Does an hsg dye test hurt?

CityPixie · July 2010

I'm getting an HSG on Thursday. They said to take advil ahead of time. Then on Friday is the big, scary consult appt. We'll go over all the blood tests and the HSG and talk about "what next". which will probably start with schedulling the surgery to get that cyst removed. I keep wondering if I shouldn't just go straight to IVF. why waste time with BD and with IUI? What do you gals think? sure it removes the "romance" but at 41, why wait?

MAH123 · July 2010

The HSG hurts when they do it, but then it's fine (10 sec of pain, then I got dressed and went to work), I took Motrin before mine.

IMHO....as far as IVF goes, I would talk to my dr about what they recommend. I would skip the BD part and at least head to IUI given age and readiness. But if there is there is no glaring reason to go straight to IVF, I would give IUI a shot. IVF is so intense and time consuming, also it's a little traumatizing the first time around (as in NO fun at all, at least my 3 cycles weren't). I would wait and see what the RE has to say, but let them know you are open to going straight to IVF if they feel that is the best option. Good Luck!

shyntrue · July 2010

When I had my HSG, it was like medium cramping while they were doing the test, but I was fine afterward. I did take the motrin before. That being said, some ladies said it hurt worse than that. Good Luck!

cupcakeandmoose · July 2010

Nope, not at all. It was no different than a papsmear for me. I felt a tiny pinch like feeling for a second...that was it. I worried myself sick over the pain I was going to feel and it was all for nothig. You will be just fine. Relax.

If I could afford IVF I'd do that in a heartbeat. Go for it if you can.

CharBart · July 2010

Not too bad...more uncomfortable than anything while it was happening. I had a little cramping that advil took care of. Went straight to work afterward.

GL with everything!

MelleTX · July 2010

I just had mine on Friday. It really wasn't that bad. It was a little uncomfortable during the procedure, but the pain only lasted maybe 20 seconds and then they were done. Not something I would really want to repeat anytime soon but nothing terrible. I did have a small blockage on the left so they increased the pressure to clean it out - which worked - so maybe mine hurt a tiny bit more. I was a little sore for the next few days, but nothing as bad as period cramps.

Good luck!

redsoxbono · July 2010

Mine wasn't bad at all. I took 4 advil an hour before and I didn't have any cramping afterward. I did feel pain during, but it was very brief - just a couple of minutes.

GL!

OscarQ · July 2010

Since everyone else seems to have had a not bad experience with the HSG I'll be the heavy and warn you that mine hurt like a Mo Fo. I hope your HSG is like everyone else's here but it can be a b!tch. Take the motrin/advil/whatever. But I also have a titled uterus and I there was a delay with the radiologist so that complicated matters.

The nice thing about doing IUI or IVF is that TTC is handled medically and that leaves you the rest of the month to put the romance back into sex. For us, TTC had just made intercourse a loaded issue and we were totally stressed out which became a contributing IF factor.

Good luck Thursday and with the consult on Friday.

Deanne Shehane · July 2010

I had a little cramping during the procedure but it wasn't bad. I felt like I had air trapped in my uterus for a few days but that was it. I did two IUIs and neither worked so then we went straight to IVF. #1 didn't work but #2 did! It was all OOP and after two failed IUIs we just decided the cost was the same to do three more IUIs of IVF. Good luck!

Quetzal1212 · July 2010

I think that the process for me was uncomfortable since I had gotten just one other vaginal ultrasound before then. I'm pretty used to them now. But, I did make sure to take an advil prior to the HSG. I also drank all of the recommended water so that I did not have to wait much time to get it done. Good luck.

robynss · July 2010

Sorry OscarQ had a terrible experience. I was really nervous when I did mine as well. I had DH come and hold my hand, watched the actual x-ray to see the dye going through and found it kind of fascinating, thankfullly everything was fine. It was papsmear hurt because they use the same tool to hold you open (hopefully not TMI) and then the tube that they insert the dye in is SO small you wouldn't even know they were doing it. At least, that was my experience. I hope yours goes as smoothly!

GL

rach2100 · July 2010

I'm in the minority with Oscar!! Mine hurt like nothing else...and mind you I have had an ectopic pg. The reason mine hurt so bad is because the RE was trying to see if she could 'push' any dye thru my tube that they partially removed (due to the ectopic) and she tried 3 times...but almost got knocked out because I was in so much pain! I ws screaming at her that it hurt and she better hurry up otherwise as a reflex she was going to get kicked!

But...afterwards, I only had some cramping - and a little bloating - and I strongly suggest bringing a pad to wear after...the ones they provided me were so freaking HUGE!

GL!!

CityPixie · July 2010

MAH123 could you tell me more about the time consuming and traumatizing parts of IVF? -Pix

cbeney · July 2010

mine didnt hurt, ive heard they can hurt if you have tubal blockage though? i took pain reliever and worked the rest of the day GL!!

nikilouhoo · July 2010

I'll echo what the other ladies have said. Mine was uncomfortable, but it only lasted a few seconds. The hardest part was getting it positioned correctly because I have a tilted uterus (tmi, sorry) so that part was really not fun, but once they were in, it was pretty quick.

I took Advil beforehand, too. I was a bit crampy and tired afterwards, but that was probably more psychological. I had really psyched myself out about it beforehand.

Good luck!

ForTheLoveOf Pink · July 2010

OscarQ:

Since everyone else seems to have had a not bad experience with the HSG I'll be the heavy and warn you that mine hurt like a Mo Fo. I hope your HSG is like everyone else's here but it can be a b!tch. Take the motrin/advil/whatever.

Ditto! I really thought that the dye was going to come out of some other orifice. It seemed like my inside was going to blow up. It really hurt....with that been said atleast it was only for a few seconds.Just as I was about to scream stop....it was over. MO Fo absolutely OscarQ !!!!

MAH123 · July 2010

Typically, IUI runs close to your normal cycle and the goal is to grow 1-2 follies (with oral or injectables meds), then insemination is timed with ovulation (most take a shot to cause ovulation). For insemination you go in and it's like a pap. So basically your looking at minimal meds and a cycle of approx 30d with a cost of $400-$1500 with meds.

IVF on the other hand is typically a 60 d cycle. Every protocol is different, but my experience has been BCPs the first 28 days, Lupron (which causes major side effects for me) for 2 weeks, injectable stims for approx 8 days. I have every other day u/s or daily u/s with blood work, and because of the increased number of follies I am on a lifting restriction (nothing over 5 lbs) and it is uncomfortable to painful while growing multiple follies (I usually have 20-24). Then they retrieve your eggs under anesthesia (they stick a needle through the vaginal wall into your ovary and aspirate the eggs), where they are placed in a petri dish with the sperm and they grow for several days. They transfer 1-3 eggs back in and you take progesterone during your 2ww. So, multiple meds (sometimes up to 4-5 shots a day), approx 60 d cycle and a cost of $12,000-$15,000 with meds.

Everyone's IVF cycle is a little different, this has been my basic experience. I would just discuss it with your RE and see what they would recommend.

pnltybox · July 2010

I would classify my HSG as moderately uncomfortable. They found some polyps (which were later removed), so they were probably in there longer than normal trying to get a better view. This being said, it still was fairly quick and easy.

As far as going straight for IVF, I also recommend talking to your dr.
Also, make sure you know exactly what your insurance pays for (even just blood tests). Depending on your test results and other contributing factors (previous pg/gyn issues), they may want to be aggressive and head straight for IVF. I had a friend that had one ovary that didn't work (she had some type of surgery), and being that she was OOP, they told her not to even bother with IUI and went straight for IVF. As it turns out, right in the middle of figuring out the financing, she got pg on her own!

Good luck!

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