5 Natural Ways to Reduce Swelling After Jaw Surgery
Two and a half weeks post jaw surgery, and no more swelling!
After my upper jaw advancement surgery exactly 2.5 weeks ago, I wanted my facial swelling, crusty lips, and general mask-like appearance to go away as quickly as possible so I could see what I was really going to look like for the rest of my life. I had very little swelling for the first 60 hours after jaw surgery. I commended myself on all the bromelain I took in the weeks leading up to jaw surgery and thought I was in the clear.
But, on the fourth day, my swelling reached its ugly peak. On the fifth day, Dr. Li called me Richard Nixon. On the sixth day, still nothing had changed and so I resigned myself to the slow recovery process I’d heard about and feared.
But, magically, on the seventh day, my mask loosened, then crumbled. I could smile without pain, I could laugh without restraint. People stopped looking at me with pitying glances. And, for the first time, I looked in the mirror and saw the old me instead of the expressionless, taught dollface I’d been seeing for the past 7 days.
Now at 2.5 weeks, no one can believe I had surgery. While this irks me slightly because I’m still on my crappy restricted diet of mush and gruel, I’m just happy not to invite stares anymore, and even happier with how healthy and right my smile looks.
Here are 5 things I did to reduce my swelling after getting my skull sawed:
1. Follow a high-dose regimen of vitamins and supplements
Bromelain is a powerful enzyme that’s been approved by the German government as an effective anti-inflammatory for surgery, especially around the nose and sinus. It’s also known as a treatment for sports injury, digestion, and cancer.
Turmeric is recognized in traditional Indian Ayurveda and Western naturopathic medicine as a potent anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer agent. The International Journal of Cancer reported that its active ingredient, curcumin, killed cancerous growth in lab tests. I’ve also had Indian master yogis tell me it works wonders for flexibility and joint health. This results page has tons more info.
Quercetin is one of my favorite bioflavanoids because it’s an antihistamine. Since transitioni
ng to a healthy diet and lifestyle as an adult, my allergies have been much less severe than when I was a junk-food eating teenager. But, I still take quercetin to calm my occasional allergy symptons, which I did NOT want to experience after upper jaw and septum surgery. Luckily, it’s also known to be an anti-inflammatory and, like many anti-inflammatory treatments, an anti-cancer agent. (Chinese medicine and Western naturopathic medicine both link chronic, systemic inflammation to cancer, so the dual role of these treatments makes sense).
Vitamin C is, quite simply, one of the world’s greatest cure-alls. In fact, Michael Murray, the author of the Encylopedia of Natural Medicine, says it is THE cheapest anti-oxidant you can find on the market. What American doesn’t love bang for their buck? You’ll always find an extra-large bottle of high quality food-based Vitamin C in my cupboard.
2. Take lots of walks
Even if I was feeling tired, freakish-looking, and lazy, I forced myself to take a shower, put on normal clothes and take a 30 minute walk every single day. Dr. Li said that walking helps with lymph drainage after surgery, and that patients should start going for short walks the day after surgery - I take his word for it. I noticed that my swelling was usually at its daily peak in the morning, after a night of being immobile and horizontal. My swelling was at its most minimal after my walk. It’s also important to leave the couch and accompanying furry friends, if you have them, and get out to breathe and exercise.
3. Ice like you just ran a marathon
I ran a marathon in 2003, one of the hardest and most rewarding accomplishments of my life. After the race, I took an ice bath, as recommended by some huge runner’s bible I’d bought. Though it was excruciating, I had no absolutely no muscle soreness after the marathon and was ready to run again in only a few days. After jaw surgery, I iced for 30 minute increments, off and on all day long, for the first 3 to 4 days. I often noticed an immediate swelling reduction after icing, so I know it paid off.
4. Stay very well hydrated
Water can help to flush out excess bloating and swelling. It can be tough to drink anything when you’re dealing with jaw surgery, but it’s critically important and well worth the extra work.
5. Try Traumeel and arnica
Traumeel is an arnica cream that’s a fantastic recovery aid for any type of injury or trauma, as the name suggests. I applied Traumeel to my face several times a day, for the first 7 days after jaw surgery. Traumeel cream, and arnica in pill form, addresses the swelling and also bruising. Bruising is common with jaw surgery, but I had absolutely NONE.
Is it worth it to take extra measures to reduce swelling and pain faster? I think so. I read somewhere on the Web that the swelling can sometimes take 4 months to go away. 4 months!! I remember thinking, hell no, that’s not gonna be me. And it wasn’t!
Thanks for this post, Susan and you now have me googling like a mad woman
I find the herbal options for anti-inflamatories particularly interesting given I’m allergic to all NSAIDS (ibuprophen, aspirin and any versions of the same) and am always on the lookout for alternative options.
…and like anyone’s going to argue that your results aren’t absolutely amazing
okay, you’re just showing off now… your latest photo looks like… a head shot! hahahaha
Well, I’m going to have to start using some of your techniques because my face is still quite balloonish. Better late than never!
Holly - My secret is that I have a photographer as a boyfriend, and he can’t let an ugly picture go public. I guess that’s a good thing if I ever decide to be a Hollywood star or politician!
Kate - In some ways, it’s your fortune to be allergic to NSAIDS. They’re not so great for you anyway, even if they do relieve pain or swelling, because then your body just has to deal with the drugs instead of the pain and swelling!
The turmeric / bromelain combo has been incredible - and I’ve talked to others who use it for chronically inflamed muscles and joints with great success. The trick is to take a HUGE dose (like, 4X) - it won’t hurt you, and you’ll need it if you just had major trauma like jaw surgery.
Hey Susan,
Just got home from the health food store and now I have these turneric/bromelain pills and I have no idea how many to take…
each capsule contains 300mg turmeric, 150 mg bromelain… the bottle says I should take 1-2 at mealtime… what do you think Dr. Su? =)
Hi Holly -
So, I think if you take them at mealtime, the bromelain’s main action will be on the food you eat (namely, to help you digest it, because bromelain is a strong digestive enzyme). They prob. wrote that on the package because they thought most people would be taking the supplement to help their digestion.
Not us jaw folk!
Both the Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine and the Encyclopedia of Nutritional Supplements (two books written by one of the founders of Bastyr University - the most well-known naturopathic training institute in the U.S.) say that you should take turmeric and bromelain BETWEEN MEALS.
I think you got the same pills as me. Mine are at least the same dosage (just double checked my bottle). I was taking 12 of them a day for the first 7 to 10 days, between meals as much as possible, but I’m a snacker so it was not exact.
By the book, the suggestion is to take 250 - 750 mg TWICE DAILY between meals. Since I love overdoing things, I went with the max - meaning 1000 to 1500 a day. I didn’t experience any problems with that level.
PS - Both references also say that curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, was “as effective as cortisone or the potent anti-inflammatory drug phenylbutazone in animal studies…without toxicity…or side effects” and “has also demonstrated beneficial effects in human studies.”
Try it for four days or a week and let me know how it goes! Maybe you’ll be extra flexible as a bonus
Thanks Susan!
I will make sure to take them between meals… I will let you know how it goes. =)
Thank you so much for posting this! I just had upper and lower jaw surgery on December 10, and I’ve been swollen for almost three weeks. I was so fed up with looking like a cartoon, and so happy when I found your site! I just bought Bromelain, Turmeric, and Quercetin, and took the dosage you said that you took, and within an hour, my facial swelling was going down!
Thanks so much!!!
I definitely agree that these three together help reduce swelling, and I am so happy to be looking like a normal-ish person again.
Would just like to say, congrats on your op etc, looks brilliant! & also, thanks for all these posts! I’ve not started any of this yet, having a brace soon I think - not looking forward to it! So, what was the worst part of the whole thing??
Thanks so much for taking the time to share your experience and excellent recommendations with us all Susan.
I’m 3 1/2 weeks post-surgery (upper and lower) and am getting ready to try the Bromelin and Tumeric but one question- how did you get these pills down. I still can’t open my mouth enough to pop pills in so was thinking of grinding them up and adding them to smoothies, etc…
Do you have any advice? Thanks!!
Hi! Its me again lol i have a question im taking this antibiotic called ic clindamycin hcl 300 mg capsgre it has a light capsle with the medicine inside and since im wired shut i have to open the casple and mix the powder in some water and drink it bt the stuff taste so bad tht i almost vommited twice and i dnt want to risk cuttin my wires off. So i was wondering am i able to take it anally instead of orally
I was all excited to get all the products you mention here and then I saw this on another blog:
There was a lot of pre-op info as well, such as to stop taking all vitamin and herbal formulations 14 days pre-op, as well as aspirin, ibuprofen, Celebrex, vitamin E, and vitamin K. There was a long list of herbal/homeopathic preparations that are known to increase the risk of bleeding, including arnica flower, bromelain, onion and garlic. Interesting. I will save arnica and bromelain for post-op but clear with my OS when I can start taking it. I have to start taking an over-the-counter iron supplement one month before surgery.
Hi Susan. I just had jaw surgery that required removing a whole section of my lower left jaw. The swelling is horrendous (the surgery was over at about 11:00 AM yesterday; it is now almost 10:00 PM). I make John McCain look normal. Anyway, I purchased the 3 supplements that you recommended, only Whole Foods didn’t have them in the same combination that you got. How much of each pill do you think I should take? I got turmeric in 300 mg by itself and quercetin 500 mg/bromelain 150 mg together. I weigh about 91 lbs. Thanks!
Hi Sarah,
According to my Encyclopedia of Natural Supplements (mentioned in another post also, you can try a search on this site), up to 1500 to 2000 mg of quercetin and bromelain (separately) is no problem.
You know, the thing is that there’s no harm in going a little extra - this is not vitamin A we’re talking about, or prescription drugs, or even over-the-counter meds. I would not be afraid to take 1500 mg of each of those, and if your quercetin and bromelain are combined in that 2:1 ratio, I’d aim for 2000 of quercetin, with the corresponding amount of bromelain.
You might also consider ordering some bromelain separately from Amazon.com - I found that supplements on Amazon are way cheaper than at Whole Foods, they’ll usually arrive in less than a week, and they have a huge selection.
Just think, you can let time improve your jowly look whereas good ole’ Johnny Mac has to deal with his for the rest of his life!
All my best to you!
Susan
Thanks for the quick reply, Susan! I just took 2 of the bromelain/quercetin pills. I will take another dose of the same size one more time today. I’m still not sure how many of the 300 mg turmeric pills to take, though, so I just took one so far this morning. How many do you think I should take?
Hi Sarah,
I had 300 mg doses of turmeric too, and I took 6 of those a day.
It really helped the swelling, and also kept my joints limber as I sat around the house doing nothing all day long.
Turmeric is extremely mild… just ask any Indian person who eats it in cuisine several times a day!
It’s great for your joints, and is taken therapeutically to heal stiffness and increase flexibility.
Good luck!
Susan
Thanks again, Susan! I just had breakfast, so I’ll take the supplements in an hour or so to try to maximize their effect.
[...] comparison, remember this photo of me from 3 weeks after jaw surgery? Three Weeks After Jaw [...]
It happen to me last 2 week after a deadly car accident. I had surgery on my nose and my jaw! Now is half week after the surgery. My face is like a big bump balloon. so fat and ugly. Thanks for this great tip it really helps. But I wanted to know which supplement should I take? You list few of them but i dont know which one to choose. I’m taking vitamin c right now too. Thanks!
I find this site very useful. Thanks Su. My name is Faith and I just had partial left mandibulectomy and partial right maxillectomy, which had to be done to excise benign tumors that were agressively growing.
I am glad that I did not encounter any pre-op or post-op complications (knock on wood - I am on now on my 8th day post-op), and all I have is this crazy, yes, mask-like face and swollen face. My lips are so dry that they are peeling - of course, anything put on it makes it worst and makes the skin go off. I have a metal palate plate in place as well as titanium metals in replacement of tossed out jaw parts… I can swallow pills now (Thank God!) Anyway, I’m glad I saw your site - I will try the supplements starting tomorrow.
Once again, thanks for this and I also will put up a website soon to help other people with their jaw surgeries. I will keep in touch and let you know about my swelling problems…. using your advice.
Thanks.
Faith
How is everyone getting pills down? I just got my surgery (upper and lower) on Thursday and am banded tight in the front, so opening my mouth is near impossible. Any tips would be great!
Hello Susan!
I’m very happy to find out your blog.
It is very positive and useful!
My name’s Nuno and I’m from Portugal, a small European country in the southwest. I’ll just beginning to orthodontics treatment and I’ve a class III maloccusion.
You are great and you’ll be my example!
Many thanks
Nuno
Hi Susan, been really inspired by your blog, so much so, it have decided to create one too. Thanks for all the advise, i am having my operation next Sat, which is manidbular advancement of about 8mm, and maxilla impaction of about 3mm, i have purchased the traumeel, bromlain and arnica! So shall def give it a go and hope it works, esp as i am getting married in 10 weeks post surgery… Fingers Crossed it all works!!
how soon after surgery can you start this and does it conflict with antibiotics and codeine and tylenol?
hi everyone
any tips to help the feeling come back as quick as possible? thanks!! xxxxxx
i had jaw surgery on monday :(i had my lower jaw moved bk 6mm and my upper moved forward 4mm, and im puffed up like a upside down hammer head shark!i cnt swollow any pills at the moment so any other tips to reduce the swelling? im goign to try the walking one, but im only 21 so as vain as it sounds i really want it to go down asap! also im completly numb up to my eyes
Hi susan… my daughter had upper n lower jaw surgery abt 8 days ago. She is feeling miserable and teary suddenly and says that she has tingling sensations running up her face. It upsets her and she keeps twitching her lips. Also the bleeding from one of her nostril has not stopped. I am going to get her some of the supplements you recommended for her swelling but meantime any advice for her?
I’m sorry to hear your daughter is having a tough time! If there’s continual bleeding, please check with your surgeon. Otherwise, I found that the regular, short walks and the water was also very helpful toward clearing out swelling and addressing psychological misery (especially getting out of the house!).
Let me know how it goes.
Susan
Victoria: I am currently banded to the limit after my double jaw surgery 6days ago! I had the very same problem on day one, you should be able to find a gap somewhere along your teeth where you can wriggle your medication in! Thats also how I’m eating at the moment, straw stuck in the little gap and slowly inhale my dinner!! Best of luck with it all!!
Ciara x
Hi Susan! I just stumbled across your site - it’s great! Thanks for all the tips! I am having my surgery on Dec. 16. ‘09 and getting really nervous about it (3-piece Le Fort I, sagittal split osteo, and maybe geno). I suppose to do it in NJ, USA but due to insurance issues I am doing in my home country (Croatia)…. Anyway, I heard about bromelain/quercetin/arnica and I am very happy to hear it worked so well for you! I will follow your tips on bigger doze
Thanks for all the info
Hi my name is margie and I just got lower and upper jaw surgery done last Tuesday. Yeah…greaat holidays, huh? But anyhow, I’m going to the health and food store to try out the products you mentioned. Wish me luck.
Question: I just got all of these supplements today (crossing my fingers!) and I was wondering how far apart I should take them, or if I take them together without losing the qualities. For example, the turmeric and bromelain can be taken as one pill 3-4 times a day (each) can I take one of the tur. and bro. at the same time? or should i separate them?
Hi Susan! I had upper and lower jaw surgery to correct misalignment on Dec 9, 2009. At 5 weeks, I’m very unsatisfied with my current look. I’m still swollen, and my nose has gotten wider and flatter. Did you still experience nose widening a month post surgery? I took the herbal meds as you suggested-bromelain, tumeric and quercetin for about a week. Not much has changed! I’m hoping to have your magical result, as I’m Asian as well. My swelling wasn’t too terrible to begin with, now it just won’t go down any further. Sorry I guess I’m just here to vent. But one week away from eating solid food! Woohoo!
Hi Susan,
I had my jaw surgery 7 months ago, but in November I had to go in to take the plate out on my left side due to an infection. It’s been a little over 2 months now and I’m still swollen. Thinking about taking some of the supplements you recommended, but not sure if it’ll do any good since it’s been over 2 months since my second surgery??? Help!
Ali,
Don’t worry about your nose, it’ll go back to normal after the swelling goes away. My nose was wide, flat, and piggish looking for 3 months. It’s back to normal now.
Hi Susan,
Like most of the people posting on your blog, I had the upper and lower jaw realigned and is dealing with the swell. However, it is the beginning of the 8th week post op for me and although most of the swelling went away, i notice the left side of my face, right under my cheek bone is still swollen and it is rather noticeable when i smile and what makes it even worst is it is only the LEFT side. I am just writing because i was wondering if you ever experience any one sided swell or any of the people that posted here experience any of it. My doctor told me it takes a while, in cases of plastic surgery, the surgeon suggest 9 months for the swelling to go down, but this is not plastic surgery. Anyway, thanks for your help and you look great.
ibuprofen is definitely the best OTC painkiller for me. It helps me a lot to deal with my muscular pain..;:
My son is 2 days post upper and jaw surgery - swelling not too bad but he has been told today that he needs another surgery next Tuesday, as bite isn’t quite right. Apparently it was ok just post op but a few hours later surgeon sd. not quite right. Has anyone else had this problem post op. I am very concerned.
Sam,
I fear that I too will have to be getting a second surgery. My bite was fine after surgery but now, a week later, my lower jaw has inched itself back a little. I’m very unhappy everything.
Also, can anyone feel the screws and plates? Is it normal to feel them? When I touch the sides of my cheek or under my jaw, I can feel the plates in place primarily because they’re bulging out of place! They make me look extra swollen. Is this normal?
Yikes, no, you should not be able to feel your screws and plates!
Please communicate directly and plainly with your surgeon and orthodontist as soon as you can, and best wishes to you!
Susan
Susan, thank you so much for sharing this valuable information with everyone. I may have missed this, but can you explain what you did to prepare for surgery as far as supplements and nutrition? Also, do you know of any natural remedies to prevent and get rid of scar tissue? Thank you again!
Susan: Thanks for the helpful tips on supplements for jaw swelling! My 15 yr. old daughter just had her 2nd jaw surgery yesterday. The previous one was 10 weeks ago, when they installed a titanium distractor device, which we used to extend her upper jaw 13 cm. The results are simply amazing.
But, this 2nd operation (to remove a portion of the titanium distractor device) was in some ways worse than the first - perhaps because it came during the first week of school! Or perhaps because it’s the 2nd round of surgery, pain, swelling, recovery. Anyway, her face is heavily swollen today on day two of recovery, so we were lucky to find your blog on Google.
The really great part is that I work for a supplements company, and we sell a product that contains 3 of the ingredients you mentioned (i.e. Vitamin C, Bromelain and Quercetin). The product is called “Aller-DMG”. We also sell another product called “Phenocane” that contains Curcumin (turmeric) and other natural ingredients for pain/inflammation.
Ironically, I would not have thought of using these products for her jaw swelling without your help - so thanks much, as the ice packs weren’t doing the trick today, and her face was swelling up like a small pumpkin.
At least, her surgery is over and done, she looks fabulous. and the boys are now flirting with her now, for the first time really.
You can read about Aller-DMG here: http://www.vivagen.net/vitamins.htm#AllerDMG
..and Phenocane is found here: http://www.vivagen.net/newprods.htm#Phenocane
THANKS AGAIN!
Susan:
My son is going to start his senior year in high school next week. He had his upper and lower jaw advancement surgery a month ago today. He is getting depressed because he is still swollen. His swelling has gone done much from the surgery but seemed to have stalled. He is asked by some if he had his wisdom teetch taken out. How long before he should be at least 90% back to normal as far as the swelling?
At this point, what kinds of foods were you eating? He gets his upper splint out next week and we are hoping that helps with the drooling and eating issues.
Thank you.
Hi susan
thanks for recommendation. i have jaw surgery 1months ago and still i have swelling. i will try these ways and hope to decrease them.