Pap test/Cervical smear question

[Little Retail Rabbit]

Is it supposed to hurt so bad?

Had my first one today. I've mentioned before that I've been apprehensive, but I've been feeling better about it.

I had my first tattoo done on Tuesday and I nearly shit a brick beforehand, but it was fine! With that in mind I was really as relaxed as I could imagine myself to be when I went in for the test. I was thinking the tattoo would easily be worse and I could seriously do another tattoo right now without breaking a sweat.

I was so wrong about the test though. It hurt so much, and I think I'm still bleeding now, over 6 hours later.

The nurse was lovely, and was the only reason why I battled through. I could tell she was being gentle.

She said that there was a polyp, and that I may have to be examined again. I can't do it again, I won't ever be able to relax knowing how much that fucking hurts. Seriously, I'd take tattoos on the ribcage over that again. I'm also freaking out about the polyp.

I told my mother that it hurt quite badly, and she first said "no it didn't, it doesn't hurt", and when I insisted that it did, she made out it was all my own fault. "You should have been relaxed then!" she said, and made it sound like it was because I was being stupid.

I believe when I was a teenager I had vaginismus, which possibly didn't help. But I swear to god, I was as relaxed as I could be, the worst thing I expected from today was the embarrassment of having a stranger see my private parts.

I keep crying...partly because I can't face it again, and have no idea how to make it easier ("just relax" is NOT helpful advice!) and because my mum was so mean and heartless about it.

[Little Retail Rabbit]

The nurse did say that when the results come back in a couple of weeks I should see my doctor (going to be a nightmare getting an appointment) and that she might want to examine me again...which also freaks me out. I did the stupid thing of looking up cervical polyps on wikipedia and ok, only 1% of them turn out bad, but even the simple-sounding removal process looks like something I couldn't handle.

Oh yes, I have been diagnosed has having anxiety disorder. So yes, I am freaking out now.

But I swear to god, I was really doing fine until...whatever caused the pain started.

Believe it or not, I have just told dad whats upsetting me (minus gory details). He thinks my mum is still hurting from her own health problems and is coming off too tough, but surely this sort of pain isn't normal

*sigh* I was so pleased with how tough I was being. Believe me, this time last year, the prospect of the test had me in tears. I'd come really far. I was feeling like I could do anything. I didn't even say the word "ow" during my tattoo, so I figured this would be a peice of unpleasant cake ^^;; and I was planning on treating myself to a "victory milkshake" once it was all over to be all like "Well done bunny, you dids the thing, you can has victory milkshake". I got the milkshake over 2 hours later, but it sure felt like a hollow victory

(Edit: I read somewhere that you should treat yourself to something nice when you get it done. I totally understand how important it is, and lets face it, if this polyp turns out to be something bad, then it will prove I needed the test. But no one enjoys it, and it can be scary for people like me, so I thought the "reward" system was a good way of bribing myself to get on with it.)

[Aethian]

It's completely normal. Even after I wasn't a virgin anymore it still is a uncomfortable feeling for me. Go tell your mom to shove it.

[AnaKhouri]

Visiting the gynecologist used to be terribly painful for me. I soldiered through it but I really, really hated it.

After I started having sex it became marginally less painful. Since having a baby (even though he was a c-section) it's merely uncomfortable.

Of course I don't recommend doin either of these things for that reason!

I recommend calling the doctor and explaining just how painful it was. Perhaps they can offer you something to make you relax even further, like they give Valium to people who are getting MRIs so they don't freak out in the tube.

Good luck! I too have been there.

[ArcticChicken]

Hmmm, mine didn't hurt at all. I don't know if it's because you got a somewhat different test, or we're just different people. In comparison, my tattoo was awful (though I do intend to get another when I have the money and can find the perfect artist.)

I would definitely call your doctor or whoever and explain how much it hurt, and how scared that makes you. They should be able to help, if only by giving you the good drugs next time you come in.

[CoffeeMonkey]

The first time I had one, it was very painful and stressful. The second time (same office, doctor's partner) hurt so much that the whole office heard me wailing. The doctor said she wouldn't be doing them anymore and suggested I get myself a vibrator because someday I might meet someone I want to be intimate with, yadda yadda yadda. that part was weird and vaguely creepy, and the referral to a gyno (she was my pcp, and should have been able to do a routine exam) to me seemed very much like she didn't want to deal with me and I was the one with the problem.

I changed doctors. Not JUST for that reason, but it was a big part of it.

My new doctor listened to how much it had hurt before, and thought that it would be best for me to see the gyno for my exam, since she would be better at it than she would be. She referred me to her own doctor.

When I saw that doctor, I was practically in tears explaining how much it had hurt before and how scared I was. She listened, talked to me for a long time about my history and everything else she needed to know, and promised me that LOTS of women are afraid of the exams and hurt. She would go slow, I could stop her at any time, and she would use the tiniest speculum. It would be ok.

And it was! I almost cried again I was so relieved. The smear part didn't hurt at all and the exam had one sharp pain that stopped because SHE stopped, started again, and I was fine.

So no, it's certainly NOT just you, and it doesn't mean that something is wrong with you. Maybe your doctor just didn't have a gentle enough touch.

[Sleepwalker]

O lord, I'd like to slap your mother for you.

For me, it's usually uncomfortable followed by a bit of pain when they go snippy snip(urgh). It should NOT be agony or cause long term bleeding, definitely you should talk to your doctor about that pronto, and switch if you can't get an explanation.

[Seshat]

It doesn't hurt me. (Even with the fibro, a pap smear doesn't hurt!)

It's possible that they used a too-large speculum. (The doodad that they slip inside and open to make room for the cotton bud.)
It's possible that you have an unusually small or unusually tight vaginal entrance.
it's possible that your pelvic floor muscles spasmed.
or she didn't use enough lube.
Or or ior....

While you're sitting there, imagine you're sitting on a silk scarf. Now try slowly picking it up and putting it down with your vaginal muscles. That;s the exact exercise my continence therapist gave me to do - learning to consciously tighten and relax the pelvic floor muscles.

Me, I needed to learn to tighten them. (Picking up the scarf). You might need to learn to relax them (putting it down).

It took me a while to learn to 'find the controls' for those muscles; but it's been worth it.

A tool worth having to help with conscious control is a pelciv floor exerciser, sometimes called a Kegelcisor or some such. Mine is an acrylic wand which can take being in the dishwasher (which sterilises it); it has four 'bloops' of different sizes; the largest at one end, the smallest at the other. When I can hold it by the smallest bloop just with conscious PFloor control, I'll have achieved my goal.

For you, I'd suggest lubing it a lot and trying consciously 'putting down the silk scarf' while GENTLY guiding the smallest bloop in. Stop at the point where diasomfort is about to become pain - this is a long-term project; not an exercise in forcing things.

When you see the doctor for an exam, you can tell her what diameter 'bloop' you can take with acceptable discomfort; that should be the largest speculum she should use. If possible, she should use the one a step smaller.

I hope this helps - I know it can be an embarrasing subject.


If not for the people who answered before me and said yes, it hurts, I would have said it shouldn't hurt at all.

A note: my mammograms didn't actually hurt, either. VERY uncomfortable, but not painful.

{hidh pain day, one usable hand, plz forgive typos}

[fireheart]

I also had some pain during my first pelvic (and is the reason why I keep putting another one off!). The one thing I found was taking in an mp3 player of some kind and playing music while she did the actual examination.

Any chance of doing that?

[Little Retail Rabbit]

(Gross details, I'll try not to be too gory, skip if you wish)


Its a relief to know I'm not the only one who experiences pain...I need to try and figure out exactly why before I have to have it done again.

(Mum unhelpfully was all like "You won't need it done for another 5 years".

"No mum, its 3."

"Ok, 3 years."

"And in a couple of weeks time I may have to have it done again."

Glad she was paying fucking attention. Yeah, I'm pretty mad at her right now. Gone from crying to being angry instead).

I am not a virgin...but I only have sex once a year because I'm in a long distance relationship. It took the best part of 3 years before I was able to have sex. Of course, at 17, I just cried there was something wrong with me. When we finally went all the way, I realised it was just because sex doesn't happen overnight, and we usually only had a handful of nights to do anything. But even on my last trip, the first couple of attempts stung a bit. No problems afterwards though. No bleeding either.

I actually saw the doctor when I was 18, and asked if there was any reason why I should find it so painful. She offered to examine me, but I was far too embarrassed at that point. She was nice though, and said that the LDR coupled with usual anxieties probably didn't help.

(The fact I am tokophobic also probably doesn't help. I have a deadly fear of pregnancy, so that can be a mood killer if its in the forefront of my mind. )

Being as I expected the tattoo to be more painful, and I had handled it very well, I honestly was not tense when I laid down. I was vaguely uncomfortable in the sense that I've never had such an intimate examination before, but the nurse's demeanour was lovely...she was commenting on my outfit (I wore a long velvet skirt so I wouldn't have to undress) and saying how my boots looked super comfy etc. I felt her put the speculum in, and that didn't hurt at all...heck, I couldn't even feel her fingers, I remember thinking that. I also remember thinking "Eww, yuck, ok, whatever". ^^;; Then there was...a pushing...and then a pain...I ignored it, thinking that was the worst of it...then I felt a stabbing sensation. My hips lifted and I tried to relax them, but the pain got worse. There was an odd popping sensation...I apparently pushed the thing out

I tried to relax again so she could try again, but by this point, my legs were all tense. The pushing thing hurt immediately, and it was awful. This time, my hips shot up and stayed up...they wouldn't come down at all, not while the pain continued. I tried, but it was like they weren't mine anymore. I did ask her to stop (she had obliged once)...this time she didn't, but I think it was simply because she was able to finish it once and for all. I felt the turning (that wasnt so bad, it was whatever was causing the pain)...she said she'd do it really quickly because it was going to push out again. I think her reasoning was, the more attempts at it, the more difficult it would be to complete, and the more painful it would be for me. She said she was done a moment later, everything stopped, and she then told me I was bleeding quite a bit. She then told me about the polyp (I had to ask her what this was, I only knew of them in...an animal kingdom sense...I knew full well there wasn't a jellyfish in there lol!)

At this point, I was hurting, but we both managed to crack a joke about how it was probably a bad idea for me to have my blood pressure tested now (I also needed a BP check because I'm on the Pill). We both said, oh well, if its high, we know why!

I was very unhappy about it, and very worried about the polyp and the prospect of another test, but it was mum's reaction and general anxiety that lead to me crying several times last night. Apparently, I was just lucky I got this nurse, the other one is a bitch apparently.

I may have to ask my doctor for some sort of pill...I don't think I can relax myself again now. Next time I go for a tattoo, its going to be fine, I'll be relaxed, but next time I need another smear, I am going to be tense before I've even gotten on the bed. I will try those exercises, but I don't think I'll have gained much control over those muscles in the next 2 weeks

[PepperElf]

I would personally recommend talking to your doctor and explaining the tension to see if there's anything they can do to help.

If not something for the emotional tension, then possibly a muscle relaxant? It can't hurt to ask.

[Little Retail Rabbit]

Sorry for the double post, but here goes...

Legitimate question. Whats the point of redoing it if I'm going to keep bleeding?

I've been looking online and so many women have painful smears, many worse than what I had. So many of them had to have it done multiple times due to blood obscuring the cells. The thing is...what the fuck are we supposed to do about that then? Even if I decided just grow some bunny balls, man up and let them scrap away and put up with the awful pain, whats the point of the test if it causes bleeding due to the way its administered, and then the bleeding makes it impossible to test the samples? Logically speaking, doesn't this make the test pointless, if the test makes you bleed? Nobody can blame us for bleeding, its not like we do voluntarily >.<

[Little Retail Rabbit]

Oops. Pepperelf, I think you posted as I was typing.

I'm a bit at a loss. I am going to ask, but I've never heard of women in the UK being given pills or whatever for a smear.

I am beginning to think the entire thing just isn't worth the anxiety.

[PepperElf]

Oops. Pepperelf, I think you posted as I was typing.

I'm a bit at a loss. I am going to ask, but I've never heard of women in the UK being given pills or whatever for a smear.

I am beginning to think the entire thing just isn't worth the anxiety.

well you see it's not really "for a smear" but for your tension level. And the medical history you already mentioned can back up your claim.

[ArcticChicken]

Don't decide against it until you've spoken with your doctor. Yeah, maybe there won't be anything they can do, but there might be.

Both Valium and hypnosis have been used successfully as anesthesia for surgery, because a large part of pain is fear. Think about it. When you felt that first pain, you got all tense, and then the pain got worse. If they can help you with the fear component, then maybe you can have the test without too much pain. And maybe they need to use a smaller speculum and more lube.

My point is, don't give up before you've talked to the doctor. This is an important test, and you should have it done if at all possible.