exstream pain with first smear

[attsam]

Hi I'm new to this so sorry if i do anything wrong.

sorry its going to be a long one

i will start with a little history. i started my periods when i was 7 first year they were ok after that it all went down hill every month i would disappear for about 10 days i would bleed very severely using night pads in the day and extreme pain couldn't move mum took me to the doctors who said we can put her on the pill that should help mum said no she didn't want me on the pill because i was so young (mum never had any pain so she didn't understand) so growing up i missed quite a lot of school. mum took me back to the doctors when i was 14 she doc put me on the pill and said she thought it could me endometriosis so i was put on microgynon this was ok i could manage to go to school with very strong painkillers and get my GCSEs. when i was 16 i when to the doctors and asked for something to get rid of my periods i hated them and started to hate my body. The doc put me on cerazette best thing in the world of me i love it it stopped my periods completely I've not had one for 9 years. the world endometriosis totally forgotten about

back to now i got my letter to go for my first smear to ok that cool they need to be done yes it might feel funny but fine. she started to put the speculum in and i through no thats not a funny feeling it hurts as he pushed it in more i yelled for her to stop it was like she was stabbing me with a knife I've never been in so much pain in my life. she was very good and we tried 3 times after that she refused to do it anymore she could see the pain i was in but she didn't know why it would hurt so much. she did manage to get a swab to check for infection incase it was that.

So I'm not waiting for the results of that test I've had no other symptoms of an infection. So i was look on the internet why it would hurt so much and boom the word endometriosis was back.

Does anyone else get this type of pain when having a smear and what do you do about it.

[JeanOsborne]

Hi how old are you now and have you had sex?

[attsam in reply to JeanOsborne]

I'm 25 its hard to explain I've not had full penetrate sex but everything else and thats all fine sorry if thats tmi

[JeanOsborne in reply to attsam]

Hi if you've not had penetrative sex then the chances are your hymen is still intact so having a smear would be very painful .

Smear tests aren't usually performed untill you have lost your vaginity.

Wish I could offer some advice.

[attsam in reply to JeanOsborne]

Thank you

the thing that confuses me it that putting it in was fine it was the opening that was the painful part

[JeanOsborne in reply to attsam]

Has you GP referred you to a gynaecologist? If not then they need to . If they suspect endo then you will need a laparoscopy to find out.

[attsam in reply to JeanOsborne]

I've got in appointment next week when my results of the infection swab if they come back negative with i think they might i will ask the GP to refer me

[JeanOsborne in reply to attsam]

Yeah you need answers Hun, then you can get the right treatment. There is a lady on here called Lindle. She is brilliant. If you need any advice on how to get a referral search on here for her. You can pm her too just click on her name then on message.

[attsam in reply to JeanOsborne]

thanks you

[JessieP]

They are always excruciating agony for me also, I have been told this could be due to Endo on my cervix, same reason why you can bleed after sex or its painful

[attsam in reply to JessieP]

glad its not just me well I'm not glad you are in pain but I'm sure you know what i mean hehe

[Hopeful82]

You may have had what is known as a basal vaguel response, I've had this reaction to smears. Severe pain and then feeling faint from the pain after. I was hospitalised when it happened to me. Nothing they can do about it just when i have other smears I have to them and they watch for the signs.

[attsam in reply to Hopeful82]

i didn't have a clue what this was so just googled it I'm not sure if it was that i didn't faint the pain was horrible it made me feel very shaky and a little sick.

[Hopeful82 in reply to attsam]

I also did not faint

[attsam in reply to Hopeful82]

hmm i will ask the doc about that when go you never know

[katrina1234]

Hi, sorry to hear your story. I do smears as part of my job. They can be more uncomfortable if a lady had never had penetrative sex before. However there are different size speculums available to use including 'small' size and 'Virgin' size. The procedure can be a bit uncomfortable for most ladies (even those who are sexually active) especially when the speculum is opened. A bit of lubricant can help. Also a vasovagal episode only happens in some ladies and is very rare. It's when the cervix is so sensitive and the vagal response is to increase heart rate and lower blood pressure hence the feeling dizzy/faint. I have only known one lady to feel faint in the 4 years I have been doing smears. If a lazy finds procedure really uncomfortable with me I book them in with a doctor. Oh also suggest taking a friend to sit with you at head end!! Good luck.

[attsam in reply to katrina1234]

she was very good and got me a small when i explained my situation to her and the second time she put loads of lubricant on. Thank you for the extra info on vasovagal episode i didn't really have a glue.

[Rach3187 in reply to katrina1234]

I had a smear once and never again... It was worst thing I've ever experience.... Till I was called up.for second time and the nurse couldn't do it so I saw a dr and she suggest I didn't need it... I rather have a scan or a swab

[attsam in reply to Rach3187]

i worry i need to have a smear my aunty had cervical cancer so its in the family but i have no idea who why will do it.

[Larrie7]

Sounds very similar to my smear test and being gay and never having had sex with a man, i was actually pretty worried about it. Anyway it was horrible, first time with the smallest speculum i was kinda ok but nurse said my cervix 'slipped' so couldnt do it. She suggested a bigger speculum and oh my god that was painful. Like it was ok going in but it seems to reach a point like maybe when it hits the cervix that is agonising. Tried it a 3rd time and the speculum broke! haha. and at this point i was ready to give up. The nurse said i could go home if i wanted to but suggested that she tried it with the smallest speculum but with me lying on my side. Sounds kinda odd, she said it had worked once in the past so we tried. and I swear I didnt feel a thing. She was like 'all done' and I didn't believe her. She told me that next timeI have a smear to explain that I need it done with my on my side, and if the nurse wasn't prepared to do it to find another nurse who would. The only issue was that i'd been so nervous about it my legs had been shaking the whole time, and had cramp in my legs and when i was on my side i had to keep one leg in the air which was quite hard and the nurse was like 'please try not to kick me in the head' !!!

I can laugh about it now but on the day it was pretty traumatic.

[attsam in reply to Larrie7]

you did make me giggle. id look like a dead cow if they did it on my side.

I didn't think a speculum could break she must of been really hard with it.

I've been trying to stretch my vagina out (sorry TMI) the nurse told me to try and have more sex and it would help. I do have a male partner but penetrative sex is not his thing long story we are working on it (medical blar blar) so we have been on the internet and got a small speculum to try and train myself into thinking its ok. so far no luck. still hurts like hell trying to open it.

[Larrie7 in reply to attsam]

yeah thats the bit found really painful. And thats when it broke! haha. it was a plastic one though. But I'm having excision surgery for endo in a few weeks so im convinced that its the endo thats causing the pain.

if it keeps hurting then maybe stop practicing as you could have endo there and no amount of practising will help with that! I think its rectovaginal endo or endo in the pouch of douglas that might cause that type of pain. Not sure though. Also you could have this pain for years but didn't know as you weren't having penetrative sex. ..

[attsam in reply to Larrie7]

thanks for your help. I've got a appointment with the doctor this next week so i will ask her about endo