What does a transrectal prostate biopsy feel like?

Most guys find this and uncomfortable, but bearable event. I think the sound of the injector is worse than the needle stick. You hear a pop, and then feel a little stick. I didn't take anything, got up, wiped the goo off my butt, and went back to work.

Some guys have had anestheia, some take drugs to relax. Some complain of intense pain, but most just find it an inconvenient, kind of humilating experience that we wouldn't do of our own volition.

Welcome to HW, and good luck on your biopsy. It will be ok. It's the results that can be a stinger. Start reading sone of the resources listed at the top of this forum, so you aren't surprised with words.

Now that I think about it, for me it was not the gun click, but the manuevering of the probe that caused more discomfort for me. My uro was very precise about the areas he wanted to hit, and he accomplished his goal.

Good question.

I found it uncomfortable, but entirely tolerable. The local anesthetic injections were more uncomfortable than the biopsy itself. The local does a good job of taking the edge off of any discomfort.

However, once that local wears off you'll be seriously sore, which will probably happen in the car on your way home. They told me to take Extra Strength Tylenol, which worked fine, but I really wish I'd had it when I left the doctor's office. Do yourself a favor and take a couple with you and pop those buggers just as soon as they turn you lose. You'll have a far more comfortable ride home.

The soreness afterwords, for me, was worse than the procedure itself. Besides general soreness, there's the feeling that you need to urgently have a bowel movement, even though you don't. It's just the inflamed tissue messing with you. Again, Extra Strength Tylenol will handle it, but plan on taking it continuously for a couple days. And don't be surprised if you experience mild soreness for weeks after. Nothing you can't handle, but don't expect to experience no discomfort.

That was my experience, anyway. Your mileage may vary. Good luck.

Geez you guys reply quickly....THANK YOU!

Did someone say stirrups??? That ruined my afternoon!

The urologist did give me 6 Cipro tablets and the Lorazepam and hopefully he will use numbing creme if there is such a thing. I think i'll need some
help with humorous lines to use while i'm sitting exposed in stirrups. It's doubtful that flirting with the nurse will get me anywhere with my rear end
exposed like that....and a wife in the waiting room.

Seriously I do appreciate the responses. It's comforting to be able to talk to people who have gone through this. And as much as I don't look
forward to the biopsy it will be the week of waiting for the results that will be most difficult. Unfortunately I know this in unavoidable so we'll just
take it one day at a time.

Clocknut - my PSA went from 3.7 to 6.2 in 10 months. I wasn't too concerned but my regular doctor demanded I get to a urologist that week. I didn't
like my first one but the second guy is great. Glad to see you're doing so well. We have the 6.2 in common.....

Post Edited (rgmjr) : 11/6/2010 4:29:55 PM (GMT-6)

i was panick-stricken and my wife held my hand through the procedure.  afterwards i felt silly because it wasn't that bad.  in fact there was nothing about the biopsy that was painful. a nurse made me drink a coke to get my blood sugar up  before they would release me.  my buddy had his biopsy a couple weeks after me.  he didn't get a coke and that night he passed out and ended up in the emergency room. 

ed

 

Like most everyone else has stated, it's uncomfortable but certainly a long way from awful. I was on my side with one leg pulled up, almost fetal, which was actually sort of comforting. Doctor gave me a local, which no doubt helped. The most uncomfortable part was some of the probing that was necessary to position the biopsy needle.

Too things that I learned is there is no modesty in urology. Just go along with the program. Second thing is the importance of caring health care professionals. The doctor was sensitive to my situation and talked me through the entire process.

I wrote up what happened to me shortly after the transrectal prostate biopsy.
I wish I had known at the time that I could have had a stereotactic transperineal prostate biopsy.
I learned about the STP from attended a support group meeting at the Chicago Prostate Center.

Here's my journal entry from right after the biopsy:

Two days after my 57th birthday I went in and had a routine blood
test. My doctor called me on my cell phone on m way to work the
following Tuesday morning like there was some emergency. He said
my PSA score was 8.2 and was worried I might have prostate cancer.
I had no idea at the time what a PSA score was. I told him I
would call him back after I got to work. So I hung up and continued
on in to work. I tried to call him back but could only get his
answering service. Eventually through my persistance they patched
me through to a back line to his office. He told me I needed to
see a urologist ASAP. He gave me two names of local urologists.
I called the first one but he was booked up. So I called the second
one and made an appointment for that afternoon. As it worked out
I could not make that appointment due to meetings at work running
late. I rescheduled for Feb. 11th. I spent the next few days a
little concerned but not really knowing a lot about what was
happening. After all I am fairly healthy with no family history
of this type of thing or anything. The doctor did the finger up
the butt and feel around routine. He said it felt normal but there
might be a hard spot. He said he wanted to do a biopsy so I
consented. If I had known the after effects of the biopsy I would
have had second thoughts about so easily consenting. The nurse
handed me a bag and directions for my return visit. I went to work
on the 16th with my bag containing the Fleet enema. I was supposed
to give myself the enema at 1:30. Well I had a meeting that went
until 2:00 so I went in the bathroom and put the enema in. As I
was half way into the enema my cell phone rings and I answer it.
They want me to come back to the meeting. I tell them to give me
a minute. So I finish the enema and go back to the meeting with
the enema solution still in. Was I glad they only had a few
questions and then let me go. I went straight back to the bathroom
and let loose. Later that afternoon I headed out to the urologists
office for the biopsy. He had me lay on my left side in the fetal
position on his table in his exam room. He inserted a tube of
anesthetic up my butt and told me to tell him if it hurt any time
he did anything. Next was the ultrasound probe. I could see the
black and white pictures on his screen of my prostate. Then began
the biopsy. I just closed my eyes and endured it. It sounded like
the pushbutton on my gas grill every time he took a sample. It
kind of felt like it too. I was glad when he was done taking the
16 samples. I never counted them though. He gave me a prescription
for an antibiotic and sent me on my way with a toilet paper plug
still stuck in my butt. So I drove on down to Target to get my
prescription. When I got there I had to pee so bad. To my shock
blood and little clots of blood came out and it hurt. While I
peeing my cell phone rings and I answer it. It's my son who needs
a part from Menard's. So I go out and get in the car and drive
across the street to Menard's and get his part for him. I drive
back to Target and pick up my prescription. I then drive on home
to relax like the doctor told me I should do right away after the
procedure. I headed right to the bathroom as there was a great
sense of urgency at the back end. I barely got my pants down and
the toilet paper butt plug shot out like as I imagined a mucous
plug would blast out of a pregnant woman. It's probably not the
same but the thought did go through my head for some strange reason.
The urologist called me back on Thursday Feb. 18th and abruptly
told me I had tested positive for prostate cancer. What a shock.
My mind reeled. How could this be. Not me. I told me wife and
we both hugged and cried. I called a family meeting and told my
kids. I thought about finishing writing my book. I thought about
writing my will and buying a tombstone and a casket. I already
had a cemetery plot I bought decades ago while researching my family
history. It was an easy way to get info from the curator of the
cemetery. .... to be continued.

rgmjr,

If that used 8 track tape player you wish to offer to anyone who will take your place at the prostate "pin cushion" procedure was taken out of Elvis' Cadillac and can be proved and verified, I might take you up on the offer. Wait a minute! I have no prostate gland! I imagine it's on display in a jar of formaldehyde somewhere.......However, when I was receiving my post surgical check-up two days ago, the doc sure probed my prostate bed, and it wasn't too comfortable!

My brother had a biopsy at age 48 and had horrible pain during the procedure....so much so that even now, 6 years later, when told that my husband was having a biopsy, he made a point to urge us to insist that he receive anesthesia for the procedure. My brother is not particularly sensitive to pain and has had a number of painful accidents resulting in a broken back and broken ankle - so he knows pain. But he said the pain was about the worst of anything he had experienced up to that point in his life and tears were literally pouring out of his eyes toward the end of his 12 sample biopsy.

My brother's opinion is that most of the doctors performing biopsies have not had one themselves, so when they downplay the discomfort, it is without first-hand knowledge. I don't know if my husband would have had the same experience but I was unwilling to take the chance....so I was the one who insisted that the biopsy be done under anesthetic.

As has been stated here, everyone is different. There is no reason why you have to be awake and aware for the biopsy - the procedure sans sedation seems barbaric to me. A colonoscopy is done with sedation and it is generally less traumatic. We did have to reschedule the biopsy for a month later in order to have it done in the operating room rather than the x-ray department. Of course, no driving for 24 hours after anesthesia and you probably would not be ready for a 6:30 meeting that evening if you go this route.

I have had 3 biopsies, 2 from one urologist who did these while I layed on my side while the third one (done by different doc) put me in the stirrups. I changed docs because the 2nd procedure almost killed me literally. I immediately tasted the lidocaine and had a reaction to it, the sad part was the doc and nurse didn't know what to do, I couldn't communicate with them as my speech was not recognizable. I ended up in misery for 3 days following that procedure as I felt like my bladder was going to explode. The first one went off without a hitch, no issues so I know this guy screwed up big time. So onto another doc who put me in the stirrups which is very uncomfortable when they insert the tube. The procedure itself was easy even with no anesthetic. Other than the tube it was not bad. No cancer but abnormal cells, whatever that means (PIN), and prostatitis. I went to a chirpractor who specializes in holistic medicine and his question to me was why the prostatitis. He said we should not have inflammation in the prostate or anywhere else for that matter so has put me on supplements, Beta-Sitosterol for one which as not only lowered my PSA but my cholesterol as well. He also swears by Apricot kernels that these will keep you from getting cancer. I was not one o believe originally but this seems to be working for me at this point. By the way, I just joined but don't see anyone discussing the PCA3 urine test. Many urologists including my first one, don't use this test, which like a PSA is not 100% accurate but can help in deciding if one may have cancer. I'd like anyones feedback on the PCA3 test to se if others are doing this??

I had 12 cores taken and found it VERY uncomfortable, 6 were taken with a needle inserted through the perinium (between scrotum and rectum) and 6 cores were through the rectum. Pain from the local anesthesia needle was uncomfortable as were the core samples, especially feeling the core line up for the next "pinch" when the core is taken.

I was Relieved to finish, the scary part was when I stood up blood pored out of my rectum, all over the floor, down my leg etc, hell of a mess. The nurses assurred me this was not a problem. Then I felt like I needle to have a  bowel movement, to my surprise out came a big clot and dropped like a fried egg on the floor. I was kind of shocked but I seemd to be the only one in this state so I let it pass. I had to sit in a recovery room by myself for a while to recover my composer, again when I stood up up I dropped what looked like a fried egg clot on the floor. It really was the bleeding that worried me.

I walked down the hospital hallway like I had a stick up my rectum thinking, "wow, that was an experience"

I felt fine after a couple of hours but took the day off work.

I hope yours goes well, its uncomfortable but its something that you can laugh at later...especially the stirrups...giddy-up!

r

Once again thank you to everyone for the replies. After reading everything, I'm just hoping to have one of the more unpleasant experiences and
of course good results.

It's kind of funny....when the urologist told me I definitely needed to get the biopsy I had absolutely no fear. I am a veteran of several colonoscopies and
a few surgeries. However as the time draws closer I must admit to a fair amount of fear and anticipation. The fear of the unknown re the procedure is
gone thanks to all of you. The fear of the known is there but I'm thinking not doing anything would be a huge mistake so I'll bite the bullet. Besides as
hard as I try and can't think of anyone to blame for this.

As an aside, I fondly remember my last colonsocopy when I had done all the prep and was clean inside. In the pre-procedure room the anethesiologist came
in with the nurse to go over everything and ask the redundant questions. When he asked if I had eaten anything in the last 24 hours, I replied "just a bowl
of chili and onions". He knew I was joking but the nurse just about dropped her clipboard. He told me that's like crying fire in a crowded theater. You gotta
have some sense of humor about all of this if possible....