Cervical or bladder cancer?

[Hetty80]

I've tried very hard to contain my anxiety regarding this issue but its reached a peak. A couple of months ago I started to suffer from a tenderness/pain in my lower pelvis. Then I had some slight bleeding once after intercourse. I have had swabs and there are no infections. After this I noticed that I needed to frequently urinate yet very little would come. I went back to the doctors where a nurse tested and confirmed a urine infection but said she would also send the sample to the lab to check. She prescribed trimethoprim for three days, which I took and all the symptoms disappeared! However, that was a few days ago and now I am having the same symptoms again. I called the doctor and have been told that the results say that there was no urine infection in the first place. I'm very worried this could be cervical cancer :-( or bladder cancer. Does anybody have any experience of these symptoms. My last smear was only last year but I've since read they are only 80% accurate!! Or could these symptoms just be my health anxiety as they've definitely got worse since I came off the phone to the doctor?

[mgw]

Hi, just wanted to say I can relate to some of your symptoms. I have had a fear of cervical cancer for years due to my mum having early stages when she was my age (21). My mum was and is (40 years later) completely fine! This included ignoring doctors letters for about 2 years as well, my mum told me its generally very slow progressing.

I have experienced bleeding after intercourse, on more than one occasion. I would say for me it has over the last few years, happened a few times a year. I have also had slight pain. I went to the doctors, who told me bleeding after intercourse can happen for many reasons, slight infections which go away on there own, friction, position etc. Because of the family history they examined me and did swab tests. They found a slight case of BV (bacterial vaginosis I think is what its called) an said usually they wouldn't even class this as a problem because it just goes away on its own etc.. They told me this sort of thing is present in many women and can be caused by washing with shower gel, and it doesnt really mean any problems. They wouldn't even send me for a smear test (I'm 21), they were really not worried about me, despite my health anxiety going into overdrive and telling them how sure I was I had something!

I experience frequent urination ALOT. At night especially, I can go to the toilet 3 times an hour! For me, there still is a lot that comes out! I told my counsellor this and he was a bit confused as he said that frequent urination and anxiety are very linked but usually very little does come out! He said the adrenaline from anxiety sort of makes your body feel like you need to go to the toilet constantly etc, and this is totally normal, so really I would not worry about it.

I think you've answered your own question there also, with your pains becoming worse after getting off the phone to the doctor. I know with me I can increase any pains I have with just thinking about them and they definitley get a lot worse! Sometimes I really do think I imagine them. My counsellor said anxiety causes you to be very tense all over and so there are pains in many places often, but also, you can imagine them almost because you think about them so much.

I hope you feel better soon x

[Hetty80]

Thank you for your reply. I am only just starting to believe that maybe HA is the cause of these pains and that's only due to seeing the posts on this forum. I didn't really believe anxiety could cause these things?! It's so hard to switch off the negative thoughts and the what ifs though. I know I will be bugging the doctor again soon x

[mgw]

It is very hard.. my counsellor is trying to help me deal with the constant what if's in my head.. I've tried recording my worries and playing it back, it kinda makes you realise how much you do worry and how much at other times your worries sound so implausible to you! I've also been trying to, whenever I get a negative thought about illnesses etc, say in my head 'why the f**k would that happen' and wierdly, it does help a bit!

[Hetty80]

I've had CBT a couple of times and found it useful but still slip back into old habits. I can always see how my worries were a bit silly when I move on to a new one but this is very real right now :-(

[mgw]

I know its very hard but remember you are thinking of the worse case scenario. 80% accuracy for smear tests is still a high accuracy, the doctors weren't urgently worried about your symptoms. Hope you feel better soon x

[GlassPinata]

You could request an hpv-dna test along with your next pap.
They are close to 100% accurate.
No hpv = no risk of cervical cancer, regardless of the results of your pap.