Serious sore throat from intubation?

[Jerald180 22]

Since my bypass surgery Friday I have had an intense sore throat. May be swollen even. Hard and painful to swallow and very dry, very horse but that is subsiding. When does this Improve? Actually my throat is more painful and tough to deal with than the urgency itself and aftermath. Serious thick phlegm too…. Anyth8ng to relieve this pain and irritation?

[Sleeve_Me_Alone 654]

I had a good bit of irritation and discomfort for probably the first week. Warm tea and lots of rest seemed to do the trick.

[Starwarsandcupcakes 1,892]

Yeah, mine was pretty bad for about a week or so. They hit my uvula going down so it was swollen and irritated. See if they’ll let you have some throat spray or a cough drop.

[Fl_Dad 38]

I had the same issue. I think it was 3 to 5 days before it passed. As mentioned, I drank hot tea as well. Lemon ginger was suggested for possible nausea issues and breaking up the phlegm so I used that. I hope you get relief soon and congratulations on your surgery!

[Tomo 1,135]

Oh yeah, the only side effect I truly felt after my RNY was a sore throat. After a couple of days, it subsided.

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[OutdoorsGirl 92]

I had it too. It lasted about a week.

[ShannonCorbin 11]

I had foot surgery in Feb and it was really bad. I’m hoping to have a more skilled anesthesiologist this time! (Surgery in 3 weeks)

[Dave In Houston 199]

I'm a singer, and I tell them I am. I always ask for the smallest possible tube. I think they remember and try to be gentle.

Recovery from intubation depends on the skill of the anesthesia doc and the duration of the surgery.

[OutdoorsGirl 92]

10 hours ago, ShannonCorbin said:

I had foot surgery in Feb and it was really bad. I’m hoping to have a more skilled anesthesiologist this time! (Surgery in 3 weeks)

It was not a good way to wake up. This was my first time being all the way under. Now I know what to expect. Be sure to let them know what happened and they can probably make adjustments for this surgery. I’m sure this time will be better.

[OutdoorsGirl 92]

7 hours ago, Dave In Houston said:

I'm a singer, and I tell them I am. I always ask for the smallest possible tube. I think they remember and try to be gentle.

Recovery from intubation depends on the skill of the anesthesia doc and the duration of the surgery.

I wish I knew this before. My heart started racing and I think they may have woke me up faster than usual. Or maybe the trauma from waking up with a tube in my throat caused my heart problem.

[lizonaplane 1,604]

7 hours ago, Dave In Houston said:

I'm a singer, and I tell them I am. I always ask for the smallest possible tube. I think they remember and try to be gentle.

Recovery from intubation depends on the skill of the anesthesia doc and the duration of the surgery.

My voice teacher (I'm not a professional singer, but I enjoy taking lessons) told me to ask for a child's tube, but the surgery team said they use a small tube all the time. I had a sore throat only when I first woke up.

[Dave In Houston 199]

1 hour ago, lizonaplane said:

My voice teacher (I'm not a professional singer, but I enjoy taking lessons) told me to ask for a child's tube, but the surgery team said they use a small tube all the time. I had a sore throat only when I first woke up.

For the record, I'm not a professional singer either. But I'm a very enthusiastic amateur. I sing in a couple of men's quartets.

[Misnomer 21]

Thank you for starting this thread, @Jerald180!

At first I thought maybe my Protein Shakes were too "thick" and causing the phlegm and coughing, but between this thread and some research I now realize it's the intubation (I had RNY on Monday). No one warned me about this particular side effect! But it seems that coughing is better than not coughing, because it means I'm getting crap out of my lungs. And I've spent all day suddenly blowing my nose as though I have a bad cold, which I'm hoping is also a good thing (= things are loosening up/moving out). Hoping to only have this issue for another 2-3 days.

I'm also a singer, and I wish the anesthesiology team had asked me about/mentioned these things in pre-op! I have a small gig in two months (followed by a major gig a month later), and I just can't imagine trying to sing right now. I hope I'll be up for starting to prepare in another week or two.

[elp93 26]

They could have used a intubation tube that was a little too big for your throat which could cause soreness or edema in your airway. If you feel like it’s getting harder to breathe or swallow go to the ER :) I also got phlegm. It’s a normal side effect of sedation

[Jue 73]

I did too but after a couple of days it had gone mind you I was in hospital for four days wasnt impressed when I got told I couldn't go home my sats kept dropping so at least they looked after me , hope you feel better in a couple of days