To preface, I'm not trying to get medical advice from reddit (which, as we all know, is only full of the best, most qualified medical professionals). I'm all over the doctor business; I'm basically just hoping for some support. Show I'm 21 years old and had my first appointment with a gynecologist a little over a month ago. I've been sexually active since I was 17 (I know, should have gone from the start, please let's not harp on that). I hadn't noticed any problems, aside from minor pain about midway through my period when using tampons, which I chalked up to me rushing application and stickin' that sucker somewhere it didn't belong. No big. Last week, the gynecologist called and asked if I had ever had a pap smear before. Nope, first time. He "hmm"d and said it shouldn't normally be a problem for someone my age, but my pap came back abnormal, and since we don't have a previous test to compare it to... Well fuck. So I have another appointment at the end of December (!!) to see what's up. My question for you: Does anyone know anything about cervical cancer causing pain with tampons? Or could it be some other cause? I've googled the shit out of it and can't seem to find any relation between cervical cancer and tampon pain. I'm kind of freaking out over here, wondering if the pain could be an indication of a more progressed stage of...whatever I might have. Thank you for reading, and I hope you ladies (and any gentlemen) are having a fabulous night. :)
Women with early cervical cancers and pre-cancers usually have no symptoms. Symptoms often do not begin until the cancer becomes larger and grows into nearby tissue. When this happens, the most common symptoms are:
Signs and symptoms seen with more advanced disease can include:
These signs and symptoms can also be caused by conditions other than cervical cancer. Still, if you have any of these symptoms, see a health care professional right away. Ignoring symptoms may allow the cancer to grow to a more advanced stage and lower your chance for successful treatment. For the best chances for treatment to be successful, don't wait for symptoms to appear. Have regular screening tests for cervical cancer.
When your period arrives, there are several options for hygiene products. For example, you might use pads, menstrual cups, period underwear, tampons, or a combination of products. If your go-to choice is tampons, and you've become familiar with using them, you may become worried if it hurts to insert one. Here are some possible reasons why you might experience pain or discomfort when using tampons. Sometimes, it's slightly painful to insert or remove a tampon simply because your vagina is dry. One possible reason for dryness is that your flow may be very light. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) also explained a decrease in estrogen is often the cause of vaginal dryness. A decrease in estrogen can happen during menopause, while nursing or pumping milk for a child, during cancer treatment, or if you take medications that lower your estrogen levels. Using a lubricant can help relieve the dryness and make it easier for the applicator to slide in. Your pelvic muscles may not be relaxed enough while you put the tampon in or pull it out. See if it helps to take a deep breath and then completely release your pelvic muscles before you attempt to remove or insert the tampon. Additionally, although it's uncommon, some individuals have a condition known as vaginismus—per MedlinePlus—which makes the muscles of the vaginal canal tense up. Individuals with this condition may feel a tearing or burning sensation if anything is inserted. A study published in 2021 in The Journal of Sexual Medicine explored the various treatment options available for those with vaginismus. The study looked specifically at the grade or severity of vaginismus and the length and success rate of various treatment options. Treatments for this condition may include various forms of cognitive therapy, relaxation exercises, hypnotherapy, and pelvic floor physical therapy, among other treatment options. If you would describe the pain as more of a stinging when you put a tampon in, it could be a sign of vulvodynia, a pain disorder that affects the vulva. According to MedlinePlus, this would be considered localized vulvodynia, where the pain comes from pressure in one part of the vulva due to situations such as inserting a tampon, having sexual intercourse, or sitting too long. Per MedlinePlus, treatment varies from individual to individual. Some find relief by using a cold pack or taking a low-dose antidepressant. Switching to cotton menstrual products and underwear may also help alleviate symptoms. If you're having trouble getting a tampon in at all, there's also a possibility that you have a cyst—a small sac typically filled with fluid either on or in the vaginal lining. A cyst can form if the vaginal wall is injured during childbirth, surgery, or due to a bacterial infection, as noted by MedlinePlus. Penn Medicine explained many vaginal cysts do not cause symptoms. If the cyst is small and isn't really bothering you (aside from obstructing your tampon insertion a bit), you probably don't need to treat it. Some vaginal cysts go away on their own. However, if the cyst is growing in size or causing pain, it may require medical treatment. For example, the cyst could be infected and may need to be surgically removed or drained. In addition, per Penn Medicine, one type of cyst, Bartholin gland cysts, may recur and require ongoing treatment. Furthermore, other causes of vaginal pain could cause you to experience pain with tampon use. Per Johns Hopkins Medicine, possible causes of vaginitis (the term used for any vaginal inflammation) include bacteria, yeast, viruses, and other causes such as chemicals in soaps or irritation from clothing. Because the cause is not always immediately clear, you may want to stop using tampons if it's uncomfortable and reach out to a healthcare provider. If the cause is infectious (such as from a bacterial or viral infection), the infection can travel to your cervix, causing a painful condition known as cervicitis, per Johns Hopkins Medicine. Your healthcare provider can perform a pelvic exam, help you determine the cause of your pain, and work with you to come up with a treatment plan.
Treatment for vaginal cancer will depend on where the cancer is in your vagina and how far it has spread. Possible treatments include radiotherapy, surgery and chemotherapy. When you are diagnosed with cancer, you will be cared for by a group of different healthcare professionals, known as a multidisciplinary team (MDT). Your MDT will include a range of specialists, including surgeons, clinical oncologists (specialists in the non-surgical treatment of cancer), and specialist cancer nurses. Your MDT will recommend a treatment plan they feel is most suitable for you, but the final decision will be yours. Before going to hospital to discuss your treatment options, you may find it useful to write a list of questions to ask the specialist. For example, you may want to find out the advantages and disadvantages of particular treatments. RadiotherapyRadiotherapy is the main treatment for vaginal cancer. It can be used:
How it's carried outThere are 2 main ways that radiotherapy for vaginal cancer can be given:
The type of radiotherapy you receive depends on where the cancer is in your body. For example, internal radiotherapy may be used if the cancer is in the lining of your vagina, and external radiotherapy may be used if the cancer is deeper in the tissues of the vagina. You can receive a combination of internal and external radiotherapy. External radiotherapy is usually given for around 4 to 6 weeks in short daily sessions, from Monday to Friday. You return home between treatments and have a break at the weekends. Internal radiotherapy may involve either a long treatment session where you need to stay in hospital for 24 hours, or several short day-case treatments. Read more about how radiotherapy is performed. Side effectsFollowing radiotherapy, it's likely you will have some side effects. These occur because radiotherapy temporarily damages some healthy cells as well as destroying cancerous ones. Possible side effects of radiotherapy for vaginal cancer include:
Read more about the side effects of radiotherapy. Effects on sexRadiotherapy may cause you to lose interest in sex, particularly if you have side effects such as tiredness or nausea, or you are anxious about your condition or treatment. Radiotherapy can also cause scar tissue to form in your vagina, which can make it narrower and means having sex is difficult or uncomfortable. If you feel up to it, your care team may suggest having sex regularly during treatment to help stop this happening. Devices called dilators, which are inserted into the vagina, can also be used after treatment stops to help stop your vagina getting narrower. You may also experience some vaginal dryness or pain when having sex. If this happens, you can try using lubricants or asking your care team about possible treatments. Menopause and fertilityIf you have external radiotherapy to your pelvis, you may experience an early menopause (if you have not had the menopause already). This means you will no longer be able to have children (infertility). Before your treatment, your care team will explain whether this is a risk and discuss the options and support available. SurgeryThere are 4 main types of surgery used to treat vaginal cancer:
Partial vaginectomyA partial vaginectomy can be used to treat stage 1 vaginal cancer, when radiotherapy has failed to remove the cancer or where a woman prefers to have surgery rather than radiotherapy because she still wants to have children. Your surgeon will remove the cancerous section of the vagina, as well as some surrounding healthy tissue, just in case a small number of cancerous cells have spread. Your surgeon will repair the defect in the vaginal wall, which means you will be able to have sex after you have recovered from the operation. Radical vaginectomyA radical vaginectomy may be used to treat cases of advanced stage 1 and stage 2 vaginal cancer. The surgeon will remove most, or all, of your vagina. A plastic surgeon may be able to make a new vagina using skin, muscle and tissue taken from another part of your body – usually one of your thighs or buttocks. You will still be able to have sex after a vaginal reconstruction, although you will need to use lubricant, because the lining of the new vagina cannot make the mucus it would naturally make. Radical hysterectomyA radical hysterectomy is often performed at the same time as a radical vaginectomy. During a radical hysterectomy, all of the reproductive system is removed, including the womb, fallopian tubes, ovaries and nearby lymph nodes. Pelvic exenterationPelvic exenteration is used in a few cases to treat recurrent or advanced cases of vaginal cancer. If you no longer have a bladder, you will need another way to pass urine. One solution is for your surgeon to make a hole (stoma) in your tummy. A bag is then attached to the stoma so that urine can be passed into it. The bag is known as a urostomy bag. Similarly, as you may no longer have a rectum, you will need a way to pass stools (faeces) out of your digestive system. Another stoma can be made and attached to a collection bag, known as a colostomy bag. Read more about colostomies. A vaginal reconstruction can be carried out after a pelvic exenteration. It may also be possible to reconstruct your rectum and attach it to the remaining section of your bowel once this has healed. In this case, you will only need a temporary colostomy. As pelvic exenteration is major surgery, it may take you several months to fully recover from the operation. ChemotherapyChemotherapy is usually used in combination with radiotherapy or to control symptoms when a cure is not possible (palliative chemotherapy). It's usually given by injection (intravenous chemotherapy). Like radiotherapy, the powerful cancer-killing medicines used in chemotherapy can also damage healthy tissue and cause a range of side effects. Side effects of chemotherapy for vaginal cancer can include:
Read more about the side effects of chemotherapy. Coping with treatmentTreatment for vaginal cancer can have a significant emotional impact, particularly for young women who experience an early menopause as a result of treatment. The removal of some or all of the vagina can be traumatic for pre- and post-menopausal women alike, and some women feel less 'womanly' than they did before. It's not uncommon to feel a sense of loss and bereavement after treatment. In some women, this may lead to depression. You may find it helpful to talk to other women who have had similar treatment. Your GP or hospital staff may be able to recommend a suitable local support group. Charities can also help: If feelings of depression persist, speak to your GP about the treatment and support available. Clinical trialsAs vaginal cancer is rare, you may be asked to take part in a clinical trial. Clinical trials are an important way for healthcare professionals to learn more about the best way to treat specific conditions. Most clinical trials involve comparing a new treatment with an existing treatment to determine whether the new treatment is more or less effective. If you do receive a new treatment, there is no guarantee it will be more effective than an existing one. You can find out whether there are currently any clinical trials for vaginal cancer, or ask your care team if there are clinical trials in your area. Your care team can explain the advantages and disadvantages of taking part. Read further information: |
Pain when inserting tampon cancer
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