I have just undergone, last week, our 5th egg collection, and at the last minute was denied any sedation as my BMI had crossed over 35 (it was under at beginning of stimms). They were happy to continue the treatment, just not to provide me with adequate pain relief! I was given the choice of abandon the cycle or do it with no pain relief. It was so scary and so painful and I'm still shocked and confused as to why this happened.
I am emailing them to complain, but I wondered if this has happened to anyone else?
Thanks
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Mrsshlee
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Oh wow that sounds horrific. And to be given such an impossible decision too, waste all that time on stims or be put through that pain. Was your treatment funded? They never weighed me for my egg collection, its not fair that, if it is funded, why they didnt just give you the option to pay for the sedation. So sorry you had to go through that
Thanks for the reply, no, I paid for it and it was my 3rd cycle with them! I've been sedated by anaethetist previously but now they only have anaethetist one day a week so it was paramedic led only available to me, for which apparently there is a cut off. There was no pre warning of this, my partner was not allowed inside to make the decision with me either. It was really traumatic!
I always have the same worry as my weight fluctuates so much, my last cycle I was a stone over what I needed to be, which put me a generous amount over the bmi limit. They weigh me every egg collection day and say it’s so that they know how much sedation to give me. I panicked thinking they would say I have to cancel… but they didn’t even comment on weight, medication makes weight increase! She just weighed me and then got on with the rest of the questions etc.
I would not be happy with that service and I think I would be looking elsewhere, but I know that is easier said than done.
I couldn't go back there after this tbh. I went back for transfer yesterday and it was horrible to walk back into the building. The consultant was so dismissive of my pain!
That sounds terrible. For me i have obesity but my BMI was under 35. I was denied sedation as there were no anesthesiologist because of covid. They told me they would give me very good painkillers and that I would not feel a thing. They just gave me a paracetamol, 6 hours before procedure and local anesthesia. My procedure lasted 45 minutes instead of 15, as i had over 30 follicles. It was very painful, i felt every time they punctured a follicle. It was like an electrical shock.
It was very traumatic, I went for 2 FET after, and then I decided to transfer my embryos to another hospital. It was the best decision.
I'm so sorry you have been through this too. I am shocked they put women through this and tell us we won't feel pain! Why use sedation at all in that case!
Supossedly, in the USA if you have more than certain quantity of follicles, they sedate you as it is too painful. In México too. But in Europe they have other way of thinking: it is more often thay they say it won't hurt (according to some clinics here, every freaking procedure is "a bit of pressure, uncomfy, but no pain at all" and act all dismissive. It is that or the door. I now prefer to read the description of procedures in American Clinics (sometimes they also downgrade the pain, but tend to be more honest, from my point of view). Not every European fertility clinic is like that, but i have found them more often in here (and i am good standing pain, have had fractures and keep walking, and surgeries, etc.). They also used to fat shame me in front of other patients in my old clinic (which in the USA would give me the right to sue). After the consultation, the doctor would come running after me to the waiting room full of patients and yell at me over my weight and how i should get thinner or they won't treat me. It was like the term gynecobstetric violence did not exist in there... i was afraid to be pregnant and delivering in that hospital, but as a migrant/expat, I was not sure if changing clinics would be better or if it was a cultural thing. After the egg collection i lost most of my hair in part, due to stress and some health issues related to fertility that my clinic should have detected, but did not. Then we decided to change clinics. In my experience, going to a bigger clinic made all the difference, and it worked at last! My advice is, go to a big clinic in a big city. It was worthy that hour long drive to get there. My old clinic was 15 minutes from my home, but was not worth it.
It sounds like you have had a really awful time. This was a big clinic in a big city, and tbf this was the last throw of the dice for us. I just can't accept that, in their mind, one group of women deserve pain relief and another don't!
It is a very difficult decision, because you need to consider so many things (gasoline, time, money, work), and you feel sometimes that there are no options... but once that you take it, and change clinics , it really is a difference. There are also clinics that when you are overweight they don't really check you for other problems. In their minds you deserve substandard treatment as some sort of punishment. They dared to tell me that losing weight would solve all my issues (i have had problems with my weight for 6 years... but i had not had a period in 20 years, so it was absurd). Changing clinics was very hard, but it really is worth it. My new doctor was an specialist in my specific problem and I also consulted an endocrynologist. I now have natural periods with ovulation. I had natural instead of artificial FETs, and in 3 months I was pregnant. I was with the other clinic 3 years and not even a positive.
My 4th cycle the stopped doing sedation for egg retrieval and went to conscious sedation. Liquid paracetamol and some other drug they told me it would make me feel Iike I'd had about 6 gins... What actually felt like was I'd had a lager shandy. And as the scrapped me off the roof from the pain. They seemed surprised by my reaction. I bled for 24 hours after so think they hit something as never bled before. Refused to have another egg collection there. When I complained they told me women found it a positive experience. I did not. 🙈So although I wasn't in a do it or cancel situation like you. It's absolute awful and painful.
What's weird is that my clinic offer you sedation for egg transfer.... This is the least painful procedure of all ivf procedures. Very odd.
"Women find it positive/does not hurt" i hate when doctors say that. I mean, we are also women, and we are telling them that it hurts. I am sorry you had to go thru this.
Exactly!! I really did not need to remember that! And over the savings, I think you are right. I would love to hear a doctor saying that circumcisions feel just like a bit of pressure, no pain and nothing but very positive for adult men. Guys wouldn't take it. Even with the vasectomy (that it is quite simple), you read it very clearly that they will feel pain after (and sometimes during) the procedure... doctors take care to explain it and they don't give them just a freaking paracetamol 6 hours before the procedure. But in our case it seems that in medicine (and in other areas), we are expected to take it and shut up. This is Gynecobsteric violence.
That is awesome! My biggest regret was to not have complained when it happened. So I am very happy that you will send the complain and it has giving me also strenght to never allow this to happen to me again!
I am literally astounded they could do that! It’s wrong on so many levels!!! No way would i have egg collection without anaesthetic- the cycle and process is horrendous enough without anything else to deal with.
Have you complained? I would be shouting from the bloody rooftops - it’s outrageous.
I've been denied any form of sedation or anaesthesia after my 5th egg collection but for a different reason: it was due to anaphylaxis to medication that would've had to be administered if something went wrong during anaesthesia or sedation. So, for my 6th egg collection I was given a penthrox green whistle instead.
The pain was manageable and I was told that it is not uncommon for patients at the clinic (I am in Australia) to be given a green whistle for pain relief during egg collection. Could that have been given to you for pain management?
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