anyone with experience of red angry looking cervix?

[Mummyofmax]

hi all
I gave birth 10 weeks ago and just before i was induced the doctors said my cervix looked red and angry. at my six week check it still did so i had swabs and i have group b strep and bacterial vaginosis. i have had penicillin for the past week and vaginal gel for five nights. doc looked again today and said it still looked red. she tried to reassure me that its nothing serious as i had a smear at six week check too and it came back clear but i am so worried. Does anyone have any experience of this? I tend to think the worst about most health issues but i generally am well and am fed up with worrying all the time.
x

Sounds like a sore throat in the wrong place! More seriously, my cervix took a very long time to recover both times after childbirth - it's like that with some people. There was no way I could have a smear at my 6-week check, as my cervix was too inflamed at that time. It recovers eventually.

I've also had abnormal smears, but always when my cervix looked completely normal and healthy, so don't connect an angry looking cervix with a pre-cancerous or cancerous one, as you would be presenting with different symptoms (or no symptoms at all).

ps be careful you don't go on to get thrush after all the antibiotics... that would make your cervix red and raw, too... thrush is easily treated, though, even if you do get it.

There are a few reasons for that sort of appearance to a cervix which as rabbit says, doesn't necessarily include an abnormality.
The doctor you saw - was it your GP or a gynaecologist?

thanks rabbit!
i was worried about cancer if im honest but you have put my mind at rest thank you. i was also given some pessaries for thrush but think im ok so far!! x

Bela it was my GP x

A smear test isn't really the right test to be doing in those circumstances tbh as it's a screening test not a diagnostic test.
It sounds like they have done other investigations though.
Did you have any bleeding during your preg, or had post-coital bleeding in the past. Also have you had any cervical smear tests previously?

I had a smear a year ago before i started trying for a baby. no bleeding during pregnancy or post coital but have had intermittent bleeding since having my baby. bled for 5 weeks after giving birth then at 6 weeks for 4 days then at 9 weeks for 2 days but hoping its just my body getting back to normal. Should I be worried Bela? x

I should explain my background is in the cervical screening lab.
The reason I was asking is because some parts of the cervix have quite thin 'skin', get inflammed easily and as rabbit found can take awhile to settle down again.
The thin area tends to look red because there are blood vessels close to the surface - the area is known as an ectropian but is sometimes called an erosion.
Pregnancy obv changes the cervix and there is more bloodflow to it then. Conditions such as deciduosis (a benign change caused by pregnancy hormones) can also make the cervix look red and prone to bleeding.

I was wondering whether you'd had any bleeding previously that might be connected with possible inflammation in this area. Also re-reading your 1st post your swabs came back with bacterial vaginosis.
It sounds like your GP is looking after you, so do try not to worry; if you do get any odd bleeding, pain, discharge then do go back and see them again.

Ok thanks nice to talk to someone in the know! i have had cervical erosion about 7 years ago and had a polyp on my cervix during first pregnancy which caused bleeding but burst during labour, got sutured and been fine ever since. so have had many 'things' going on down there. i was worried that all this would be leading to cancerous cells bt thats how i worry and cant help it. i would love to know more about this sort of thing and as weird as it sounds i would like to see a cervix to see what it looks like! :o

meant to say have always had discharge, always wear a pantyliner so not loads but seems normal for me x

sorry, also meant to ask do you know more about bacterial vaginosis? x

I've seen my own cervix! It's fascinating... If you ever do have to have a colposcopy, you can ask to see your magnified cervix on a large screen... I suspect there are also pictures of cervices on the internet...

If you've had bacterial vaginosis, be careful with scented bath products and the sorts of soaps you use "down below" as these can help promote it if you're prone to it (affect the pH balance, etc). I think it is an overgrowth of the sort of bacteria you would normally find in the cervical canal, so not like, eg, gonorrhoea, which is an overgrowth of bacteria that shouldn't be there in the first place. As with thrush, some women seem to be prone to getting it and others never do. Sexual intercourse can also provoke it if you're prone to it. Being run down/having a low immune system can make it more likely, too. Hopefully, once you've successfully treated it, you'll never get it again. It's less common than thrush. And that's all I know on the subject!

Thanks Rabbit! I really would love to see it! Ive read about the scented bath stuff, will have to be careful. I'm waiting for swab results after medication but doc said it was still red so not holding out much hope
x

I think rabbit knows more about BV than me TBH. My area's cells not bugs :)

Thanks Bela, I appreciate your advice. I presume that the smear test would show something up if there was a serious problem? x

Cervical screening is effective but not 100% effective - so it's not an utterly absolute guarantee. The national standard we are monitored by is to pick 95% of high grade (pre-cancerous) changes and 90% of low grade changes. Because reading the test is subjective (its a bit like looking at modern art!), there is a small possiblilty that an abnormality would not be picked up.

What I've been trying to say in previous posts is that your problem may have nothing to do with something that the smear test would show, if that makes sense - so what your GP has been doing with the swabs, medication etc is looking at all the possible reasons for your symptoms. This is why it's important if you continue to have problems, symptoms or they change then you should go back to your GP and get further investigation.
HTH and please try not to worry :)

Ok Thanks Bela.
I rang for the results today and it said repeat test, i asked why and receptionist said it says something about inhibitors so thinks the test either got broken or contaminated and not to worry.
Fed up now though as this is third lot of swabs in a month, never mind.
x