Uncomfortable Gynecological Procedures

I wondered if women could tell me about the most uncomfortable or painful gynaecological procedure they have had? what was the procedure and what had to be done? Were you offered pain relief and of what sort? How did the practitioner help you manage the discomfort and were they able to complete the procedure?

I think the worst I've ever experienced was a multiple-site colposcopy. In very broad layman's terms, it's like a core sample of vaginal and/or cervical tissue and generally follows an abnormal smear result. I believe I was given Lidocaine as local anesthetic, but like so many things with lido, it didn't seem to take effect until I was driving home. The practitioner had the personality of a doorknob and was of no help whatsoever and his tech changed the music from lovely classical to some pretty harsh rock. Don't get me wrong, I can bang heads with the best of them, it just set my nerves a janglin'.

Yes, they completed the procedure but believe me, my toes were curling, and not in a good way. I grit my teeth and got it done with, I didn't want to have to go back for a repeat performance.

Close second was an I&D of an abscess in a place where the sun doesn't shine. 'Nuff said.

And you did mean "other than childbirth", right?

Mine was a smear earlier this year using a plastic speculum. I have posted about it on this board. Will never, ever use plastic again.

My wife is healthy and didn't have any painful procedures except of an IUD insertion. She was advised to take advil before. Moreover I was allowed to comfort her during the procedure. She was really brave and released no moan but I remember how she nearly crushed my hands, tensed legs and curled her toes when tenaculum was closed and during sounding.

For me it was a uterine biopsy. Dilating the cervix was very painful. Fortunately it was quick. I was given nothing - no local, novocaine or anything. I have had a lot of painful playdoc experiences, but this was like nothing I ever felt.

I also assume you mean other than childbirth - which was painful not for the contractions but because I had DSP (Diastasis Symphysis Pubis). Childbirth was actually more painful between the contractions than during!

An endometrial biopsy is no fun. The gyno said, "I'm not going to lie to you. This is going to hurt." But she added that the pain would last only 8-10 seconds. I had been told to take ibuprofen before the appointment. It didn't help. The procedure is like a mini D&C and really hurts, because the doctor is scraping to collect endometrial lining from around the interior of the uterus. She explained that using a numbing mechanism entailed five shots in the cervix. I'd rather have the bad few seconds. I did yelp, and she told me she's been obscenely sworn at doing this biopsy. The good news is that the results were benign. If only a sexy male doctor had done this . . . It wouldn't have hurt any less, though. Also, it wasn't as bad as having my breast mashed by a mammography machine for 40 minutes while a male radiologist sat next to me pinpointing calcifications just before surgery. To mark them he activated a large needle and syringe that shot out of the machine and speared my breast like an arrow. I couldn't move until going to the OR. I had nightmares about that one.

Thanks everyone for really interesting and frank responses. Keep em coming x

Thank you for sharing you experience's .

Iud insertion procedures are quite uncomfortable unless you are not applied anesthesia,it gives lot of pain during insertion

For my IUD insertion, I was prescribed both Xanax and hydrocodone to take a couple hours before the procedure. It still hurt, but I was loopy enough that I didn't care. I can't imagine getting an IUD without the pain meds, man, that would be awful.

My wife told methat the most painful gyn procdure she had ,is taking x ray of her ovaries,when she was 25,she had twice of this procedure during ivf treatment.

The IUD Is pretty brutal. I have mine coming out and a new one going in two weeks from now. I didn't take any meds last time and probably won't this time. It's more anxiety than pain for me. Blech.

-C

The most uncomfortable gynecological procedure I have ever had was a colposcopy. It is like an intense pap smear and afterwards I was really sore for a day or so and I have never had that with just a simple pap smear

Thanks everyone and good luck vulcan girl, hope it isn't too bad. I really appreciate you all sharing. I would hate to have to go through any of these things in real life but find them interesting in terms of RP. I hope that's ok with you all and thanks again x

for those asking, I do mean other than child birth although this is a developing interest for me too so I would be happy to hear any experiences you have to share

My most uncomfortable exam was when i had problems with my period. I am a virgin, so when i went to the gyno he examined me rectally. I haven't had anything in my anus before and it was quite uncomfortable, even thou he used lubricant.

I'll add another vote for IUD insertion. The first time it was a little uncomfortable. When that one maneuvered itself out of place, the combo removal and insertion was worse. Like another poster stated, it was the positioning of the new IUD ("sounding" the poster called it, and that's what it did seem like) that was rough. I imagined it was something like..."poke, poke, poke—YELP—'okay, that's too far' stop here." I had 800mg ibuprofen before and a single dose of either Ativan or Valium. I should add that my experience might have been a bit more difficult as I've never had children (likely why it migrated that first time) but I was warned of this possibility and glad that did not deter the physician. And, I'd readily get another if needed.

My wife says the worst she ever had was when she was getting checked for leaking urine. The doctor inserted a lubricated cotton swab in her urethra into the bladder and then she had to push like she was trying to pee, he check how much the swab stick moved to see if it was a problem with the neck of her bladder. She said it felt like fire going in and out!

A friend at work told me she recently had a cyst burst, and she went three days before she finally decided to get it checked out. The doctor had her insert the device for the ultrasound, and she said that was even worse than the pain from the bursting itself.

The bi manual exam the pressure them apply hurts sometimes

A loop excision. They use a laser to burn abnormal cells off your cervix. They used this numbing paste that I had a horrible reaction to and I passed out during the procedure. It took a good month to feel normal again

My wife had to have an HSG last week. I'm not sure what it stands for but if any of you ladies have had one you know what I'm talking about. It is to see if the phillopian tubes are open. The dr or radiologist puts some kind of dye into the uterus and then into phillopian tubes. But anyway it started with the x raytech(female) telling my wife to take off her jewelry, pants and panties and put on a gown but she got to keep on her shirt she was told to lie down on the x ray table and to put her feet together with her knees spread apart then she was given a sheet to cover her bottom half. When my wife's gyn (now a female) came in she told her to put the bottoms of her feet on each corner of the table and to open her knees as much as she could and to move her bottom on the edge of the table.(my wife said this was very difficult because she had nothing to hold her feet) My wife's gyn then moved the bottom of the sheet to her knees.(like a real gyn exam) While my wife was in that position her gyn was preparing for the exam, the radiologist(male) walks in the room behind my wifes gyn and gets a full view of my wife with her legs spread wide open and trust me he took advantage of the view. Then my wife's gyn used the instument to hold on to her cervix then inserted the tube to put the dye into her uterus & fellopian tubes. After the radiologist did a few x rays he moved the x ray table back some.(x ray machine was stationary) my wife's legs were being extended while the sheet came up to about her hips. Not only was that bad enough she could feel her cervix being pinched, she said the dye in her felt like terrible menstral cramps(almost to the point of crying) and she said the speculum was opened much wider than for a gyn exam. She said she could feel air inside her vagina. When it was over she was allowed to go to the restroom and let the dye flow out, she said it was instant relief although she had a little cramping the next day. Sorry for such a long post but I didn't want to miss any details.

An hsg is a hysterosalpinogram it test to see if the Fallopian tubes are open. Wife has one scheduled tomorrow for fertility. She was told to take 800 mg ibuprofen and she has Dr anxiety issues so she will take a pill for that also. Her doctor described that the pain would be very strong cramps and varied from person to person the more free flowing the tubes are the less pressure needed the less the cramps will be felt.

Hsg went great she had cramps most of today but they where equal to what she gets during her period. I was with her through the whole procedure. Our Dr knows i go where she goes and she goes to any appointments i have so they had a lead apron waiting for me plus he prefers the partner to be present he feels it helps the patient to relax. Right tube had slight obstruction but the doctor was able to push dye through and it opened right up that was the only time she had severe pain.

My wife had a uro-gynecology exam in preparation for pelvic organ prolapse surgery. The appointment lasted over an hour and they examined everything in detail. A very painful exam for the most part. They really open everything up and measure how far things have moved out of place. A lot of work on the bladder and rectal area, that actually made her cry.

I am particularly interested in having a woman spread her legs for a painful proceedure that would either require local or general anesthesia. Possibly just a light sedation where she would be aware of what is happening but would have a lack of control.

Having my first IUD inserted.

Ladies when you had these uncomfortable proceedures were you able to see the instruments before laid out on a cart or table. If so did this make you more tense.

Yes, I could see them on a tray. No, it didn't make me nervous, I've been working around medical instruments for most of my adult life.

I had a biopsy after having 2 abnormal Pap smears it was painful and I bled (not heavily) for 2 weeks, after they told me I would only bleed for a few days. Never want to go through that again.