Hysteroscopy

[Miracle29]

I'm due to have a hysteroscopy in a month's time and wandering if anyone has had one? I spoke to someone a few weeks ago who said it was the worse pain she felt and ended up having a local anesthetic in her cervix and that hurt just as much so now I'm freaking out. I remember years ago when i had ivf, when they did the transfer it was so painful for me that i nearly passed out and this sounds very similar. I've had scan/internal scans ect. How painful is one? What should I expect? Thankyou

Oh I should say - I’m now apparently an urgent case for GA as they couldn’t get the coil to come away and I’ve been waiting over a month and have not heard anything, so I would recommend trying without if you are able/in a rush.

I too was terrified after reading a ton of scary stories.
In contrast it was absolutely fine. Having a coil fitted was much more uncomfortable.
I didn't believe taking an over the counter pain killer in advance would help based on what I’d read, but it absolutely did. Make sure you tell them your anxious... they’re ever so good especially when they know your fears. I’m sure it’ll be absolutely fine.

Had one done under sedation. If you are nervous you should insist on that.

I had one, no anaesthetic at all. I was under 30 and no children. It was absolutely fine and took a matter of minutes. Was VERY pleased I hadn’t gone through the hassle of a general anaesthetic for it.

For reference I have always found smears very uncomfortable so I was terrified.

Why is having an anaesthetic a hassle?
Genuine question

Not being able drive myself home, if necessary.

And more time in the hospital. I always want to get it over and done with.

You have to fast before and it can make you feel unwell afterwards. I’ve only had one and was ill for 10 days after, felt like I’d been run over.

I had one under GA - best decision ever. I was in, under and back on the ward eating a cheese sandwich and drinking tea before I knew it. There was absolutely no way I was prepared to see if I could ‘tolerate’ it - to hell with that.

I had biopsies taken and was really surprised at the amount of bleeding I had afterwards but the nurses checked ad assured me if was perfectly normal. Be prepared for that, in case you get the same.

I suppose GA can affect different people in different ways.
I don't eat until lunch so when I go in I'm just eating as normal afterwards
It's a nice relaxing day off work 😂

I had one a week ago under GA. I opted for this because of past trauma (where an obstetrician had performed a sweep on me without any prior discussion, explanation or consent. I had only consented to a standard internal exam and therefore I consider it to be an assault) which makes any gynae procedure quite triggering / tense / painful.

At no time was I made to feel awkward or time wasting nor did anyone try to persuade me to attempt it as a conscious outpatient. Quite the opposite in fact - I was really impressed by the empathy and respect shown by the clinicians I encountered. The info leaflet given to me at my first gynae appointment specifically stated that some women choose a GA, there was no implied judgment or anything and it was very much couched as patient choice - though admittedly this specific advice was somewhat hidden away in the middle of all the other blurb as in an ideal world I guess it would be 'easier' if the hospital could get women in and out as soon as possible.

So far as GA was concerned, I could eat up until midnight the day before going in at 7am. Yeah, you can't drive for 24 hours but it was wholly worth it for me. I was surprised how much I bled after but a week on it's more or less stopped.

I had one without any sedation and I was absolutely fine. I think she might have numbed my cervix..? Honestly, I didn't feel ANYTHING. They did a biopsy and the nurse warned me I'd feel cramps and - nothing. Not a thing.

I'm not brave at all. I don't have an amazing pain threshold. I haven't had natural births (only c-sections) so my cervix had never opened. I was a candidate for proper agony and honestly couldn't feel a thing.

I've had cameras in most holes now! I've never had sedation or GA.

In order of awfulness, from least-awful to most awful,I'd say:

4 (not awful at all): Hysteroscopy
3 Down nose into throat - just not pleasant, but not painful

2 Bum (was way more painful than womb)
1 Enduscopy ;down throat into tummy) - still not HORRIFIC but very intrusive.

The worst procedure I've ever had was the LEEP (spelling??) treatment for precancerous cervix cells. That hurt like a bastard.

I think a lot of this is about technique and the time allowed for the procedure.

I had a copper coil fitted years ago and that was very painful (it later tried to expel itself.)

When I had the hysteroscopy, my gynae had to dilate me (although a previous biopsy without the camera was fine and I didn't feel a thing. )

The dilation took time, but this was a private appt, there was no time limit on the use of the theatre, or a queue of other women waiting for the procedure.

My feeling is that women who find it very painful have a rushed appt, a dr who may not have a good technique, and who don't use dilation but just keep pushing.

It may be down to that, but a recent study in the Journal of Ob/Gyn Research also found "in addition to nulliparity and postmenopausal status, unfavorable features of the cervical canal, such as the excessive flexion position of the cervix and uterine retroversion are significant causes of pain during outpatient hysteroscopy" - so many different factors contribute to the extreme pain that women can experience.

I was having continuous bleeding and the hysteroscopy found a very tiny polyp. Tiny! Smaller than a grain of rice. But once it was removed, the bleeding stopped.

I have had embryo transfers too and I found the hysteroscopy was more painful than that.
It felt like a lot of pressure down below like I was bursting for a wee but couldn't go.
They gave me gas and air!
I'd say have a couple of paracetamol beforehand as well.

Me too.

I had one a month ago with no pain relief and the worse bit is the local going in then I was fine.

Often you can't drive for a couple of days after a GA. The last time I had a GA I had to take 5 days off work as it affected me so much.

Whereas with the 2 I had, I was back at work within 30 minutes

I doubt the women who experienced excruciating pain and heavy bleeding after a hysteroscopy would be able to go back to work within 30 minutes.

There is no guarantee those things wouldn’t happen after a GA though. You’re still opening the cervix and having a poke around.

The women I know who had it had to go home and straight to bed.

I can imagine @MrsPelligrinoPetrichor - I can’t imagine many women are back at work within 30 minutes of having a hysteroscopy, esp if they’ve had to have a biopsy.

One too many imagines there…

Yep like everything experiences vary.

If you say it’s more than you can cope with you can say so, consent can be withdrawn.

None of us would put up with it!

If anyone has heavy bleeding, something has gone badly wrong @SirChenjins

You have to report any bleeding as it's not expected.

I wasn't back at work after mine but I did take public transport home.

It varies so much from woman to woman. Just like giving birth.
It's unsettling for these threads to become a competition over who did or didn't have pain.

FWIW there is very detailed guidance on this and they do note that having a GA statistically results in more serious incidents of perforation. Sedation (although women here talk about it) is not recommended as it has particular risks.