Stereotactic Core Needle Biopsy - PAIN?
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I too ask for something to make me loopy
during procedure I kept thinking these meds not working...they are not working..! I dint' think much of it until some days later found paperwork in my purse-I asked my hubby how it got there-he said you gave it to me and I put in in..shorten version I MUST HAVE really been out of it-even thought felt not...
they kind of thought I was nutty to ask for loopy pills...but I DID>>>!0 -
Ow ow OW!disneyfan2008 said:I too ask for something to make me loopy
during procedure I kept thinking these meds not working...they are not working..! I dint' think much of it until some days later found paperwork in my purse-I asked my hubby how it got there-he said you gave it to me and I put in in..shorten version I MUST HAVE really been out of it-even thought felt not...
they kind of thought I was nutty to ask for loopy pills...but I DID>>>!
My core needle biopsy was soo painful! At one point, the nurse stuck her face in my face and said "Are you ok? You're so still...but don't hyperventilate" I was nasty to her, said "Get outta my face, you're in the way of my visual"...I was drawing pictures with the holes in the tiles of the ceiling and doing lamaze breathing. After it was over, I told the doctor not to take it personally, but if a procedure is so painful that I have to use lamaze breathing to get thru it, I won't do it again unless I'm knocked out!
That taught me to speak up and tell nurses and docs that it's bad enough that I have to have cancer, does it really have to involve torture too? It also taught me that on poke #5 of what turned out to be 8 pokes to start a line for chemo, it's time to bring on the lamaze breathing! So, I'm all about bringing on the drugs too, hell yeah!0 -
Stereotactic Biopsy - Pain Level
I think a few things factor into the procedure. 1) competency of the Radiologist performing it 2)size of breast, I think those with larger more fatty breasts vs. those with smaller more dense breasts could make a difference 3) One's frame of mind, anxiety or fear level. The reason I had the biopsy was to determine how the calcifications looked and get a pathology report. I'm one with a smaller more dense breast so perhaps where there is less fat there may be more sensitivity. The Radiologist was very competent. As I have secondary links to breast cancer I had anxiety. My birad, risk factor was 4A which means there is "suspicion" 80% are benign for cancer but 20% in fact can be positive for it. I'm not always the most lucky so I felt very unsettled that I could be in the 20% group. Thus, I asked my dr. for .5 mg. of a Xanex generic version for anxiety. With it I laid perfectly still and was a very cooperative patient. I would say while there was some pressure as the vacuuming of tissue went on it was doable. Post procedure I did have some burning sensation and what felt like a sharp spearing feeling but as I iced the area and took Tylenol I was just fine. I think we have to look at the big picture in this and say how great it is to be an out patient rather than be admitted for a more invasive type of surgery as what used to be years ago. I guess all things considered I would rate it as a mild discomfort. And the best news is I am in the 80% that are breast cancer free. I will be more attuned to incorporating more fish and brown rice into my diet. I'll eat good veggies and anti oxidant fruits. I'll continue to walk at least 30 min. each day to stay on the right side of the equation. And I am aware of a dr. that practices at a Chicago university hospital that has both a background in western medicine as well as holistic treatment plans. If I ever came up with cancer he would be the one I would believe in. I am not one that believes in rounds of chemo, that wouldn't be for me. I think early detection is key so we need to do whatever is required to get a diagnosis. I hope this makes some sense.0 -
Stereotactic Biopsy -CoeBruno said:I am sorry I haven't been in contact...
First of all, thank you, thank you, thank you, EVERYONE! You all have given me a place to share, vent, and learn. You are all so generous and truly appreciated!
I live in Florida the past 8 years. But, I am originally from New York. I have 5 sisters and only 1 that lives here with me in Florida. Well, after getting the dreadful news this past Friday afternoon that I have two malignant tumors in my right breast, I have had more support and love from family and friends (I include all of you as my friends, too) that I could possibly ever have prayed for! Two of my sister's from NY arrived here on Monday night to be with me - God is soooo good!
Well, I went to my surgeon on Tuesday and he told me I have invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC).
He couldn't tell me what stage. The plan is to have a lumpectomy next week. He said at that time he would also perform a sentinal node biopsy. He said he would also try and implant a balloon for subsequent radiation treatment. If, in fact, the sentinal node biopsy was also malignant, he would remove my nodes immediately during the same operation.
So, I am trying to stay focused and take one step at a time. Through prayer and support from loved ones, so far, I feel composed. However, friends, can anyone tell me more about ILC? More about a lumpectomy? More about this balloon? Second opinions?
At this point, I am waiting for an appointment (probably tomorrow) for a few MRI's. My surgeon says he would like to do surgery next week. He also said I will be meeting with a medical oncologist and a radiology oncologist. He said after the removal of these lumps they would be sent to pathology and then I will know the stage of cancer. Again, "the waiting game"...
P.S. Thanks to you and your shared experiences, my daughter Jamie took the news just fine. I was so worried about that! She's only 10 and I truly didn't want this to absorb her totally - like at times it does to me.
With prayers and gratitude,
Colette
I noticed your post from Feb. 09' how did things turn out? I had a stereotactic biopsy last week and rated it as a mild discomfort. I had anxiety about it for sure. But I came out clean for cancer. I will focus on a diet that is high in fiber and better. I'm one that likes to make home made breads and goodies all loaded with sugar and white flour. So I need to limit that stuff.
Linda Marie0 -
Ouch Ouch Ouch! Is right!
Excruciating pain! No one told me how painful a breast biopsy would be and good thing they didn't because the doctors would have had to put me under anesthesia first! It was on my right breast and every bit of how you described the pain. I'm 59 and I cried like a baby kicking my feet as the numbing needle and especially the extraction needed felt like a shot gun bullet went straight into my breast and exploded. It was awful! And 3 weeks later my breast is still sore and the nipple very tender to the touch. Im sorry you went through this as well as myself. The outcome for me was calcification and cystic fibroids. I wouldn't wish a breast biopsy on my worst enemy if they was going to suffer such EXCRUIATING PAIN like you and I did.
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this computer has something against me
Thorton, you are right. Docs say it doesn't hurt and is a lie. If the breast is small, large, fibrous or fatty, will vary the amount of pain perceived. Some give lidocaine or xylocaine to alleviate pain, but others not. I know for sure I won't let anyone near me with a biopsy or an MRI again. I suffered a lot. Even if my life depended on it. My tumor in my right breast was there from 2007 to 2016 due to my evasion of the biopsy. I would do it again.
Yes I kick too. But my surgeon stood beside me so I kicked his hand with my elbow. If he mentions me again the word biopsy I will turn into a fiery dragon and will eat him. Bt they deserve a kick in the b...s so they can know how much it hurts. Anyway, my health plan increased the costs of every single procedure so I will think. The combination of Xanax with valium will knock you down and you won't feel anything; better you won't remember anything. I did that the day of the first biopsy, and the only thing I remember is I see you in the OR. On the SLN biopsy, I was not lucky. I had to solve a last minute problem and had my adrenaline high. I didn't cry, I screamed like mad. It hurts a lot.
See you tomorrow. Will come back while reviewing electron tracks and vectors in simulations. Is so bored. Good night,
Maria
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Ouch!
Ouch OUCH OUCH Indeed! Not the worst pain I have ever felt in my life, nor even close. (That would be having a total knee replacement and not having pain medications, food or drink for 24 hours straight on the second day post-op in a lousy nursing home that I left to care for myself at home instead. That adventure trumped natural chilbirthing a 9 pound kid.) However, it was far from painless. The upside of that, it only hurt intensely while they actively inserting the 9 guage needle (I felt it twice, yet they took 12 cores) and, to a lesser but more protracted degree, during the 10 minute compression of my breast to stop the bleeding after the biopsy was done. The whole thing was about 30 minutes start to finish for me.
The after pain is not too bad at all. Just a little heat and soreness as long as you follow the instructions and ice the heck out of it. Oh and, don't jump out and walk 2 miles just to make others feel happy and loved like I did. I wound up exhausted, irritable and went to bed and crashed for 3 hours. (Granted, I had taken promethazine to prevent nausea before my biopsy as I have GERD so it made me massively sleepy). I am 1 week post biospy and there is very little soreness left. I only notice if I press against the area while sleeping or bump it during the day.
My guess is the amount of pain felt may be relative to the depth of the lesion they are biopsying. I am backbreakingly endowed thanks to my grandmother's genes and also have very dense breast tissue so the needles had to pass through about 4 inches of tissue to reach the calcifications. I am guessing it is difficult to adequately numb someone as well that deep, and breast density may be a factor as well as it possibly means more nerve endings and increased resistance are involved.
I am a retired marine biologist and all I can say is...now I know how all those sharks I tagged felt. Karma is a beast.0 -
I too had a bad experience
I too had a bad experience with steriotatic mammogram assisted biopsy. Searing pain into my breast through to the nipple. They gave me Lidocaine but at one point I had the presence of mind not to pull away during the pain. I read later the deeper the area being biopsies and the dense ness of the breast tissue can influence pain. I had a ultrasound guided core needle biopsy and it was a walk in the park compared to the second biopsy.
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No pain
My dr deadened my breast before my biopsy didn't feel a thing. I am so sorry that happened to you.
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I had this done on both breasts
All I can say is I survived these. They are supposed to be very painful. And they squeeze your breasts with the machine before they give you the anesthesia. I thought they would give me anesthesia before the squeezing. And then you just have to go through it.
I saw signs every few inches on the wall "if you feel like fainting..." and I asked the nurses after the whole ordeal was over and they said women do faint, but mostly younger ones. I'm 58. My threshold for pain is high. I can take a few things. I still felt stuff with these. When I told the doctor "ouch" she said "but it's manageable? can you take it?" I said yes, go on. Good thing they got good samples. One of the nurses' job was holding my hand. I counted to hundreds and then I had a little bit of time before they did the other breast.
They're necessary, though. I had calcifications and I wanted to know if my right breast was going to be OK at least, since the left breast had a big tumor sitting on top of more cancer and calcifications.
I was just diagnosed with stage 2, grade 3 breast cancer. Don't know much about it yet. I started chemo last week and I have a long way to go before a mastectomy next year.
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Pain - Oh Yes!
Five years ago I had an aspiration biopsy with brief pain during the aspiration. I expected a similar experience. Hardly!
I have very dense breasts and perhaps they can't anesthetize density. In that case, however, core needle biopsies should be done under general anesthesia. Insertion of the needle was tolerable. But the cutting was excruciating. And cut they did, multiple times. Nor was the procedure described to me in advance. I was only told that I would feel a "bee sting" for the anesthesia, but I felt almost nothing when 'anesthesized'. So when the doctor's warning was "You're going to hear a drill", I was prepared for sound but not intense pain. I have a high pain threshold so I suppose I could do it again - but only if general anesthesia isn't an option.
Emily
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I so identify with your comments as I was not told how painful it would be either - all of my friends that had a biopsy explained it was simply a shot to numb and then insert to get a sample for testing. I knew I had dense breasts and mammogram compression has never been major pain for me for me. During this procedure I was repeatedly asked if I was ok with the pain of the compression and I repeatedly said that it was fine as they continued to increase it. I was warned of the possibility of some slight burning with the needle which I also expected and able to handle, but then without warning there was an extremely painful feeling like a staple gun had shot a staple through the end of my nipple into the table! I howled out to the seemingly unexpected surprise of the nurses and surgeon attending to me, and continued to cry out about the unbearable pain. The surgeon finally said that he was going to add more anesthesia which did not ease and seize the pain until after three of the five times samples were being taken! After that I was fine with no further unbearable pain. I had natural childbirth of two sons, big babies the first at 9 pounds 11 1/2 ounces, and it was a breeze when compared to this procedure! I assume that my Stereotactic Core Biopsy is a much more painful procedure than the single needle biopsy procedures that my friends had gone through without such extreme pain. I am going to talk with my primary care doctor about the need for future increase in anesthesia as it is apparent to me that my body has a delayed reaction to absorbing anesthesia or I need stronger stuff than normal. I now recall that that the dentist has usually had to give me more than typical amount of anesthesia for dental work, and my recent cataract surgery also seemed in need of an increase in the local I was given. My thanks to the whoever it was on the discussion boards that mentioned the possible correlation of the need for increased meds in dental work and other procedure s. I am going to investigate that possibility and I will be asking my primary care physician about documentation for reference in any further procedures I may need for any reason.
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Hi all, I too had an extremely painful stereotactic needle biopsy. It was the most painful medical treatment that I have ever been through. They even gave me double the dose of numbing medication but it didn’t help. I could feel everything and was squealing.
Just to put it into perspective I had a lumpectomy a few days ago and the discomfort from this is about 5% as compared to the 105% from the biopsy. Very odd.
What was it? The person performing it? I don’t have dense breasts. Did they hit a nerve? I also had shooting pain in that breast for over a month.
My lumpectomy was sooo much easier in my case.
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I had an ultrasound guided core needle biopsy yesterday, 12/1/22. It was the WORST pain I felt in my entire life. The doctor and two technicians said they never saw someone in so much pain. I cried the entire time. I don't think the lidocaine worked AT ALL, despite them giving me more multiple times. I even thought, the dentist usually waits a few minutes for novacaine to take effect, should they have waited? It felt like someone was using a commercial grade staple gun to shoot at my chest. I saw posts online - all indicating its uncomfortable but not painful. The radiology group told me the same thing right before the procedure. I've had three c-sections in the past, including one where they forgot to give me pain meds until it was too late. The pain PALED in comparison to yesterday! I don't know why they would have anyone go thru this while awake.
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I had a stereotic breast biopsy today. I've had kids naturally, diverticulitis with a 10 inch bowel resection etc. This was the most painful, horrific experience of my entire life. I bled horrifically all over my jeans. They gave me lidocaine then instantly started. How I screamed. Why is this not done with use of diprovan? We women need to ban together and DEMAND sedation. Hopefully my results are negative. I will NEVER AGAIN agree to this again.
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