My Experience with Endometrial Biopsy

Glad that everything is OK, You’re a tough lady.

I had an endometrial biopsy today and it hurt like hell!!! I also had a Mirena IUD installed, and it hurt as well! I took 5 200mg Motrin dry!! The sharp pain lasted about 5 minutes, but the cramps lasted a few hours. It did subside a little after taking the Motrin. I have just been resting the rest of the day and hopefully tomorrow will be better. She even wanted to do another pelvic ultrasound at the same time, because she wanted to make sure the IUD was inserted correctly because she said I have a very tight cervix. I told her, no way!! I’ll get it done soon, but not today! I think some doctors love to bring the pain!!

I had a biopsy yesterday. I had no idea to expect such pain. I was grabbing a hold of the ultrasound screen. My bottom coming up off the table. There was no getting away from it once was in process. I had no idea! When it was finished which seemed like never I felt all the blood leave my head and thought I would faint. My body trembled. It was traumatized for sure. I wasn’t ready and it took me awhile to get my clothes on. I should have been told to have a driver. I was like one commenter who said they cried. My body naturally started to cry. I felt very vulnerable and I needed a driver. My husband would have come but it was 25 minutes away and he was home with our child. So scary. Thanks for writing about this. Its cathartic writing about my experience.

I was terrified of having one, since I have a fibroid and I figured they’d want to make sure nothing was cancerous. I had a uterine ultrasound this morning to check on its size and before I knew it, no pain meds or Xanax taken, the doctor told me he wanted to to an EB. I had the ultrasound done by him, not a tech. My fears were coming true and I asked if it was necessary but he said we just need to rule that out. I lie back, and if he did any numbing it was fast and I didn’t feel it. He had me cough which I knew was to help place the clamp on, and it did not hurt. Then the dilation began but it was like kind of bad cramps. I was scared because I’ve never had a baby. Then the device went up in and I felt him going back and forth with it to get the sample but it just felt odd and crampy, not painful. Then he said that was it. They gave me a pad. They asked me if I could sit up and I said yes, I was just burning up hot, so they said oh no, lie back down til that passes. The nurse talked with me a bit, then I felt a little cooler, she said my color was back, and I could get dressed. I was fine but after being in the car a few minutes I felt like I could be sick but I wasn’t, but that passed. Then I went grocery shopping and had some bleeding but am fine. It’s over and it wasn’t worth the worry. I’m sorry some people had such pain but everyone is different. Overall it was medium-bad cramps and only lasted a few minutes.

I felt the same as Cassie. This has been a nightmare.
I was 51 years old, I was still having menstrual periods and had been having them two to three weekly for a few months, in December the period lasted nine days and Infelt mybabdomen was a bit swollen, I had never had any children and had never seen a gynaecologist until 11th January this year. I had an ultrasound which showed a fibroid on the wall of the uterus, then I went to see a doctor, he did not introduce himself and looked at me as though I was abnormal when I said I had no children. I wish I had left there and then.
The doctor said he was going to examine me and take a sample. He did not explain what he was going to do at all. He asked me to cough and there was a severe javelin like pain, I screamed and jumped as the pain was unexpected. I bled that day and the following day had terrible abdominal pain, this settled a bit the next day and we were travelling to Spain on holiday the day after. I checked with the doctor and my own GP who said that would be fine. However, five days after the procedure, I developed severe pain radiating up under my ribs, towards my pain and down my thighs. I had to fly home early from holiday and visited two Spanish hospitals while I was there.
On arrival back in the U.K., the pain worsened and I called one one one who arranged an appointment at the Urgent Care Centre. Blood was found in my urine and now I need a referral to a urologist. Gynae are denying that they caused this, but I had no blood in my urine prior to this procedure.
I had a MRI scan and a hysteroscopy and endometrial biopsy under general anaesthetic last week. The procedure went OK, I had very heavy bleeding last weekend with clots and felt dizzy when I sat up. I felt fine the day after the procedure and did too much that day! the bleeding stopped after a week and I have sought advice from healthcare professionals as needed but I have had some discomfort this week, tenderness and abdominal swelling, ten days after the procedure.
I feel as though I have been in pain for over a month now! Prior to this, I was very athletic, I swam two hundred lengths a week, cycled most days, ran a community dance group and at present, my activities have been restricted due to the discomfort.
I received the MRI scan result which just stated I had a seven centimetre fibroid.
I am still awaiting the biopsy result, but there is no way I could contemplate any further procedures. I am also awaiting a referral to a Urologist too due to the blood in my urine.

Thanks for sharing your experience. Part of me wishes I had read your story before I went in for the biopsy and the other part of me (not my uterus) is glad I did not. I started my on-line search today because I had the biopsy done last Friday, 4 days ago and my uterus is still talking to me. It is as if the pressure, scraping and suction is still happening. The OB/GYN is not sure if she has enough tissue sample for the biopsy and what I am sure of is she will not get a second chance. I thought maybe I was being a “wimp”. Now I know that I am not.

Sorry to hear someone else has endured this barbaric procedure, you are not alone.
I joined an action page on Facebook ‘Campaign against painful hysteroscopy/ Endometrial Biopsy’. Please do join us to help others from experiencing the same thing, you will find this is very common.

I just had this done today. I had unexplained fluid in my uterus. They went in to drain and get tissue for biopsy. This was the most excruciating pain. It felt like they were sucking my uterus out. This was until my bp dropped and I passed out on the table. They kept me and really took good care of me after but I wished I would have known it was even possible to be that bad. They took out a chocolate cyst. They are still testing but they are sure it’s from endometriosis. Dr said absolutely no more in office procedures. Next time anesthesia is a must.

I decided to leave a comment because I was terrified to have the biopsy done. The thought of having the procedure made me break out into a sweat! I read several reviews (some horrific and some not so bad). I became obsessed with reading reviews and didn’t think I was going to be able to go through with it.

When I went in for an annual, the doctor ordered an ultrasound and then wanted to do the biopsy. I was shocked because I wasn’t expecting to do a biopsy so I declined. A few weeks later, I decided to schedule another appointment because I didn’t want this to be the biggest mistake of my life.

I am 41 years old, married, and have three sons. I’m not nervous about having cancer, but I did begin to worry want if I did. Many people that did this procedure without much pain took medications, so one hour before the procedure, I took 800mg of Motrin and .5 mg of Xanax. A half hour before the procedure I took a Vicodin and a 0.25 Xanax. I also ate two eggs, toast, crackers, and almonds to ensure I wouldn’t vomit because I’m not used to taking medications. When the procedure started, I still was nervous but I felt like I could follow through with it. The doctor did a pelvic exam, and then used the speculum to open the vagina. I asked him not to use the tanuculum (based on my research, I think this is what’s hurting women). He said he would try without it. He then inserted the curette and moved it around for ten seconds in the uterus. I did squeeze my husband’s hand, but I did not feel any sharp pains just something moving around. It was an odd sensation, but I wouldn’t say that it hurt.

I believe the medicine and not using the tanaculum made this procedure comfortable. I could do it again if I replicated everything took.

I truly hope this helps other women because I understand how terrifying it is especially after reading other women’s experience.

I had my endometrial Biopsy today. My doctor offered to do procedure under sedation or in office. I chooses to do it in office. She told me it is not a fun/comfortable procedure but necessary for my symptoms.
I got all worked up expecting thee worse.
I have to say, yes it was extremely uncomfortable and the cramping was pretty terrible. The worse part lasts about two minutes. This evening I have been having moderate bleeding and moderate cramping. I took Midol one hour before my appointment and have been staying on top of it.
It was uncomfortable/painful but I would say it’s was tolerable. My doctor said I handle it like a trooper. I did experience the sweaty and shaking afterwards. Ice water was my friend for sure.

I had post menopausal spotting, made an appointment, and had a reg checkup. I was scheduled for an ultrasound and uterine biopsy for the next week. I was not prepared whatsoever. Nothing. It turned out that I had endometrial adenocarcinoma, and I was referred to a gynecologist Oncologist. I can honestly say that my robotic hysterectomy was nothing compared to the uterine biopsy. I can’t desribe the pain. I only know that when I told my Oncologist at my 3 mos checkup that nothing about my surgery was as bad as the biopsy he just shook his head.

Advice: Take a muscle relaxer and ibuprofen 1 to 1 1/2 hours before procedure. I took pain meds and it did nothing to help . although my pain was already bad enough to land me in the Emergency room 2 days prior to biopsy so maybe that is why it hurt so much.

I appreciate your sharing your story Sabine and it resonated with me and makes me want to share my situation- as it seems to have done with many other here.
I was on tamoxifen for a little over 4 years and recently switched to Femara. I started having brownish/red-ish vaginal drainage and did not hesitate to get in quickly to my OB/GYN. She examined me and I was not bleeding but given my history and medications wanted to do an endometrial biopsy that day.
I am a nurse and worked in surgery so I knew what was coming technically. My doctor said this is painful- there is no other way to describe this & you are going to hate me for about 3 minutes while you have cramping that can be severe- would you like a hand-holder?
Wow- I was not thinking I would have that much discomfort and declined the handholder. Grabbing my cervix with the tenaculum was awful- I tried not to move and take slow deep breaths- she took samples 2 times and was reassuring me through the whole thing- it felt just like what it is- dragging something around in your uterus to sample tissue. I had to have a silver nitrate stick applied as there was a fair amount of bleeding.
Its now 3 days later and I am still bleeding every time I pee and feel crampy and “off”. I know I am at high risk for endometrial cancer so I know the discomfort is outweighed by knowing what is going on- awaiting pathology results.

I had a biopsy a week ago for thickened endometrium. I also have Ankylosing Spondylitis, so lower back pain is a daily issue. I was not advised to take any pain relievers before, but I do take some daily for my back, so she figured that was enough. Dr. Had trouble getting thru my cervex and said she needed to clamp it. OMG. That was awful. I was counting to get thru it. She finished as quickly as possible and had me sit up. I immediately felt awful, like I was going to pass out. She said I was having a vaso vagal response. I felt lousy the rest of the day, but seemed better, although crampy the next. Two days after the procedure I woke to horrible lower back pain. Thought I would have to go to the er. Doctor advised me to take 12 ibuprofen and 6 Tylenol a day, alternating between the two. It helped, but here I am a week later and still having issues and pain. The cramping of my uterus may have aggravated my Ankylosing Spondylitis, but this still sucks. I go back in another week for an ultrasound, but may go sooner if this pain does not let up. I am watching the clock to see when I can take pills again. That is not normal. 🙁

I had my endometrial biopsy yesterday. I was surprised how painful it was. I took misoprostol the night before to dilate my cervix but apparently I have a tiny cervix so my doctor had to pry it open with the speculum. I was swearing, yelling, and white knuckling it on the table. The actual biopsy wasn’t as bad as the cervix propping. Also, the doctor put a heating pad on my belly which helped with the cramps during the procedure (I highly recommend). My entire body was in fight or flight mode and at one point the pain was so bad, I tried shimmying away from the doctor. It’s not the worst pain I’ve ever felt but it’s one of the top pains. Thank you so much for writing about this!

I’m facing a biopsy in 2 weeks Pap smears are very uncomfortable for me because of tipped uterus. My biggest worry I had double knee replacements that don’t been past 90 degrees my family practitioner has a REALLY hard time doing a pap now because of it. I’m worried this is gonna be awful but I’m NOT scared to walk out if I feel I’m being mistreated and demand it be done at out patient clinic where I can be put under these drs there days don’t seem to care what kinda torcher they inflict!

I just had my biopsy a few hours ago. My dr. said I’d experience “cramping” at first, I thought I could handle it and then the searing pain deep inside was too much. I thought she was done and then she said she needed one more. I started sweating and crying and held my breath. This was one of the most painful procedures I’ve had done. I had to lie down for five minutes afterward to pull myself together. I went to my car and bawled my eyes out:(.

I had my eb 6 days ago and i was put to sleep.. If you gyn doesnt offer this then i would find a new gyn.. Had aome cramoing after and still bleeding 6 fays later but over all after reading all of this im sooo glad i was alseep.

I had a EMB today and I will say it hurt like hell! I have a curved cervix so putting in the tool to open you was painful to start with. She measured my uterus…that hurt but once she started the procedure I couldnt help but to scream. She asked me if I could handle the procedure and not scream?? Clearly she has never had one. As soon as they start you naturally scream but I tried to keep from doing it by squeezing my own fat on my stomach! That was the only thing I could grab although it wasnt much to hold on to. She did 2 or 3 samples and I couldnt wait for her to be done! Once she was done I covered my face with my hands and was in so much pain all I could do was laugh hysterically then I started shaking then came the tears. I couldnt get up for about 10 min waiting for the pain to stop…it didnt so i got up and got dressed. I will never do this again..if it is needed they need to find a alternative method to get their sample by because I am not a gluten for punishment!!!

Thank you for this post. On June 18, 2018 I had this procedure done….mild discomfort during the procedure…got up got dressed and was told by my dr when leaving, if I ran a fever to go immediately to the emergency room……5 minutes later while driving home…had a massive vasovagal response and caused a massive motor vehicle collision. Do not mess with this stuff-have someone drive you always.

I’m currently laying in my bed feeling sick and terribly after having my biopsy at noon (3 hrs ago) .i had to take the rest of the day off work and cancel a meeting because of it

I too was told it would feel like cramps…i have debilitating cramps and i can deal with those .. This was far far far worse.

Glad i came across this because it makes me feel a little less alone .

I had my second endometrial biopsy in six months and an IUD inserted yesterday. My first EB happened during a routine office visit so I was completely unprepared for it. The doctor had to take two samples. It definitely hurt a lot but it was over relatively quickly. I had mild cramping for a couple of hours afterwards but that was it. Fast forward to yesterday’s biopsy/IUD and it was a totally different scenario. I didn’t do anything to prepare (no painkillers etc.) because the first time had gone pretty smoothly. This time, however, I was too faint/nauseous/crampy to get off the table afterwards, and had to wait 30 minutes before I could get up and drive myself home. I was also severely crampy the rest of the day. Maybe getting the IUD at the same time put me over the edge. Just goes to show you that you never know how your body is going to react!

I had my biopsy this AM and even though I knew what to expect, the pain would have knocked me on my ass if I wasn’t already on my ass. I’m no pain wuss, either. I crushed both legs in dozens of places in a car accident and had multiple surgeries. Along with breaking every rib and puncturing my lungs. Even after they stopped mainlining Pain Meds, there was a lot of pain. I had two C-sections and a miscarriage. There is no excuse whatsoever for a doctor not to explain the procedure. My female gyn explained it well and said to take Tylenol in advance (I can’t take anti-inflammatories like Motrin). 1. Even if you’re on the table with feet in the stirrups, if your doc says he/she wants to do an endometrial biopsy, say No for that day. Schedule it. You MUST take ibuprophen in advance if you can. 2. The pain is NOTHING like a Pap or even a cervical biopsy. It’s excruciating and ranges from your pubic bone to your lower back to your naval. You will cramp shortly after starting and continue cramping (some women experience cramping for days). Taking the samples, or suctioning like my doc called it, is searing, scale-10 pain. Fortunately that part is over in a minute or so but it feels like forever. I found deep breathing helped a little, so did groaning. Scream if you have to and don’t let the doc or nurse make you feel bad. Odds are they’ve never had the damn procedure themselves. 3. Just like mammograms (if mammograms were for guys and involved smashing a guy’s sac between two plates, the medical community would have invented a Pain-free mammogram decades ago), since this is women’s medicine, the medical community is WAY BEHIND on developing a less painful biopsy method. Such as, before you start the suctioning, why can’t they coat the endometrium with some liquid lidocaine shot through the thin tubing they’re already using? Simple, inexpensive, wears off quickly, and no anesthesia. Yeesh. Historically, women have been treated like they are whiney princesses by a male-dominated industry. Glad to see more female docs, but they need to advocate for better pain control. Plan for the worst: take the day off if you can. Have someone drive you there and back. Pamper yourself.

Hi,

I had this procedure performed today. It’s my second time. The first time I fell to pieces and they had to reschedule so I had it performed under general. Today I thought i’d be brave. I was told it would feel like period pain – it was more like giving birth. I have never known a pain like it, it ripped through my uterus and my back. When she scraped my womb for a sample I nearly passed out. They had to lower my head straight away and put the fan on me. The nurses were great, they made sure I could stand before I got up to get dressed. I’m still cramping badly now after 4 hours. I’m hoping there will never be a next time as i’m not putting myself through that again.

Anna

Terrifying experience. Also a “surprise” procedure. No preparation. No pain management. I truly thought something terrible had happened because I could not imagine a modern medical system allowing a patient to feel this much pain for so long. It is not uncommon that the medical profession discounts women generally, and their pain often goes under-acknowledged. I would never allow anyone to do this to me again. I’ve thought women should organize around this one procedure and demand that the AMA come up with better pain management before another one of us has to experience it. Most painful thing I can ever recall happening to me. Shame on them all for allowing it for so long.

I wish I’d read this before I had my biopsy a couple of weeks ago. I had post menopausal bleeding and was sent for an ultrasound. I was led to believe (or maybe it was wishful thinking) that this would show there was nothing to worry about and that would be the end of it. Unfortunately it showed that the endometrium was thicker than it should be, so they did a biopsy. I was told it might feel like period pain and could be a little uncomfortable. When I had clenched my fists and formed an angry ”FFF” with my mouth, the nurse told me it was ok to swear, so I did, very loudly. It was worse than the pain I felt in childbirth. Afterwards I was up all night in excruciating pain, which then eased, but actually I had after pains and general discomfort for a couple of weeks, when the biopsy results came back inconclusive, so yesterday I had to have a hysteroscopy. Not as stabbingly painful, but longer lasting and a lot more uncomfortable, so I am laying down for a while and have taken the day off work. Results were ok, so a big relief, but I would like to have known what to expect in advance. Also, women are other women’s worst enemies sonetumes. At work, I have been told things like, “oh yes I’ve had that lots of times,” when in fact they’ve had cervical biopsies. I’ve never had one of those, so I don’t know what it’s like, but I wouldn’t assume to know what someone else’s pain or fear feels like.

You have no idea how much reading these experiences puts my mind at ease. I had an internal ultrasound done and my uterus is collapsed and prolapsed to stage 2. How shocked I was to discover at the next appointment that he was doing a biopsy as we were supposed to discuss just a hysterectomy. To say the least – I wish I had only been cramping!!!! I was screaming at the top of my lungs while he sat there griping about my reaction and how most women tolerate this just fine! He was unable to finish the exam and wanted to do it again in the ER. No – no – no!! I was pale, shaking uncontrollably, felt like I was going to throw up my intestines, and dizzy. My mind went numb for a moment – and I wasn’t sure I could walk to the car as it felt like my intestines were falling out! The doctor made me feel so stupid for the pain and the way I acted – I was embarrassed at myself!! That was yesterday – today I am feeling crampy- but I am still feeling the inside pinch. I was pouring blood after the procedure – which wasn’t finished – but it has let up today! I never want to go through that again!! But – reading all of the other experiences has helped me feel better about myself!! Thank you so much for the blog!!

Thank you so much for all your comments. This made me not feel alone. I just got my biopsy today. I felt like a wimp as I was also told there would be “moderate cramping”. I would describe it as torture. I have gone through years of infertility so I am used to things being “worked on” down there. This was by far the worst and most painful experience of my life. What can we do to make a change? How can we help other women not feel like a wimp during a vulnerable time? I want to make a change. Any suggestions?

I visited my GYN for post menopausal bleeding and he of course wanted to do an Endometrial Biopsy right then and there. Knowing nothing about it I agreed. I feel like I have a pretty high tolerance to pain but this was the most painful thing I remember experiencing. I had to ask him to stop after about a minute into it. I was crying, shaking, felt nauseous and light headed. It was a terrible experience and I can’t believe they do this in a doctor’s office. I decided to find a female doctor who might be more empathetic to this procedure. I found a wonderful doctor and she does hers in an outpatient surgery center. I wasn’t crazy about having to go under sedation but it was definitely for me the lesser of two evils. The procedure went well and my results were negative, that was a year ago. I’m now having post menopausal bleeding again with pain and so she has recommended another endometrial biopsy. I will definitely have it done again under anesthesia. In my book that is the only way to go for this procedure.

I will have it for ERA test tomorrow under anaesthesia. I am even scared to feel pain under twilight. During egg collection, I said ‘no twilight, put me in deep sleep so there is no way I wake up’.
I wonder if I should try this twilight thing tomorrow. Is there any possibility that I will or do something stupid if I feel pain? Any chance I feel/remember pain?

I had one of these recently too. I had gone in for irregular bleeding and I wanted an IUD, and my doc mentioned he wanted to do one of these first. He was so casual about it “Oh it’s just like a pap smear.” It was about 9am and I hadn’t eaten yet, which I’m sure didn’t help anything.

I wasn’t worried until, after he had me lie down, the physician’s assistant came over and held my hand. I suddenly had the feeling that this wasn’t going to be as painless as he promised. It felt like being stabbed (as many other women have said.) Now I’m chronically ill, and with all of my reproductive issues, I’ve had cramps/pain that have made me black out. But I was shocked how much this hurt. I think I whimpered and said “owwww” because I tend to go quiet when I’m in pain.

But you’re right, the worst part was the after. I sat up and he was talking to me about next steps for getting the IUD and my ears were ringing so hard I couldn’t hear him. He patted me on the leg and told me to take my time. I thought I was going to pass out, but I could only take like 5 minutes, because I was leading a training session at work at like 10:30 that day.

I chugged a Coke from the McDonald’s drive through hoping that would get me through the training but I was shaken and crampy all day. I can’t believe they wouldn’t give me any more warning than that. A friend left a muffin on my desk since I had missed breakfast and I started sobbing.

Thanks! I read this after my biopsy to see if there were any aftershocks that I might expect. Everything you describe, I concur. The procedure and the related pain was downplayed, and I have a high tolerance for pain. If ainwoukd have known how uncomfortable it was goi g to be I would have asked for something stronger than the 600 mg of Ibruprophen they suggested taking before hand to lessen the cramping. Bring some one with you to drive you home would be the other suggestion.

I must have had a wonderful doctor. It was a little painful but nothing that I couldn’t tolerate. A little cramping after. I took Motrin and all is well. Had it done a couple of hours ago and now off to work.

I’m 38 yo I just had my first one on Sept 18th I’m up at almost 1am right now because im still in so much cramping pain I’m reaserching if this is normal. I thought I was being a baby. All I wanted to do was cry after the procedure. It was horrible just as you all have said! No numbing of anything. All I want to do is cry now and it’s been a day and a half later. I have a high pain tolerance and I’m not sure why I feel this way. I seriously hate this! But your blog and reading a lot of these stories helped me. So thank you ladies. At least I don’t feel so alone right now.

Hi Ladies,
This is Sandy and I wanted to give you an update. I was in so much pain that I called the gynecologist office again on Wednesday (there are three other gynecologist besides the one that did my biopsy) and asked to speak to someone besides the biopsy dr. I was told he was the only one on duty, but the RN office manager came to the phone. I explained my situation and she assured me that she would get my medica records from the emergency room from a few days prior and give me a call back. I did not hear anything all night. Thursday morning I received a phone call to come into the office for an ultrasound. Within half an hour of being at the drs office, I was admitted back into the hospital. The gynecologist that was working with me was phenomenal and understanding…she was dedicated to finding out what caused me to bleed out. She immediately put in an order for me to be put on three different IV antibiotics and morphine for my pain. She thought that I had probably experienced a perforated uterus and was showing symptoms of a pelvic infection, but unfortunately that is a wound that does not always show up easily. Blood work revealed that my levels were still a little low, but better. CT scan revealed nothing new. It was decided Friday morning to take me into laparoscopic surgery to attempt finding answers. She did warn me that it may not be possible to find the perforation, but in the end I felt that it would be a good idea to make sure everything else seemed healthy. More doctors should perform at the level of this one. She ensured that I was fully aware of every pro and con of the surgery, I signed consent forms, and agreed ahead for her to remove or repair whatever was necessary. I woke up to find out that she removed a 2 cm cyst that had grown into my left ovary and Fallopian tube…she took the ovary and tube as well. Still no proof of the perforation, but when I asked could the cyst be the cause of my bleeding out she replied that it was highly doubtful. I believe the cyst was probably the cause of the problem that sent me to the gynecologist in the first place….remember when ablation sounded like it would cure all? Today is Sunday and I was discharged from the hospital late this afternoon. I am looking at a few weeks of recovery, with pain medication, antibiotics, and lots of rest. If I have learned anything it’s that we, as women and individuals, need to take charge in our medical care. Ask questions! Demand sedation when it is needed. We live in 2018 ladies….we deserve to have biopsies be treated like the surgery that it is.

I, too had an unplanned endometrial biopsy done yesterday, and I feel I was blindsided. I am 48 years old, and have been having irregular periods. Every 2-3 weeks, then nothing for a couple of months, but when it does come, it’s very heavy and lasts about 2 weeks. I haven’t had a period in over two months now, but have been having severe cramping. I suspected entering menopause.

When I arrived, the nurse suggested this may be what the Dr. would do upon our initial discussion, and explained how the Dr. would do it. I definitely feel she downplayed how it would feel. She said it was similar to a pap smear, only the Dr. would use a tool something like a needle that had holes along the sides of it, that he would insert into my uterus to remove a small amount of cells. Slight discomfort and cramps. She led me into the exam room, told me to remove everything from the waist down, and have a seat on the table, and left. On the table was a paper sheet, and a maxi pad.

Honestly, I felt as though I were being stabbed. After inserting the speculum, my Dr. began and at first said it was going to pinch a little. I did, and I assumed, (wrongly), we were through, and that it wasn’t so bad. I said, “we’re done?” He said, “No, I haven’t started yet, that was just the tool.” The next few minutes were absolute torture. It hurt. A lot. I felt violated, to be honest. I know that’s a strong reaction, but that’s the only way I can describe it.

After he finished, he inserted a few fingers inside my vagina, while pressing down on my stomach area. This was like adding salt to the wound!! He too, said I would experience some light spotting and cramps. I had some questions I had planned to ask him, and told him so.
He stopped and waited, but I was in so much pain, I drew a blank and couldn’t remember what they were, so I told him if I remembered, I’d call the office. He said he wanted me to return for another appointment to have an ultrasound. He removed his gloves and left the room.

I got dressed in a haze, and went out to the reception area to schedule my appointment for the ulrasound. I kind of felt like I was in a fog. I went outside got into my car, and headed home, thinking the entire way, I can’t wait to get home and crawl into bed and just stay there.

Since then, I’m still spotting pretty heavily, and the cramps are horrible. I go back on Monday for my ultrasound, and the Dr. said the results for the biopsy should be in on Friday, (tomorrow), and he’d call with the results, and we’d discuss where to go from there.

I will say this; if I ever need to have this done again, I will ask what options there are for pain relief during the procedure.

I wish I’d found your blog before having this procedure done. I also consider myself to have a high pain threshold but this has been unbelievable. The specialist had three tries at getting tissue, each more painful. I was totally unprepared for how excruciating it was going to be. It’s now ten days after the procedure and I am in constant pain to the point of it hurting to walk and being occasionally doubled up in pain. I have a young son and it feels as though I might never get to do the things we used to enjoy again. Worst of all, the specialist was unable to get any tissue and I will need to repeat the procedure again to check I don’t have uterine cancer. For now, I’ll take one day at a time until I feel as though I could face this again. I feel that this could be more regulated and should definitely be classified as some sort of day surgery with local anesthetic. Thank you for your article and to everyone for their comments. It’s helped to feel that I am not alone. I felt as though I was the only one to have an adverse reaction to this procedure.

I just had an endometrial biopsy yesterday. The first one was done when I was under, as I was having a D&C to remove a polyp; so while it was not the first biopsy I had, it was the first one I was awake for.
HOLY CRAP! I cannot believe how painful it was. At one point, I was actually afraid that I was going to lose control of my bowels, the pain was so bad. And I pride myself on having a pretty high tolerance.
I absolutely was not warned ahead of time of how painful this could be, and I am furious with my Doctor for downplaying what to expect. I don’t understand why women are not routinely offered sedation when they are having this procedure. I agree that cancer would be a hell of a lot more painful, but there is no way in hell I’m going through that again without being put under.

The comments above cover everything I’m about to say, but I just had to say it to someone. My husband doesn’t understand how traumatized I am by the endometrial biopsy I had yesterday, and I can’t seem to shake off the anxiety. Up til now, I’ve always thought of myself as a strong person with a very high pain tolerance. I’ve been through all sorts of procedures since I was a young child due to severe kidney disease. I’ve had multiple catheter placements, kidney dialysis, appendectomy, biopsies, and more, including a kidney transplant. I went through 24 hours of labor and an emergency c-section. Let’s just say, I’ve seen my share of doctors and pain.

So I really didn’t think it was going to be that big of a deal when my gyn wanted to do an endometrial biopsy. I was given no warnings about pain or anything, or even to take pain meds beforehand. Luckily for me (I guess??) I decided to take some tylenol just in case it might be a bit painful. I’d been through a couple of rough IUD placements in the past and so I thought it would be a good idea.

Admittedly, I arrived a little late due to traffic, and asked if I should reschedule. Instead, they shuffled me in, took my blood pressure, and told me to take my clothes off from the waist down – the usual stuff. The doctor came in and had me in the stirrups in no time. So far not a big deal. She had this array of instruments and betadine on a tray, and immediately spread me apart. Then, with no manual exam or nothing, she starts swabbing my cervix with the betadine, and starts putting some instrument on/in? my cervix. Holy hell, my body suddenly jerked back, practically off the table because of the severe, searing pain. I let out a yelp, and was stunned/shocked about the pain. So was she.

At that point she realized that I had a retroverted uterus (which she would have known if she bothered giving a passing glance to my ultrasound), and admitted to me that she was going to need to try a different tack. By this time, I just wanted the hell out, NOW. But thinking I should just get this damn thing over with, that I should just suck it up and deal with the pain. I’m no wuss, I thought, I can take this.

The rest of the story is a bit of a blur. All I remember is she kept trying, kept complaining/worrying about how much I was bleeding. There wasn’t anyone else in the room. No one but her and me. She tried a “block”, which hurt like hell, and contained lidocaine and epinephrine. Yeah, epinephrine, I felt this swoosh run over my entire body – my heart began pounding and racing. She told me to just imagine I had too much Starbucks. I could hear HER breathing heavily, she was nervous. She was in over her head. Every time she tried to dig her way into my cervix, the pain was so searing I would jerk and tense up. I tried to deep breathe, but I just couldn’t get past the damn pain. I started suggesting maybe we could just stop, and it would be fine.

Finally, she gave up. She had me sit up, and I looked at the scene. Multiple bloody swabs and instruments littered the tray. That chintzy paper “blanket” they give you to cover my pelvic area and bottom had long since been on the floor. She handed me a pad, and said I could get dressed now. She immediately left the room. Still stunned and anxious, I quickly put my underwear and pants back on. That was it. She came back in with some literature on solutions for heavy menstrual bleeding.

I nervously left and drove myself home, about 30 minutes away. The anxiety really began? Am I bleeding? Will I pass out while I’m driving? Did she do damage to me? What would have happened if there had been a real complication? She already seemed to be in over her head. I’m still shaken up about this, and no one seems to understand why. Thanks for listening.

Oh my gosh, over 200 stories here!!! I just had this done today and thought I was a total wimp for my reaction. My doctor prepared me for “cramping” too (good grief, it’s not cramping, it’s PAIN). She gave me 5 Ibuprofen and a Xanax beforehand because I told her that I react to procedures down there – sometimes by fainting. But my reaction this time was swift and “No!”. I started by saying Ouch Ouch Ouch, I moved on to It hurts, I can’t. Crying came involuntarily along with “Please stop, please stop, please stop!!!!” After about 10 of those she stopped. Hadn’t gotten everything she needed, so I’m going in for a full anesthesia biopsy at a hospital next. I felt so defeated, so shocked and a bit traumatized by the experience. I haven’t cried and begged someone to stop the pain since vaginal childbirth without painkillers.

I had a ultrasound and biopsy done at the beginning of this month and was not prepared for any of it. I went to my gynecologist because of heavy periods and painful cramping each month. They performed the regular papsmear and then the doctor told me she wanted to do an ultrasound in 2 weeks after I had my period. The following Monday I received a phone call telling me that my papsmear came back abnormal and that I needed a biopsy “to check for cancer”. Once they threw out that cancer word, I started to freak out a little. I’m a widowed mom of two, so of course I start thinking about what’s going to happen to my kids if I have cancer. The day of the appointment, they do the ultrasound and as I’m watching the screen I see the tech type in “Cyst Right Ovary”. So after that, I just stopped looking at the screen. Then they take me into another room and the nurse starts to explain the procedure. She said that it’s going to be “uncomfortable” and that I would have some “cramping” and that afterwards I would have some “light bleeding”. She says “It’s no big deal, I’ve had one of these done and it’s not that bad. It will be over in less than 5 minutes.” So, I’m thinking maybe I’m freaking out over nothing. Well, I wish she hadn’t downplayed it so much because I didn’t expect it to be so painful! To me, it felt like I was having a contraction. They’re poking me and I’m holding my breath so that I don’t yell out in pain. The nurse tells me to breath through it and to take deep breaths; which did help a little. When it’s finally over I’m laying there thinking am I being dramatic, because they made it seem like it would be no big deal? Then the nurse asks if I’m feeling nauseous and that some women have actually thrown up from the pain. I wanted to yell at her “Now you tell me!” I didn’t yell at her, though. I just said “No I’m fine, but can you bring the trash can closer, just in case?” They finally leave me alone to get dressed, and as soon as I stand up I started to feel light headed and nauseous. I’m trying to put my clothes on as quickly as I can because at that point I was ready to just run out of there but I was still a little dizzy! So I sat down and took a moment to get myself together taking deep breaths. The nurse comes back in and offers me an 800 mg ibuprofen which I obviously take. After the appointment I sat in my car for a few minutes and just cried. I had to go back to work for a few more hours, but I wish I had asked for the day off. All of my coworkers are men, so I had to sit there in my office and try not to cry in front of these manly men. One of they guys even asked me if I was okay. He said it looked like I had been crying, which I had, but I tell him “No, I’m okay”. Had it been a woman I probably would’ve said “No I’m not okay! I just allowed my doctor to stab my uterus!” The next appointment I ask the nurse about the ultrasound and how I saw the word “cyst”. She says, “Oh yeah, we all have cysts. I have a cyst they’re no big deal”. I don’t know if that’s her party line, or what, but it was not comforting. So the doctor comes in and tells me that my results were normal, and I felt so relieved. I don’t even want to ask him about the cyst because at that point, I couldn’t mentally handle any more information. I had some bleeding afterwards, and then to top it all off, my period came right after so I was bleeding for close to 8 days straight. Now it is two weeks later and I’m on my period again. I called the doctor’s office to ask if this is normal because my periods are always regular. The doctor said that some times the biopsy can throw off your cycle because they are literally poking inside your uterus. In the end, I decided to have a hysterectomy. In my case, there is really no point in having a painful and heavy period considering I had a tubal ligation after my second child was born. I’ll be going back in two weeks to have the hysterectomy.

I feel so comforted to have read all of your stories. I had an endometrial biopsy two weeks ago and my experience was very similar to many of you. Incredible pain, cramping, and lightheaded afterwards. The nausea continued for the next three days and I am still dealing with the cramping and spotting. I had just gone in to discuss why I was spotting while on birth control and so there was no prep and no painkillers ahead of time. My doctor explained the procedure and that I would feel intense cramping and that it would hurt. I had a hysteroscopy a year ago and recovered way faster from that procedure. The results of the hysteroscopy and MRI showed that I have endometriosis as well as adenomyosis (which is like endometriosis within the walls of the uterus). Before doing the biopsy the OB/Gyn explained that having adenomyosis meant that the biopsy would hurt five times more than it should because of the uterine contractions. I actually appreciated her honesty but do wish I was prepared with medicine ahead of time. One thing my OB/Gyn had explained to me last year was the importance of “getting ahead of the pain” by taking Motrin two days before a period begins otherwise once you hit a high level of pain you can’t lessen the pain effectively. Most women don’t know they have adenomyosis until they’ve had a hysterectomy and the pathology shows the issue, my hysteroscopy just happened to pick up some cells. I’m wondering if this could explain the different experiences of women. Like many of the women on here, I had two kids with no painkillers and thought my pain threshold was very high, and here I am two weeks later still taking Motrin and dreading going to work tomorrow. Good luck to all of my sisters out there.

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I’m so glad I found this article, I thought I was crazy and was the only woman that was in excruciating pain… I had the procedure done last week and was not mentally or physically prepared for the amount of pain. Had to tell the doctor to stop…. I felt so much anger for the rest of the day and didn’t know why doc said it would only feel like “cramping”

I had an endometrial biopsy done today along with a saline ultrasound for some spotting. When they told me they wanted to do the procedure, I was (like so many others, it seems) told that “it’s a little crampier than an internal ultrasound”. I honestly didn’t look anything up prior to the procedure, because I didn’t want to be more scared than I already was. I figured it would be bearable – I’m 47 years old and I have given birth to 5 out of 6 of my kids without so much as a Tylenol. I have a high pain tolerance, so I wasn’t TOO concerned.

Again, prior to the procedure, I was told by both the doctor and US tech that it would be “a little crampy”. I was not told to take any sort of medication beforehand (although not sure Motrin would have helped anyway). I was totally unprepared, because HOLY COW – it was horrible! The biopsy literally felt like someone was stabbing me through the belly button with a knife! I have never felt that much pain. She wanted to get 4 samples – I think she got two because she wanted to “go back in” a second time and after that, yep, wasn’t going to happen again. I literally yelled out, cried – I did not even do that while giving birth. I agree this is completely barbaric and some kind of anesthetic should be offered. Never again.

I felt like such a baby yelling and crying during the biopsy – I really did. I felt like an idiot. So I decided to do some research about it and ended up here. I’m so glad I did. I feel so much better knowing that my reaction was definitely not atypical and my feelings about this are shared by many. As a nurse myself, I think it’s terrible that this procedure is so “downplayed” so that we are not prepared for what it actually feels like and not offered anything to prevent that. Thank you to everyone who posted. I read my husband some of the comments because he was with me and I believe he thought I was over-reacting.

I had my biopsy yesterday and feel like I am not the same person. About a month ago I had a UTI and ended up in ER. Well the doctor took every test and found a cyst and said found thickness on my walls. Of course freak me out when he started to talked about cancer. So here I feeling I have 5 years to live and set up appointment for a biposy. Did a Ca 125 and came back normal . Then scheduled a pap and biopsy. Gave me 800 mg , which was a joke , knowing what what going to happen to me. After reading some of these post , I try to laugh but it hurt to much. I say laugh because I think to myself what what the fuck just happened to me and could relate all the other women pain and they definitely need to make some changes. The nurse said I did good and that some woman scream and there is blood everywhere. Are you the same nurse the said a little pinch and mild cramps= shame on her. Then the doctor said its probably because of menopause. All this to tell me I am going thru menopause. At this point could care less about the results. Its like they took a part of me. Having a hard time moving around. How long did it take you to recover?

I just got off the telephone with my Doctors nurse who was trying to schedule me for a biopsy. I am 69 years old and have been diagnosed with a thickened uterine lining. I have had ample time to research this procedure in between my ultrasound results and the biopsy appt. I told her that I wanted to be sedated in the OR because of the pain of the procedure. It’s very bad for a lot of women. She said that “it’s just like period cramps.” I asked her if she had ever had it done? She said no but that she had heard it doesn’t hurt that bad from several women who have gotten it done in the office. I told her that I wanted it done under sedation. I wasn’t taking the chance. She said she would ask the doctor and call me back. I told her I would like a referral to another doctor if my doctor can’t do it the way I want it done. I am waiting for the call back. If she can’t give me a referral I will find a doctor myself.

Sabine, I appreciate this blog (and the comments) more than you know. Your experience in 2015 mirrored my experience earlier today. I, too, had a surprise uterine biopsy that was unbelievably painful. I felt nauseous, started to sweat and passed out for a minute or so. The primary difference was that the doctor and nurse were wonderful. The doctor saw that I was loosing all of my color and ensured that a nurse stay with me. It took me about 20 minutes to even feel fully conscious. During that time they put cold washcloths on me, brought me ice water and reassured me that a lot of women have the same reaction. That said, I did feel like I was being some sort of wimp (as another person put it) the entire time. Now, reading your blog has made me feel so much less crazy (and so much less “wimpy.” ) Thank you.