Why have my smear tests suddenly got so painful???

[Jessi1979]

I've never exactly looked forward to smear tests but have only ever found them to be uncomfortable before but my last two have been so painful I've actually yelped and cried afterwards! The first painful one I just put it down to the nurse being heavy handed but it was a different nurse this time and it was even worse! Has this happened to anyone else?

[Holothane]

Three years ago it was agony, later found out why my womb is inverted, sex has always been painful I thought it was physchosimatic due to being with ex. My last smear was done under ga, as well as a look inside the womb, coil fitted 30th of January now just stopped bleeding viscious pain has finally gone. My next smear will probably be under ga as well. Excuse spelling.

[Iloveeastereggs]

Painful smear test
Had my first smear test today, have avoided it for years because of many silly reasons but finally got enough courage to go
All was fine, nurse was lovely. Speculum wouldn’t go in and was painful so she added a little bit of lubricant to the sides to help, that was fine
As soon as she opened that thing the pressure I felt was unreal, so uncomfortable I actually had tears. It wasn’t complete pain, mostly intense pressure and I didn’t even notice the actual brush swab happening as this was so bad
Has anyone else had pain like this from the speculum opening?

[Donnalouise123]

Dreading this morning same of a lot of woman smears didnt bother me but last one was horrendous the nurse didnt even no if it was my cervix obviously why i had a lot of pain and not enough cells taken to get a result so yep back again at 9.20am fingers crossed this one goes better i have butterflys and and so worried

[ChattyChristine]

I’m so relieved to read your post. I had a smear on Wednesday the most excruciating thing i have ever experienced in my life i was in tears. The nurse said that being postmenopausal i have shrunk and dried up up there.Don’t know if she used lub certainly didn’t feel like it.
It’s now Saturday am still really sore inside as if i had internal bruising
I just hope to God that she got a proper sample.
I have a smear in five years time and i feel ashamed to say that i really am too scared to ever go again.

[Soscaredtohavesmeartest]

I'm about 2 years overdue for a smear test. Because of all the publicity lately I was trying to pluck up the courage to go but I just can't bear the thought.
If I could pay for and go under General Anaesthetic for it I would.

Every time the nurse has done it, it has been excruciating. Apparently my cervix is "tucked away" and difficult to find. I've also got a tilted something or other.

The only times it hasn't hurt is when I was referred to a Gynaecologist and had my legs up in the air in stirrups and had a cervical polyp removed at the same time. I didn't feel a thing. I carried on having 6-monthly private smears until he retired. Then back to the NHS - excruciating. Saw this thread. Everyone is in pain. I just can't do it.

[havingtochangeusernameagain]

My last two have been pretty unpleasant. I think the nurse thought I was being a complete wimp. Well probably. I have a tilted uterus, not sure if that's age or not. Can't wait to only need one every 5 years rather than 3.

[Kirstsi]

I've been to docs they referring to hospital for ultrasound and internal ultrasound

[Oldmum55]

I put down the pain never felt before to maybe getting older but it could be that the procedure had changed. Also they mentioned a tilted womb but this was never noticed before unless it tilts with age? Got to hate them really but considering they are a potential life saver I will put up with them.

[Kirstsi]

Just had my smear I nearly jumped off the bed when they touched my cervix . The looked concerned and said I needed to book doc app I
Also had to do some swabs. I i'm on depo injection my periods have stopped but there was blood on the swab has anyone else been through this

[stargirl1701]

Hmmm. My last one was a cascade of horror and I have never before had an issue (20 odd years).

I ended up in A&E with significant bleeding and acute pain. I had the smear on the Friday afternoon and it started that night. I survived the weekend on co-codamol and attended the GP on the Monday who sent me to A&E with suspected burst uterine polyps. Stronger painkillers and some other drug prescribed. I saw Gynae 4 weeks later for an ultrasound. No evidence of polyps and uterus looked entirely normal.

Smear felt normal although the nurse asked me to pop my fists under my bottom which I had never done before.

[Stokieshaz]

When i had my smear test 2 weeks ago i bled a very lightly the day after and the nurse that took my smear said that this could happen and its nothing to worry about. I only bled the day after but after that i was fine. Try not to worry to much im sure you will be fine.

[kbb23]

i had a smear yesterday which was uncomfortable. the nurse said there was some blood when she did my smear and said i could have some spotting after. i had no spotting straight after but 24 hours later ive started to bleed (very lightly) is this normal? i am really worried

[Stokieshaz]

I got my result back today from my recent smear test and just to let you know everything was ok. Result was normal. No more zmears for 5 years now Thank god

[KimKardashiansArse]

It will be the plastic speculum. They're much more uncomfortable than metal.

[Stokieshaz]

I had another smear on tuesday with a female doctor. She was brilliant . She took the time to talk through what she was going to do and made me feel at ease. She used the smallest speculum which wasnt painful as such just a little uncomfortable. When she took the test i didnt feel a thing. It was about as comfortable a smear can be and by far the best i have ever had.. In total contrast to the one i had a week before which was horrendous

[Stokieshaz]

Hope everything goes ok for you Good luck

[Mulledwine1]

My last one was very unpleasant and I've just had a reminder for one this week.

Yuck. Not looking forward to it at all :(

[Stokieshaz]

I went for my smear today and the nurse couldnt find my cervix. After 5 attempts with all the different size speclums we stopped. The pain was horrendous i have had to re book it for next week with a female doctor this time. Only hope i can get it done next week because this is enough to put people off for life

[Olympiathequeen]

My uterus in tilted backwards instead of forwards and smear tests have been getting worse over the past few years. Sometimes they just can't find the cervix by which time I am ready to walk. It helps to tilt my pelvis back rather than forward as it shows the cervix better.

[Matilda2013]

Had my smear test today and was told I had a tilted cervix? Wasn't mentioned in my last smear and this one was slightly more uncomfortable. Is there a reason it could have become more tilted?

[Stokieshaz]

I have my smear on tuesday and i am dreading it. All previous onrs have been difficult. I dont want to go but realise it has to be done. I would like to say thankyou for all your support and advice . It means so much to me i will keep in touch and tell you how it went. Thanks again Shaz xx

[27Harper]

This happened to me when I had vaginismus. I still get it from time to time but it's not as bad. Smear tests And pelvic exams are never nice and I always find them really painful. Do you notice tensing up during the smears? That can often cause pain that oerhaos wasnt there in the past, and since you remember from there on out that that smear was painful, you'll begin to tense up in your next one, and the cycle repeats. Hope this is of any use to you hun, just speaking from my experience personally xx

[Toddlerteaplease]

So glad it's not just me. I've always found them absolutely agonising. Had to get a private one done last year so I could have some treatment for MS and I never felt it! Don't know what the doctor did differently but i couldn't believe it!

[PollyPerky]

no matter how much it might feel 'ouch Ace you need to go!
It only lasts seconds. At my last one a few weeks back my gynae also did the HPV test so I had to 'undergo' the brush twice! I did say 'ouch' the 2nd time but it can't have lasted more than 10 seconds before he was in and out.

[Polly2345]

I had Vulvodynia for a while and that made my last one v painful.