Transvaginal ultrasound. Is horrific pain normal?

[waitingtobeamummy]

Was one of worst things I have ever had. Cried out a couple of times but she kept going. Normally smears I'm nice and relaxed and doesn't hurt at all and went in with the same view.
Dont get results until September now as 14days for results then I'm on holiday so I'm worried that pain was because of something wrong?

Sorry for TMI, but did you empty your bowels before going? When I have full bowels the internal scans hurt me more. You may also have a tilted uterus, so the sonographer had to tilt the probe to get a better look - I find it quite uncomfortable for that reason too.

Thanks Shitara. Yep I'm very regular so empty bowels for me!
I expected it to be uncomfortble (as pamphlet said mild discomfort) but this was so painful. And she didn't say a word through it so I have no clue as to what the results were,if I do have tilted uterus or anything. Reassuring that could just be that tho. Thank you. x

What a shame for you, she could have said what she saw. Mine was uncomfortable but not painful. The Hsg on the other hand ouch!

I suppose I should have asked really- but was gripping the sides of the bed in pain at the time. Could kick myself now that I should have.

Hi waiting, I had tracking transvaginal scans this month and found the left side very painful, so tender infact that it made me jump . I asked the infertility nurse about it and she told me that it can be normal and caused by a number of things . Some of the things she mentioned was a full or gassy bowel (i had lots of gas I no as it made my scan difficult to read). Where your cervix is sitting????? Infection and so on.
Hope that helps a little

I never experienced any pain (and I had many, many of them) but maybe your "operator"(sonographer?) was inexperienced?

I agree with havealittlefaithbaby HSG was hideous, I was in tears afterwards, felt quite traumatised, wish I had been warned how painful it could be

Thanks Razzdzz. For once I wasn't windy but I was suprised by how much it hurt. Sorry for giving a bit tmi but it going in was fine. It was just up at the top nd when she moved it left and right. It did make me wonder if something had caused it to be that bad. Having bad stomach cramps now but glad that its over and that I wasn't going in to work! Thanks again.

Hi Beaufaux. I've seen my sonogropher there before (I haven't had anyhting done by her but its a small hospital and I've been in xray severa times with my accident prone family and that is in the same section-I'm rambling I know!)
See I felt traumatised with this one. The pain was so bad I actually felt sick and quite wobbly when I came out. Wish I had asked for a chaperone.

Oh dear, Waiting. Its all just so horrid anyway never mind the pain. hopefully the pain was just a one-off. I guess you will know more next time? You could always take some painkillers half an hour or so before (I do when I get waxed!) just in case

If you have seen her elsewhere and its a small hosp maybe she could be less experienced in transvaginal scans and more of an all rounder? Our hosp is big so the people doing tvscans are pretty much doing it all day (lucky them!) and they are quite specialised.

Probably worth mentioning before your next scan, if nothing else, they should try to be a bit more gentle with you.

Hope its better next time

I think what you had is called cervical shock. Some women have a very sensitive cervix, and bumping it about can literally send them into shock. I had this after having my IUD inserted, and it's not uncommon then, be quad the cervix is dilated.

I have a retroverted uterus, have had smears, and TV ultrasounds, and the only time this happened to me was during the IUD insertion. Though during the smears and TVUs I flinch mightily every time they poke my cervix.

The one time a TVU was severly painful was when I had an unhealed wound inside which nobody knew about at the time. And the pain was completely different from what you describe and what I experienced with the IUD insertion.

I'm wondering if i had that after my Hsg/fanny cam morning (Yup one after the other). Literally felt like my lady area was spasming for three days.

oh no! I've got one in a few weeks. I just thought it'd be on the outside, didn't realise they went in! maybe I'll insist hubby comes with me, because I know I've got a tilted uterus, I was told at my smear. brilliant, something to look forward to then!

Nah I have a tilted uterus and i've had loads of these and they weren't that painful (uncomfortable yes, once you've got over the shock of the giant dildo like thing coming at you - when I saw it the first time I thought no way that's going up me!).

One time it was slightly more painful that normal, I had more cysts than usual on my ovaries.

Poor you, I would let your gynae know fairly quickly that it hurt that much. I must admit, only my gynae has ever done mine so maybe it's a skill level thing.

Hi Everyone, Thanks for your responses. I'm still in a lot of pain. It feels like bad period cramps and also sharp stbbing pains so I think I might hve been bruised. If it keeps on I'm going to go to the Dr's on Monday.
I think your all right that I need to tell Dr that it was really painful no matter what. Feel really quite traumatised by it all.

God, you poor thing. I have always found them COMPLETELY painless (take note, dontcarehow!) and I have a tilted uterus too.

I would definitely want to know more about why it hurt so much and whether this was likely to reoccur.

HSG, by contrast, was ghastly.

waitingtobeamummy yes, see the doc, I don't think it should be at all painful, just uncomfortable. Always better to tell doc/ask. Hope it is all OK.

I have never had one of these for any conception related reasons - but I did have several in my late teens when they were trying to establish the cause of my horrible period pain.

IIRC they were somewhat uncomfortable but more so in a psychological manner. No physical pain involved that I remember at all.