Has anyone had a painful biopsy? What was the explanation?

The first biopsy was very painful and the next two were "just" painful. Didn't ask why. Just knew it needed to be done.

I had a core biopsy with six passes. The numbing agent hurt like heck. I am six weeks out and my breast still hurts. I asked the surgeon if this was normal? Yes was the answer. I have read that if you have dense breasts the core sample can disrupt the tissue and hurt.

I had an MRI guided biopsy about nine months ago. The initial injection for numbing stung significantly, the second injection hurt so bad I yelled out “holy shit”. The result was benign “ at this time”. They put a marker in. I am now getting ready to have follow up MRI and very nervous regarding result. If I am told I need another MRI biopsy I will be very upset and nervous because I know they do not provide a painless procedure. Once you know, makes procedure dreaded. Another patient told me she demanded some sort of anesthesia. My thoughts are that most women are already are very apprehensive about a breast biopsy to begin with and to add to it with fear of known pain is so wrong. There is mild sedation which puts you in a semi conscience state, not total sedation of totally out, that should be offered. This would make this a much more comfortable and compassionately performed procedure.

Hello @warmer the cynic in me wants to agree with the other members that have posted here, and to some degree I do. I agree that they are painful, even with the local, and I agree that we grit our teeth and do it anyway because “it has to be done”.
I have been watching this conversation to see what other people thought before jumping in. I had more than 15 samples (lost count at 15) with a needle core that was quite painful, and stayed painful until that tumor was removed from my chest wall a month later. I do believe location was at least partly to blame.
I had a few more biopsies over the years and they were all mildly painful or just uncomfortable. But they were not just punched through with the core pen. Even the melanoma biopsy where they took out a giant core off of my arm wasn’t that painful.
Again the cynic in me could come up with some explanations for it, but mostly I think it is just that until the person doing it endures it, they don’t realize that they need to find a better way. I believe this is true for most rural health systems at least, I believe this only from my personal experiences with myself and my husband. I had local care, he had mostly Mayo care and there was a vast difference. I know this doesn’t help but at least you can know, we are all kindred spirits.
How are you doing now that you are in treatment?

It hurt like hell my reflexes threw my leg up. I was on my side.
Worst pain I've ever had. I have a high tolerance to pain, but not that pain. I started praying out loud.
Please lord, make it stop!

Yes - All of my biopsies hurt. The worst one was an MRI guided one. No numbing that I recall. Just tons of blood, as they hit an Angioma. Blood all over the floor, it was a total mess. The Ultrasound one was slightly less comfortable, as they used a numbing injection.

I had a biopsy with lidocaine, had a little sting, and no pain. I worried for days that it would be painful, but was so relieved that I felt no pain.

I had two biopsies--first one was for my tumor, done at radiologist's office--just lidocaine, as best I remember. Getting lido always hurts me some, but rest of procedure (with some sort "gun"--core biopsy, perhaps) didn't hurt and was a bit sore afterwards.
Second biopsy was for a spot on the underside of my breast. I sat in a chair, got lido, then was "shot" from the top of my breast completely through to the bottom to grab the offending tissue.
Again, not painless but not terrible either. Unfortunately, the 2nd biopsy turned my entire breast and armpit area dark blue/purple. I suppose that was from bleeding inside the breast. Discoloration was still present at 1st surgery a week later--and its intense color and size took the surgeon by surprise. However, my surgery wasn't delayed.
I can't comment on MRI guided biopsies--mine were the old-fashioned kind!

Like most of medicine if men had to go through what we have to endure it would change. We must speak up and demand better!

I came to say this. If this procedure were happening on testicles it would be an inpatient procedure. I also got no warning that I should bring someone with me. I needed a driver after my experience. Took me an hour to recover.