Painful hysteroscopy? We'd like to hear from you. Help us tackle medical misogyny!

[RhiannonEMumsnet]

Hi there,

Have you had a hysteroscopy?

A new study has analysed thousands of Mumsnet posts from women who have undergone hysteroscopy, a common procedure carried out 71,000 times a year in England.

It found that many women felt unprepared for the pain, struggled to access adequate pain relief, and felt their experiences were dismissed by medical staff.

The findings are being used to push for better care across the NHS. If you have had a hysteroscopy and would be willing to share your experience with journalists covering this story, please reply below, or email [email protected].

Thanks,
MNHQ

I see the resident MRA has turned up. 🙄

I had the most horrific experience, I should have been tipped off when a nurse came in to ‘hold my hand’ 😬

have never known pain like it, I ended up being transferred to a and e because I went into shock where they gave me morphine which I’m allergic too - then had to have 2 doses of Naloxone. I was so out of it I couldn’t tell them I was allergic.

All the whilst I was screaming on the bed. I also peed all over myself as I was unable to control it.

The nurses were rubbish and the doctors kept telling me to calm down because I had an ‘angry uterus’

was literally the most horrific experience. Like others I was held down despite screaming get off me.

I had NO idea until weeks later this was a thing, I was made to feel that I had been dramatic and every other woman is just fine - I had walked to the appointment thinking it was just like a smear test 🤦🏼‍♀️

I had a hysteroscopy a few weeks ago. The two conversations I had with nurses prior to it convinced me that having it as a OP with paracetamol and ibuprofen is the main way this procedure is carried out and even though it "can be uncomfortable" a lot of women choose to have it as an OP again.
The pain took my breath away. I could not believe it and couldn't advocate for myself during the experience as I was too busy trying to breath and not pass out. It was the worst pain I had ever experienced and I honestly thought he had torn me inside.
When I look back at previous gynae interactions I now realise the extreme pain I experienced when they broke my waters during labour and tried to fit a coil was not normal, and was a similar pain, so if they had asked me about that I would have gone down the GA route for sure.
I found the event barbaric and it left me in shock. I couldn't work for two days as I couldn't concentrate or sleep properly, or sit comfortably!
The staff should have stopped the procedure as soon as I indicated how painful it was by not breathing! They asked me if I wanted to stop at the beginning but I thought the initial pain would subside...surely....but no, it carried on throughout the whole procedure and I lost my ability to fight.
Why is it acceptable to attempt any procedure without any anaesthetic, be it local or general? Is it because we are "used" to pain down there with periods and labour so it is acceptable to cause more pain and expect us to tolerate?

Hi everyone,

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experiences with us. We know many of these accounts are really difficult to revisit and we're very grateful to you for doing so.

We’ve been genuinely overwhelmed by the volume of responses on this thread and via email. While we won’t be able to follow up with everyone individually, we will be in touch with some of you about acting as media case studies, as mentioned in the OP.

We also want to reassure you that every post is being read and that all of these experiences will help to inform our continuing campaign against medical misogyny and the normalisation of pain for women during procedures.

Thanks again for taking the time to respond.

MNHQ

If you asked them to stop and they wouldnt then that is assault. I would be calling the police

I had a couple of those procedures done, some years ago, when I was having extremely heavy periods in my 50s (they eventually stopped completely when I was 59, almost 60). I'm 66 now. I was told it might be a symptom of cancer as I had a thickened lining of my uterus. The hysteroscopies were the most painful things I've ever known. The 2nd one was done after they'd apparently injected a painkiller into the cervix - it made no difference at all, as I felt it all.

If you want a discussion about this maybe start a different thread?

I was supposed to have a hysteroscopy 9 years ago. I already knew that it was a lottery and I requested a GA. The reason I was having this was because I had signs of uterine cancer.

I was told I either have it with paracetamol or not at all.

I chose not at all.

University Hospitals of Leicester, LLR ICB. Disgusting. They’d rather torture women

I live in Western Australia and I had one done a few years ago. I was given a full general anaesthic and given morphine afterwards when I woke up. I was also given some strong pain killers to take home.

I had heard of this happening in the UK and when I asked my gynecologist if I would be awake for the procedure, he was horrified and said of course not.

What's worse than even thinking this procedure should be done while awake, is doctors and nurses gaslighting and patronizing the women that go through it.

Seems like the NHS got a price
I wonder how they sleep at night
When the pain comes first and pain relief comes second
Just stop for a minute and smile
Why is everybody so serious?
Acting so damn mysterious
Got shades on your eyes in stirrups so high.
That you can't even grit your teeth for us.
Everybody look to their left
Everybody look to their right
Can you feel that? Yeah
You will be paying with your pain tonight.

Its all about the money money money
Its all about the money money money
We dont care about your pain. Its all about the price tag.

I had a hysteroscopy for post menopausal bleeding - a pipelle biopsy had failed as it was too painful - so I was referred for an outpatient hysteroscopy despite this. I now know I had several factors that contraindicated this without sedation/anaesthetic- firstly the failed pipelle, also I have never had children, was post menopausal, and have a past , serious sexual assault. No one asked or brought this up.
The literature told me to take over the counter pain relief, which I did
I allowed a trainee to observe
I went into into cervical shock, shaking, vomiting, while a nurse talked hairdresser type talk, how I'd got here today, etc
I was in a room of 4 people, retching, snot and tears running down my face, legs in stirrups, my skirt up round my waist, blood and water pouring out of me, very degrading
They stopped it, saying I'd need a GA - then asked if medical students could practice examinations while I was anaesthetised- i was horrified at the thought.
I then was told to sit in the general hospital waiting room, and go after 20 minutes
I feel I had risk factors for severe pain and distress, and this was never taken into account
A few weeks later, I had it under a spinal anaesthetic, I did t trust them, so wanted to know what they were up to!

I never thought of it that way. The nurse just kept holding me down and the consultant continued. I remember counting out loud to deal with the pain and saying stop and she said keep counting it's near over. This went on and on until he decided it was finished.

I had one 15 years ago and was only offered general anaesthetic. It was fine. I would have refused anything else tbh.

You were stunned in shock and in pain
Bottom line is you withdrew your consent so........assault

i posted yesterday a load of links on another thread and frankly I can’t be bothered again

medical misogyny is well known. Google is available. You could also google medical race bias and men vs women heart attack outcomes

I've actually teared up reading these accounts and the ways in which so many women have been assaulted and violated by people who are supposed to be health 'care' professionals. It's scandalous.

When I had a hysteroscopy for post menopausal bleeding it was conducted under GA and to be fair, my request for this was not challenged after I described a previous, non-consensual assault - also at the hands of an arrogant male consultant. (this was a completely agonising sweep conducted without any forewarning or discussion, let alone consent).

Well this thread is just terrifying for those of us scheduled for a hysteroscopy soon. I'm having a GA but still!!! Second guessing whether I should now.

Have posted before about mine - absolutely horrific

I warned them about my tilted uterus and posterior cervix, the fact I had never managed to dilate for births, emcs, miscarriages etc.

It was barbaric, uncontrollable shaking, tears streaming, unable to breathe properly or speak

Eventually put a local anaesthetic in my cervix after about 30 minutes but that didn’t make any difference when they took a biopsy “hold your breath & count”

I bled really badly, had to sit in shock until I could walk and painkillers didn’t touch the sides (any)
Eventually had almost a bottle of Chardonnay when I got home which took the very edge off

Didn’t get out of bed for 36 hours after

Worse thing was - I only had to have it done due to a thickened womb lining and cancer scare due to be prescribed the wrong HRT for months - so completely avoidable

Happy to talk about it to save anyone else going through it

I was referred by my GP for a hysteroscopy on the 2ww, after a scan showing thickened womb lining. We agreed that due to past trauma I'd need a GA (GP said they didn't do sedation for this) and I know she put that in the letter.

I was called and asked to come and see the consultant. I assumed it was to plan the procedure, but in fact she tried to spring the procedure (a "blind" hysteroscopy) on me with no warning. I'd not even taken a paracetamol nor did I have anyone with me. I refused, very clearly. She got quite sniffy and said "well, if you're insisting on GA there'll be a delay in your care, and as you're on the 2ww I wouldn't want that". I told her that was her problem to manage.

They sent me to have it done under sedation.

But, it turned out the sedation was the same as GA, which makes me sick. Noone told me it was the same otherwise I'd have warned them it would make me sick - I've had sedation before and it's been fine.

Anyway, I woke up in agony. They had taken the samples, put in a coil, removed some polyps and a fibroid and shaved the inside my womb lining. All that is fine, but I'm not convinced the pain relief is good enough even with sedation.

If they had simply sent me for GA in the first place as my GP had requested they'd not have wasted a consultant appointment for no reason.

And had they gone ahead and done the blind procedure, they'd not have dealt with the polyps, fibroid and womb lining, so I would have needed another appointment for that anyway as the bleeding that started this would not have been resolved. The coil was supposed to stop that but four weeks on, I'm still bleeding.

Oh, and despite being in a lot of pain, being sick, feeling dizzy, and having the open my bowels (I have IBS, I guess the rummaging triggered something) I was rushed out as they needed to bring the next person into recovery.

I had what I think was one last year (the letter I got afterwards says vulvoscopy though so maybe it wasn't. It involved dye and felt like being jetwashed). Referred for post menopausal bleeding. They wouldn't let me take my husband in, even for the chat beforehand. The consultant's English was poor and I was a bit unclear what she was going to do but she said it was like a smear test. She said they don't normally offer anaesthesia for this and it was nothing to worry about. I have vulvodynia and an incredibly low pain threshold and it was the worst pain I have ever experienced in my life. I was crying so much and they just said it was nearly done and that I was doing very well.

I've been under the same gynae department for vulvodynia and at every appointment they kept trying to discharge me (and have now succeeded) because they say there are no more options (there are, they just can't be bothered to try them). They have only examined me once and only because I insisted. The most senior gynae (male) was really snotty about the fact that I don't have children and even described me as "nulliparous" in a letter to my GP as if she didn't know that (just in the bit that says "thank you for sending this 52 year old nulliparous lion tamer to see me").

If I get any more bleeding I'm not sure whether I would go to the GP about it. I certainly would refuse being referred back to that gynae department again.

In 2021 after post-menopausal bleeding on HRT I was referred for a transvaginal scan at the hospital. They included some leaflets, but as my letter said nothing about having hysteroscopy I didn't take paracetamol or anything before hand.
The scan showed I had thickening of the uterine lining and at the same appointment I was sent along to the gynaecology department to talk about the results (I thought).
Once there I felt quite pressured into having the hysteroscopy, even though I wasn't prepared. I explained I'd had painful cervical surgery before and had a retroverted uterus and cervix, plus smears were very difficult and painful.
The consultant made me worry that I shouldn't wait for a general anaesthetic but get it all done now as there was a risk I could have endometrial cancer.
As soon as I got onto the table I knew I'd made a big mistake. They said I could have local anaesthetic and gave me an injection into my cervix. This itself was excruciating and made no difference to the pain in my uterus.
Firstly the consultant struggled to find my cervix opening and it hurt a lot. When they tried to get the camera scope in I was crying out in pain. The nurse holding my hand tried distraction techniques, chatting on about holidays, but it was no use. The pain was overwhelming. I just had to try to keep breathing.
When the consultant tried to take a biopsy with the pippelle, it was agony. They kept going in again and again to get more while I was crying. The worst moment was when one white coated man turned to the other white coated man and said “Do you think we’ve got enough yet?”
I felt like I was being assaulted. I felt like a piece of meat. It was barbaric. I couldn't believe this was happening to me.
The agony seemed to go on and on.
When it was over I was shaking too much to move and they gave me something to drink. When able, I was taken to a recovery room (I had to step around the tub of water and blood beneath me). I was given tea and a biscuit.
I didn't know I'd have this procedure so I hadn't brought any sanitary protection. I was bleeding heavily and shaking but just wanted to call my husband and go home. I somehow got to the toilet and had to use loo roll to mop myself. I was crying and the toilet was full of blood.
I was in shock when my husband arrived. I was too traumatised to tell him what had happened at first. I was rocking with pain.
At home I couldn't sleep. In the dark at night when I remembered what they'd done I'd cry out and weep. I bled for over a week. I couldn't be intimate with my husband for months. I had PTSD flashbacks all the time. It was one of the worst experiences of my life.
When I had another bleed in 2023 I nearly didn't report it to my GP as I was so scared I might have to go through it again. But then when I thought about my family I knew I should get the bleeding investigated.
The GP (female) I saw was kind and understanding and gave me an examination. She understood my trauma and said she would have to refer me for a hysteroscopy, but this time I could have a General Anaesthetic. I was nervous but I went to meet the gynaecology team, who were really apologetic and understanding, and I was booked in.
I had my second hysteroscopy under GA and the experience, although nerve-wracking, was so much better. I didn't feel a thing, and I got care and pain relief straight after. I rested for a few hours and then could go home. I had minimal bleeding. I wish they'd listened to me the first time round and taken my medical history (and my fears) seriously.

Thank you for letting us share our stories. It's really important that women's pain is taken seriously.

This is truly horrific for you. My experience is similar in the trauma caused and I am currently waiting for some help with PTSD following what happened in February this year.

www.hysteroscopyaction.org.uk

I have had five without anaesthetic (just some local on the cervix for one or two).
I had one under GA to start with privately but then returned to NHS care. The following five were without GA.

I dreaded them but possibly didn’t find them quite as painful as some women do. Perhaps because I had had one quite large baby? I did notice that the doctors and nurses, male and female, seemed to find doing them quite stressful, although they were always very kind and gentle. Really it was just the probe going through the cervix that hurt but that was brief. The whole set up with that dreadful long metal probe makes you feel on edge before you start. The only one that was really awful was during Covid. I had to drive myself there and back because for a freak reason my husband had a medical appointment he couldn’t miss. I started maxing out on paracetamol and ibuprofen doses on the way to the hospital and that probably helped too.

Finally I had one under GA because the consultant said they would feel more able to do what they needed to do. That led to a hysterectomy for atypical hyperplasia.

The two I actually had under GA were logistically hard as they entailed pre-op assessments in a hospital that is quite a long way from us, with more time off work. At least having them done without means less time is taken up. I am however relieved I have had the hysterectomy and no more need to visit the gynaecology department!

This is horrifying. Should I be buying maternity pads for after mine? I am having nightmares about leaving a trail of blood behind me and soaking the bed.