No anaesthetic: am I being a wimp?

I felt exactly the same JackK when I had to have one a few years ago. Despite having 3 children I seem to have become more squeamish & hated the thought of it. A kind friend drove me there & waited with me and it wasn't as bad as I'd feared. I recently had to have another one after a covid related mixup with HRT so no friend/husband allowed in the hospital but it was fine as I knew what to expect. Also the senior nurse who explained the procedure couldn't have been kinder or more sympathetic & the assisting staff (all female) were lovely too. And the results were clear!

Is a 'colonoscopy instead of a 'contrast enema scan' ? or for different reasons.I have had both although the colonoscopy was many years before having the scan. .

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I had this procedure recently and would agree that it's uncomfortable but bearable. A kind nurse talked to me about our favourite books and held my hand. I jumped when the biopsy was taken but had no lasting discomfort other than mild period like pain. I had taken paracetamol and codeine beforehand. The hysteroscopy was mildly uncomfortable but fascinating. It was up on a screen to watch if you want to but you don't have to look.
Ring them beforehand and ask them for decent pain relief or an anaesthetic if you are anxious about the procedure. I hope it all goes well. Best wishes for Thursday.

I believe an MP started a campaign to ensure all hysteroscopies were performed under GA because for a lot of women the pain can be horrendous.

I had one without GA and couldn't tolerate the pain, so was given another with GA but the consultant couldn't get the camera into my womb. A 3rd attempt with GA by a different consultant was successful.

Some women experience extreme pain with this procedure, it doesn't mean they are weak, it may depend on the position of the uterus, previous birth, scar tissue etc.

You may be fortunate and not experience too much pain, take pain relief beforehand and take someone with you. If I remember rightly I was told not to drive even without a GA. Good luck.

Slightly different body part, but I went for a liver biopsy with dire warnings of pain etc.etc but it hardly hurt at all. May be you could ask for something that will make you a little less anxious.

SueDonim

A friend who needed this investigation demanded that she had an anaesthetic or sedation, because she’s had a prior traumatic birth experience. They were very reluctant but she stood her ground and got what she wanted.

I wonder how many men would tolerate such an equivalent invasive procedure without anaesthesia. It’s barbaric, actually, to deny women pain relief/sedation.

As a matter of fact I had some sort of male equivalent a few years ago. A camera was inserted by my urologist - almost without asking - into my bladder via the easy route. No medication offered, nor needed. Mild discomfort would almost be an exaggeration of what I felt.

Women's bodies are totally different from men's in so many respects. And the fact that ladies are far more sensitive to such a procedure is no surprise.

Calling you a wimp is not acceptable. I had a hysteroscopy and same I was told to take an aspirin. It was excruciating and sent my blood pressure so high I had to stay in hospital. I am due another and they have agreed to general anaesthetic or the very least sedation. Everyone will have different experiences. Mine may be due to endometriosis stage 4. Look on YouTube Lyn Brown talking about it in parliament. Women should not be treated in this dismissive way.

JackK, I have had exactly the same procedure a couple of months ago. There is absolutely no pain, and I didn't need a biopsy. I think you would be offered an anaesthetic if you needed a biopsy, but from my experience the staff were so lovely they will talk you through every step of the way.

I hope your results are as good as mine - no need for further investigation, just a follow-up ultra-sound in August.

You are certainly not being a wimp. It's just fear of the unknown.

Good luck.

Aepgirl

JackK, I have had exactly the same procedure a couple of months ago. There is absolutely no pain, and I didn't need a biopsy. I think you would be offered an anaesthetic if you needed a biopsy, but from my experience the staff were so lovely they will talk you through every step of the way.

I hope your results are as good as mine - no need for further investigation, just a follow-up ultra-sound in August.

You are certainly not being a wimp. It's just fear of the unknown.

Good luck.

I’m sorry but this just isn’t true. The OP has been told they make take a biopsy but she is being told no anaesthetic. The examples on here and in the links demonstrate that women are not routinely offered an anaesthetic, are not give full information and that having awful pain and having to halt the procedure happens. Wouldn’t it be interesting to have actual figures on those two aspects. You posted ‘ there is no pain’. What would have been accurate would have been to say ‘for me there was no pain’
I’ve never had problems with cervical smears, I had the easiest pregnancy and child birth any woman could have had but I don’t discount or minimise the pain, fear and suffering of other women in these circumstances.

Women have every right to full accurate information and sedation of their choice. It doesn’t matter how easy or pain free it was for us. We should stand together on this.

Well said ingrid

Having had this procedure, sadly no pain killing was available. It is uncomfortable but not overly painful. Take the tablets suggested, and plan for a lazy day afterwards, Good luck xx

I should have said, for me this is what happened, I had more pain in the following days than during the procedure which was bad enough...

You're all wonderful - I'm very grateful for your kind and helpful comments ?

Maybe I was lucky - I had one done in December and biopsies taken. I was given the choice and opted for a GA.
I had previously had issues having a coil inserted as my cervix went into spasm. I have had three vaginal deliveries and one C-Section.
I had also read up on all of the information online and the movement towards offering a choice of pain relief/sedation/GA to all women.

I had this procedure a few years ago and wouldn't contemplate it again without anaesthetic. It was horrible. I don't remember advice on taking pain killers before hand but I may have done. It was still horrible......I think I would rather have given birth! Yes someone held my hand but I was in tears afterwards and just put in a little room, on my own, with a box of tissues, a tea machine, and an honesty box. By the way, I have had two vaginal deliveries, and have a high pain threshold and not the sort to make a fuss. Hold out for proper pain relief! Even reading these posts have brought it all back to me.

So how many aborted procedures, where the victim - sorry, patient - has to stop it, thus wasting resources, do there have to be before the bean-counters are over-ridden and anaesthesia is offered as routine? Getting the job done quickly, comfortably and easily first time should be the aim for all concerned. If the patient opts not to take the pain-relief, that's her choice. But it should be an opt-out, not only provided after a plea by the patient.

Fortunately I’ve not had one of these procedures.
But, my last smear was excruciating, I had to ask the nurse to stop. I’ve had 3 vaginal births. I’m now 65, and up to that point never had a problem. I should have gone back to try again, but was too traumatised.
As someone else said, would men tolerate having a painful procedure without proper pain relief.
Stand your ground , your not a wimp.
Good luck ??

I had an attempted hysteroscopy but screamed in pain. My uterus had collapsed after an endometrial ablation 25 years ago. I was then given a GA. No you're not a wimp.

JackK

You're all wonderful - I'm very grateful for your kind and helpful comments ?

I did hesitate before weighing in but felt it would have patronising and wrong of me not to point out what a contested area of women’s health care this is ( as is so much to do with all aspects of reproductive health) Don’t get me started on the wholesale neglect of endometriosis.

Listen to Blossoming and others! You demand some sedation! ??

It’s better for both you and your healthcare team to have a successful procedure with sedation than a failed procedure without.

I recently had a scope, was nervous, and was sedated. The procedure went excellently and I remember nothing of it.

Please do ask for sedation. Good luck with the scope.

Pammie1

You’re entitled to a sedative for this procedure so ask for it. You have to be accompanied my someone who can drive you or escort you home afterwards and your stay at the hospital will be a couple of hours longer until you’ve recovered enough to go home.

I was treated sympathetically during the initial examination and subsequent ultrasound examination due to issues involving an assault when I was a child...I did have to explain this but the nurses could not have been nicer. The consultant recommended the GA and I went home the same day with no ill affects. I had to have someone take me home. The Consultant found a large polyps and removed it. The biopsy was negative. Had I had to have this done without sedation I would have totally freaked out.. !

ExD

I'm hesitant to say this, but gas and air doesn't seem to work for me (two babies and one dental procedure).
My GP says that's impossible (for gas and air 'not to work' for an individual).
Do some people respond better to pain relief than others?

I’ve had three babies with no pain relief after my first whiff of gas and air made me sick.
Then three years ago I was referred for a colonoscopy and the leaflet said not to drive myself there as I’d be given sedation. No such luck! I was offered gas and air but refused it as I didn’t want to be throwing up. Nothing else was offered and the procedure was excruciating, perhaps because five polyps were removed.
I was supposed to have a follow up colonoscopy last year but got a letter saying the consultant had looked at my results and deemed a further one unnecessary. I was so relieved but also a bit suspicious because so many procedures were/are being delayed due to Covid and obviously I don’t want anything to be overlooked.
I shall continue to request the home testing kit for bowel cancer and hope that’s enough.

I wish you all the best JackK and make sure you get whatever pain relief is available. I wish I’d put my foot down and insisted on sedation,

I'm the same. I beg for sedation whenever possible , sometimes I'm allowed it , sometimes I'm not. If your not allowed it - it's usually because the procedure isn't painful anyway , so I wouldn't worry if I was you. I think it's more the thought of pain that's the bigger issue here. Just speaking from experience, so hope its helpful.