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Women's health

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Original poster

Very painful hysteroscopy

42 replies

Stormy76 · 19/07/2018 23:42

It was the most painful procedure I have ever had done. The consultant didn't listen when I told her that I had a very tilted cervix, she clearly hadn't read my notes because she asked me I felt I had been using contraceptives in the past 6 months as my coil had run out ....... it's for heavy painful periods not contraception....again ....in the notes.

She clearly hadn't looked at the scan that had been done and was dismissive. She said that often the coil was no longer there......it clearly was on the scan picture a few weeks ago, somethimes they migrate......the scan showed it was in the correct position my cervix is the problem. She then said that she would start by trying to manually remove it .....leaving the hysteroscope as a last resort! This is where it all went wrong.

The manual removal didn't work ...she couldn't find it .....then she tried another way to remove it ....she did tell me but it was starting to get sore by this point. After ages digging around and me feeling what felt like blood pouring out she finally admits she needs to go for the scope. It was painful even with several jabs of local .......I ended up screaming ......more than once. If I ever have to have it again I will go for a General because I will never be able to face having that done awake again. Apart from the fact that I was covered in blood and there's was blood all over the place .....it was like a horror show! It took me half an hour to walk to the hospital exit and another 10-15 mins to get across the car park.......the journey home was terrrible. I had to pull over because the car jolting was hurting me.

Has anyone else had the same experience?

OP posts:

QueenoftheNights · 20/07/2018 07:45

Sounds awful What were you having a hysteroscopy for ? Had you never met this consultant before? I imagined you'd had a consultation before and the procedure booked in for another day.

From your post it sounds like coli (Mirena) removal. Why were you referred to a consultant for that?

I don't really get it- was she trying to find the strings with her hand and couldn't? She ought to have been able to see the strings ( or not).

Were you bleeding from a period?

Or was your cervix bleeding?

Sorry anyway.

I have had this done (not for the same reasons) and it was fine. It took a long time but the consultant got there in the end, I had no pain.

I think a lot does depend on the skill of the doctor.

She really ought to have stopped if you found it unbearable and suggested a GA.

itwasallveryfuckedup · 20/07/2018 08:32

Hi Op, really sorry to hear this happened to you. Did they said what the blood was from? Has it stopped?

Years ago I had a Hysterosalpingography and the doctor perforated my uterus. It was incredibly painful. I can imagine how much pain you were in, it sounds awful.

Original poster

Stormy76 · 20/07/2018 10:06

It was for a coil retrieval and replacement. I had to have it done by the scope because I have a very retroverted uterus. She told me the pain was from my cervix being stretched.....apparently i also haveva very tight cervix which I believe is the norm as we age.

It either the coil or a hysterectomy and the Mirenacoil works, this was my 3rd coil, this was the most traumatic insert I have had. She never told me where the blood was coming from. I had never me her before, my previous meeting was with a different DR.....who had tried the manual removing but it didn't

OP posts:

DancingHipposOnAcid · 20/07/2018 11:06

I had a hysteroscopy last October and the consultant perforated my bowel. But didn't notice at the time. Brought in next day with agonising pain and bloating. After emergency surgery I was left with a colostomy bag, a week in hospital and further hospital admissions for further complications. Had leaky bags which wasn't sorted for weeks so couldn't leave the house for fear of shit oozing out all over my belly.

Luckily was able to have reversal operation in February but had to go private because of waiting lists. Another week in hospital, six weeks recovery time in all.

But it still carries on. Am having terrible cramping pains and consultant thinks I may have scar tissue narrowing the bowel exit. Now need colonoscopy to investigate.

All this from what was sold to me as a simple day surgery procedure with full recovery in a couple of days. In fact there are serious possible complications which become much more likely if the surgeon is rough and careless as seems to be the case for the OP.

itwasallveryfuckedup · 20/07/2018 14:09

@DancingHipposOnAcid this is my experience too, sold as a simple day procedure, performed by a rough doctor. Different procedure but ended in perforation. I bled so much I almost died. Sorry for what you went through

HariboIsMyCrack · 20/07/2018 14:16

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Jappydooda · 20/07/2018 14:26

NEVER let them do a hysteroscopy when you are awake. There's been a big campaign about it by a female PM who says this can be one of the most painful and inhumane procedures done on women - google Lyn Brown. The NHS do it as an "office procedure" in order to save money. There are some women who tolerate it - and it is based on these women's experiences that the NHS say that women will feel some "discomfort", they don't say that some women find it excrutiatingly painful.

I went in for an appointment with a consultant last November thinking he was going to review my scan results and talk about next steps, but he said he was going to a hysteroscopy there and then - I had no warning at all.

I refused point blank - a) I was already bleeding heavily anyway (not expecting to have any procedures, so didn't think it was an issue) and was not going to be sat in a chair with three people and a camera watching me bleed all over the floor and then have it made worse by the procedure, b) the woman who was in before me was curled up on a recovery bed moaning (I saw her as I went in) and c) just NO! The nurse stood there twirling the camera around saying "why not, what's making you decide not to" over and over.

I then had the procedure under GA a week or so later - I also refused a spinal block as have had long term issues with my back and there was no way I was having any needles stuck into it.

Original poster

Stormy76 · 20/07/2018 15:04

It was barbaric, I have had a coil removed and reinserted before with no issues and it is interesting that it was mentioned to one of you about being easier if you have given birth........I was very clear with the consultant before hand that I had 2 sections and she commented that it was 'hurting because your cervix is very tight' ....... it is sold as a simple procedure and it is anything but. I will never have it again awake because it was horrendous and I don't think I could even ever get back into the chair again. I have to say that I have found General Hospitals to be quite dismissive of pain in the past. I have had a few surgeries where the information has talked about mild discomfort........when it is agonising.

I can't believe that procedure is acceptable in this day and age, I had to walk out past a waiting room full of people who were all stareing at me, some with a look of horror on their face. I would hate to put anyone off the procedure if they need it but never ever go through it awake.

OP posts:

MeganChips · 20/07/2018 15:10

Fucking hell, I wish I hadn’t read this. I need to have one to retrieve my totally useless, misplaced, threadless Mirena and so they can see what else is going on.

I’m a bit scared now.

HariboIsMyCrack · 20/07/2018 15:48

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QueenoftheNights · 20/07/2018 15:49

Stormy- you had a really rough time, for sure. The Mirena is bigger than a normal copper coil.

Not sure how old you are but post menopause the cervix can be harder to access.

All I'd say without wanting to dismiss your experience in any way is that me and other women I know, have had hysteroscopies at 50+ and found them painless. A lot depends on the skill and patience of the dr. I had mine in a private hospitals with a consultant I'd known for years . The plan we had was try with nothing, local if painful, re-arrange for GA if local didn't work. I wanted to avoid injections and a GA so went for nothing- it took 30 mins of very careful work, but no pain.

I'm not dismissing your experience but trying to reassure lurkers that it's not always like your experience.

Original poster

Stormy76 · 20/07/2018 17:34

Queenofthenights I am 42, I appreciate you not wanting people to think it's always like that for every one .......however.......I went in not knowing and would have arranged sedation if I had been aware that it could be that painful.

It sounds like you had a careful doctor, we are not all that lucky and I just wanted to find out if other people had the same experience and to warn others that it can be very painful

OP posts:

OddBoots · 20/07/2018 17:45

Megan, I had one followed by a D&C/polypectomy/biopsy last week, I had the scope with no medications other than a couple of paracetamol an hour before then they did a couple of injections in my cervix before the D&C and had no significant pain at all. I have had 5 vaginal births (although the most recent was 10 years ago) so maybe that made the difference.

For any procedure though, and especially one so intimate the medics should stop as soon as you tell them to and back off with signs of pain.

I did feel that they ought to have had something like gas and air available to use as and when someone having this procedure wanted it.

MeganChips · 20/07/2018 19:21

Thanks to those who have said it wasn’t as bad for them and I’m sorry it was so horrendous for you OP.

Forewarned is forarmed, right? I appreciate the warning.

Original poster

Stormy76 · 20/07/2018 19:56

Megan at least you are aware, if it becomes painful make them stop, I hope that it goes ok for you though.

OP posts:

RandomMess · 20/07/2018 20:01

Just insist on local anaesthetic, I had one without that they had to abandon (thank goodness) - horrifically painful...

QueenoftheNights · 20/07/2018 21:59

I went in not knowing and would have arranged sedation if I had been aware that it could be that painful.

I don't think sedation is offered.???

The nurse who was in attendance after mine when I was 'recovering' said she was due one, NHS in London, and they offered nothing - not even a local.

I know this was your experience but others are valid too. You will find plenty of women saying it was fine and I only posted so there would be a balance of experiences. FWIW I went into cervical shock= a reflex action totally uncontrollable and not related to pain. I was kept in for an hour. I still don't regret avoiding a GA though.

RandomMess · 20/07/2018 22:23

Mine was worded in such a way that "if you are a complete wimp you have anaesthetic so I very naively thought it would be on par with a smear but take longer...

Original poster

Stormy76 · 21/07/2018 01:10

You can organise sedation ahead of time with your GP, you just have to let the team know.

I am sure that there are many who have no problem with it but I posted about my personal experience which is as valid as any other.

OP posts:

OddBoots · 21/07/2018 11:35

I am glad the option of sedation is available although I think it ought to be more easily available.

I still think there should be entonox freely available as standard too, I think that ought to apply to smear tests also, it's quick and safe and doesn't pre-judge how painful women ought to find these procedures.

Original poster

Stormy76 · 21/07/2018 13:56

Yeah I wasn't aware of the possibility of sedation beforehand, I have only found out afterwards. As I had never had the procedure before I had no idea what to expect either.

OP posts:

QueenoftheNights · 21/07/2018 14:13

You can organise sedation ahead of time with your GP, you just have to let the team know.

I think you will find this varies between different areas. It was certainly not an option for the nurse who was with me (her own hyster was about to happen.) Each hospital will have their own rules; I have only ever heard of a local or a GA where they also need to remove polyps or are certain someone needs a GA.

Icequeen01 · 21/07/2018 14:37

That sounds utterly awful, you poor thing. I had to have one recently as I had an unusual bleed after the menopause. I saw a lovely consultant who did an internal but after he saw that "I didn't tolerate internals very well" he immediately booked a hysteroscopy but under a GA. No-one should have to go through pain like that.

EnlightenedOwl · 21/07/2018 21:34

I had hysteroscopy, D & C and polyp removal under GA. The consultant didn't give me any other option went straight for GA. It was done through private healthcare though so don't know if that made a difference.

flintyminty · 21/07/2018 23:01

I had a hysteroscopy 6 months ago for post-meno bleed, polyps and biopsy. I was offered gas & air but if I couldn't tolerate the procedure with that then I would have the option to book in for GA. I went for the gas and air option and used it liberally! There is no way I could have had tolerated the procedure without it, I had to call a stop mid procedure but then did manage to continue. I can't imagine undergoing it without any pain relief, I took pain killers a few hours before but no way would they have done the trick.

Lack of oestroegen post-meno means cervix less flexible and I had only been on HRT for about 3 months. Tolerance will be different for indiividual women but the problem is that we don't know until we're in the middle of it .

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