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susie 9 years, 11 months ago.
just wondering about peoples experiences with bone marrow biopsies.
i had one month ago in blackburn (near me) and i had a canular in my hand and was given midazolam.
this basically is what they call a consious sedative which means you dont really remember anything. in all fairness all i do remember was a little discomfort.
Anyway i’m starting on clinical trial myeloma xi on monday at blackpool victoria hospital and one of the stipulations was that i had to have another bmb. so off i went yesterday and all i was given was a local anasthetic in my hip area.
i have never experienced anything so horrible and painful in my life,i felt everything local did nothing i was in agony.
Afterwards i told my nurse that i presumed i’d be part sedated as before and they looked surprised that i’d had this.
just wondering if there is a medical protocol on this,is every hospital/health authority different and if this isnt standard practice where you are being treated can you request this for any future procedures??
Hi, I have only had the injections in the hip prior to a BMB and if it starts to hurt they will give you another jab during the process – I’ve only ever had it hurt “a bit” when a different person did it. I was told that they have to sedate quite a few people first and have heard how one person screamed the place down during it – my understanding is you just have the jabs but if it is intolerable to you or someone is highly nervous they can then request to be sedated for further ones. I guess it’s all very individual as the nurse even said she didn’t know why one person feels extreme pain and the next hardly feels anything.
Rebecca
Hiya folks, I attend the Leicester Royal Infirmary, I’ve only ever had one BMB. As a matter of course the hospital give the patient gas and air, worked a treat for me and speaking to others they were the same.
Odd how they all seem to work differently!
Regards
Tony F
Hi Robbo,
I’ve had two bone marrow samples taken and both have been painful I think that I had a quick jab but whatever it was, when the process started the pain was strong.
I am off treatment for the MM whilst I had the operation to remove the cancer from my bowel. That seems to have gone well so I’m expecting that, before I resume treatment, I’ll be having a bone marrow sample taken. Not a pleasant prospect. I’ll close my eyes and think of England.
At least, it isn’t habit forming
All the best
Don aka The Cancer Pensioner
Robbo,
Only had a couple of them. Simple injection in the rear and then away they go. Unfortunately the anaesthetic does not go as far as the hip bone. Not the most pleasant experience. Mine have been done by the consultant no option other than described.
Best regards,
Stanley
It’s a shame to read that some patients have suffered undue pain during Bone Marrow Biopsy. I was diagnosed in October 2011 and have since received three BMBs. The first at Weston General Hospital and the other two at the Avon Haematology Centre in Bristol. On each occasion I was given local anaesthetic with great care. I was told what was going on and only had pain when the actual aspiration took place. This I would liken to tooth ache. But it only lasts for a few seconds.
It would seem that the techniques used by the healthcare professionals have a significant impact on the patient experience. At the moment BMB would seem to be vital for the accurate assessment of myeloma. The procedure should not be distressing. If patients feel it necessary, they should ask for additional anaethetic.
Keep well everyone
Stephen
thank you for all comments very interesting my nurse at blackpool has told me that they never use anything other than local,but i am going to ask next time
Hi robbo,
I’ve had 4 BMB’s at 2 different hospitals they both did a local anesthetic, they aren’t the
pleasantest experiences I’ve ever had but the 3rd one was tear-jerking agony.
Regards
Dave
Hi Robbo,
I have only had one bone marrow aspiration so far which for me, is quite enough.
I had a local anaesthetic but once the doctor started to bore into my hip, it literally felt like a hot needle so I had another couple of shots of whatever it was they were pumping into me. This was fine until they then started to enter the hip bone which as Stanley has already described, there is no anaesthetic for.
Once the doctor had started to work her magic behind me, I had a very nice haematology specialist nurse holding my hand and asking me to tell her my life story in 5 minutes which was I guess, intended to take my mind off things. As I am sure everyone who has gone through this process already knows, it did not take my mind off anything, but just reiterated what an uncomfortable – but necessary procedure it is.
Regards,
Robert
Hi Robbo,
I was diagnosed in August 2013 and have had 4 BMBs so far.
– The first I had no sedation but a lovely Nurse chatting away and I’d say no higher than 4/10 pain.
– The second, same Registrar performing it but a silent Nurse. Very painful at 8/10 and I was in great stress. Registrar thought maybe due to scar tissue from the 1st one.
– At the third I insisted on sedation. Same Registrar, pain 3/10 and not stressful.
– At fourth I again insisted on sedation, different Registrar, pain 3/10 and not stressful.
I’m having another next week and again I will be sedated. I feel I was put off having sedation initially saying it needed to be setup and get another professional involved which could make scheduling it more difficult. Well, I now feel, let it be delayed! Why should people have to go through a terrible experience unnecessarily.
On a related note: since my 2nd BMB, I’ve been having excruciating pain in that area sporadically, coming on overnight in bed making turning and rising very painful. It goes away completely for weeks and then comes back for 3-4 days. I’ve told my Consultant who says it wear and tear on my lower spine, however the pain is definitely on top of my right hip and not my spine. Another Registrar had an xray taken with a report saying no lytic lesions in the area. I’m tempted to ask for the next BMB to be on the left side, although don’t want to end up with this pain on both sides!! I’m just wondering how others have been after their procedures. (By the way the pain came on 3 months after my 2nd BMB and persists in the above fashion 9 months later).
Regards,
Jan
hi all,
Just had another bmb yesterday for post 100 day SCT. I must admit it was done in the clinic by a woman doctor and was the least uncomfortable ive had yet. The worst bit was the local. She said the trick was to get the local to the surface of the bone ?. Seemed to do the trick or it may have been her technique thats what she said lol.
Regards to all,
Stanley
Hi,
I had a BMB last year. I played loud music in my IPOD, closed my eyes tight and absorbed myself in the music, singing like a lunatic. I found that this helped me to zone out. While singing to loud reggae musiC, I visualised myself lying on a warm Jamaican beach. I then apologised profusely to the registrar for my loud singing!!
hi everyone, had my biopsy done this October and it didn’t really bother me, nurse said she would try get as much local injection as near to bone as she could at which point I clicked my Robbie Williams concert I had on my phone and 8mins 44 secs later I clicked stopped as she finished . Just found it uncomfortable to sleep on my back for a few days but other than that it was okay , wouldn’t put me off having another one and I am a total wuss with anything to do with hospitals.
helen x
Hi, I have had 4 BMBs, the first in August 2013 to confirm diagnosis, the second in March after RCD induction treatment, the third in August 100 days post-stem cell transplant and the last this month to confirm relapse. They were given at my local hospital under local anaesthetic, the first 3 were given by a specialist nurse with another nurse holding my hand and chatting to take my mind of it, and although uncomfortable were not painful, the last was given by a doctor and was very painful. I think it just depends how much practice they get, if it hurts don’t be afraid to say so and they will top up the anaesthetic.
Just to throw in my tuppence worth. My first BMB at the Royal Surrey was during my diagnosis stage and was quite uncomfortable (6/10). When I needed a second one there I asked about sedation and was told they “wouldn’t recommend it” which, to be honest sounded more as a convenience to them than a help to me. They suggested I get a tablet from my GP to take 20 mins before the procedure which I took and made no difference. Pain scale this time was 8/10.
My 3rd and last BMB was at the Royal Marsden and when I recounted my previous experience they said straight away that I could have sedation. Canula in back of hand, sedation pumped in, fell asleep, pain 0/10.
I can understand the reluctance for sedation in busy hospitals as it does require additional procedures and staff, but for patients who genuinely want one I think it is only right that it should be made available without question. I wouldn’t have a tooth filling without a local anaesthetic and I won’t be having a BMB without sedation.
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