Hpv anxiety help

[Worriedsomuch]

Im looking for some comforting messages as i can't function from like a week. Its all began on Thursday when i have received an invitation for pap smear. I have had a normal results 3 years ago however they were not testing for HPV before. These 3 words makes me anxious. I cannot eat, sleep, nothing. I have booked my smear on 17th and i cannot get over what IF i tested positive for HPV ( especially when i read online even if u have 1 partner or you are married like 6 years etc u can still be positive ). I have a husband for 5 years but we have had someone before. We have got 2 daughters ( youngest is 3 months ) and i cannot look after them right now. Im in terrible state that im desperately looking for a help. I have called my gp they will call me back today. I have checked almosy all possible websites that says mostly hpv cleans on its own but still i cannot get over it. Is so hard to thw point that i have 1 banana a day or even not, i cannot breath, im sweating, crying and cannot even look after the kids. Could someone help me please x

I am sorry that you are feeling this anxious. But please try to relax. If you had normal results 3 years ago then things must be normal.
Do you have any unusual symptoms - irregular bleeding perhaps. If not then why are you so worked up.
Are you sure you are interpreting things correctly. Is it because the letter says "Cervical screening now scans for HPV" that has left you wondering that they never screened for HPV before.
I have received a similar letter and though the language can be confusing, a previous normal smear test means you did not have any abnormal cells.

I tested positive for HPV at my smear in March.

They will test me again next year to make sure it's cleared. It's a virus much like the common cold and the body will fight it naturally.

If you haven't had a new partner in 5 years I really don't think you'll be positive for it.

Sorry forgot to add. Haven't we have been always told that we all have HPV cells but it when they make cells abnormal then the problem starts. Surely the new test looks for HPV cells instead of just abnormal cells. It is just more sensitive. And if anyone has high risk HPV cells then they will be screened more often - which is good.
But the thing is you have been scanned previously for abnormal cells and you don't have it.

Speaking as someone who has had abnormal smear tests and a positive hpv test your body seems quite good at clearing the virus and any abnormality on a smear is quickly sorted out, try not to worry. The worst thing to do is avoid your smears as that when problems start to happen. It's actually a good thing they're now screening for hpv as it'll help identify women at risk of abnormal cells in the future and not leave them to get to the point of drastic treatment, it's a good preventative measure inthink

I have read that some people are together like 10 years and still HPV positive.

Im more concerned about HPV than abnormal cells. I just can't stop worrying. I can't sleep, eat, drink water etc. I just stay in bed all day without even looking after my kids. Its horrible. I have got panick attacks and my chest is burning. I just want to cry alone. I have anxiety, got medicine fromGP to calm down.
Yes i have had normal smear 3 years ago but i don't think they were testing it for HPV before ( if you have had normal cells ). Thank you for your replies xx

Op i get it. I have just had smear results back and for some unknown reason this year it's really affected me and I e been anxious.

My results are thankfully clear.

Things to remember. Google is not your friend, stop looking. It's a sure way of winding yourself up further.

HPV positive is high unlikely in your situation.

Should you be found to have HPV it means nothing other than you have a virus that your body can clear naturally.

Your right to speak to your GP but in the meantime you need to distract yourself and try to rest.

As a new mum in the current climate you must be emotionally and physically drained and I suspect this and your hormones are causing your anxiety to spike. Take a bath or shower, have a good cry and then don't play into the anxiety.

Anxiety does pass, it's just adrenaline and it's wearing you down. You need to see your smear test as a positive approach to your future help and it's done to protect you and your family. Try and get some sleep op.

If your in bed you need to get up, get washed and have something to drink, try to eat something. By not doing this your making your anxiety worse. Your children need you op, they need their mum to be well.

It's time you challenged the thoughts and took back control. Tell the anxiety to go away, the feeling will pass within 20-40 minutes. Breath and remain calm and with time it will go.

You have said yourself that you keep researching it, stop! It will pass, it's just an unpleasant feeling.

Thank you girls but burning chest and no able to breath is horrible.
Im in my dark state now i feel like my life is over and i shouldn't even exist.

Once, a very wise poster on MN said that a certain issue, HPV in your case, was just a hook on which anxiety has chosen to hang itself on. Or words to that effect.

So anxiety is there. It's hooked onto HPV as its topic. Let's imagine you'd had a clear smear test 6 months ago, you might still have this anxiety today. But your brain would need to perhaps find a new "hook" to hang it on. it might be something to do with your baby, lockdown, money issues, anything.

So you need to realise is that the HPV isn't the problem here. It's the anxiety itself. i wonder if you have postnatal anxiety and your brain has just fixated on HPV, that's all. Like I said, you could have fixated on any topic!

Lack of sleep, no food, confining yourself to bed, etc etc it ALL exacerbates anxiety. You think you're stuck and can't do the other stuff because of the worry you have over HPV but I promise, it's the other way round. You need to do those so the anxiety lessens and doesn't get any worse. So, i echo the previous posters. Go and get a shower, a meal and tomorrow, take yourself and baby out for a long walk. The endorphins from walking will help.

I used to have debilitating health anxiety. I couldn't read the leaflet in a box of tablets in case it mentioned a condition I thought I had. Newspapers were the WORST! Ugh and the amount of tv series I've had to stop half way through... l

I rang my mum in tears once about a disease I thought I had and she told me I probably had generalised anxiety disorder. She explained like the MN poster I mentioned above, that I'd prob find something new to be anxious about in 6 months. It was true.

I also realised it tied into my dad getting ill and dying. Like my brain expected it to happen to me too.

I also noticed my anxiety got SO BAD when I'm stressed and it'll peak like clockwork at two points in my cycle. Now I know it's just hormones, it's so much easier to dismiss and doesn't hold so much power over me.

All that to say, that perhaps you can find a reason for your anxiety and realise that actually, hpv is just a reason your brain has made up x

Burning chest and not being able to breathe is a panic attack.

I also meant to add that it wouldn't hurt to tell your heath visitor or gp x

Thank you so much i feel little bit better after reading your messages xx

The worst is at night when the lights are closed, i hear nothing but silence. I feel like house is so strange and i dont feel cosy and comfortable at all. After that, early morning when the kids get up i find it very stresfull - i feel anxious, paralysed, can't breath. I haven't been in that state never! I do suffer with some anxieties from time to time but this one is just out of control. I have asked my GP for help so she said i will be offering psychogist. They are going to contact me. Im living alone with my husband who finds this situation strange. Perhaps he thinks im just bored and thats why.. Anyway my aunt is coming tomorrow to stay for a while. I need to have someone because i feel so scared to stay alone. :(

Somehow 3 years ago they were testing for HPV, as that’s when I tested positive for it. If you are in England, not sure about N.I. and Scotland. If yours came back negative 3 years ago, means you didn’t have abnormal cells. You just have to relax about this. I still have it, not sure what they will say this time. But please don’t wind yourself up about it. You are being reactive here, not proactive.
Look after yourself OP and look after your kids. You are allowing this anxiety compromise your time with kids. Not worth it. Please stay safe and positive.

Sorry I have no advice on HPV, but I can almost physically feel the anxiety you are suffering as mine has been bad since my son was born 2.5 years ago. It is totally consuming. As your youngest is only 3 months I would be concerned and see if you can get to GP or self refer online:

www.selfhelpservices.org.uk/

I let my anxiety get on top of me for months then it became too much and used self referral when my son was about 9 months, had CBT and it helped massively. It has now started to creep back in but I have mechanisms to cope now.

Things will get better x