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Original poster

Hysteroscopy advice

95 replies

Snog · 10/01/2022 19:57

I'm due one of these for post menopausal bleeding.

Has anyone had one and can share their experience? It can be done as an outpatient with ibuprofen as pain relief or as a daycase with a spinal block or General anaesthesia. I'm very anxious about it and am pretty bad with pain.

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HollywoodTease · 18/01/2022 17:34

Had mine today. No pain relief other than a couple of paracetamol beforehand.

It was OK, uncomfortable but not really painful. Like a bad period or lbs cramp. She also did a biopsy, that nipped a bit but was quite quick.

Turns out my bleeding (which I thought was a side effect of my booster) is due to endometrial cancer.

Practice deep breathing and get it done. I'm actually better mentally now I know, the maybe weeks have been awful.

madisonbridges · 18/01/2022 17:41

I've had two. They were OK. The second one they pumped in water and air and it felt a bit like period pain so you take paracetamol a couple of hours before. The camera did bump into the uterus wall and that was surprisingly not nice but nothing really.
I think they offered a sedative but then I wouldn't be able to drive and I wanted to go into town and do a bit of shopping so I declined.
However at the end of it all, they looked really admiringly at me and said I was very brave. Which I didn't think I was but happily accepted the praise. So maybe I had a surprisingly good experience.

madisonbridges · 18/01/2022 17:52

a nice nurse held my hand all the way through
Yeah, I found this very irritating. I had the doctor, a nurse, a nurse assistant and a cleaner all hanging around. I wanted watch the monitor but they kept rabbiting on to distract me. You don't like to be and tell them to shut up but I wanted to ask questions about what I could see. Maybe they recognised my irritation because the next time they all lined up opposite me, leaning against the drawers.
Two tips.

  1. Wear a loose skirt or dress. I had to take my underwear off but could leave my skirt on as I walked around to preserve my dignity. A friend wore trousers and she had to undress from her waist down and was given a bit of paper towel to wrap round her which she found distressing.
  2. Don't look at the monitor until you feel the camera inside you. Otherwise you see a scenario reminiscent of Bridget Jones and the fireman's pose...only more explicit. It does not make you feel good about yourself!
Original poster
Snog · 07/02/2022 22:05

Just thought I'd update in case of interest or of help to anyone else. I had a hysteroscopy, biopsy, smear and polypectomy today under GA.

I would go for a GA again because you can go home a lot quicker after a GA than a spinal as it can take 8 hours or more for a spinal to wear off. I wish I'd known that at an earlier stage.
I've had some bleeding afterwards and some cramping which I have taken normal painkillers for.

I've been told to stop my HRT which I'm not happy about as it's so helpful for my anxiety and general ability to function so I may phone them tomorrow to question if this is really necessary.

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Original poster
Snog · 07/02/2022 22:06

Also would like to thank all posters very much for sharing their experience and advice.

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Walkingalot · 08/02/2022 18:46

Hi @Snog - glad to hear the investigations went well. Did they tell you anything or have you got to wait for the results?
I'm post menopause, 4 yrs, heaving bleed for a month and an internal scan showed 'endometrium thickened and poorly defined'. So, am being referred to gyny. Am assuming I'll have to have similar investigations to you so will 'follow' you if you don't mind.

Original poster
Snog · 08/02/2022 19:05

@Walkingalot sorry to hear you have this to deal with too.

I rang my surgeon today and he said I can carry on with the HRT as there was nothing he saw that looked suspect. Obviously the test results aren't back yet but alright so far at least.

If you have any questions on my experience I'd be happy to try and answer them either here or you can PM me. I've been feeling good today, much happier now it's all done and no anaesthetic hangover, they told me that anaesthesia has really improved since my last GA which was fifteen years ago.

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Walkingalot · 09/02/2022 07:25

@Snog - thanks for replying. I also had my booster Covid shot (Moderna) on 3/12 - break though bleeding started towards the end of Dec - didn't have this with the first two which were Oxford. Can I ask what the results were if you had an internal scan first or did you go straight to hysteroscopy?

Original poster
Snog · 09/02/2022 07:47

@Walkingalot I do wonder if the booster is pure coincidence or not.
Are you taking HRT? I've been told by my specialist nurse that the most likely cause of my bleeding is that I had upped my HRT dose recently.

My scan results showed endometrial thickening to 8mm (normal is 4mm)
and some tiny polyps which were removed during the hysteroscopy using "Myosure".

Are you intending to have your hysteroscopy in clinic or in surgery?

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itrytomakemyway · 09/02/2022 07:55

Mine was painful and the dr doing the procedure was very unsympathetic and brusque. I believe that this was a procedure men had to go through then decent pain relief would be offered as a matter of course. After it was over I was sent off to sit in the next door room by myself. No one checked up on me. I had to wait until someone happened to be passing to ask if I was ok to leave. They were surprised I was still there. I love our NHS, but some of the people who work there treat patients like a production line. I was so upset.

Take some good painkillers before you go in. I know that most women have no issues at all with it - I think I just got unlucky.

Walkingalot · 09/02/2022 08:14

I've been on HRT for 2 yrs and was told to stop immediately. I have a short cervix (think that's the term) and I remember having a coil fitted and then removed was extremely painful - I could constantly feel it in me, which is why I wanted it removed @itrytomakemyway, so I can relate. Not sure I'll be given a choice IF it's a hysteroscopy - was told just to wait for appt letter.
I'll continue to post here with any updates, if you don't mind @Snog and anyone else. This post has traffic now!

LunaTheCat · 09/02/2022 08:26

@HollywoodTease

Had mine today. No pain relief other than a couple of paracetamol beforehand.

It was OK, uncomfortable but not really painful. Like a bad period or lbs cramp. She also did a biopsy, that nipped a bit but was quite quick.

Turns out my bleeding (which I thought was a side effect of my booster) is due to endometrial cancer.

Practice deep breathing and get it done. I'm actually better mentally now I know, the maybe weeks have been awful.

Oh best wishes💐
Walkingalot · 09/02/2022 08:29

@HollywoodTease - sorry to hear that but agree, better to know what you're dealing with. What is the next step for you, if you don't mind me asking?

HollywoodTease · 09/02/2022 15:09

Thanks for asking. My cancer has now been confirmed as grade 1 from the biopsy. I had an MRI which confirmed it's contained within my uterus.

My next step is referral to a specialist women's hospital for a hysterectomy. I'm waiting for an appointment to go there and meet the surgical team, that should come through in the next 2 weeks.

I'll then get an appointment for a hysterectomy, hopefully in early March. At the moment the oncologist seems confident that I won't need any further treatment after that.

It's all been very quick and efficient for me so far, and it seems I've been lucky in that it's been found at an early stage. Trying to stay positive.

Walkingalot · 09/02/2022 17:53

@HollywoodTease - I don't know what to say - on the one hand, it's an awful diagnosis but on the other, it's Grade 1 and can be 'dealt with' completely. I wish you all the best. Apart from here, have you found any other supportive forums? I've tried talking to female friends about it but drew a blank.

Original poster
Snog · 09/02/2022 21:37

Wishing you well Hollywoodtease.
It's a shocking diagnosis to be sure but very positive news in that specialists say that it can be dealt with. You must be very pleased that you acted promptly on your symptoms and went through the (less than pleasant) investigations.

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HollywoodTease · 10/02/2022 02:41

Yes it's still all a bit unreal to be honest. I thought the bleed was due to my covid booster.

I've joined a couple of specialist forums over the last few weeks but I've had way more support when posting here.

Thankfully I also have a lot of IRL support too, and a very understanding boss.

Walkingalot · 17/02/2022 12:58

I had a call from hospital today. The caller said it's for an internal scan. I told her I'd already had one and that's why I was being referred to Gyny. She said she just books the appointments.
The letter just states I have an appt with Gyny. Doesn't even mention a scan, nothing!
So, if they find the thickened lining etc again, what are the chances of them doing a 'quick' biopsy there and then? I've been reading other posts and it seems that there's no common pathway - all a bit random.
How are you doing @HollywoodTease?
Are you all back to normal now @Snog? Did the Dr lower the HRT dose?

Walkingalot · 17/02/2022 13:04

Just to clarify - my first scan (TV) was at a local outpatient clinic, not the hospital.

JinglingHellsBells · 17/02/2022 13:22

@Walkingalot

I had a call from hospital today. The caller said it's for an internal scan. I told her I'd already had one and that's why I was being referred to Gyny. She said she just books the appointments. The letter just states I have an appt with Gyny. Doesn't even mention a scan, nothing! So, if they find the thickened lining etc again, what are the chances of them doing a 'quick' biopsy there and then? I've been reading other posts and it seems that there's no common pathway - all a bit random. How are you doing *@HollywoodTease*? Are you all back to normal now *@Snog*? Did the Dr lower the HRT dose?
You won't have a biopsy at the same time. I don't think the NHS works like that. The person doing the scan is likely to be a technician/ sonographer not a gynaecologist. So not able to do biopsies.
Original poster
Snog · 17/02/2022 13:50

@Walkingalot to the best of my knowledge a biopsy wouldn't be done if you are having ultrasound but might be done if it's a hysteroscopy.

I still have some post op bleeding from my polypectomy but it's tailing off. Still waiting for my biopsy results.

Hope your appointment goes as well as it can do. It doesn't sound ideal that they haven't made it clear what is happening in the appointment. If it were me I would try calling the gynae nursing team - mine were extremely kind and helpful.

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Original poster
Snog · 17/02/2022 13:52

On the subject of HRT I decided to reduce from 4 pumps to 3 pumps as I'd not had any issues with that dosage. My consultant was happy for me to continue the HRT when I spoke to him on the phone. So far so good.

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Original poster
Snog · 23/02/2022 10:42

Result through today - all clear!!!!
Still bleeding though so I assume HRT related. Feeling a lot less worried now though.

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JinglingHellsBells · 24/02/2022 08:32

@Snog

Result through today - all clear!!!! Still bleeding though so I assume HRT related. Feeling a lot less worried now though.
lovely news :)
Original poster
Snog · 24/02/2022 11:14

Thank you so much Jinglinghellsbells

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