Just had my pap smear today and was told i had one of these. I asked if it was anything to worry about, the nurse said no but then followed up with "if they cause you pain or bleed, you might need a ...ectomy". She said she would put it on my notes and that at certain times of life they might "change". What time of life exactly? What does that mean... go cancerous? Help!

I have Health Anxiety folks and now am panicking. Are these polyps common? Does anyone else have them? Are they totally innocent? How will I know if mine "changes" - will the future pap smears show this?

I have no pain or mid-cycle bleeding from it by the way. Haven't a clue how big/ small it it. I am just so so scared.

I had one Squiggle 2 paps ago. Not aware I had it as it caused no symptoms. I had it taken out about 6 weeks after discovery. Benign. It truly was nothing so please don't worry.

Thanks Marrin. Did it hurt having it removed or did you have anaesthetic? Why did they remove it?

Hi...i had this also. It was one of the reasons I was bleeding so much. I had it removed and what a difference it made.

Hi,

I also had one of these. I noticed very minimal spotting after intercourse, so went to my doc. She saw the polyp, and just snipped it right in the office. She sent it to the lab for evaluation, but really as a formality. It was nothing, and getting it removed was a breeze.

Good luck,
Missy

Missy and Debster - thank you! you don't know what your posts mean to me. The more people that i hear have had these really helps.

It is reassuring to hear that GPs can "snip" these things. I hope mine does but from what i hear in the UK they leave them alone unless they are painful or bleeding

I would like mine snipped and sent off for confirmation that all is Ok really. But I am so nervous as I have a severely tilted cervix - pap smears themselves are very uncomfortable because they always have trouble getting hold of my cervix to carry the pap out.

Of course i don't know how big this thing is.

Anyone else who's had one of these - please do post as I feel more reassured and normal the more that i hear about.

Thank you all

It was removed because at the onset, my doc was not completely sure it was a polyp. She was 99% sure but sent me off to a gyne specialist. She looked at it and said "yep.......would you like it taken out?" I always had heavy periods so perhaps that was the reason, but by the time this was discovered, I'd already stopped having periods and I only had a brief one since then.

Most polyps are benign. I've had I think 4, maybe 5, in my lifetime. The first one was removed in my early 30's. Mine would cause occasional light spotting.

Thanks Marrin and sandra.
Marrin - was it removed without anaesthetic do you remember?
Sandra - did you have all yours removed?

I had one that the doc found after my pap test came back "inflammation" as the reading. I didn't even feel it when he removed it at the next visit. He did a colposcopy to check everything out and just removed it to biopsy, which came back negative. He told me some women get 3-5 over their livetimes, others get none. It is no big deal. You may spot for a few hours afterwards but that is it.

I've had all of mine removed. I remember seeing them, they were not very large, just bloody blobs of tissue. They were all analyzed in labs, all were benign.

Btw, I never required any anesthetic and in fact for most I didn't feel a thing when the docs twisted them off. I remember one time feeling the most minor pinching sensation which quickly stopped when the polyp was detached.

You girls are stars - thank you!

I read 1-2 % of women get them, I'm now inclined to think it may be more than that ... or else there is a link with people who suffer from peri symptoms (and hence post on this site) & polyps. I'm still feeling a bit shaken about it - and it feels unreal - like this can't be MY body that has one, but I am not going into my usual HA spiral and I have to be grateful to you girls for that!

I know it's probably no big deal compared to some of the disgnoses some people on here have had. I'm sorry to be such a headcase that I need the reassurance for this relatively small thing. Just I'd never heard of them before at all.

Merck manual says 2-5%, but that seems way low to me. I have had several different gyns and they all tell me that they are very common.

The wikipedia entry says that 1% of polyps "will show neoplastic change which may lead to cancer." Stress on "may" ! So the vast majority of polyps are benign.

I remember feeling really invaded when mine first one was spotted, and I still am not used to it even after several more ! It seems kind of disgusting or something. :-)

My GP noticed one at my last pap smear, told me I didn't have to rush to the Gyno to get it removed, but gave me the referral if I wanted to. I like you were nervous about having one, so I made the appointment. Took a few weeks to get there. Nervous plus, did all the reading. Get there, assume the position of no dignity, only for him to tell me "it's gone". So on the bright side - sometimes they just fall off themselves. But, he did assure me (as did his nurse - and I'm more inclined to take her word for it) it doesn't hurt - they just twist them off - no more uncomfortable than a pap.

Hi girls - I just got back from seeing my GP. Has anyone had to have one of these cauterised? She is referring me to a gyno. Appointment will be 11th Feb. I asked her if it was big, she said it is quite large but with a small stem so might bleed a lot, that I might have to have it cauterised. Then I asked her if it looked like a normal polyp - she replied by skipping my question, that there are lots of different types, eventually said that there were no signs that it was not innocent but then said something about we have to be "pragmatic", then repeated there is a risk of bleeding when they do it so they might decide to leave it.

Pragmatic? - what does she mean? Does she suspect it's cancer? Does she think I might bleed to death if they do it? The problem is with this particular doc I always come away feeling more worried than when I went in. She just wont say she is 99% sure it's normal or anything. I have to wait for 2 weeks for my appoint. I'm really anxious again now.

Any reassurance very very welcome please!

Thanks purplecat - if that happens to me I will be over the moon!

Squiggle - I just saw this - I am thinking of you!!!!

Pragmatic = doctor protecting herself in my opinion....

most of these things are harmless....my sister-in-law has had them several times....one was largish and she had it removed.....she has two others that have disappeared on their own.....

I would ask her what are the risks of doing nothing vs getting it removed...go from there...

all the best dear

(((SQUIG)))

No experience with these, but wanted to give you a hug. Sounds like you're getting great info from other Sisters who've been thru' it!

JJ

Thanks Crazy & JJ

Hi squiggle,

How are you doing? I hope all goes well when you have the cervical polyp removed. It should be okay like other's have posted here, told you. I had a cervical polyp too several years back and had to have it removed. It was a simple procedure. All you'll feel is like a sting or pinch but doesn't hurt. All I took before hand was Motrin for any cramps, the dr. had suggested to me. And I had several endo biopsies too during that time when I had it removed as I had mid cycling bleeding too. The dr. and nurse told me that polyps are common among women. So don't panic, I know it's worrisome when you first hear about it, I was too. But then talking more with the nurse I was relieved and then the path report came out fine so was nothing I had been worrying for nothing.

Hugss,

Noreen

Thank you ((((all)))) for helping me through this. Retrospectively, I feel such a baby over such a small thing, but my HA was not small.

Well, I saw the gyno today. She removed it.

It came away really easily.

No bleeding despite my GP scaring me that it was so large I would have the "danger" of bleeding and would need to be pragmatic, that they may not remove it.

It wasn't big at all despite my GP saying it was.

I didn't feel a thing.

I had an imposing looking Russian lady gyno and she used one of the old fashioned metal speculums despite there being a whole basket of the modern plastic ones in the room, but she was actually very nice once I started talking to her. She understood when I told her I have health anxiety and was completely reassuring.

She said it looked perfectly benign to her. That's all I needed to hear.

I feel so relieved. It has gone off to the path lab but I know that is just a formality. OK I won't be 100% happy till I have that and the result of my pap smear back, but I am 95% unworried now. Very manageable level.

I don't know why some docs are so scared of saying something LOOKS benign to them. Who would sue them if they were wrong so long as they all the tests are still done to check thoroughly for Cancers etc. Reassurance should be part of their job.