Why don't they offer anaesthetic for coil fitting on the NHS?

[OneBluntZebra]

I had a coil fitted a few years ago (since taken out) and it was incredibly painful. My sister had one fitted privately and they gave her anaesthetic. Why don't they do that on the NHS? I have to have another one fitted soon and I am dreading it.

…are these hateful words in the room with us?! @Pinkfuvey was perfectly polite!

Anyway, back to the OP – my first attempted coil fitting was so painful that they gave up. I went to the clinic instead and they allowed me to have a local which was also painful but definitely better. I hated it though, it made my periods unbearable. I stuck it out for a year but getting it removed was such a relief.

Please don't worry - I haven't had a vaginal birth and I've had 2 fitted with no issues. I took a couple of paracetamol beforehand (I think this is allowed!) and it was fine.

I am awful with pain as well - I don't tolerate it well at all!

I had mine fitted at a sexual health clinic and they are expert so it was over quickly and with minor discomfort.

I am aware that my experience is 100% subjective and individual to me so I hope no one takes umbrage with my comment

I took the local anesthetic offered on the NHS and was told I could go on the waiting list to have it under a general.

People tolerate pain very differently, there is the actual physiology of each individual and then what’s going on in your head.

I was hospitalised a lot as a child for three years ages 6 to 9. I sort of learned from a very young age that the body will just not cooperate but your head is your own worst enemy I learned to try and relax though I didn’t know what it was at the time, the staff because I was so young were very kind and sort of taught me I suppose, when having anything done if you tense it will make the pain considerably worse.

I worked in a clinical role for the NHS for a few years but changed career due to the shift patterns. I have seen many people suffering with extreme pain and fear always made it worse.

I think it should be offered but I would have thought some anaesthetic spray should be enough for most. If anyone is going to have a cervical anaesthetic do not look at the needle.

It’s a bit more than just cost. It’s also capacity - there just isn’t enough operating theatre space. And that not everyone will need one - as someone said upthread a skilled fitter is key. And some women suffer minimal discomfort.

But also for me as an anaesthetist it’s the risk of an anaesthetic . Yes general anaesthesia is usually very safe but there is always a risk that something will go catastrophically wrong. If you exponentially increase the number of general anaesthetics we do for procedures such as cystoscopy, hysteroscopy, coil fitting etc we will cause some unnecessary deaths.

@tothelefttotheleft when I put down my response it was before any comments had been added - others started responding whilst I was writing.
I responded as I wasn't dismissing and don't appreciate the tone of the response

Had mine fitted in a specialist NHS clinic and found it to be absolute agony. I wasn't offered any pain relief whatsoever.

Thank you @TroubleMakingWitch reading this thread is a bit terrifying! It's a female GP, when I asked at reception they were very blasé and said to take paracetamol if I was worried.

I had my child by CS. I opted for the copper coil at my local SH clinic. It was horrendously painful and the doctor has to abandon the procedure. She didn't understand why I was in so much pain.

Women are always at a disadvantage in reproductive health, and in the wider medical field in general.

I’d say how painful it is depends on your pain threshold, and also the person.

I had a mirena fitted at the obgyn and I was just told to take 2 Panadol and 2 nurofen an hour before the appointment. I didn’t find it any more unpleasant than a Pap smear. I did have it 6 weeks post giving birth (vaginally) so I’m not sure if that made a difference.

maybe it is something you could request?

My GP was fairly painful but OK I suppose. But the next one was a private GP and she was super fast and efficient and I definitely felt she was more skilled.

The private GP said the reason people faint sometimes is because the vagus nerve is touched in the cervix and this can cause fainting.

After my last one was fitted I spent the afternoon holding on very tight to furniture as I kept thinking I might pass out.

It's the clamp on the cervix that makes me feel sick...

I was offered sedation or a GA as have autism but I didn’t want a coil (they were pushing contraception on me after I had severe PND)

Caroline Criado Perez ran a survey on this in 2021 (substack link). She found that 93% of respondents reported experiencing pain, with 60% reporting significant pain. There is a petition, and for other procedures an action group Hysteroscopy Action https://www.hysteroscopyaction.org.uk/ although no updates since 2022, so they may not still be active.

Totally agree with this.

I'm autistic. There's been no information apart from refraining from sex for 21 days.

I found it a bit painful but not that bad and over very quickly. I do seem to have a slightly higher pain threshold for pain that is temporary but a much lower threshold for anything that is ongoing. Like over 15 minutes!

It might be dependent on which area you’re in but my gp and gynaecologist were really pushing and offering it as a day case procedure with sedation/ GA on the nhs . Was irrelevant to me as I didn’t want one but it might be helpful to others to know it can be done if you have a need for a reasonable adjustment

I gave birth no pain relief, not even gas and air. Having a mirena coil fitted put me into shock, I found it so painful.

Unfortunately the NHS purse is very stretched, that’s why.

By pointing out that someone has NOT experienced a high level of pain when having a specific procedure is neither undermining or dismissing. It is giving a different experience.
I had what could only be described as excruciating pain for about 5 seconds when having my mirena fitted. I really don't feel undermined that people had a pain free experience.

I'm really keen to hear positive stories! I don't think it's diminishing anyone else's experience.

I guess I am just one of the lucky ones too. I had my mirena replaced by my GP the other month and it was genuinely no more unpleasant than a smear. And I don’t remember the original fitting being painful either.

The way the nurse and Gp were talking was making me nervous about the procedure, but it was very quick

I’ve had 4 now, all ok. First one (at specialist place) didn’t feel a thing. 2nd (Nurse at local drs) was v similar to a smear. 3rd one, GP, was more uncomfortable but still ok (I’d had a paracetamol before that as I’m definitely a wimp, and the nurse had been surprised I’d not had a painkiller when I had the 2nd in and “ouch”d!) Last one I’d had a glass of wine, which is now my pre smear routine (I know I hate them and am horribly mentally uncomfortable… so tense up and it gets tricky) and was better but still a pinching feeling again.

Completely agree with this-I think the mirena is a fabulous device and I have had several-they really suit me in several ways, BUT the pain both when it was fitted and removed was immense. One of mine went missing as well and I had to go to a specialist clinic to have it located and removed in stirrups with a special grabbing stick!

Clearly, I have still had it done again, so I have lived to tell the tale-but I only did it as it was so helpful for the other reasons, but it really hurt like anything.