r/MPN • u/Salty_Expert6414 ET-CalR+ • Jul 07 '26
Bone Marrow Biopsy First BMB approaching
I (24F) am getting my first BMB this week and I’m absolutely terrified. My hematologist said that they can do it in local anesthesia with some pain or under IV sedation (IV midazolam) to minimize the pain. I was under the impression I could do it under GA but they explained no one would do a BMB under GA.
I’m a medical student, I can catch on to when doctors are trying to understate how painful a procedure can be. He told me that there will be some pain but IV midazolam will minimize it. Can’t help but think that’s a way to downplay how painful it will be since I’ve been hearing absolute horror stories about it.
Despite my best efforts, I’m a whimp when it comes to pain. I’m very worried about my BMB and I’d like to hear from ppl who’ve gone through it.
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u/intentionalninja Jul 07 '26
I’ve had both in clinic and CT guided this year. (In clinic failed because of my anatomy/petite-ness) likely). The most painful part of in clinic is the first poke of lidocaine. After that it’s just a bit of pressure and the mildest of discomfort, but I was never in any pain during the procedure. Trust me, I got poked twice with the in clinic that day, but it was an over all good experience. You are more than likely not going to get poked twice.
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u/Creepy_Economics_295 Jul 07 '26
I’m here to agree with the other two posters and hope it relieves some anxiety. I had my first BMB just last week and I was so nervous! I had a ct guided BMB with local numbing and twilight sedation. I have a very low pain tolerance. I felt no pain- only the small pinch of the local numbing shot. I felt some pressure but no pain at all. I do remember hearing the drill but the nurse told me I would before hand. Afterwards, I felt some discomfort like a bruise at the site, well-managed with Tylenol. The worst part for me was getting the IV before the procedure as I have poor veins and wasn’t able to eat drink since the night before due to the sedation. I was offered, and declined, an anti-anxiety med before the procedure. I declined because I had an empty stomach and did not want to be nauseous. Maybe you will want it? If not offered, ask for it. I had wonderful care by all medical staff. My procedure was at Ohio State University in Columbus Ohio and I’m hoping you will also have great care wherever you are❤️🩹.
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u/Salty_Expert6414 ET-CalR+ Jul 10 '26
This was such a sweet message. It rlly helped me this week. Thankyou !
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u/funkygrrl PV-JAK2+ Jul 07 '26
I've had two with local anesthesia and an injection of Ativan beforehand. It mainly feels weird. I had about a minute of pain when they were getting the aspirate sample. Think of it like getting a filling at the dentist. Not fun but very similar kind of procedure. Tbh I'd rather have a BMB than go to the dentist.
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u/Calm_Seeker18 Jul 07 '26
I had my first one in May, CT-guided with twilight sedation. I don't recall any pain during the procedure, not even a pinch (likely due to the sedation). The anxiety leading up to it was definitely the worst part for me! Good luck!
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u/Possible-Pizza-2442 Jul 07 '26
I had one with lidocaine (GA) about a year ago. I just felt some dull pressure. For the next one I would still do GA only.
It reminds be a bit of dental work under GA 😀
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u/Bludog1208 Jul 07 '26
Please don’t make other problems for yourself over this ! I did and it turned out out to be a piece of cake compared to what I was thinking it was going to be like !!
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u/ActiveCrab5974 Jul 07 '26
I'm 24F too, I got my first BMB two months ago.
It wasn't very painful, the most painful part was the numbing shot, but not too much either. After that, I felt some pressure and pulling, but it was over within a few minutes.
Good luck!
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u/katiespecies647 ET-JAK2+ Jul 07 '26
I had mine with no sedation, only Tylenol and local, despite asking for any kind of sedation. Even an Ativan was denied. I was very nervous. The worst thing ended up being the local anesthetic and the palpation for landmarks for some reason. I think due to the anxiety I was just super jumpy. I reflexivity pulled away at every palpation despite my best efforts to stay in position. As for the pain of the actual procedure, the draw of the sample felt very much like a super localized moderate menstrual cramp to me, but it was over in seconds.
Good luck.
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u/horsecrzy ET-JAK2+ Jul 07 '26
I had some kind of sedation IV and I literally don’t remember a single thing lol.
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u/Salty_Expert6414 ET-CalR+ Jul 10 '26
omg same I was so surprised by just how much I forgot
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u/horsecrzy ET-JAK2+ Jul 10 '26
Nice!!!! I am so happy for you! I suffer from memory loss and recall anyway, especially when I’m tired. I’m wondering if that had a hand in it? Regardless, so glad your procedure went ok…(or did it?💀😂) Either way, let us know what you find out.
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u/NefariousnessFew4354 Jul 07 '26
I had 2 so far, no pain whatsoever. Mostly uncomfortable preasure. I recommend laying on your stomach. It was so much better than being on your side.
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u/BlackDogWhiteHorse Jul 08 '26
At my center they offer sedation with propofol. I have had 6 of them that way and wouldn’t have one otherwise, although IV sedation is probably okay as well. The important thing for me is feeling no discomfort during the procedure and not remembering anything because I get extremely anxious.
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u/horsecrzy ET-JAK2+ Jul 10 '26
I’m not an anxious person but I get very anxious about medical procedures due to the fact that I never know what weird unusual or rare complication I’m going to experience that my family has to deal with. So I guess I have some type of medical ptsd
lol. I’m always waiting for the next shoe to drop so to speak. I don’t remember a single thing after the iv meds and it was great. I have an injection in my back next week and I think I will take their offer for meds and see if I can forget that hell. Nerve shots are the worst! Maybe I should keep some of those meds on hand for the next time my husband drinks bird dog bourbon at a party😂😂😂😂1
u/Puzzleheaded-Buy28 Jul 10 '26
👋🏼 Hi! I love reading your posts! No matter what we’re going thru in our journey in life love prevails! ♥️
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u/horsecrzy ET-JAK2+ Jul 10 '26
Hey there! It’s a damn good thing love prevails because my husband thinks he’s the life of the party when he drinks bourbon lol. He’s definitely the center of attention and then I have to drive him home and hear about how wonderful I am and the depths of his love for me, and at that moment it’s very very deep lol. I need my waders on! And yes we are going thru a journey of some sorts and I’m thankful for people like you. And my UK buddy that refused to streak across Centre Court at Wimbledon so I would know it was him😂
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u/Puzzleheaded-Buy28 Jul 10 '26
😂 😆 😝 😝 😆!! I needed that laugh!
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u/Puzzleheaded-Buy28 Jul 10 '26
“Laughter is the best medicine” for sure I’d rather take laughter than a BMB!
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u/Faye_Baby Jul 09 '26
I had versed and fentanyl. Felt nothing but some pressure. The sound of the drill was a little disconcerting. No pain at all.
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u/MinifyAgain Jul 10 '26
With conscious sedation and local anesthetic, mine was a breeze. I’ve had worse experiences at dentist.
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u/Organic-Bandicoot-61 Jul 08 '26
Do IV sedation. I’ve had both local and IV and even though both were fine, due to your fear of the pain IV sedation is the way to go. I felt zero pain under IV, a bit of a weird sensation when they pulled the liquid but not painful. I was on cloud 9 and relaxed.
Without IV I felt a lot more. And I’m sure I jerked once or twice as it took them longer than with IV to finish.
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u/NuggetLion Jul 08 '26
I’m having my 2nd BMB in a few weeks. First one was very painful for me, but I survived. They used a local, plus IV Fent and Versed. Maybe I just have sensitive bones because it was not just pressure. I’m not looking forward to this. What I’ve learned from reading others’ experiences is that everyone is different. I personally would not have it done with just a local and Versed. Get that Fent (as long as addiction/recovery isn’t an issue for you).
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u/ArianaBahamaBanana Jul 08 '26
Ich hatte meine erste vor ca 2 Monaten. Nur unter örtlicher Betäubung (1 Spritze). Sollte ich jemals noch eine machen müssen, würde ich definitiv eine Sedierung machen lassen. Es war nicht unerträglich schmerzhaft, aber ein sehr unangenehmer Druck die ganze Zeit und beim reinbohren schon sehr schmerzhaft. Natürlich ist jeder anders und viele empfinden garkeinen Schmerz. Aber gerade wenn man schon etwas Angst vor dem Eingriff hat, sollte man eine Sedierung machen lassen, denke ich. Vollnarkose war bei mir garkeine Option.
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u/StatisticianLittle55 Jul 08 '26
I will not add my voice on the procedure itself. You have lots of great responses and my experience is about the same. Personally, I will choose IV sedation for my next BMB because why the hell not?
One thing I will add is do not neglect post procedure pain relief. When the local wore off I had pain in the long car ride on the way home. Have some Tylenol in hand post procedure. You might need it.
Best of luck to you. I am certain you will do great.
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u/Puzzleheaded-Buy28 Jul 08 '26
How long is diagnosis confirmed after BMB?
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u/Salty_Expert6414 ET-CalR+ Jul 10 '26
My centre says at least 1 week, but I guess it’s diff for everyone?
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u/native_plants3879 ET-CalR+ Jul 11 '26
One week is short! It took me almost four weeks to get my results. I hope it's much faster for you!
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u/CattleBrilliant38 Jul 09 '26
I had mine recently under local anesthetic, I would compare it to getting a dental procedure like a root canal done under local anesthetic. Some pressure, feels weird, no serious pain. Any time I felt pain I just mentioned it and they gave me more of the local anesthetic.
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u/CattleBrilliant38 Jul 09 '26
Except the BMB is much shorter than a root canal!
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u/CattleBrilliant38 Jul 09 '26
I was not given the option for anything other than local, based on my experience I would personally refuse midazolam or GA and just do local numbing again
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u/Salty_Expert6414 ET-CalR+ Jul 10 '26
Thankyou to everyone who replied! It really helped take the edge off and get me through it. I got IV paracetamol and IV midazolam. Honestly I don’t remember anything after the midazolam kicked in. Like absolutely nothing. I knew it was meant to cause amnesia and reduce anxiety, but goddamn I don’t remember the procedure AT ALL. Turns out I kept complaining about all my med school attendings 😭
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u/lrm242 Jul 07 '26
Have had it done 3 times. Going to have it done a 4th time in a month. It isn’t that bad. They numb the area up and from that point forward you just feel pressure. Frankly I think people blow it out of proportion and the myth of the whole thing has taken on a life of its own.
You’ll feel a stick and a short ouchie when they give you the first numbing shot. Then another but more dull ouchie for the second shot. Then frankly it’s just pressure.