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I just had an HSG done on March 8th. I took a strong pain pill an hour before and I would highly recommend taking the day off as you will cramp pretty intensely afterward. The actual procedure is pretty uncomfortable, but it is over relatively quickly. An OB/GYN places the catheter (worst part) and injects a clear contrast. You will feel very warm when this occurs. Then the radiologist comes in and takes real time pictures of the contrast moving through your uterus and tubes (You can see it on a screen and it is pretty cool and a relief to hear/see everything was okay). Once the contrast was injected, it lasted about 2 minutes (I had to rock side to side once to get the contrast to move through the tubes).Afterwards, I had intense cramping and bleeding with clots as the contrast came out (this is normal and lasted the rest of the day). The radiation exposure is minimal and have no worries, a Radiologist IS a doctor and a pretty skilled one. You're OB/GYN, however, is the one that does the invasive stuff.
I have not heard that the contrast or any aspect of the HSG is dangerous. They like to confirm that you are around CD-8 -10 to make sure that you are not currently pregnant and are not expected to ovulate for a few days. I have heard that there is some evidence that many women experience increased fertility for three months after the test. I am 10DPO and have not tested yet, but I am more hopeful and relieved than I have been in a very long time. We have been TTC since December 2010 and I am now 32 years old. If given the choice, I would incur the discomfort to know that everything was working as it should. Good luck.

I have not had this test done nor do I know anyone that has had this done. But.... I would deff do the test even if it is painful. Alot of things are painful in life, ttc for over 2 years is painful, isnt it? I know its been pretty painful for me (emotionally) and I have only been ttc for 9 months.

I would deff get the test done, what if they find something that can be easily fixed.... then you could get your BFP soon and finally put an end to all the maddness. I know that if I had the means to get this test done I would do it in a heartbeat. Im pretty sure my insurance wont ever cover it so I dont think this test in my near future but I would deff do it!!

About the cancer part you mentioned. Im not sure if the dye causes cancer in the long run but I highly doubt it causes cancer later on. But if you are concerned about that then by all means you should talk with the doc or the person performing the test before they do it.

A radiologist performs the test because its part of their job to do so. I have had some dye mri's and ct scan's done on my brain and they werent painful, a little uncomfortable but not painful and a radiologist performed the test, they did just fine, I later got the results from the doctor.

I feel like I keep repeating myself.... my head is a little foggy today so please dont mind me.

In a nut shell what Im trying to say is that if I were you I would not hesitate to get this test done. If they find something that can be an easy fix then it is deff worth it!!! I wish you the best of luck with your decision and if you do get the test done I hope it goes smoothly for you :)

Keep us updated!!! Best of luck to you, I will say a little prayer for you :)

emmsgugliotta that was some great information you provided!! Im so glad that you got the test and had great news afterwards as well.

The way you said things was what I was trying to say but I just have a foggy head today for some reason and like I said, I couldnt speak from experience like you did.

I would love to have this test done and I have good reason to have concern (to need this test).... maybe one day I will be able to get it done, until then I will keep my fingers crossed for all of us that we get our BFP's really soon!

Thank you for your replies!!!! I am sitting here and really getting down to the knitty gritty on my decision, and that personal account of what happened really helped. The main reason I want to do it is b/c I really feel like flushing out the tubes would be a good thing. I am just such a chicken!
As for the gyn doing the procedure, here in France, she will not even be there. Is it still okay? Everything, including the cath through the cervix. This makes me SUPER nervous b/c I read that it is possible to get a puncture in your cervix which requires surgery.

Ahh, I still don't know what I am going to do. I need to just get it over with, but I know I will not sleep tonight!

Also, I forgot to mention, I have chronic BV. Do you think that this will affect the test? I am a bit afraid that it can move up into my fallopian tubes after the test. What do you think? It is difficult to get these questions answered since my gyno does not speak english fluently and we live in France.

Just an update, did not get my meds in time, so maybe next month. I know I should get it done, why do I feel like I lack the strength! Ahh! LOL

I just had it done in Jan. It was seriously a piece of cake, I was terrified before going in, that i actually had my friend give me a valium!! I didnt even need it, i kept it in my pocket the entire time! It took about 30 min. My dr is very gentle and he injected the dye very very slowly!! i didnt feel a thing!! he actually had to fill the syringe twice and inject double the amt. of fluid because some leaked out, no biggie, both tubes were open and fine, glad i did it because now i know! the anticipation is the worst!! Still trying, still no so im 4-5 dpo or dpiui with clomid so im hopeful, my dr wouldnt start the clomid and iui withouth the tubal xray, most insurances wont pay for treatment if you dont have it done so its better to do it, some people just need 2 advils right after but i took one and dont think i needed it, and

I also had the HSG done recently and didn't find it that bad. It is a little crampy, but nothing horrible...in my opinion. Maybe some feel it worse than others? I took 600 mg of advil before, which did the trick. Good luck!

Meemer-WOW! That sounds awesome, you really made me feel better. I mean, I get REALLY BAD cramps, so maybe the women that complain so much are the kind that don't get cramps? My biggest anticipation is getting it done here in France (it is free) but no doctor will be present here, only the radiologist, and I just don't feel very reassured about that. Perhaps if the doctor could be there? But they just do things differently here I guess. And the tech is a man, so that is even amping up the level of uncomfortable for me. I know that I could just get it done there in the states, but it would cost a lot, when I went to a fertility dr before I moved, she said things would all cost thousands of dollars...so I feel like I should take advantage of things while I am covered living abroad, but gosh, do you think he knows what he is doing?!

Someday-Thanks for your post as well! It is great to see two people who were brave and had it done and did not die of torture from it like the posts online I have seen. (My fault for looking them up, I guess.) I missed my window this month, but next month I am going to muster up the courage! (Or, better yet, maybe this will be the fluke month I actually get preggo?) :) Thanks again!

My fertility Dr performed my HSG but he was constantly asking the radiologist to assist because he told me that they actually have more experience doing them???? The Radiologist that was in the room with me was a woman but my Dr is a Man, She was very helpful and comforting and read the results immediately