties and very experienced, the worst case he'd ever seen,

So yeah, for me, if my teenage daughter can deal with it, your being unreasonable,,,you did ask.

User27689533 · 25/11/2016 21:41

I was in the same place 2 weeks ago... turns out I had an infection which resulted in haemorrhage. Maybe worth a trip to OOH GP tomorrow.

JellyBelli · 25/11/2016 21:41

I'd get them checked in case they are infected. I dont think they should be that painful after a week.

Clandestino · 25/11/2016 21:41

ice-cream - have you tried it?

Oldraver · 25/11/2016 21:44

Yes, the pain increased as mine got infected..do get them checked out.

I have to say though, even though the pain was horrendous once through it. it was so worthwhile.

Original poster

PigInMuck86 · 25/11/2016 22:23

Been to the GP all healing well. I am an utter wimp when it comes to pain. Codine helps but i cannot take it as it makes me sleepy and my 18 month old can't supervise herself sadly. I had lots of help for the first five days but people seem almost fed up now. Dd1 has a cub sleepover tonight and i text another cub mum whose son i have taken to every meeting and event and camp for the past year and she couldn't take dd1 . Thankfully my wonderful neighbour took her but still.

OP posts:

ollyollyoxenfree · 25/11/2016 22:29

If you are in pain then you are in pain! Not sure how other people can even comment really :/

Some people metabolise opiates very quickly and so don't get the same level of pain relief- why don't you ask your GP for a different type of painkiller?

MipMipMip · 25/11/2016 23:04

I was on morphine in the hospital with this! Mine weren't too bad until they got infected - if your health gets bad make sure you go back to the doc. When I had mine done I was told no going out of the house for three weeks, this was apparently standard (only a few years ago) so it is expected that you won't be able to do much for a while.

Hope you feel better soon

MipMipMip · 25/11/2016 23:06

*Breath not health although health applies too!

JellyBabiesSaveLives · 25/11/2016 23:17

People experience pain differently. Our brains don't all process it in the same way. You're not a wimp; if you're feeling pain you're feeling pain.

I can't do codeine either. Go ask your gp for tramadol instead. Awesome stuff.

snototterly · 26/11/2016 06:57

Bluntness- it's a well known fact that tonsillectomies are far more painful as an adult than as a child, so a comparison with your daughter is meaningless.

Original poster

PigInMuck86 · 26/11/2016 07:40

I have Aspergers so interpret pain differently as it is. I also tend to follow instructions to the letter and in the hospital told me to take the meds with food so i haven't been taking painkillers at night. Last night i took codine as soon as the baby was asleep but set an alarm every 4 hours and took pain meds. This morning i ate a whole bowl of cornflakes and the pain is down from a 7/8 to a 3/4 Fingers crossed if i can eat and sleep everything will improve. Thank you vivennewestwoodknickers.

OP posts:

GreatFuckability · 26/11/2016 07:54

I'm glad you're feeling better OP. I had my tonsils out as a child, and for context I had almost permanent tonsillitis which I would just get on with life with, went to school etc as it was normal to me. But I had 2 full weeks off school after the op as I was in agony. So yanbu.

exLtEveDallas · 26/11/2016 08:01

I had mine out at 18 and oh my God I couldn't believe the pain - made even worse by the young kids on the ward seeming fine within hours.

What worked for me was that throat numbing spray - chloraseptic? Followed by drinks as hot as I could stand them. It was a doc that suggested it because it would soak/burn off the wounds left behind in the throat.

I didn't have any strong meds simply because I cannot take them (do horrible things to my stomach) so lived on paracetamol and it didn't really touch the sides of the pain.

Feel better soon, I really sympathise.

BewtySkoolDropowt · 26/11/2016 08:05

Lolling at Bluntness.

I had an operation. I was back at work in a week with very few problems. My colleague had the same operation. She was off for three weeks, her experience was very different to mine. Does that mean I should have said 'if I can handle it, you should be back at work'.

Umm, that's not how people work...

YoHoHoandabottleofTequila · 26/11/2016 08:08

Always take pain relief overnight, for a week if not two. And make sure you eat and drink as you'll be at risk of getting an infection or a bleed. It's much worse for an adult for some reason.

ilovesprouts · 26/11/2016 08:22

I had my tonsils out at 30 the pain was horrible and I had to go back in as all my throats was infected.

Milkand2sugarsplease · 26/11/2016 08:29

DS 3 had his tonsils and adenoids out in summer and we were told to expect to need pain meds for the 2 weeks of his isolation. We were told it would peak between days 5-7 as the slough come away from his throats and it would improve steadily after that.
Day 5/6 was his worst - the slough tickled his throat which made him cough. The cough made him retch etc.

That being said - I don't think there's a rule book and there's no reason why those 'bad days' can't hit later. It's not nice but it does mean it's healing

Glad you're feeling a bit better now!! Hope it continues.

And yes - eating is key!! Keep going. And keep on top of your meds - make sure you have them when they're due, inc overnight!!

Flip