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[Dorothy]

They also said no moisuriser of any sort for at least 10 days before the smear, and they are even told not to use jelly, but just water to lubricate the speculum....   

And...

They used that jelly stuff last time I had a smear.

It makes me so mad that this sort of thing happens - one rule for one practice and another rule for another...and it's us poor women who are stuck in the middle.  As for avoiding cream for 10 days before a smear -  leave me without my cream for 10 days and I would probably murder anyone who went within 3 feet of my vagina!   

I've just come back from seeing the practice nurse for my next batch of BCP and guess what she raised?  Oh yes, I'm overdue for a smear and must have one!  In spite of being told by 2 gynaes and a GP that I am very low risk and it's up to me if I don't want to have one.  Just hoping this practice is better than my last one - they started withholding treatments because I wouldn't have a smear.  (A smear which would have been with the same nurse who acted like she was trying to rip me apart when she did it before and told me I was making a fuss about nothing when I said it was excruciatingly painful!) 

[Hurdity]

Hi Witches Cat

Sorry to hear about your painful smear. As the others have said you should be on Vagifem all the time to keep things healthy down there because once you get VA it doesn't go away without local oestrogen and comes back if you stop. Defo get a repeat prescription for Vagifem, do a re-load of every day for a fortnight then use twice a week - and hopefully things will improve.

As for having to stop HRT permanently because of a thickened lining - this is just not necessary! All it means is that you did not have enough progestogen relative to oestrogen in your HRT combo. I presume you were on a proprietary HRT continuous combined combo either patch or gel? Progestogen can be used to thin the ling and then if the combo was causing thickening you can use separate oestrogen and progestogen instead - and have a higher dose of progestogen until you find the right dose which keeps the lining thin. How have you been off HRT?

I hope the Vagifem does the job so they can take enough cells next time

Hurdity  x

[orchid]

Just to set the recorded straight. If a practice nurse has had the appropriate training which they are particularly strict on now, she would know that lubricant is ALWAYS recommended with use of a speculum. It is placed on the top outer sides, so doesn't interfere with the sample of cells taken. With regard to oestrogen prep prior to a cervical smear, this should be used at least two weeks before right up to the day of the smear. A small speculum sometimes is sufficient, but if a lady is tall a regular one has to be used to be able to visualise the cervix. So sorry you had a bad experience Witchescat! I would mention next time so the nurse is pre warned that you have a retroverted cervix and that your past experience was very uncomfortable.

[Witches Cat]

Thank you everyone, I have been off HRT for just over a year now, I was getting over the sweats but recently with problems with family (we are only carers for hubby's father with Alzheimer's) anything that worries me sends me into a spin and makes the sweats worse. Our customers are fairly understanding, father-in-law won't have a carer and as he's the "end user" and can still have a say, then we are on our own, thank the lord he's only half a mile away. My HRT was (Oh God, I've forgotten, but it was a conti) Ah, remembered.. Elleste duet conti, still can't remember what strength. when I had to stop I was given femoston?  for a month just as a step down...  And then nothing... the dryness started about 6 months ago... and as for height 5 foot 2 inches in the morning, and on my knees by bedtime.

[orchid]

So hard work being a carer...bless you! I came off HRT a while back, but recently restarted to help lift me out of depression, I'm postmenopausal and like you with recent stresses and anxiety the flushes and night sweats are back. I am using Oestrogel bio identical HRT. It worked well for me last time, so here's hoping! Who'd be a women eh!

[Suzi Q]

You can not be made to have a smear
No Doctor can with hold medicine if you refuse you can report them
I had my smear my GP told me to take my Vagifem every night for 4 nights befoe I had the smear
That was the 25m ones THESE are PATHOLOGISTS they know whats what
Sounds like you have a GP who thinks us old f..ts arent worth wasting practise money on
DONT let a NURSE near you say no thanks I want a Doctor
I am always amased its 2016 yet so many still treat GPS as GODS yes sir no sir three bags full sir
I came home last year cos Of Dad and ended up going to Casuality nurse started doing all the things a Doctor should do I stopped her said look love Im an ex nurse no disrespect
BUT I want to see a Doctor I got a doctor OK I know I live in Ozz but I paid my taxes 15/27
Served my country got shot at in Nrthn Ireland I blasted deserve to access National Health

[Witches Cat]

I have always given all medics a wide berth SuziQ, I don't go looking for trouble, I'd rather see what I can do to help myself first. What did make me wonder about the knowledge of the person attending to me was this... she phoned 2 weeks ago to say I hadn't left the appointment for the repeat smear long enough and she wanted me to put it off for another 2 weeks  (that was why the appt was yesterday) on the phone I told her I was using Replens since I had finished the Vagifem, but she'd never heard of it, said she wasn't a sexual health nurse and not to use it until I'd had the next smear.  Yesterday I was telling her how tuned in I am to my own body, right down to using the "Persona" box of tricks, for contraception 1o or so years ago (still on sale now) and how I could tell before doing the stick and urine test what colour light I was gonna get on the display, (red or green) she's not heard of that either and they've been about I would think at least 16 years.

[Witches Cat]

Hello everyone, good news on the smear test results, this morning my letter came saying everything was fine, still can't make out why the nurse who did the test on both appointments (3 months apart) saw fit to wind me up so much. It wasn't as if she was just having an "off day" Will make sure if I ever have to go back for anything "down there" that I don't see her. Where she was insisting I had an infection that was causing a discharge, that's clear too.  Can't make it out. Anyway, all I have to worry about now, is having a tooth out tomorrow.  Thanks for all your support, 

[Tinkerbell]

That is good news about smear result ..I had a tooth out last year, was out before I could think too much about it. Just make sure you take painkillers as soon as you get home, don't wait until the numbness wears off....I did