is feeling too much pressure during pap considered "abnormal"?

[arilishart]

Hi, I'm coming on here again because I saw a post in regards of someone who went to the GYN the other day to get their pap done for the first time. As someone who had just gotten one done a few months ago, I have a couple of questions that I have mind.

So, during the procedure, I felt pressure, which I know is common.... but it was SO MUCH pressure that I kept squirming around in the seat and had to remind myself to take deep breaths. It got slightly better after I have calmed myself down, but to be honest I did feel a little bit embarrassed in front of my doctor for behaving that way - she was reassuring that I was okay though and that's what kind of matters. I'm not sexually active, and I have used tampons in the past and that "heavy pressure" is quite similar to what I felt during my pap. I didn't feel any burning, tearing, pinching feeling though. just a lot of pressure.

[CaitlinEve]

Hi arilishart,

Pap smears are an interesting sensation for sure! You shouldn't feel embarrassed for how you felt and reacted; I guarantee you that your doctor has likely seen all manner of response in her career. I wouldn't necessarily call what you experienced 'abnormal', especially if your doctor didn't have any concerns about the results of your pap smear + what she saw during the exam. It also may have been the result of any pain management you were given (if any), like local anesthestic. However, if the pressure was unbearable or you were experiencing pain, that would be a problem and something I would recommend bringing up with your doctor!

[arilishart]

Hi,

thank you for your response. may I ask if the pressure was unbearable, what could that indicate? when I did check my after visit summary, my doctor wrote down "Limited by discomfort to patient" for my pelvic exam, but everything else she checked for was in the norm + my results came back fine.

[Heather]

When you feel that during tampon use, does it feel like that the whole time, or only when you're putting them in or right after you have put them in?

[arilishart]

it honestly feels like that the entire time… i know peoole usually say “oh you didn’t put it in right” or “it’s probably not all the way in” when i bring it up. the way i position in it while i’m inserting is where my tailbone is at and i make sure that it’s all the way in where i feel like i’m hitting a wall (don’t know if that makes sense?) but yeah the pressure felt super uncomfortable as if i can’t sit down. idk if it’s an anatomy issue, or perhaps user error.

[Heather]

Thanks for filling me in. I don’t suppose you told them about this during your exam?

Also, did they do a bimanual exam? That’s where they have a gloved finger inside your vagina and are feeling around your pelvis on the outside with the other hand.

[arilishart]

Yes, they also did a bimanual exam as well and there was pressure too. It honestly didn't occur to me that I should've brought up about that with tampons, since It was my first time and just kind of shelved that I'm not that used to inserting anything inside me? May I ask what're your thoughts on this?

[Heather]

Ultimately, this is something where it could be a handful of things, but the only kind of person who could really speak to that best is a healthcare provider who can actually examine you or has. However, if this was something you only experienced once with tampons (because you only tried the tampon once, which is what I think you are saying in your last post?), that could be something as simple as you just not putting it in right. Feeling a wall the tampon is hitting is usually an indication you're putting it in at the wrong angle, pushing it straight back instead of angling back and up.

Same goes with if this pressure you felt during the exam was only once: it could be that it felt that way because that's just what it feels like -- these exams do tend to create a feeling of pressure, so that by itself isn't a cause for concern. It might have felt particularly WHAT THE HECK?!? because you just aren't used to it.

Did you have any *pain* with this? If not, then for now, I wouldn't sweat any of this. But if you have tried to use tampons more than once and you feel pressure, pain or both, to the point where you don't feel like you can sit down comfortably, and you had a similar feeling during your exam, then I'd bring this up at your next exam.

If you don't have anything else that seems amiss right now -- like no general pain or constant feeling of pelvic pressure, no new discharges, no funky smells -- and nothing was found during your exam that indicated an issue, which it sounds like was the case, I don't see any reason to make another appointment or to call in, but you certainly can if you like.