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Some have pain and others don't. So many factors and everyone's pain tolerance level is different and then there is the adrenalin factor - you can burn off numbing agents and anxiety medication more quickly if your anxiety is very high. My best friend had a stereotactic biopsy, had no pain and thankfully no cancer.
I, on the other hand, knew going in that I most likely had breast cancer based on the mammogram and was in extreme pain... the Valium did nothing for me and the numbing agent they used did not take at all (I am allergic to lidocaine which is the main ingredient in Novocaine). They couldn't pump the numbing agent fast enough so I felt everything. Since they had started and we needed to get this done that day we continued with the procedure and I just swore like a sailor through it all. I have a very high threshold for pain but the procedure was excruciatingly painful for me considering I wasn't numb at all. Luckily the procedure itself is only about 15-20 minutes and it made all of my other procedures afterwards feel like a cake walk.
Best advice I can give is to ask your doctor to give you a script for a powerful sedative that you know for sure will work and communicate with the doctor during the procedure if you have any discomfort or pain. Don't let the fear of pain stop you from having the procedure.
Good luck to all who need to have a biopsy and hope you all have benign reports.
Just had a mammogram and ultra sound. They found 2 mm lumps so I have to have this procedure done next Tuesday. Omg I am scared I hate needles. Glad I know what to expect. Is this procedure new, I never heard of it before.
my dtr just had one at a major nepa cancer center and it was a breeze--my advice--go to a center where there are many done so the person doing yours has had plenty of experience
I had mine done 3 years ago, it was a piece of cake...He was very good with a needle, and I didn't feel a thing, plus I was fully numbed, inside and out, and had a tiny scar that healed right away.
Hi Just had a core biopsy done yesterday. Hardly any pain apart from when they put the numbing medicine in - like being at the dentist - hardly felt a thing. It was slightly tender afterwards and I suggest you follow the procedure of ice in your bra and wearing it for 24 hours. The tenderness has gone, I had slight bleeding at the site but hardly noticeable, hardly any bruising. Had it done as I was told they found something but to come back in 6 months, went for second opinion at M D Anderson Cancer Centre and they recommended a core needle biopsy. Just waiting on results. It will give you piece of mind. I couldn't wait six months to find out if there was a problem or not.
Aaagh, I posted earlier today that I am set for a biopsy tomorrow, and since it was a "needle" and will be using a local anesthetic I assumed it wouldn't be that bad. Then I read this thread and realized that there's a difference between a "core needle" biopsy and a "needle biopsy"? I'm definitely getting the "core needle" on the left breast, it will be done by the radiologist using ultrasound. I was more concerned about the galactogram I am also getting tomorrow on the right breast, because I had that done last year, no anesthetic, and "slight discomfort or weirdness" my azz! And a week from tomorrow, I'm scheduled for surgery.
The beginning of this thread freaked me out, the end is a bit more reassuring. My anxiety is sky-high, right now, regardless. I heard "needle" and thought "psssh, can't be that bad...". Oy...
Aaagh, I posted earlier today that I am set for a biopsy tomorrow, and since it was a "needle" and will be using a local anesthetic I assumed it wouldn't be that bad. Then I read this thread and realized that there's a difference between a "core needle" biopsy and a "needle biopsy"? I'm definitely getting the "core needle" on the left breast, it will be done by the radiologist using ultrasound. I was more concerned about the galactogram I am also getting tomorrow on the right breast, because I had that done last year, no anesthetic, and "slight discomfort or weirdness" my azz! And a week from tomorrow, I'm scheduled for surgery.
The beginning of this thread freaked me out, the end is a bit more reassuring. My anxiety is sky-high, right now, regardless. I heard "needle" and thought "psssh, can't be that bad...". Oy...
So Neemy, what happened? Did you get your results back? BTW, I didn't think the procedure was all that bad--no worse than the dentist and they had to go in 3 times. I kind of felt the 3rd one a little and even that wasn't too bad.
I had a core needle biopsy done yesterday. I hate needles and was terrified going in. But it went just about as well as it could have. I felt almost no pain at all. I told the doctor beforehand that I didn't want to see any needles because they make me anxious, and he was really good about blocking my view of the equipment when he was setting up. I closed my eyes when they began cleaning my breast, and I didn't open my eyes until the procedure was finished. The doctor and nurses were awesome - talking and joking around with me during the entire procedure. And, as I had my eyes closed, it was really not a bad experience.
I felt a very brief pinch when they were first numbing the area (even less painful than a flu shot). My eyes were closed, so I didn't even realize the doctor had inserted the "core needle" until he let me know that I was going to hear a loud snapping sound. Each time, I heard two loud snaps (sort of like a staple gun), which was a bit startling but not bad otherwise. He probably did 4 or 5 sets of snaps in total, but I don't remember exactly. I did feel like the doctor was firmly pushing on my breast during the procedure, but I felt no pain, and the conversation helped me keep my mind off of it.
The only icky part was when I felt some drops of liquid rolling down my ribcage and stomach. I had my eyes closed at the time, which was a good thing, so I wasn't sure what it was until the procedure was finished and I saw that I had been bleeding a bit. But the nurse wiped me up and stopped the bleeding, and I averted my eyes until she finished bandaging me.
Overall, it felt like the part with the needles lasted 5-10 minutes. I spent another 5-10 minutes getting cleaned up and bandaged. It seemed like I was taking longer than expected to stop bleeding, which could be why that part took as long as it did.
The waiting (and reading tons of similar threads on the internet) was by far the worst part for me. I think I psyched myself out envisioning the needles and anticipating a lot of pain. I'm really glad I had a fairly positive experience.
I have had a little soreness in the area since the procedure, but nothing major. It mainly feels sore when I take off my bra and/or move around much, so I've been keeping my bra on and icing the area when it starts to ache. I ended up showering in a bikini top this morning to help keep my breast still (I did remove the top when I needed to clean my breast), and my husband helped me to wash my hair. I'm hoping the soreness will be gone tomorrow, once I hit the 48-hour mark.
I had a Stereotactic Breast Biopsy this morning. The Lidocaine did not work at all for me and the Surgeon was going to stop the procedure and shoot more Lidocaine in my breast. I have a very high tolerance for pain and I asked him how many samples he still needed. When he said 3, I just asked him to just proceed with the biopsy. I am still in a lot of pain and I have swelling in my hand and my shoulder. Can't tell if I have any bruising yet since it has only been 9 hours and I can't take the bandages off yet. I do have to say that my Surgeon and Nurse was very informative and worried about my physical pain and well being.
I had a Stereotactic Breast Biopsy this morning. The Lidocaine did not work at all for me and the Surgeon was going to stop the procedure and shoot more Lidocaine in my breast. I have a very high tolerance for pain and I asked him how many samples he still needed. When he said 3, I just asked him to just proceed with the biopsy. I am still in a lot of pain and I have swelling in my hand and my shoulder. Can't tell if I have any bruising yet since it has only been 9 hours and I can't take the bandages off yet. I do have to say that my Surgeon and Nurse was very informative and worried about my physical pain and well being.
How awful. I had that procedure years ago & felt no pain at all during the procedure.
No bruising afterward, but I could see where the needle went in.
Feel better.
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