During a perfunctory examination, the physician looked at the back of my throat and the insides of my ears. No blood pressure or temperature readings were taken. My physician did a thorough job of numbing the back of my throat with a spray and then an analgesic cream. He recommended that we begin with a 3% solution of alcohol rather than the usual procedure which requires an initial shot of 1% solution followed a few weeks later by a second shot of 3% solution.

The shot is extremely uncomfortable even with a local anesthetic. The shot only lasted a few seconds but one has to fight the gag reflex while being injected with what feels like a stinging hot needle. My sinuses became inflamed immediately. My physician said that the discomfort would continue from ten days to two weeks and scheduled a follow-up appointment for six weeks later.

On the ride home I experienced intermittent flashes of the taste of alcohol in the back of my throat. Until the anesthetic wore off the pain wasn't too bad however swallowing was very painful. One unexpected side-effect was the constant post-nasal drip and increasingly congested sinuses.

The first night it didn't seem like I slept at all but apparently I dozed off for about five minutes at a time. I seemed to awaken each time I started to breathe deeply - anything like snoring being painful enough to wake me up. I took one dose of the prescribed acetaminophen (Tylenol^®) with codeine. My wife reported that I snored but not as loudly.

Saturday:

Most of Saturday was a painful blur during which it hurt to swallow, talk, or move. However, I was able to go into the office and concentrate on my work. My voice sounded like a male version of Lily Tomlin's 'Edith Ann' character. I slept fitfully, awakening a few minutes at least once an hour or more. I took Nyquil ^® which did help reduce the congestion which was keeping me awake.

Sunday:

It still hurt to swallow, cough, or sneeze. A rasping sound accompanied any relaxed breathing, but sitting up straight helped this. My sinuses remain mostly blocked and I had to breathe through my mouth. Worried that I would go insane without a good night's sleep, I took another of the prescribed pain pills and slept for several hours at a time, waking up three or four times during the night.

Monday:

I was still tired from lack of sleep but much of the soreness in my throat was gone, reappearing briefly after meals. I still had to speak quietly to avoid irritating the back of my throat. My sinuses were still blocked about 50% but I could breathe almost normally. I slept for six hours straight - the longest uninterrupted sleep since taking the shot.

Tuesday:

The slight soreness in my throat remained, persistent but not that noticeable. When I awoke my sinuses were blocked again but I was able to clear them by blowing and most of the nasal congestion was gone within a few hours.

One Week:

Most of the time there was the sensation of a lump in my throat, especially when I swallowed. It was mildly uncomfortable and there was a persistent urge to clear my throat.

Two Weeks:

At this point my throat felt almost completely normal.

Conclusion

In my case Injection Snoreplasty appears to have been an effective and economical way to reduce the sound of my snoring. I believe it was much less painful than the current surgical techniques would have been. My snore is now about the level of a whisper.