Punch hole biopsy bleeding

[merryandbrightdelight]

To not want to spend the last few weeks of 2024 bleeding?!

I had a cervical punch hole biopsy 3 weeks ago - think it was the wall of my cervix. She said everything looked OK but she did the biopsy anyway where there was a bleeding site as I started with post-coital bleeding (pinkish colour) since stopping the depo, between finishing my period and ovulating

Anyway, the leaflet they gave me is awful, it basically says that you can resume normal everything the day after. I had a few episodes of heavy, fresh bleeding with clots (not massive ones, but like a 50p coin) the weekend following (heavy lifting, then an exercise class boot-camp style) and worried myself so googled the procedure and found a few very good patient leaflets for other NHS Trusts down the country that said bleeding can be up to 6 weeks and to avoid lifting, aerobics etc, no wearing tampons or swimming, and no intercourse until the bleeding has stopped.

Rang the clinic and they were lovely and said all the patient leaflets in my trust as being re-designed because staff haven't been happy with them for a while, and said I had overdone it and to take it easy, and that it would be bleeding, then discharge with a clear distinction between them both, then nothing, and it would be best not to exercise until the bleeding finished. She said I had overdone it (I remember similar after both ELCS) and it happens, so to keep an eye and if it was soaking through pads they would re-cauterise.

Bleeding stopped after about 2 and a half weeks (bright red went to darker red as it was 'drying up'), then discharge for a few days, then yesterday nothing. DH and I tried to have sex (sorry, TMI) and after a short while, I felt as though something wasn't right - checked and I was bleeding bright red blood again, fresh, clots. Pad on overnight, not soaked through, just marked, and this morning nothing. When I've wiped its dark red again like it was when it was healing. I think I've basically irritated the healing area and undone its good work over the last couple of weeks!

I'm going to ring the clinic again today just for advice, and I feel so embarrassed that I've caused this myself but I did think it had stopped!

Has anyone had similar and can they shed any light on how long everything lasted for them? I'm just wondering how long it takes to heal internally, when externally, you think you have healed (ie, when you're not bleeding anymore, when do you know that inside has fully healed?)

Friend of mine is a gynae nurse and said everyone is different, some people stop straight away, others don't... guess I'm in the second category 😬

Thanks in advance!

I think you need to see the GP and get swabbed for an infection

I did wonder this too - when I rang the other week (I've rang so many times!) I did ask about infection and she said that they wouldn't be worried about an infection at that stage, but yes I will ask today, thank you

I had a cervical biopsy and a LLETZ a few years ago and was told no swimming, baths, strenuous exercise, tampons or sex for six weeks. I bled for about 3-4 weeks, gradually tapering off, but didn’t get a recurrence of the heavy bleeding once I did resume normal activities because I did stick religiously to the guidance and waited out the full six weeks. Definitely call them to ask for advice but also just don’t do any of those things until Xmas! I’d say each time you disturb it, you’ll have to leave it alone again for several weeks to let it heal even once the bleeding has ceased.

I know it’s a pain - my 6 weeks covered a holiday and an anniversary and frankly it was really annoying so I appreciate what you’re going through.

Thank you so much for sharing your experience - I totally agree, I feel like disturbing it again has put me right back to square one. Honestly if you saw the current leaflet from my trust - the staff are so lovely though and when I've rang up with questions they're really helpful, which I'm so pleased about. I'll ring them today, question about an infection, and then go back to my big knickers for a few more weeks! I didn't realise the cervix was so vascular

That leaflet sounds awful! I can’t actually remember what my leaflet said, I just remember the staff saying - ‘don’t disturb it for six weeks’. I had an operation to repair damage from giving birth years before with the same ‘six week no go zone’ advice but at least I didn’t bleed for weeks after that!

I think you’ll almost certainly stop bleeding fairly quickly this time as you’ve probably just disturbed the ‘scab’ (if you see what I mean), rather than going back to square one, but I’d definitely just leave it completely alone for at least a couple of weeks now.

@WolfFoxHare it really is, I'm pleased it's getting re-done. I suffer terribly with health anxiety too so reading that, then getting what I had/have, really put me on edge.

Honestly thank you so much for your reply, it's reassuring to know you've had similar. The nurse did mention 'the scab' last week when I rang her. I'm just so embarrassed that it's through my own doing that it's happened again 🙈

I do think they should have been clearer about when you could resume normal activities though, and what ‘normal activities’ mean for you. They basically told me not to insert ANYTHING for 6 weeks even if the bleeding had stopped, but that eg going shopping, going to work in an office, doing the school run etc was fine. If your normal activities include heavy lifting and a lot of very strenuous exercise, they should have established this when talking to you and ruled those out.

I had my cervix cauterised for post sex bleeding years ago. The leaflet said I’d have a clear discharge for a few weeks. When it got to 4 weeks with no sign of stopping I went to the GP who swabbed me. I had a rare infection that needed certain antibiotics, yet my only symptom was the clear discharge I was told I’d have. So that’s why I say you should get swabbed.

I had similar last week but it was cauterised with silver nitrate. I assume they didn't do the same for you? Infection is a known risk of the procedure as is prolonged bleeding. Your clinic have said to contact them again if there are any problems so you need to do that.

Just an update! I've just rang the clinic. My results have just come back and everything is fine, no malignancy or anything, just inflammation (I was on my period at the time it was taken). 2 attempts and one full sample so they have been combined into one report.

She did silver nitrate and said from what I'm saying, it doesn't need re-cauterising at present, but to keep an eye and if I start soaking through pads she will do it. She said they don't like to interfere with the healing unless it's necessary, as it'll make it worse and put it right back to square one.

In terms of activities, I said should I be waiting another six weeks or so for everything and she said that they wouldn't expect it to have too much of an impact, as the punch hole is smaller than the loop hole, but everyone is different. I did say that all in all, it was 2 and a half weeks post-procedure that the bleeding stopped, so was it possible that internally, I had just knocked the scab off, and she said that yes, it's possible.

She mentioned that as I don't feel unwell etc, they won't prescribe antibiotics routinely, but if I spike a temperature, or start to feel unwell, to contact her and they can prescribe. We lost a family member to sepsis through an undiagnosed infection a few weeks ago, so it does play on my mind.

I did mention that I'm at the GP tomorrow for bloods to check my iron levels (been low over the last 5 years since pregnancy and I had booster injections in May) to ask for an infection marker test to be done for my own peace of mind.

I'm not passing clots, or anything heavy at the minute, it's more like a couple of days post-procedure. So I will keep an eye.

Thank you all so much for your comments on this post, its much appreciated

I didn’t feel unwell when I had my infection, no temp or smelly discharge.

I did have 2-3 cervical biopsies 3 weeks ago and after waiting for 3 weeks to have sex, I did experience red blood during and then it stopped once I stopped the deed. I had pink discharge during sex back like 7-8 months ago and HPV 16, so doctors keep doing a lot of biopsies to me. Not sure if it is unhealed tissue, scar tissue, or anything sinister hissing up in the endocervical canal thau causes the bleeding but I keep getting cin 1 in biopsy results. Tell me more about your case. Did your blood stop?

@strawberry94 did your bleeding/pink discharge start with a cause or was it just quite sudden? I've had 2 periods since my biopsies, with some old blood/pink randomly the last few days. Haven't tried sex or anything yet and won't for another few weeks to make sure it has had a good healing time

I used to have pink discharge 10 months ago with my sex toy. But when I did all the biopsies, after weeks, I keep bleeding red blood during sex. Not pink anymore but red. I am 3 weeks from the biopsies taken so now I abstain for 6 weeks to see if it will heal .. stressful