Hysteroscopy

[BadActors]

Hello.

On Monday, I was given an appointment for a scan at my local hospital (this Friday). I was called today and given an additional appointment with a consultant directly after my scan.
They said the consultant may decide to perform a hysteroscopy dependent on scan results. I keep reading that this can be very painful and I’m starting to panic.
I saw my GP last week who tried to do an internal exam but it was too painful and she had to stop- this is adding to my worries!

Has anyone had one? Is there anything you’d suggest to make it easier?

thanks

I had one recently for suspected womb cancer, under general but as a day patient. I felt absolutely fine afterwards and discharged myself.

Can you ask for sedation OP?

Ask to have it under a general anaesthetic. They're pretty grim.

This.

Just say you’ll only have it done under a general or a spinal. I had mine done under a spinal. It was fine like that.

Have had one under GA - absolutely no problem, and two with just local anaesthetic. In my area, you will wait longer for a GA, so it might depend on how long you want to wait. At my hospital, they said about 10% of women can't tolerate them without GA - you can stop at any point during the procedure. It doesn't take that long (ime) but it is painful, there's no getting round this. If they offer sedation, I would take this.

Had a couple. As advised in leaflet, took paracetamol and ibuprofen an hour before each. Nothing more than pressure and discomfort for a short while, even when they removed polyps. Right as rain an hour or so later.

Hi @BadActors . I'm sorry you're having issues that need this, but try not to worry. There are several threads on here about hysteroscopies and you will read very different opinions as to how painful (or not) it is. I have had 4 of them, and honestly, they have all been ok. Obviously it's not exactly a pleasurable experience, but each time I've felt extremely well looked after and it has been uncomfortable but not painful. I've had polyps cut out, a cyst drained and biopsies taken as part of the procedure, and any pain has been extremely fleeting - just a twinge when they have been actually scraping samples etc. Some of my smear tests have been worse.

I took painkillers beforehand and was offered a local anaesthetic gel each time, which I accepted. Twice I drove myself home afterwards, twice I was picked up but only because they had warned me that they might have to do more while they were fiddling about in there! Each time I took it as a good excuse to spend the afternoon relaxing with a cuppa and a book, but actually only really needed this after one of them. Good luck with it.

To make it easier I'd ask for a general
good luck

Thanks, everyone. Appreciate the info.

I had one 3 weeks ago with just ibuprofen taken beforehand.
It was fine, just felt pressure like a bad period pain and a bit of cramping for a couple of hours after. I didn't have any polyps or fibroids and nothing sinister either.

I would definitely read a few of the Hysteroscopy threads on here OP

Women have very different experiences and can depend on so many things - position and direction of cervix, pain tolerance, previous births, medical issues...

Mine was horrendous, the worst pain I have ever experienced, and I would never have another without a spinal or GA

It's a postcode lottery as to what they do as standard. If I was in 3 neighbouring counties they would never have done it without anaesthetic. As it was, I got a local part way through - was far too late and didn't reach the right areas

I’ve had two without and two with local anaesthetic. The ones without were horrendous.

Had one last week.

i took paracetamol and ibuprofen an hour before and they gave me a hot water bottle type thing to put on my stomach. I was also offered gas and air, which I didn't need.

Nothing more than pressure and discomfort for a short while. They took a biopsy, that was a bit painful for perhaps a couple of seconds.

Bit of cramping and bleeding afterwards.

I've had one unexpectedly (as in, I didn't know before the appointment that the consultant was going to attempt one) and it was horrific. He said it 'might be a bit uncomfortable'.

As someone else has mentioned, it was far and away the worst pain I have ever experienced, the consultant seemed almost irritated that I was finding it difficult, and to this day I don't know what he did that caused me to bleed so heavily, onto the bed and the floor when I stood up afterwards.

There was a nurse holding my hand and she suggested that he stop. I would never have one again if I had to be awake for it.

Jesus that’s awful. So sorry you had such a poor experience. I get the impression that there is often this ‘let’s see how you get on’ attitude, and the pressure is on the patient to pro-actively ask for pain relief or sedation. And of course once you’ve started, many people will just try to grit their teeth and bear it. I assume it’s to do with minimising use of resources 🤬

I had one last year. It was very painful but only for a few minutes. The rest of the time was just uncomfortable. I went back to work (office) straight after.

I have been told I need one of these and found this thread. Will read the others. eek.