Is Biopsy Painful?

[MELINE]

Hello everyone..It seems like I have to make that test called biopsy ...When I realised how they do it I got terrified......Is it actually as painful as it sounds??? I understand I MUST do it because I have severe ιntestine pain, but at least I'd like to be prepared.....I would really like to hear the naked truth..if it hurts very much I would like to know it. Thanks..

[jayhawkmom]

It doesn't hurt at all. I was under "conscious sedation" when I had mine done. That means that I was awake, but sedated so that I didn't feel anything - and I have no real memory of anything other than my doctor saying, "Ok, lights out." And, then waking up about 45 minutes later, feeling really thirsty.

The intestines have no pain receptors, so the actual biopsy doesn't hurt a bit. It's like getting a hair cut. Your hair feels nothing... neither do your intestines. =)

HTH!

[MELINE]

  jayhawkmom said:

It doesn't hurt at all. I was under "conscious sedation" when I had mine done. That means that I was awake, but sedated so that I didn't feel anything - and I have no real memory of anything other than my doctor saying, "Ok, lights out." And, then waking up about 45 minutes later, feeling really thirsty.

The intestines have no pain receptors, so the actual biopsy doesn't hurt a bit. It's like getting a hair cut. Your hair feels nothing... neither do your intestines. =)

HTH!

I appreciate your immediate response... already feeling better....thanx

[Lisa]

Your nerve endings in your small intestines are not the same as you would feel on your skin. You will feel no pain.

You may wake up and have a bit of a sore throat after the proceedure, but that's about it. It's nothing to worry about.

[kenlove]

I was totally unconsious when I had mine so I dont remember a thing other thqan waking up and wishing I could have pizza<G>. You might ask the doctor ahead of time what they plan to do.

Anyway for me there was no pain at all. My stomach actually felt better after it.

take care

Ken (in Tokyo)

  MELINE said:

Hello everyone..It seems like I have to make that test called biopsy ...When I realised how they do it I got terrified......Is it actually as painful as it sounds??? I understand I MUST do it because I have severe ?ntestine pain, but at least I'd like to be prepared.....I would really like to hear the naked truth..if it hurts very much I would like to know it. Thanks..

[MELINE]

  Momma Goose said:

Your nerve endings in your small intestines are not the same as you would feel on your skin. You will feel no pain.

You may wake up and have a bit of a sore throat after the proceedure, but that's about it. It's nothing to worry about.

Thank you too for your answear...Seems like I was overworried for nothing...You see the despcription was a little bit....terrifying

Hi Ken! Hi Tokyo!

[nikky]

biopsies dont hurt at all, at the very least you will be under consious (mild) sedation. sometiemes they will completely knok you out (GA) but as far as i know its normally done under sedation.

you dont feel anything and most of the people i talk to have no recolection of the procedure.. when you wake up you may feel a bit strange because you can remember everything up to the point of the lights being switched off but after that it goes blank.

you may experience some throat pain when you wake up but that can be treated with pain killers, although i personally didnt feel any pain even though many people warned me i would (my mother later informed me that they had given me pethadine which was why i felt no pain even after the local anesthetic had worn off.) They may give you a local anesthetic (normally sprayed into the back of your mouth) but not all doctors do.

To put your mind at rest further it may be a good idea to talk to your doctor to find out what they intend doing. Dont worry its very low risk and you will have no recolection of the actual procedure. Within a few days you will be completely back to normal.

[larry mac]

Absolutely no pain of any kind. No sore throat afterwards. Nothing. That's the truth. My doctor said I would be sleeping, and I was. I was very, very pleased with the whole procedure.

About a week later, he called me at home at 7:00 pm. He said my villi were severely damaged, flattened. I also had greatly increased epithelial and intraephitial lymphocytec activity. I later received pictures clearly showing these symptoms. He said my diagnosis was Celiac disease. I was to immediately go on a gluten-free diet for life, which I did. I can't remember now what my last gluten item was. I never ate another one after that phone call.

He said of all the diseases he has to inform his patients of, Celiac is the best. Because there is no operation, no medicine, all you have to do is follow the diet. He said I would feel so much better that I would want to be on it. He was completely correct. I started getting better the very next day. Started to sleep all night long the next day. A week later, I was starting to gain my weight back, and was well on my way to recovering from my gastrointestinal problems. I was not having any of the same symptoms.

I owe that guy my life. I had never heard of the disease, and my first gastroenterologist was a total loser. I "lost" a year and a half getting sicker and sicker.

You are definately doing the right thing IMHO, by getting a real diagnoses.

best regards, lm

[MELINE]

  larry mac said:

Absolutely no pain of any kind. No sore throat afterwards. Nothing. That's the truth. My doctor said I would be sleeping, and I was. I was very, very pleased with the whole procedure.

About a week later, he called me at home at 7:00 pm. He said my villi were severely damaged, flattened. I also had greatly increased epithelial and intraephitial lymphocytec activity. I later received pictures clearly showing these symptoms. He said my diagnosis was Celiac disease. I was to immediately go on a gluten-free diet for life, which I did. I can't remember now what my last gluten item was. I never ate another one after that phone call.

He said of all the diseases he has to inform his patients of, Celiac is the best. Because there is no operation, no medicine, all you have to do is follow the diet. He said I would feel so much better that I would want to be on it. He was completely correct. I started getting better the very next day. Started to sleep all night long the next day. A week later, I was starting to gain my weight back, and was well on my way to recovering from my gastrointestinal problems. I was not having any of the same symptoms.

I owe that guy my life. I had never heard of the disease, and my first gastroenterologist was a total loser. I "lost" a year and a half getting sicker and sicker.

You are definately doing the right thing IMHO, by getting a real diagnoses.

best regards, lm

You convinced me!!! Now I am sure it is not painful. You see my doctor described the whole thing and then i got terrified and he told me not to worry but i didn't believe him...I thought he was just tryinig to be supportive....Nice to hear that despite the serious damage now you are doing ok.

Me too I think that many doctors are losers (I've been missdiagnosed for 10 years) Thanks god on the other side many of them are saving our lifes (like yours)

Geia sou

[babygirl1234]

nope no pain at all you might have a sore throth for a day or 2 but other then that you are on pain meds and sed and you will be drowsy after it oh BTW you have to have someone drive you because they wont do it other wise

[nikky]

  babygirl1234 said:

nope no pain at all you might have a sore throth for a day or 2 but other then that you are on pain meds and sed and you will be drowsy after it oh BTW you have to have someone drive you because they wont do it other wise

excellent point about having to be driven home ... i woke up to find the man in the oposite bed arguing with the nurse because he wanted to go home instead of waiting for his wife to pick him up.. he nearlly ended up having to be admitted.. you do not want to go there.

[jmcbride4291]

I just had a biopsy 4 days ago. I was asleep the whole time and never felt a thing. No side affects at all. You will be woosey for a very short while. The hardest part which realy is not to bad is the special diet the day before and drinking the solution to clean you out.

[larry mac]

  jmcbride4291 said:

..... The hardest part which realy is not to bad is the special diet the day before and drinking the solution to clean you out.

I think you may be confusing an endoscopy (which is needed for positive Celiac diagnosis), with a colonoscopy (which does nothing for diagnosing Celiac). Believe me, I've had both. It's not required to drink anything special before an endoscopy. You only need to fast x-number hours before the procedure primarily due to the sedation, they don't ever want anything on your stomach before any operation or invasive procedure in case you were to throw up while under. Plus, you obviously wouldn't want to eat anything right before the procedure anyway.

best regards, lm

p.s., MELINE, you are having an endoscopy right? And not a colonoscopy? The same doctor performs both and takes biopsies in both cases.

[MELINE]

  larry mac said:

p.s., MELINE, you are having an endoscopy right? And not a colonoscopy? The same doctor performs both and takes biopsies in both cases.

Not a colonoscopy. An endoscopy. That's my case. It is actually a little bit confusing....you are right.

[alison24060]

I had my endoscopy today. I was very pleased. When I got to the doctors office (no, not the hospital!!) they immediately hook you up to an IV and then I waited for the person before me to finish. When I was wheeled into the room the nurse had me lay on left side, placed breathing tubes on/in on my nose, sprayed the back of my throat with a numbing agent then placed a contraption in my mouth so i couldn't bite down and they would be able to get the tube in. She then added Midazolam to my IV and as soon as the docs turned the lights off i fell asleep.

When I woke up i was a little out of it, but after sleeping a little more I woke up slightly nauseous and still tired. No pain in my throat/mouth anywhere.... I just went home and slept more and I'm fine now.

Just aggrevated that my doctor doesn't think I have Celiac based on what he saw. I have briefly gone on a Gluten Free diet myself and had results, then when I went off it for just one day and I was immediately sick. So now I'm totally confused. But i'm waiting on the biopsy results within the next couple weeks.

Good Luck