Hysterosalpingogram

I had that done a couple of years ago...it is a little uncomfortable, but not too bad. They thread a thin catheter in vaginally and inject dye so everything shows up on the scan screen. Expect some cramping and possibly some spotting afterwards, especially if they use the catheter to correct any minor blockage. Best of luck to you!

D.,
I went through it twice...I had a miscarriage and then did IVF again. It is slightly uncomfortable, but nothing worse than an exam. Expect minimal bleeding for a very short time.
Good luck to you!
J.

this is a simple procedure. painless. no more invasive than a pap. they use a dye so make sure you aren't allergic to that. when i had mine, i could see what they could on the screen (like an ultrasound). good luck on getting pregnant!

I had one done a few years back. Don't be nervous--It only takes a few minutes. It's not painful. You get to watch on the screen as the dye goes in and through your tubes.

Good luck

Definitely depends on the doctor you are seeing.

My doctor gave me the answer of 'it depends on the woman'...when I asked her about the pain level involved. I am not good with pain. But she said that she has never given any type of muscle relaxer or local anesthesia to numb things for a patient. I was only told to take Ibuprofen (ie Motrin) an hour or so before the procedure to help with the cramping pain that can occur afterwards. I was profided a hand-out as well to take home...and in it, I also never read anything in the literature about taking Tylenol like others had mentioned taking...it was only Ibuprofen mentioned. The procedure was VERY painful for me.

Fortunately the procedure only takes a few minutes (8-10?). Sometimes they have to use a special 'clamp' to help with inserting the one device into your uterus...to inject the dye. And the doctor said that maybe this is what caused me all my pain...the clamp device that they did have to use with me. But think really...the whole procedure was actually very painful....and not just the clamp part. Definitely 100% more painful than any annual Pap exam I've ever had. But I guess...if it means that it helps in getting a beautiful baby afterwards...that's HUGE.

Also, side note... They say after doing this procedure, it helps to flush out and clear out your tubes. And most women do tend to get pregnant the next month just due to the fact their tubes have been cleared out by doing this procedure.

I've read some of the other answers and I see it is kind of mixed. I wonder if the pain level has to do with any blockage. I had this procedure down about 7-8 years ago and I had a lot of blockage in my tubes (they were both bad). For me the pain was severe and extremely painful. I would definitely take the Tylenol before going in. The process itself isn't anything to be scared about, but just know that for some it is not a pleasant experience. Try to focus on the outcome rather than what is happening. This way you will get answers you need. Good Luck! After 10 years of trying (including 3 IUI and 7 IVF) we had 2 beautiful twin girls just a little over 1 year ago. My motto is that if we can do it anyone can!

I had the procedure almost 5 years ago now and had 1 tube completely blocked. I don't recall being in a lot of pain like some said if you had blockage...maybe some minor cramping. It was pretty cool though to see on the screen what was going on and what my tubes looked like. I wouldn't worry, it will be over before you know it.

I had this done & it was uncomforable. The speculum(sp?) is larger than one used for an exam & there was no place for the doctor to anchor it to. It was cool to see my uterus on TV. And afterwards there was some strange looking discharge for about 2 days and cramping

Take some Tylenol or some other OTC pain reliever. And if possible, have your husband in with you to hold your hand.

Best of luck to you on getting pregnant!!

I had this procedure done 3yrs ago. It wasn't too bad really, but it was not pain free either. My husband was there with me to hold my hand, and I think I squeezed pretty hard. For me the pain was sort of sharp, and I had minimal cramping after. Everyone is a bit different with pain thresholds. It's a quick procedure really. Good luck. AJ

I've had three of them if you can believe it! The first was during normal early fertility testing in IL (1997) and the doctor there gave me nothing to relax me and I cramped up something terrible. The test proved inconclusive -- he thought maybe I was allergic to the dye. I had to undergo a laperoscopy a month later which showed my tubes were clear.

We moved to MN a year later and got settled before finding an RE here. He wanted to repeat the test and I panicked. He reassured me things would be different and he gave me a muscle relaxer before the test. It went SO much better and I lived to tell the tale. We got pregnant, had a baby and then when we went back to him for baby #2 he wanted the test done again. I was much less anxious that time -- having been through it with him once before -- and the third time was the easiest of all. It's like most things...you're tense until you know what to expect. It isn't bad and it goes quick. My tubes were always clear so maybe that helps too, I'm not sure.

Relax and you'll get through it just fine! Good luck.

Hi D.-
Make sure you take 2 tylenol about 1 hour before the procedure. Will help with pain. It's a simple test. I've had it a couple times. The xray equip malfunctioned during mine so I had to have the "moment" 3 extra times before we got good pictures. There is a very sharp pain and you hold your breath during the pictures. I didn't take tylenol before- no one told me that and they were surprised. After- they told me - well you just had your first taste of labor pains! It's only a moment and it was that- I now know. It's just an instant and you might experience a little cramping after but not much.
Easy- just bear with it and get the answers you need.

About me 47yo med. prof., wellness coach and mom of nearly 7yo twin girls.

B. J

I had an HSG a few years back to check to see why we couldn't get pg on our own. Make sure you take some pain meds of some sort (I believe they told me Ibuprophen or Advil)as you get to the clinic/hospital. The proceedure was a little uncomfy as they injected the dye into my uterus as your body identifies is as a foreign substance causing you to cramp to get rid of it. Make sure you also bring a pad along as you will spot and also spot the dye as it exits your body. I was stupid and did a little bit of shopping afterwards and should've just gone home for the day and rested.

Mine all came back just fine, but I understand if there are any problems they can sometimes fix it right then and there.

Good Luck!

I had the procedure about two years ago. They esentially put a cathater in your tubes and "flush" them with dye so they can see if they are blocked or not. In some cases it will even clear minor blockages and some women report getting pregnant soon after. It was a fairly quick procedure...15 minutes maybe. You get your results right away, you can see it all on the monitor. It was painless. I remember that I could feel them injecting the dye but it was just some very minor cramping. It was really not a big deal.

I had this proceedure done after a couple misscarriages. It was fairly simple. The worst thing I remember was a possible shot to numb the area before inserting something or just the insertion that was painfull, but bearable.Then we sat ther with her hand holding it in place for what seemed an eternity till the radiologist came. (they do the test) A little cramping and bleeding, but nothing bad. Overall not to bad . Good luck and hope for prfect results like mine!

I had a hystersalpingogram and it was nothing. I little unconfortable when the dye goes in but other than that it went well. I had a septum removed from my uterus and this was done to see how the inside looked after surgery.
Good luck
A.

If insurance covers it, I would go straight for in vitro. You have a better chance with in vitro, and probably better insurance coverage, than dealing with reversing his vasectomy. I dealt with inferility issues, and had the Hysterosalpingogram. I have a very low pain tolerance, but this was no problem, so you should be fine. Good luck!!!!

They aren't fun, but not bad. It starts similar to a pap, but they inject sye into your uterus and then it will 'spill' into your tubes. It helped me to take a couple Advil before hand.

I had this done almost two years ago. Expect cramping! It is a very fast procedure, however somewhat painful. I was told the cramping was comparable to period cramps. It was worse, but as soon as the event was done, no pain. Very fast with good news. We did artificial but to no success. We followed with in vitro with success the first month. Our son is now almost 10 months old!

Hi D.,

Definately take the Tylenol. I had the procedure done in 2002 and didn't take the Tylenol. My experience was that it hurt. The nurse told me it would make me have contractions like I was having a baby, and it did. It didn't last very long though. But I'll be honest it wasn't very comfortable. Take the Tylenol.

I felt nothing during the procedure. I didn't even have to take anything before or after. To me, it was easier than having your period. I later talked to a friend who had had fertility issues and she said that for her it really "killed" but that's how she found out she had tubed blocked by endemetriosis. Mine were clear. So, my advice is to relax and treat it as you would any normal exam. I found it really interesting to be able to see the screen and see the dye going through the uterus and tubes.