Do hysteroscopys hurt?

[charmers2501]

I'm due to have a hysteroscopy in a few weeks and I'm working myself up to the point I'm going to cancel. I had a coil fitted a few years ago and the pain was absolutely excruciating.
I'm reading so many different things and I want to know what it's actually like. I dont have a very high pain threshold and taking a couple of paracetamol beforehand which seems to be standard advice for everything just isn't going to cut it.
I'm really nervous and scared it will be just as painful as the coil.

I had one and it was horrific. There’s a Facebook group called Campaign against painful hysteroscopy. In future, I would insist on a general anaesthetic.

I had one with a local and it didn’t hurt at all (and I am a wimp!). It was uncomfortable - odd sensations, but the Dr let me look at the camera view on his screen which was interesting!
I’ve also had the dye test done on a separate occasion and that didn’t hurt me either.

I did feel very faint after - I think it was a normal reaction to having something passed through my cervix (I felt the same when I had a coil fitted).
Sounds like there are very different experiences here.

I had to fight to have this done without GA (nhs) as you can't drive or work for 48 hours afterwards.

It was fine if uncomfortable - I was sitting up gowned and covered up so it was just the consultant who saw everything and the staff were great. A bit of bleeding afterwards which is normal.

Also had gas and air to help as my cervix was tricky to open.

I would do it this way again but Given what you've said, insist on being sedated at the very least.

Oh yes and I watched the monitor which was fascinating and really helped distract me.

I've had two, both also included a uterine biopsy, and they were fine. I didn't know that they might not be so went in with no expectation that it might be unbearable. I think sometimes if you are convinced it will be painful then it is iyswim.

They were both uncomfortable but not paid full as such. In both cases I was back at work by lunchtime.

For those advocating a GA, the outcome of my hysteroscopy is that I ended up having surgery under GA to remove a fibroid. It took me a week to recover from the GA, so that had a big impact on work etc. I would always try to avoid a GA if at all possible.

That's really interesting ,I've had several hysteroscopies, as I said,and I was never offered any kind of local anaesthetic or sedation.It was either tough it out or have GA.
The last time I really didn't want a GA,and was determined to put up with it - it'd have been nice to have been offered something to help with that!

@charmers2501 I don’t know how much it’s costing because I have private medical insurance through work. It’s £170 just for a consultation, a full set of blood tests I think was over £500 and MRI came in over £700 so probably £1000+. It’s not cheap and I would rather use the NHs but I feel like I can’t keep taking time off work while on their waiting list for months when work provide me with the insurance.