Like many others commenting on this site, I too went into my IUD fitting thinking I had high pain tolerance. I waited over a day to see a doctor about a comminuted fracture in my elbow, not wanting to bother them if it wasn't anything serious. I knew to expect some heavy cramping, but was ready to face it in order to get the IUD inserted, and took some ibuprofen prior to the procedure to hopefully keep some of it at bay. I had great interactions with my GYN in past visits, including for a D&C due to uterine polyps.
I also had heard of some people fainting during insertion, but thought that it was more of a reflex due to pressure on the cervix, than something related to pain. I was well versed in the technicalities of the procedure, she started with an infusion of lidocaine, and I had only slight anxiety about getting it done. The clamps and infusions weren't bad, nothing worse than the D&C was.
The pain I felt once she started trying to dilate my cervix for the IUD was excruciating. Excruciating. Worst by far that I've ever experienced. Usually when pain gets bad, I get silent, and hold my breath, if anything. Here I was involuntarily crying out in pain, which I've never done before. I started sobbing absolutely uncontrollably, unable to think, see or control my breathing. She was trying to check in with me, but I was so absolutely not in control of myself I couldn't answer. At one point my GYN paused to let me try to center myself and to give me two rounds of injections into my cervix, but as soon as she started again, the pain was immediate. She said my cervix was very stiff and she was having trouble dilating it enough to get the probe in. When she took my hand to try to comfort me, I was sweaty, cold and clammy. She asked if I wanted to stop and try another day, but I knew if I didn't get it done then, I wouldn't ever come back. So I tried to grit it out. I soon was sobbing uncontrollably again once she restarted with the dilators. I managed to ask her for an honest opinion on how much longer it would be (it had been at least 20 minutes at this point). I could get through one last push, I thought. But she wasn't anywhere close to done (she hadn't even gotten the probe in to check for uterine depth), and made the call to abort the procedure. When she saw my face, she immediately laid the back of the chair back because my face was so white. She had to see her next appointment, so I laid there alone with immense cramping, my legs shaking, and sobbing for another 45 minutes. I hadn't brought anyone to my appointment, so I had to lay in the grass outside for another hour until my legs stopped shaking and I could control my sobbing, to be safe enough to drive myself home.
How is this acceptable? I come onto blogs like this and find I am far from the only person who has had this experience. Trauma, was what it was. How could I not have been offered even the slightest sedation or any pain medication stronger than ibuprofen? How do we not know how many women have been equally traumatized by what is described to us as a simple procedure? My husband was given so much more pain control both before and after his vasectomy. I have had issues with the health care industry before, but have never felt so absolutely failed by it before.
Pain during IUD fitting
in Women's health
Posted
Like many others commenting on this site, I too went into my IUD fitting thinking I had high pain tolerance. I waited over a day to see a doctor about a comminuted fracture in my elbow, not wanting to bother them if it wasn't anything serious. I knew to expect some heavy cramping, but was ready to face it in order to get the IUD inserted, and took some ibuprofen prior to the procedure to hopefully keep some of it at bay. I had great interactions with my GYN in past visits, including for a D&C due to uterine polyps.
I also had heard of some people fainting during insertion, but thought that it was more of a reflex due to pressure on the cervix, than something related to pain. I was well versed in the technicalities of the procedure, she started with an infusion of lidocaine, and I had only slight anxiety about getting it done. The clamps and infusions weren't bad, nothing worse than the D&C was.
The pain I felt once she started trying to dilate my cervix for the IUD was excruciating. Excruciating. Worst by far that I've ever experienced. Usually when pain gets bad, I get silent, and hold my breath, if anything. Here I was involuntarily crying out in pain, which I've never done before. I started sobbing absolutely uncontrollably, unable to think, see or control my breathing. She was trying to check in with me, but I was so absolutely not in control of myself I couldn't answer. At one point my GYN paused to let me try to center myself and to give me two rounds of injections into my cervix, but as soon as she started again, the pain was immediate. She said my cervix was very stiff and she was having trouble dilating it enough to get the probe in. When she took my hand to try to comfort me, I was sweaty, cold and clammy. She asked if I wanted to stop and try another day, but I knew if I didn't get it done then, I wouldn't ever come back. So I tried to grit it out. I soon was sobbing uncontrollably again once she restarted with the dilators. I managed to ask her for an honest opinion on how much longer it would be (it had been at least 20 minutes at this point). I could get through one last push, I thought. But she wasn't anywhere close to done (she hadn't even gotten the probe in to check for uterine depth), and made the call to abort the procedure. When she saw my face, she immediately laid the back of the chair back because my face was so white. She had to see her next appointment, so I laid there alone with immense cramping, my legs shaking, and sobbing for another 45 minutes. I hadn't brought anyone to my appointment, so I had to lay in the grass outside for another hour until my legs stopped shaking and I could control my sobbing, to be safe enough to drive myself home.
How is this acceptable? I come onto blogs like this and find I am far from the only person who has had this experience. Trauma, was what it was. How could I not have been offered even the slightest sedation or any pain medication stronger than ibuprofen? How do we not know how many women have been equally traumatized by what is described to us as a simple procedure? My husband was given so much more pain control both before and after his vasectomy. I have had issues with the health care industry before, but have never felt so absolutely failed by it before.