Sounds like everyone had such different experiences. Fortunately mine was great. A lortab, xannax, and plenty of great bedside manner.
the secret to a good biopsy or any procedure is be informed and really listen to the docs...when they say hold your breath do it always have a talk first and advise if something does arise unusual ask ?????'s..as for pain meds go to your family doc and they usually give out no ?'s..advil hard on liver and over 1000 mg of tylenol can stop your liver..be cautious...tx the sx carefully..and i find non profit hosp. more caring then others
I'm sure you will be fine, but I had a horrible experience with my cat-scan guided biopsy. They took the time to set me up with an IV, but didn't give me anything prior to relax me or for the pain -- they said it was "a piece of cake" therefore, I wasn't the least bit concerned. Well, I should have been because they hit that nerve that goes up into your right shoulder. (By the way, they said it was rare to hit it, but they sure found mine). I thought I was taking a heart attack (as I have some heart issues) The pain was horrible! They wanted me to hold my breath, but after they biopsied the first section, I couldn'teven breathe. I had to try & lay there as they finished the other two sections. Finally, after I was gasping for air, they thought they punctured my lung so I had to lay there through a cat scan of my lung. I was alone as my hus had to work & it was a terrible feeling thinking there was something horribly wrong & I was there by myself. Oh,yea, then after all that, they gave me something for pain... The shoulder pain (from the nerve) lasted three days. If I ever need another biopsy, hopefully, that won't happen again. Hope you have better luck than I did!
That piece of **** physician you described just broke the law. Did he/she make these comments in front of anyone? If anything like that ever happens to you again - God forbid - get the jerks name, try to get some witness names too and then write a letter to the state licensing board. He/She will be censured. If it happened in the ER we can all hope that he's going on to Pathology where he can't do any more damage. (Yes, I know he actually could.) Hope you are doing OK now.
Dog_Lover
I had an easy biopsy 5 years ago, but the laying on the side for 4 hours was excruciating. I was in so much pain, I could hardly stand it. Luckily the nurses had orders to give me morphine or demeral if I needed it, and I sure did. It helped take that edge off and make me more comfortable. Perhaps you can ask ahead of time, what the do about pain.
I had an ERCP for bile duct obstruction a few months ago. They kept me overnight for antibiotics. That night I had had RUQ pain and was in a lot of pain. I asked the nurse for something. She said nothing but maalox was ordered. Luckily I had my own pain meds and took some. The next morning the am nurse says that I had morphine ordered the whole time. So the nurse at night was f###ing with me. That really makes me angry, but those docs and nurses for and against pain meds are pretty divided.
I have read lots here on the forum that people have NO pain. That would be great, I wouldn't count on it though. Taking your own pain meds may be difficult while you are laying on your side and can't get up. You may need an acomplice, if you have pain.
I don't understand why you wouldn't be allowed advil, maybe because of bleeding. I know now that I have new ins. I would ask what the procedure for pain after biopsy is beforehand.
It is stupid! Some docs think you will get addicted to ONE pain pill or shot. Everyone reacts differently to pain.
I had a bone marrow biopsy recently and the doc said it would painless. He numbed the local area. During the procedure I was screaming at the top of my lungs it hurt so much! I cried for 2 hours afterwards from the tramatic experience. This could have been avoided if he would have given me something before the procedure, most likely.
My doce said I was the first person to ever have pain from that. I REALLY find that hard to believe. I will never do it again w/o something ahead of time.
i take darvocetn100 2x a day. my biopsy fortunately was a breeze and i knew the doc. pn. goes away soon. i had 2 days of it then fine.always bring own meds always..
When you say "hep C" its like an immediate sign to er nurses and doctors that you are a drug addict - I was just in the hospital and the er doc actually gave me a hard time about having hep C (how did you get it, why did you do that - yeah, it was hell) What made it truly horrid was the fact that I had pluorsy and most people would have been given morphine w/o a question. When I was discharged this jerk actually said "I'd like to give you a pain killer but I'm afraid you'll have issues with it".....I didn't know whether to laugh or cry (did the cry later on!) 25 years clean not that I would explain that to him - its amazing how a stupid, stupid decision @17 yrs old can still affect me! Anyway there is a good part of this story - told my hep doctor, he freaked & wrote a nasty note to the er & I received a wonderful letter from the hospital. Try and explain that you need something for the bioposy - I've had 3 now and they give me a little something before which helps. Good luck and stand firm!
I had my bx a couple of months ago--they gave me Versed prior to the procedure--I vaguely remember talking to someone and then I was back in my room. I had some discomfort--it was mild--the nurse gave me tylenol and it relieved the pain. Sounds like the process is so different from doc to doc. It wasn't bad for me--hated waiting for the results--had the bx on Wednesday and Friday I heard the results.
It is amazing how the opinions of physicians can be so polar on the issue of pain control. I have low back pain and have for thirty years. When I was in my mid-twenties and I had to go to the ER I was almost always turned away with a cursory exam and if I were lucky, a couple of Tylenol #3's. I have gone to the ER with my blood pressure so high due to pain the they wanted to admit me because of that! Still, I was turned away as someone seeking drugs, I cannot remember being any more frustrated than I was then. On the other hand I can remember going into the ER and being treated with respect and being given eighty or ninety dilaudids (the good stuff) As I got older and established myself with a good Internist she was very good about keeping me out of pain, she trusted me and knew I was really hurting. In my experience, I think women make much better doctors. They are better listeners, more nurturing and are less quick to judge - at least most of them are. My Internist finally sent me to a pain clinic when she was having to prescribe me Oxycontin (the really good stuff). The pain doctor didn't screw around. Anyway, I was given light sedation prior to my liver biopsy and morphine when I woke up. Oh yeah, my liver doc is a woman.
Peace
Dog_Lover
I had my biopsy last week and they gave me some demrol. I really did not feel much. Most of the uncomfort was due to laying on my side on a rolled up town for 3 hours.Don't know how much they can give you for the test but I would think after it they should be able to. In fact I did ask and they said if I was in unbearable pain they would give me something stronger. I never asked what that was though. I don't like taking anything typically.
When i had my last bx the doctor was new and woulndt give me any pain meds unless it was pure codiene well the hospital didnt have any, i also have deferred pain when they take the sample i have extreme pain in my right neck and shoulder the nurses were upset because they coulndt give me anything and they said next time to bring my own meds to take after the bx, so next time im going to bring my own liquid advil or something...