Hysteroscopy & biopsy - absolutely terrified.

[Lioney]

Basically my consultant at the NHS menopause clinic I attend, increased my Estradot to 150 but didn't change my Utrogestan. (100 daily & continously)

I took this dose for about 6 months.

Seen a different dr at the menopause clinic and they sent me for a scan.
Lining was 8.7mm and 'lumpy'. No bleeding or spotting.

Now they want me to have a hysteroscopy and biopsy.

Except I'm absolutely terrified of medical procedures.
Even a smear totally freaks me out. Until I went into premature menopause, I avoided doctors for years.

I know logically i should have the biopsy but I just can't cope with the anxiety its causing.

Its all I'm thinking about and I'm exhausted after knowing about this for only 5 days.
My so called 2 week path way appointment isn't until 12/8.

Any advice would be really appreciated.

I had this done a couple of years ago. I'd looked online & was terrified of the pain some women spoke of. But it was fine! I had an excellent consultant, & all I felt was a sort of very mild backache. He & all the ultrasound staff & nurses were wonderful & patient-focussed, & I was so relieved that it went well, that when he told me it was cancer but could be dealt with by a hysterectomy, I was still elated at the lack of pain & just went, "Oh yeah, OK then, whatever".😂

The only thing I found was that I bled quite heavily for some time afterwards, presumably from the biopsies being taken. And that modern sanitary towels aren't as good as the ones I used in my youth. They had sanpro in the hospital room, but you might want to take your own just in case.

Try a cancer charity helpline to speak to a nurse for advice & reassurance. One talked me through brachytherapy before I did that, & I'm grateful for her patience & expertise. Sorry, but I can't remember which charity it was.

I took paracetamol in advance of the hysteroscopy, but that was all. I got a GP to prescribe valium for the brachytherapy - would that help for the hysteroscopy?

Thanks for replying.

Medication makes me anxious too especially something like valium.

I have to drive to the appointment so need my wits about me.

I keep thinking abour cancelling it.

I’ve always hated anything medical, but last year I had hysteroscopy and biopsy under general anaesthetic,no pain, no bother. No after effects. Perfect fruit shortcake biscuits and coffee after.

I'm pretty sure you’re not supposed to drive yourself there and back, I had to have someone stay the night with me.

ALL THE BEST.

I'm with you about medication: I'd never used valium before but it got me through the first, longest brachy session & honestly, I wish I'd used it for the other sessions too. Normally I don't even use paracetamol.

Could you get a taxi, or use hospital transport?

(My DH drove me to & from all my appts.)

Interesting that @Tumbler2121 had a GA - I had nothing at all except my own paracetamol!!

It might be worth seriously considering trying Valium. I too was terrified of taking medication and don’t even drink alcohol but you don’t really notice the effect - only that you can’t panic about things that scare you. Do a trial run of it too - my GP initially only prescribed 2mg tabs which did nothing for me. I then used 5mg before bed, at 4am then 9am then another one during my morning appointment. I slept a fair bit when I got home but without the Valium I wouldn’t even have made it into the hospital.

Not going to lie, I felt the biopsy being taken and there was a bit of bleeding for a day or two afterwards but it was worth it for the peace of mind that came later. The consultant I saw was very compassionate and did everything she could to make the procedure as good as it could be.
I’m speaking as someone who had a nervous breakdown in the run up to my hospital appointment - which I postponed as I was so terrified about it. Please make sure you go. Xx

Mine was done by specialist nurses and they were great. I'm terrible with anything medical but they're used to people being nervous. my fear of general anaesthetic is greater so I forced myself and It wasn't half as bad as I thought it would be. No pain from the hysteroscopy and only a brief sharp stabby pain from the biopsy. I've had worse period cramps. I chose not to watch any of it on the massive screen. The weirdest bit was all the fluid draining onto the large puppy pad on the floor. Take some paracetamol beforehand. If you don't have the general anaesthetic version you're in and out in less than an hour. They offer you a room to recuperate in afterwards but I just waited a few minutes and drove home.

I don't want to frighten you but you need to know that a significant number of women will suffer extreme pain and trauma through hysteroscopy/biopsy without a general anaesthetic. The good experience described above is by no means universal. If you're post menopausal, have a stenosed (tight) cervix and are nulliparous (never given birth) your pain risks are higher.

It is surgery.

I've had two under GA and would refuse any attempt to coerce me into submitting to surgery without GA, and will demand my rights to it.

Please research.

There are many accounts like this at at Care Opinion https://www.careopinion.org.uk/1088208?fbclid=IwAR1Zkrt1nxGo6Z7EPp9HgdD3wa6E-_nZJs2Pbnb4gck7f8fh11y3hYJjfjQ

And if you do decide to accept it without anaesthetic please do not go alone, and don't drive. It may not be safe.

If you're on Facebook there is a page:
https://www.facebook.com/HysteroscopyA

Like I said I don't want to frighten you - but informed consent is vital, and gynae departments are failing to inform / deliberately misinforming.

Thanks. I've come across the fb page and Initially I said I wouldn't have it done without a GA.

But I am post menopausal. I have Vaginal Atrophy and then got worried that they wouldn't realise they were causing damage with the speculum.

Plus its the summer holidays. Young dc and no help as I'm a single parent.

I'm such a control freak I refused all pain relief during childbirth. I tried gas and air with my last as the labour was so intense but hated the sensation so used nothing else.

I know this will sound strange I'm not scared of the potential pain but I'm scared of losing it infront of strangers.

I know I'm not being logical.

I can't sleep and keep waking early. I'm exhausted.

I hate how this procedure is minimised.
Its totally about cost and disregard for women, potential pain etc.

You had me until '... all the fluid draining into the large puppy pad on the floor...'

So undignified. I really don't think I will manage to return to the hospital.

I take Naproxen regularly so don't feel too confident in paracetamol.

I had a hysteroscopy and biopsy plus a coil fitted earlier this year. I was dreading it as previously during coil fittings at the Dr's it was agony... apparently due to the tilt of my cervix. Before the procedure the nurse did the usual Q and As and gave me two paracetamol... when I was on the bed they put an injection in my cervix and then I had gas and air... the injection was mildly painful but I didn't experience any pain during the procedure. I was amazed when I asked when they were going to fit the coil and they said they had already done it! I had mild bleeding afterwards. Highly recommend the gas and air.

Also agree with what others have said..I don't think it is sensible to drive yourself

I had, it with just local anaesthetic, it obviously wasn't pleasant, but it wasn't incredibly painful either. When I read up about it, I found apparently 25% of women do find it too painful, but it's difficult to predict which women these will be, and so for the 75%, the risks of general anaesthetic are higher than the risks of the procedure without. They did make it very clear to me though that if it was too painful, they would stop and it could be scheduled under general anaesthetic, it would just take longer for this to happen.

You’re a single parent with young children - please go to your appointment. Call in favours from their school friends, save up & catch a taxi. Don’t mess around, look after yourself.

I had it done last month(plus had a mirena fitted) was dreading it after reading stories on here but it was fine. I take naproxen regularly too. I took one plus an paracetamol beforehand. The consultant put Cotton wool with anaesthetic gel on my cervix and then injected it as well. Didn't feel a thing. They said gas and air was available but I didn't need it.

My womb lining was 11mm (I'm perimenopausal) . She said she'd take a biopsy but was 99% sure it was all fine.

Please go, it's not as bad as a lot of women say. I know some have a bad experience but I'm annoyed at the negativity on here for a procedure that could save your life. Yes it's undignified but so is childbirth and you've already done that.

I also drove myself there and back no problem. The hcps talk to you through out but I was too busy looking at the inside of my uterus!

I don't have anyone to help. I pay for all childcare. The driving was just about convenience and time.

Generally, thinking about the dc is how I get myself to do stuff that makes me anxious but unfortunately its just not working.

There may be a TA at their school who can help, you can do this.

Also post menopausal with vaginal atrophy (such a pleasant term), never had children, and a tilted womb so I definitely tick all the boxes highlighted by pp.
I'm so sorry if I've added to your anxiety by being too graphic. It genuinely wasn't as bad as I was imagining and if you have a bit of a wobble, they're used to it.
Like you I find the indignity of it all just as traumatising as the actual intervention but the lack of control when under GA would have been too much for me.
Have you talked to them about how you're feeling? Before going in I sat in the waiting room doing breathing exercises to calm me down.
Don't let scaremongers and my insensitive comments about puppy pads put you off because as @SierraSapphire said you can stop at any time.

The thing that made it all worthwhile was that they didn't find anything too worrying and I could finally relax.

I've had this done and was fine. No painkillers or anything. You're going to get all kinds of stories online from 'total agony' to 'no problem'.

I was post menopausal. I went to my appt by train and came home the same way (alone.)

It might help you to know a bit more about what goes on. I asked about the scope and was told it's tiny- about 3mm across. Sometimes now they might not need to use a speculum, they can find their way with the scope itself.
Easy to say, I appreciate, but if you can relax the whole thing will be easier. It doesn't take long- about 10-15 minutes.
Longer term, maybe something like CBT might help you with things like this?

I'm not really explaining myself but I don't care about how the staff perceive me but for me the idea of getting upset infront of strangers is incredibly stressful.

I have called the hospital twice to get confirmation of exactly what the appointment is for as there were no details with the letter.
Just told a fast track gynecological appointment.
I received a call last Wednesday and the well meaning doctor totally freaked me out as I was in the middle of something plus the scan had been weeks before so I couldn't understand the sudden urgency.

With a lining of 8.7mm its highly unlikely they will find anything but if I don't have it done, they won't continue to prescribe my HRT.
I asked the doctor to confirm that so I hadn't misunderstood.

I had this done with a Mirena insertion three years ago. The consultant gynae explained to me that some women find it intolerable and need a GA. I opted to go without as I wanted it done quickly and I would have had to wait for a GA appointment (fortunate decision as it did result in an endometrial cancer diagnosis).

I forgot to take any painkillers before the procedure but for me it was painful, but bearable. I had a womb full of polyps which they myosured out so it took longer than usual. The biopsy was a very short, sharp pain but over in seconds. I bled for a week or so, but not excessively. The Mirena was redundant two weeks later as I then had the whole lot taken out.

I hope it goes well for you OP.

Longer term, you might want to use some kind of talking therapy to get over your fear of medical stuff.

You won't 'lose control'.
The fear of it all is worse than anything you think may happen.
If you choose to they can give you a local (injection) with numbing gel beforehand.

https://www.rcoa.ac.uk/patients/patient-information-resources/preparing-your-mind-surgery

Thankyou all for responding.

I'm totally aware my reaction isn't rational or 'normal'.

I know I need to address it.

I had one yesterday, as a follow-up to a previous in January when I also had a mirena fitted.

In January I read the leaflet when I got the appointment, and then forgot about the paracetamol so had the procedure - scope, biopsy & mirena fitting with no pain relief at all.
It felt slightly uncomfortable and a bit ouchy when she took the biopsy.
I felt a bit achy for a few hours afterwards.
DP drove me, mostly as I was freaking out about the whole thing as the last time I'd been to the hospital was when late DH was undergoing treatment.

Yesterday I had paracetamol an hour before. The scope was fine, the biopsy was a bit ouchy for the brief time she was taking it.
I felt a bit faint afterwards (but I have a tendancy to faint when having injections, ear exams, interventions - and I stupidly was having a v low cal day. It took me till my 30s to realise I even had this issue, and my early 50s before I connected it with blood sugars - and I just didn't think yesterday).
I haven't felt anything afterwards.
I drove myself to and from the appointment.

The above is in no way to minimise others experiences and I understand you are entitled to pain relief or GA. I don't know about the practicalities of actually getting these.

Are you sure that no one you know would help with driving you, lookomg after kids or whatever. I'd have done this for school mums if I knew they didn't have anyone else and asked (not everyone, but more than just close friends).