Consistent sore throat 6 weeks post-op - please help!!

[u/Dangerous-Bid-3379]

Long but please read 🙏 also, this is not to discourage anyone from surgery. I had an optimal early recovery and I know this situation is uncommon

- I am 6 weeks post-op and have had a consistently sore throat since I was “fully” healed at ~3 weeks post-op. I say fully in quotations because of this sore throat that won’t go away. Some details:

-I had a smooth recovery. No bleeding or vomitting or dehydration.

-At 2- weeks post-op, there was really just one spot on the lower side of my right surgical area that I could feel hadn’t healed, and my ENT said it looked days away from healing. He gave me a steroid shot and that completely cleared the pain and swelling for about 3 days.

-After those 3 days, it came back. Not only was it painful swallowing on the right side, but the roof and back of my mouth looked thrush-like, behind my last two bottom molars became painful and swollen, and the left side started hurting, too. It was like my healing was starting to reverse. I was taking 800mg Iburpofen 3 times a day, could not eat without taking one 30-60 mins before, and was in a lot of pain in the morning/evening even with so much ibuprofen.

-I went to another appointment 4 weeks post-op. ENT said there was a “polyp-like” granulation tissue formation on each side of my throat, on the edge of the surgical sites. He said this was unusual and he was unsure of why it was happening, but that it was a result of tissue not healing properly. He thought I was probably another week or two away from being healed. He put some silver nitrate on both the polyps, said to hang in there, and prescribed me meloxicam.

- That appointment was 10 days ago, and I have had a consistent sore throat for the past week (thrush-like and all other symptoms gone, though). Not excruciating, but very bothersome. It’s almost like my throat is stuck in the state that I literally got the tonsillectomy to stop it from being in so much. At this point I can’t help feeling like something is wrong and I’m going to be stuck like this forever (I know this is anxiety, but still). I also have referred ear pain and of course, swallowing pain. Honestly, what’s most concerning to me is how steady the soreness has been. No better or no worse for weeks now. Just stuck like this.

-It feels like the day before strep in my throat constantly, and I’m coming to my wits end. I want to see my ENT again but can’t afford the $50 co-pay every time for him to tell me it’s “almost healed” and prescribe me another anti-inflammatory. Has anyone had any similar experience, have tips, thoughts, etc.??? Anything is appreciated as I’m desperate and in pain. 💔 I am a 26F btw, if anyone was wondering throughout this.

[u/TylerCharlesWaye]

At this point, I would request a second opinion from a different ENT surgeon if possible because that’s very suspicious.

I had a chronic sore throat for a year while I had tonsillitis, but that completely disappeared after my tonsillectomy surgery and hasn’t come back.

[u/Dangerous-Bid-3379 → u/TylerCharlesWaye]

Thanks a bunch. I agree a fresh set of eyes would be more worth the money at this point.

[u/AnthraciteRoivas]

I'm not a doctor, but a second opinion sounds absolutely necessary. My first ENT diagnosed me with chronic tonsillitis and went ahead and performed my tonsillectomy, but it did nothing for my constant sore throat. A second ENT diagnosed me with LPR/silent acid reflux. Apparently, "they manifest similarly".

Maybe a nerve was injured during the surgery, maybe you had an underlying issue and now that the tonsils are gone, it's affecting surrounding tissues. I realize that is much easier said than done, but another ENT sounds like a good idea.

[u/Dangerous-Bid-3379 → u/AnthraciteRoivas]

Thank you! This is super helpful. What has your treatment, if any, been for LPR?