To ask if anyone has had an HSG scan?

[LifesABeachCoaster]

I have mine tomorrow and am hearing mixed stories. Some say it is excruciating and others say its not painful.

I am feeling sick with worry!

I have. I'll be honest, mine was horrendous. My tubes went into spasm and I almost passed out. The consultant / radiographers tilted the table so my head was lower than my heart to help, which did the trick. But. And a big but, it's all over and done with from start to finish in half an hour. It's a necessary procedure to find out if there's a problem. The procedure can help if there's a slight blockage too. The pain for me was only during not afterwards, so over quickly. The team who were doing the procedure were fantastic, very calming and kind.

Hopefully you will be lucky and encounter no problems and hopefully your results will be positive news. Good luck 🍀

Hi, is this the hysterosalpingogram, with the dye in the tubes/womb lining? I had this, was advised to take painkillers beforehand, which did, was lucky and had no pain.

Yes @Loopytiles

Oh Queenie that sounds horrendous. I am really nervous now but appreciate the honesty. Can I ask what kind of pain it is? Like really bad stomach pain?

I had this, I don’t remember the scan itself causing me any real pain and I just had period-esque cramping afterwards, albeit extended for most of the day. Giant sanpro, something good to watch on the telly and someone to bring you snacks.
Make sure you put the gown on the right way round, I didn’t

Good luck!

Hmm mixed "reviews" again then. I guess if it is just stomach cramps I may be ok. I hear they inflate a balloon inside which causes pain.

I'd never heard of it before. Now I've looked it up I know what it is, just not the name. I worked with someone who had one and said it was very painful, wouldn't have it again.

I wouldn't have it at all!

@Lifes
It felt like the most intense period cramping, takes your breath away pain. But once the dye passed it stopped.

I hadn't been advised to take any painkillers prior to the procedure and should have been.

Go with an open mind, hopefully you'll be fine, but be prepared that it can be painful. It's part of the process and a step towards conceiving. I was pg within 3 months of the hsg via clomid, and incredibly fortunate that it worked on the first cycle. Fingers crossed you get good news tomorrow.

I've had it twice, first time was briefly painful during but I had awful cramps afterwards (hot water bottle helped). Second time was fine. Do take painkillers beforehand (you should have been advised about what and when) as it definitely helps.

I wouldn't have it at all

I don't have much choice really :(

Yes I have been told to take painkillers so hopefully they will help!

Mine was just dye, think the balloon thing is a different procedure?

I had it and had no issues, I think it depends on what the issue is. If your tubes are part blocked etc I think it can cause more pain.

Load up on painkillers and make plans to have a chilled afternoon after it.

Don’t stress too much op, good luck

I had one with a balloon inflated inside. It was briefly painful, as others have said and then some cramping afterwards, but I think, had I taken painkillers ahead of the procedure, it would have been better.

It was not that bad that I remember it especially and I was back at work the next day.

Good luck and I hope it leads you to a happy conclusion.

I had one done many years ago and was given a pessary of painkillers before the procedure. It wasn't painfree but it wasn't really painful either. The "pop" of the catheter going through the cervix wasn't very pleasant. It was over in about half an hour then bad period cramps afterwards.

I had it and was absolutely fine, no pain at all. Mild cramp that I ignored quite easily and was gone within 10 minutes. It was very much a blink and you'll miss it procedure. I was advised to take painkillers beforehand, forgot and really didn't miss them.

Mine was very uncomfortable but due to them.not getting the catheter in. Once that was in it was totally fine x

Just to warn you mine didn’t work and I was gutted and immediately thought something was wrong. The fertility consultant wasn’t fussed though as apparently it is fairly common and I had a lap and dye instead.

No physical pain here. But I did see the image on the screen and absolutely certainly knew it wasn't at all right. That was hard. So be prepared for that just in case

Yes, I saw the image too.

Thanks everyone, it is at 2pm and I am feeling very nervous although your replies have helped me understand what to expect.

My period finished on Monday but I had a little bleed last night grrr. This is quite common. Seems to have finished now though. I should probably let the nurse know :/

it wasnt anywhere near as bad as i had imagined. I experienced 2 seconds of strong period pain and that was it. No balloon just dye. Are you TTC? I fell pregnant that cycle after trying for over two years which is quite common aparently.

I had one and it was fine. I didn’t find it painful at all. Good luck

I have been referred for IUI/IVF so this is part of the process.

I had it as part of fertility investigations. I took painkillers beforehand, but I won't lie to you - for me, it was agonising, worse than any of the pain I felt during labour.

However, it's brief, and I ended up conceiving naturally a month later! I now have a two year old. He's ace.

It was agonising, tubes went into spasm. I was pregnant within the next four months. The second time 18 months later not so bad, when they did it they said my tubes were all clear having told me the first time they were completely blocked. Very odd. Perhaps it was the spasm that made the tubes appear blocked. Twins after second HSG. although it was IVF both times so that is incidental to tubes being blocked or unblocked.