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AIBU?

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Original poster

Anybody with a child that's had a tonsillectomy?

34 replies

Dreamingaboutdachshund · 25/12/2021 20:59

Hi ladies

I know it's in the wrong board but I'm posting for traffic!
My 3yr old DS had a tonsillectomy on the 21st however he still isn't eating much at all and it's starting to worry me however I'm not sure how 'normal' this is? Those of you with children who had a tonsillectomy, when did they start eating a decent amount?
I would say my DS is eating less than a quarter of his usual intake!

Thanks!

OP posts:
Bluntness100 · 25/12/2021 21:02

It takes about two weeks to get over this operation, every day will improve, but after four days he will still be in a lot of pain. Was this not explained to you? You’d not expect to see improvement till About ten days

What are you feeding him? It should be soft or Liquid foods, soup, mash, ice cream etc.

PaniniHead · 25/12/2021 21:03

Sounds normal. Are you keeping the pain meds topped up?

Pinkflipflop85 · 25/12/2021 21:04

Took at least a week.
Advice is actually not to rely on soft foods and to eat as normal.

MidSummersNightmare · 25/12/2021 21:05

Totally normal. I think you are probably at the worst stage so he’s probably feeling rubbish. My daughter had tonsils and adenoids removed age 3 and it was 10 days recovery.

ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 25/12/2021 21:06

DS2 was a similar age when he had his.
From memory it took at least a week or two. Offer easy to eat foods like rice pudding and yogurt as a top up.

In the longer term the difference it made to him was amazing. He went from pale, tired and always ill to a lively child. He was small for his age and he is now a tall, fit, sporty teenager.

Mynotsoperfectlittlefamily · 25/12/2021 21:06

My child had one last year, well with his adenoids and 4 teeth removed as the infections had spread to his jaw and cause
permanent damage.
It was several days before he ate anything and then very little for a few weeks due to the pain. Lots of toast and crisps and normal food that he would eat anyway, but less dairy than usual. With ice lollies for treats a couple times a day. If the pain is stopping them eating then you can get difflam spray if you haven't got it already

PaniniHead · 25/12/2021 21:07

My DD’s surgeon recommended toast to keep dead tissue from building up

Original poster
Dreamingaboutdachshund · 25/12/2021 21:08

Yes it was all explained to me however the surgeon did say to keep on top of pain relief (calpol/nurofen) and to give him oramorph 30mins prior to food which will help him eat normally. He didn't explain that it may be that he barely eats a thing (which I expected the first couple of days) 4 days in.

It's all soft foods and plenty of ice lollies. I know it's a brutal operation recovery wise, poor lad.

OP posts:
Original poster
Dreamingaboutdachshund · 25/12/2021 21:10

I'm hoping this is the start of something new for him. He's small for his age, pale, and tired from being constantly poorly and has sleep apneoa. I'm letting him what ever he fancies really, the surgeon said to stay away from anything sharp such as crisps but that is all really.

Thanks for all the responses

OP posts:
Original poster
Dreamingaboutdachshund · 25/12/2021 21:15

Pain wise he is on calpol, nurofen, oramorph (as and when he needs it) and difflam spray. He seems comfortable and is playing more and more so I'm glad this seems to be the normal! When I say its all soft foods I mean nothing sharp that could cut his throat.

OP posts:
LefttoherownDevizes · 25/12/2021 21:16

At least 10 days. Had a brief bit of respite at Ascot day 6/7 then dipped back down quite spectacularly. And set alarms to do meds overnight.

Difflam helped slightly, but was quite stressful getting DD to use it. Different temp liquids good, sometimes lukewarm squash was preferred over cold.

We also did tiny toast, a slice of toast literally cut into postage stamp sized pieces. She found opening her mouth wide painful too, but again we encouraged to feed her toast. Also found pouches of yogurt/fruit compote (cheap baby pouches) easiest to eat.

ohtsmeagain · 25/12/2021 21:17

I had the operation as an adult. It does make you feel pretty unwell for ten days or so. I think we forget that the kids could be feeling rotten with it plus if his throat is as sore as mine he won't want to eat much.

I wouldn't worry, I bet he will get his appetite back and then eat non stop in a couple of weeks....

Toddlerteaplease · 25/12/2021 21:17

Paediatric nurse on ENT ward here. They get worse before they get better. Keep up with regular analgesia. Day 3-4 is the worst. Had he got Oramorph?

TheVolturi · 25/12/2021 21:22

My ds had it done age 6. He hardly ate for a week. Randomly he could eat plain pringles but only a few here and there. After a week he was suddenly way better. Did they give you the throat spray?

Eileen101 · 25/12/2021 21:23

My boy was about 2.5 when had his tonsils and adenoids out, also for sleep apnea.
He pretty much lived on milk and Weetabix for about the first 4/5 days then went up to soft things like chilli / beans for a bit longer. Always with pain killers before meals.
Definitely keep on top of pain killers.
Everyone said 2 weeks would see him fully recovered - I didn't believe it myself, but it happened! He just stopped needing calpol and ate normally, like a switch had been flicked.
The op changed his life.

Original poster
Dreamingaboutdachshund · 25/12/2021 21:27

I'm glad it seems to be normal. I was told day 4/5 they tend to dip and then improve again so I'm prepared for that tomorrow. @ohtsmeagain i'm hoping he eats non stop after this as he is so tiny! He seems to be doing really well other than the eating so I guess I was starting to think he was over the worst of it.
@Toddlerteaplease He has been prescribed oramorph but 2 nurses on his ward were questioning why it was prescribed and said try not to use it unless absolutely necessary so I've been wary about giving him it.

OP posts:
mizu · 25/12/2021 21:29

DD had this op on her 5th birthday (she's 17 now) and I still remember it being a tough 2 weeks.

Yes, a few days in was quite bad and I remember a dip about 10 days in too.

Take it easy and just keep the meds up.

Landof · 25/12/2021 21:30

Do you mean the 21st of December? As in 4 days ago? Or November? If December then of course completely normal. I had tonsils out as a young child but old enough to remember. It was awful pain and eating took a while.

FortniteBoysMum · 25/12/2021 21:32

First week was a nightmare. My son could only drink using a bendy straw the wrong way up so it went to the back of his throat.

Toddlerteaplease · 25/12/2021 21:33

We always send all our tonsillectomy's home with it. It's fine to give it, if you've tried paracetamol and ibuprofen and he's still struggling.

NeverDropYourMooncup · 25/12/2021 21:36

I made the mistake of having my tonsils out on the 21st years ago. It was the worst Christmas ever and I didn't really want to speak, never mind eat or drink at all because of the pain - mind you, I didn't have the advantage of any pain relief, although something like Oramorph will probably also slow a return of appetite due to the effect upon the bowel - meaning he might feel fuller than usual from the little bits he has had.

If I remember rightly, over the next few days, I started coughing out the bits and then started feeling better so by New Year, I was pretty much back to normal. Except I could breathe better, wasn't snoring anymore and, weirdly, found out that I seemed to gain a rather adequate singing voice, having always sounded more like a strangled cat previously.

In short, it's pretty normal for him to be feeling rough now - the old stories about children being fine and not experiencing pain (FFS) post operatively are thankfully becoming anecdotes online - so just keep an eye on him to make sure his healing is going as planned, try to keep his fluids up and seek medical advice if you aren't happy or there is any fresh blood.

Original poster
Dreamingaboutdachshund · 25/12/2021 21:37

@TheVolturi throat spray was prescribed aswell. Pringles of all things is definitely weird haha.
@Eileen101 I'm hoping this changes his life. Not just infection and sleep apneoa wise but he struggles with speech and language and since his operation he has actually formed more sounds! Not sure if this is a coincidence or not as the SALT therapist wasn't aware of any link between permanent swollen tonsils and speech but I've always been sure it was a contributory factor as the sounds he struggles with are the sounds you make at the back of the mouth, which he managed today!

Sorry I can't reply to you all but I do appreciate the responses!

OP posts:
Loocheeyar · 25/12/2021 21:38

Can I please interrupt and ask what the reasons were for the Drs to refer for surgery - my son is always pale and tired and his tonsils are just huge and you can feel the lumps in his jaw underneath also . He’s very hyperactive and autistic , although fully verbal , he can’t stop moving even when he’s feeling ill and can refuse to take meds or tell us when he’s poorly bless him . I dont think any signs of infection though that I can tell

Hope your little one recovers fast x

Changingtheweather · 25/12/2021 21:40

Pain usually worst days 5 to 7 post op
Stuff that is soft but needs some chewing is often helpful
Oramorph first thing in the morning to get going is good

Grenlei · 25/12/2021 21:40

It's a very long time ago but I had my tonsils and adenoids out at 5. I barely ate or drank afterwards due to pain and was kept in hospital for a week because they were concerned. I can still remember being told that unless I tried a bit of each meal and drank a small cup of liquid they wouldn't let me go home, and being really reluctant to eat/ drink because it hurt. Straws were helpful, and just eating as and when rather than trying to eat full meals.

It made a massive difference to my health, I was constantly unwell prior to that, afterwards apart from getting glandular fever when I was 9 I rarely had so much as a cold for years.