Bone marrow biopsy

[Scouby]

Having a bone marrow biopsy soon and wondered if others had same and how they were after

[Cat1001954]

I had mine last year to confirm diagnosis it’s not the most pleasent but it does not take long and they give you pain relief

[Scouby in reply to Cat1001954]

Thanks for reply,I was wondering how you were after it

[Cat1001954 in reply to Scouby]

I was fine but stiff but no pain no bleeding

[Scouby in reply to Cat1001954]

Thank you ,was kinda nervous but feel better now,thanks again

[Cat1001954 in reply to Scouby]

Good luck xxx

[Shadowperson in reply to Scouby]

Scouby----I had one done on my left hip a few years ago. they were worried I had more than just your basic polycythemia vera. I asked the doc how many of these he had done and he proudly said I was his third patient. The RN in attendance had to "finish" the procedure. No lasting pain or anything. They did dig into the bone tho and for a minute it was somewhat painful. I take hydroxy urea 500 mg/1000mg every other day. So far so good.

[Otterfield]

I have to have them approximately every three months at the moment. It's not pleasant and there is some pain but it doesn't last long. Ask for gas and air and start using it right at the start rather than waiting for the pain. You may be bruised and stiff afterwards.

[Scouby in reply to Otterfield]

Thank you, can I ask why you need them so often

[ainslie in reply to Otterfield]

Can I ask you what you mean by gas and air? Never heard of it, the first two I had was conscious sedation and second local anaesthetic.

[Otterfield in reply to ainslie]

It's a mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen. You breathe it in as needed and it takes the edge off the pain. It feels a bit like being drunk but wears off quickly.

[ainslie in reply to Otterfield]

Interesting, I don’t think that’s the same as conscious sedation, with CS I didn’t feel or remember anything

[Otterfield in reply to ainslie]

It's not sedation. I had full sedation for my first BMB in 2001 and remember nothing. I've had light sedation twice, for an angiogram and more recently, for insertion of a Hickman Line. I asked for just enough so that I would be aware of what was happening but not be anxious.

[ainslie in reply to Otterfield]

I am going to get a BMB on tuesday so will ask about the NO and O, its 5 years since last one and it was a local anaesthetic and plenty drilling, hopefully they will have improved the tech since then

[Otterfield]

Because they are monitoring me closely after my SCT. I don't know how long they will need to keep checking my bone marrow.

[Scouby in reply to Otterfield]

Sounds awful having so many, hope your results are good and they are less frequent

[Otterfield in reply to Scouby]

Thank you! After going through the chemotherapy for the transplant and all its side effects, the BMB experience doesn't seem so bad!

[NibsNanna]

Hi Scouby

I had a bone marrow biopsy - was given light sedation beforehand and didn't find the procedure uncomfortable at the time. Some soreness at the puncture site- mainly noticed it when sitting in the car, but not seriously uncomfortable. Hope yours goes well.

[Scouby in reply to NibsNanna]

Great to hear how others cope,thanks for reply

[Lynne-G]

I was nervous ( the unknown) but it's okay. The best thing to try and do is relax.

The actual taking of the biopsy bit takes 30 secs it's the prep that takes the most time..local anaesthetic etc.

Hardly any discomfort afterwards.

[Scouby in reply to Lynne-G]

Thank you

[S031251]

I was a bit light headed afterwards but altogether it was not as bad as I thought it would be - I was nervous beforehand- waiting for results now - wishing you well.

Anna

[Scouby in reply to S031251]

Thanks for reply

[Yanico]

I was terrified but I need not have been. Local anaesthetic and gas and air. No problems afterwards just a little sore At the puncture site.

[Flyingsteamer]

I've had three now, first was for diagnosis, second was baseline data for clinical trial and third the 6 monthly one to see how the trial is getting on. As others have said it is more uncomfortable than anything and some soreness for a few days after. BMB's are essential for full diagnosis so just something we have to put up with.

[Scouby in reply to Flyingsteamer]

Thank you ,few more days and it will be behind me,thanks again

[Smdg]

hi. I have had several recently. It’s not that bad. I think the local anaesthetic is more painful. It doesn’t take long and there is only mild discomfort around the site afterwards

[Scouby in reply to Smdg]

Thank you

[Cassandra61]

I really appreciate your concern; I think waiting for it is the worst bit and it sounds like a ghastly thing to have done. I had one with gas and air and one without ( we don't do that up North, we're not nesh). The one without was fine and they took it slowly and checked all the time that I was ok. It doesn't take long and mine was in two stages: the actual bone marrow and a bit of bone. Afterwards I had a tiny bit of bleeding and it ached a bit for a day.My advice would be to book yourself a day off for the day after and spend the day in your pyjamas, watching films or something nice, hopefully with someone to look after you. If anyone moans about this, you can tell them in great detail what you have had done and watch their toes curl!

Ultimately, I kept reminding myself how much I want a diagnosis and to understand what was going on in my body and that the BM was the way to find out.

Really hoping it goes well for you , let us all know how you get on.

[Scouby in reply to Cassandra61]

Thank you for info,feel better about it already

[Threelions]

Hi

Had one last year. All fine. It’s quick & only a bit uncomfortable for a minute or so. All ok after as well. Bit of an ache for a few days but other than that, fine.

I’m sure you’ll find it ok, like most others have👍

[Scouby in reply to Threelions]

Good to hear from someone that has had this done,thank you

[Pamcr]

I had a bone marrow biopsy and was very nervous before it, more nervous than I should have been in hindsight. I got gas and air which really helped. It wasn’t sore having it done as had local anaesthetic and I just rested in bed after coming home. Slight bruise after but nothing causing any real discomfort and that settled in a day or two. Always nice to get these things over with.

[Bears23]

I’ve had two. For me not too bad, a bit of pressure and over in a few minutes. I’m glad I had them, i fly to Houston to see a specialist in the field annually, and he was happy they did the first bmb early on and used it to compare progression. Good luck!

[Tomaj]

It's nothing to worry about. It wasn't painful as they give you painkillers. It is uncomfortable though, because they roll you over and do a bit of hokin' about. 😀 Seriously though, don't worry about it.

[IsabelleHo]

Hi Scouby,

I had a BMB a couple of months ago. Here, in Quebec, I was given a local anesthetic during the procedure as well as a relaxant (Attivan) prior at my request since I was really nervous.

I was surprised not to feel any pain during the BMB. What I found was that the sensation is very unpleasant, but without pain. It made me think of nails on a chalkboard : definitely painless but really uncomfortable… maybe it’s because I hate needles and feeling a medical instrument inside my body.

I felt a soreness afterwards, once the anesthetic wears off, especially when I was sitting down. So no pain, but really not fun. 😉

[Scouby in reply to IsabelleHo]

Great to get different opinions feel better about it already,thanks

[IsabelleHo in reply to Scouby]

From all the other answers, I also think the quantity of local anesthetic helps as well as the skill of the doctor performing the procedure. The doctor I got was really good and she took great care to make sure I was completely numb. She only pushed the needle little by little and as soon as I felt it, she gave me a shot. The whole thing lasted 20 minutes and I was out and walking right after.

[luvinretirement]

Hi Scouby. I've had 3 or 4 done, and the recovery is pretty simple. You will be a little tender in the entry location for a day or 2, but nothing tylenol won't handle if you're anything like me. My first one was done in an office setting, and that was rather unpleasant. The next 3 were done as an outpatient procedure, and I was essentially out when they did it. Highly recommend that route! Good luck!

[Mishie14]

May depend on whether you have general or local anesthetic. The former requires much more to prepare like fasting and to recover from, including can't do some things like drive home. The latter is what I did and as others have noted, it's brief pain but it's over fairly quickly and nominal after effects. They apply a topical pain reliever and then using a small drill go into hip bone to extract samples. The drill action is just a few seconds long per sample but was extremely painful for those few seconds and then gone. I had to have 5 samples taken as 2 of the 3 original were not good and had to be repeated. My hip was a little sore after but a tylenol helped. I easily walked from the test room to the lab on another floor to get a blood draw and then drove home--I was just fine. Good luck.

[Scouby in reply to Mishie14]

Thank you for reply,helpful hearing how it went for others

[Scouby in reply to Mishie14]

Thank you for information, really helpful

[Meatloaf9]

Hi, I had mine 5 years ago. Local anesthesia only. No pain, got up and walked out in about 15 minutes. I think the skill of the person doing the biopsy has a lot to do with it. Make sure the person doing the procedure is well versed in doing the biopsy and you will be just fine whichever way you decide to have it done. Good luck and best to you.

[Scouby in reply to Meatloaf9]

Was told lady doing it does 5 per week so that makes me feel better,thanks

[ritaandscooter1]

Hi, I had BMB last August with just local anaesthetic and have a high pain tolerance. Next time I would definitely get a little more sedation. Very uncomfortable when they were pulling up bone marrow tissue samples. The procedure was quick but next time I'd have conscious sedation to numb the pain. Kerry

[Scouby in reply to ritaandscooter1]

Thank you for reply, all the comments have been so reassuring

[LT55]

I had a bit of a reaction to the light sedation. On the drive home (I was a passenger), I got nauseous and ended sick in bed the remainder of the day. No other post-procedure issues or pain.

[UKZA]

I had one done in January this year. The thought of it terrified me. To be honest, it was pretty unpleasant, but i feel that I could manage my next one more easily, as I now know what to expect. Just use breathing techniques and see if you can get someone to stand an your head and talk you through it. I felt very alone and had no idea how long it was going to last. I had no bleeding and was slightly stiff the next day. You will manage. All the best. Penny

[Scouby in reply to UKZA]

Thank you, feel much less nervous from all the diff comments on here