HSG Experience and Results

BunnyBerry

I really appreciated being able to peruse the previous discussions on HSG questions. It helped me feel much more prepared for what to expect. On that table, I kept reminding myself that most of you here have gone through it and so can I!

It took about 5 tries, with different clamps and rearranging, and he wasn't able to get a catheter in - he ended up injecting the dye from the surface of the cervix, he said, but it worked fine.

Tubes clear, uterus clear, great spillage! Thank you, Lord.

Found out I have a very retroverted uterus - the cervix turns straight to the left, and my whole uterus is over there (in fact, even my left ovary is to the right of it, haha!) He says this does not affect fertility, but I want to look into it more to see how it might affect pregnancy or childbirth. Not looking forward to the extra effort (and not a self-guided catheter, he says) for IUIs or anything else that needs to get in the uterus.

Feeling so ready for out consult to discuss results of testing and next steps.

For anyone waiting on their first HSG - my experience first felt like a Pap smear, but it got really uncomfortable having the speculum in so long. Lots of rearranging of the cervix (ouch) and poking with the catheter (ouch) and the clamping (double ouch). Except for sharp moments of pain, I felt very strong and uncomfortable ongoing pressure, not really pain for all of it. It felt like having to pee or move or something, but without relief. I tried to keep breathing to relax down there in case it mattered. The dye itself was completely painless. A few drops of pinkish (bloody? just the dye color?) fluid leaked, and I felt mild (not at all painful) period-type cramps for less than 5 minutes. It feels kind of damp there now (from the dye) but not at all painful. I took 2 extra strength Tylenol about 1.5 hours earlier (waited a while).

ky29

Glad you received good results, but I'm sorry it took so long & was uncomfortable! 

My uterus is very tilted to the left (not quite like yours), but right next to my left ovary.  Whereas my right ovary looks like it's a mile away!  It's interesting how those things look..

BunnyBerry

@ky29 Nice to know I have a ute buddy here, haha! I know, it was so weird to see an image that looked nothing like the nice symmetrical pictures that have been in every health book and Google search of our lives.

@lhbphd Ooh, sounds awful - please don't take this the wrong way, but your post makes me feel much better about my experience now. Yikes! Does your anteverted uterus mean that any IUI or anything they have to put in the uterus will be equally difficult? Totally ask for something tougher than Aleve! 

rella22

I also have a tilted uterus that they assured me is not an IF factor....interesting!
Glad the HSG is over for you! It was definitely one of the most uncomfortable things I've done this far!

kushie77

Yay for clear tubes!  I think the anticipation of the HSG was worse than the actual procedure.

FWIW  I was told I have a very anteverted ute and that it's practically sitting on my bladder.  Which explains why I always feel like I have to pee.

brazenbiblio

Thanks for posting this. My HSG is Friday so good to read different perspectives. Congrats on your clear tubes!

BunnyBerry

@awiley10 Thanks!

Thank you all for sharing your own experiences. @lhbphd How interesting about your family members. My mom had a hysterectomy but didn't hear anything about hers being tilted.

Danielle0311

Thank you so much for posting this, I have mine coming up my next cycle and I am definitely anxious about it! Congrats on great results !

nswain85

Glad to hear that you had good results!

jesswein9

I wonder if the tilted ute is hereditary. I was told I have one after my d&c and told my mom and she said she also has a retroverted uterus. Strange.

Thank you all for sharing your experiences. I have my hsg soon and had no clue about what to expect. With those of you talking about wishing the pain meds were stronger, what would you suggest taking? I have perscription strength Motrin and oxycodone left over from my d&c---which do you think would be best to take before the procedure? I'm thinking the Motrin. Thoughts?

jaytee16

Another retroverted ute over here!  FWIW, my IUIs really were't bad (whereas my SHG was pretty brtual, to be honest), they just had to see what my uterus was doing to make sure they accounted for it's position, but most of them were NBD.  I hope the same is true for you!

wbird

I had the same experience!!! They had to numb me it was so painful because they couldn't get the catheter in. I don't know if you had an empty bladder or not (I did), but I was also told a half full bladder helps sometimes.

Haven't tried this out yet, but about to do our first IUI, so I'll let you know if that experience is more pleasant on a half full bladder!

BunnyBerry

@jesswein9 Good luck with your HSG! I tend to hate any more meds than absolutely necessary, so the Tylenol was enough for me. The hardest part was not having a clear idea of when it would end - or what might hurt more (like, I was really afraid of the dye injection, which is awful for some, but it was not painful for me; and I started to feel hopeless that it would ever end when he was trying to get my cervix in place). Now that I've done it once, I can look back and say the total pain was manageable, and would feel more ready to do it again. But in the midst of it, not knowing how bad it might get made each moment worse.

@jaytee16 I'm sooo glad to hear that they were able to compensate for your retroverted uterus when performing the IUI. I actually was starting to worry, what if they can't even get anything in there? Will I never be able to get an IUI or ET? Gotta relax and take it one step at a time!

@wbird I ended up with a super full bladder for CD2 ultrasound because I thought I had to drink 1.5 L an hour ahead (which I'd done for other transvaginal USs for a cyst). So even though they let me pee, it was filling up again so fast, I had to concentrate on not peeing on the nurse! After that, I made sure to have an empty bladder before the HSG - no one had directed me otherwise -but I will definitely try out your suggestion next time! Hope it makes a difference for both of us.

jesswein9

@bunnyberry thanks for your advice/input.  That is really helpful.