Couldn't do HSG

[Buttercup01]

Hi All,

Hope someone can help with this....

We have been TTC for over 2yrs, finally got referred to a fertility clinic & got HSG booked in all ready for Clomid.

Have just been to get HSG done and they couldn't do it due to my cervix being too small...they hinted that the next stage would be a lap & dye.

Anyone else had this with an HSG? And gone on to concieve??

Thank you!

[Buttercup01]

I forgot to add I have PCO.

[AttilaTheMeerkat]

I'd be asking them some tough questions as well as now seeking a second opinion. Have never heard of them not being able to do a HSG test due to cervix being too small. A lap operation is surgery albeit keyhole surgery but its surgery all the same.

Clomid is often given to women who present with PCO but you should be monitored whilst on it as it is really quite powerful stuff. No monitoring is not acceptable.

[Buttercup01]

Thank you for replying!

They spent a very undignified 45 minutes trying to do it and said they couldn't get even the smallest tube in so I will need to have GA to have my cervix dialated alongside a lap & dye. She said how small my cervix is may be part of the problem.

All very very frustrating!

Do you know if I'll need to wait for AF before lap & dye like HSG?

Thank you!!

[freelancescientist]

This very occasionally happens with ladies having embryo transfer when the catheter won't pass through and they need a dilation before another attempt - hence why most clinics do a dummy transfer before starting treatment. The canal through the cervix can be very narrow or very twisty and difficult to get a tube through without causing you a lot of discomfort.


Not sure how quickly you'll get your date for a lap and dye/cervical dilation and hope it doesn't delay things too long for you.
Good luck.

[rabbitonthemoon]

Hi, I just saw this and hope you find it. This happened to me and it was pretty distressing being fiddled with to no avail having worked myself up to the HSG. They weren't sure why they couldn't get the catheter in so I had a lap two months later. The lap showed a fibroid blocking the way and they still weren't able to get a catheter in! Mine is a very long story but what happened was the fibroid (or actually they now think it was a cyst) resolved a few weeks before I had surgery to remove it, the surgery went ahead because it had been there 5 weeks previously and when they opened me up it has mysteriously vanished... Downer! But, they dilated my cervix during the op and i finally got to hear i have lovely open tubes but an awkward bugger of a cervix. With all this palaver, I've not really been able to try much this year but I'm back on the shit train now. I have a tilted uterus which also contributes to making the cervix tricky, yay me! BUT I've been reassured I can still have ivf now my cervix has been dilated (with a small chance I may need another dilation) which has made me feel marginally better.

I'm sure things won't be anywhere near as complicated for you, but I thought it might help to have the contact of someone who has been through something similar. I've no idea if this is why I haven't conceived in 17 cycles, my cons isn't entirely sure either. I have no other probs. I'm going it naturally til Xmas, looking to start treatment in January.

freelance is it rare that you can't do ivf? This has been a big worry for me.

[Lyndal1982]

Just back from HSG. Very painful. Doctor became distressed by my screaming and wouldn’t continue. He said he can see that one tube is definitely open. He said the other one may be open but he refused to carry on or add more dye due to the distress I was in.

I read on internet that intense pain = blockage so why was I in so much pain if my tube was clear?

Also the pain was on the right side- is it normal for the pain to be on one side only?

I feel disappointed with myself that I was in too much pain for the procedure to be completed.

Taking ibruprofen + paracetamol beforehand does nothing. I’m in UK and had this done via NHS. They give no sedative, no local anaesthetic, nothing. I’m not sure how this procedure can be legal to do without anaesthetic.

The poor lady after me was listening to my screaming and had to go in after me; I must’ve frightened her, so I repeated to her what the doctor said to me at the start: ‘1/10 women find it very painful, so don’t worry, maybe you’ll have a better experience than me.’

Please help, feeling tearful 😢

[VenusStarr]

I'm so sorry about your experience @Lyndal1982 my hsg was very similar, I was practically on the ceiling and not coping with the pain at all so they stopped early. Similar to you, they told me that one tube was fine but the other was uncertain, the due went in but they couldn't see the pool out the other side. But my uterus is tilted too, so they said it maybe down to that? But they weren't concerned at all and didn't say it was painful due to a blockage. How you're feeling is how I felt ❤️ best wishes x

[JeNeBaguetteRien]

@Lyndal1982 hoping you're feeling a bit better today. Don't be disappointed with yourself, if you're in that much pain it makes sense to stop the procedure.

To answer this point though:
Taking ibruprofen + paracetamol beforehand does nothing. I’m in UK and had this done via NHS. They give no sedative, no local anaesthetic, nothing. I’m not sure how this procedure can be legal to do without anaesthetic.

Your experience is fortunately very rare, it would not be a good use of resources to routinely sedate or anaesthetise women for this, but would be good on a case by case basis to adjust for those who do have such difficulty.

I'm adding for context of others reading the thread in future, they told me it would take about 15 minutes but it took 45 because of trying to get me into all kinds of positions, I too have a tilted uterus.
It was a real workout for my thighs!

But I did it on my lunch break and walked back to work after.

Maybe the procedure itself shifted a blockage hence the pain? Some people do conceive after a HSG. Hopefully this brings you to the next stage of your journey.

[HalfPenny28]

Hi @Buttercup01

A very similar thing happened to me and I'm now waiting for my surgery date.

The doctor really struggled to get the speculum in and said if this was hard the rest of the rest would be too traumatic so booking me in for the surgery.

I'm still waiting for my letter appointment but hoping it should be here by mid Jan.

Hope you're okay and everything else is going well.

[Buttercup01]

My original question was 2012 & I did end up having a lap & dye during which they couldn’t find a reason the HSG failed as everything was clear and there was nothing blocked.

I now have a 7 & 3 year old both conceived with Clomid (the older one was the same month as the laparoscopy) the Clomid was needed due to having polycistic ovaries, nothing to do with the HSG. Good luck xx

[HalfPenny28]

Oh my goodness! Your post must be doing the rounds again 😅

So so glad you ended up conceiving - gives me so much hope as I'll be on clomid once my lap and dye is done.

Hope you're all well and safe x

[Nicolicolala]

Hi all, first time poster 🙂 I just had a HSG to investigate why I have a thin uterine lining (as part of recurrent miscarriage tests) and after 30 mins of prodding and inserting different size tubes, the consultant told me they couldn't get the dye in. They tried all sizes of tubes right down to catheter size and nothing worked. She said they could get it in the cervix but the dye wouldn't go into my fallopian tubes, and that she had never experienced this in her life. Does this mean it didn't get into my cervix, or didn't get into my uterus? I'm so confused and upset right now

[Blondeshavemorefun]

Hi. Mine couldn't be done as I have a closed cervix so had to have cervical dilation before having tests done and again inbetween cycles 2&3

So had a general when had dye done

I was told If blood could come down for a period that sperm will get up so don't worry

[Blondeshavemorefun]

Oh. It's a zombie. 10yrs old. Whoops

[dormicumema]

Hi, I just had attempted an hsg due to unexplained infertility on CD 12 and they told me my cervix was too tight, they will have me come in two days to try again... Has anyone had any luck to be more open when being closer to ovulation?

[Nicolicolala]

I went back to have the procedure under general anaesthetic as they suspected I had scar tissue in my womb anyway, so under GA I was able to have this procedure plus remove scar tissue at the same time. It turns out that the reason my first test didn't work was because the scar tissue had almost sealed me up completely, so they dye couldn't enter! (This was from having a few D&Cs post-miscarriage) symptoms at the time which I didn't realise were related were extremely light periods and excruciating pain every month. Good luck with your next attempt :)

[Blondeshavemorefun]

Yes this happened to me

I was told had a closed cervix

I had a dilation done under general and then the hsg

But it doesn't stay open for long

As took 5 cycles for ivf to work for us I needed another cervical dilation inbetween I think 4&5

[dormicumema]

@Blondeshavemorefun So sorry to hear about everything you went through! Did they find the reason for the closed cervix? What are your periods like/any simptomps? Also, is that the reason you had to gave ivf?

[Blondeshavemorefun]

Hi. No I had reg periods. Still do at 50. Bang on every 28 days

I was told if blood could drip down then sperm can swim up

Was told unexplained Infertility and nothing to do with why could get preg

But got there in the end (took 10yrs ttc and 5 private ivf and 2 dilations) and mini blondes is almost 7

previous post said 2/3 but sure was 4/5 for the second dilation

edited for spelling and fat fingers

[MoonIightDreamer]

not sure how true that is. I communicated with alot of other women prior to my hsg and they all found it painful regardless.
In my experience the hsg was horrible. I literally felt like my inside were going to explode. Both my tubes came back clear tho so I don't think the pain is always related to a blockage.
My hsg seemed to boost my ovaries and I started having regular periods for first time on my life I fell pregnant after that but has a very miscarriage so for me It was definitely worth the pain and I wouldn't hesitate to go through it again

[twinmum2022]

@dormicumema I couldn't get through my HSG, couldn't even get the speculum in...

They were going to reschedule but never did! Then the consultant wanted me to start on clomid, and when I questioned why as I hadn't shown any issues ovulating he referred me straight for IVF! Didn't even do the HSG at all in the end!

Now have 16 months old twins asleep upstairs 😊 the only advice I have for the whole process is trust your gut and question everything if it doesn't feel right!