GP presribed oestradiol pessaries, scared to use

1. I understand how you must be feeling. 6 months ago i was diagnosed with endometrial cancer, and had a total hysterectomy. No further treatment was required. Recently ive been having recurrent utis and soreness, so gp prescribed oestrogen pessaries. When i went to get the prescription filled, the chemist suggested i not use them as it could encourage the cancer  to return! What a thing to say! My understanding is that a years worth of pessary is something like only a day of HRT so can't see how it can do much harm.  i believe it really helps many women. But saying that, im holding off using mine til i see my gynae in a few weeks, and see what she has to say about it. 

Thanks, Ao62, I will certainly think about it, I totally understand your position, and I would definitely seek advice, I think I will phone the GP surgery for advice, 

Hi katyemz46. Reading your post and 's reply I can understand if you feel you don't know if you're coming or going! I always had trouble with the insertion of speculum's due to a stenosed cervix so always painful. I'm not medically trained but I can't see the point of you being given pessaries if it means the endometrium thickens. Also some chemists don't recommend some HRT as the hormones feed the cancer.

It's a mess! I think you should give your GP another call and stress how confused and worried you are and you want clarification. You've just reminded me I need to use my dilators again, hate the blooming things, but if my consultant needs to do his internal next month I'd better open the portal before it heals up.

Big hugs, Barb xx

Thanks Barb, thanks for your reply, you're right I'm in a bit of a quandary as to what to do!  I guess the GP thought they'd be safe to use because my ultrasound came back clear, which again is a huge relief but I don't want to keep worrying if I start bleeding again, thinking and worrying could it just be the HRT or could it be something else? I did mention to her that sex has also been painful recently, sorry TMI! I'm just worried that something might be amiss and I don't want to be sitting and worrying. I also need to get my smear done! GP said she couldn't feel anything abnormal around the cervix, which again is a huge relief but I'm worried that without being able to use the speculum properly could she really tell? Sorry that sounds ridiculous I know, i'm sure she knows what she's doing!

just a quick question, has anyone had a smear where the nurse or GP has used instagel? surely it would numb the area enough for them to perform the procedure? otherwise i really don't know what my options are, unless I ask for a GA which sounds a bit drastic!

I have a phone consultation with my GP tomorrow afternoon so I’ll have a chat with her then 

Hi katyemz46 not heard of instagel. Whenever my nurse did a smear test she always put something on the speculum and warned it'd be cold. 

When they tried to do my hysteroscopy they couldn't easily get in a virginal speculum so she didn't try to insert the camera variety. She said it'd have to be done under general anaesthetic. When I went to the hospital they persuaded me to have an spinal epidural due to Covid (It was a "Green hospital" and taking out the tubes released possible germ laden droplets into the air - even if I'd had my covid tests) I was awake the whole time, just completely numb from the waist down. I had the procedure done about 3.30 pm and left the hospital at 8pm. (Took that long for feeling to return in legs sufficient to walk!)

There's been a lot of press about the "Babarity" of hysteroscopies being done without anaesthetic. You're entitled to anaesthesia but obviously it takes up valuable theatre time so they don't promote it. 

Hope it goes well with your GP consult. Keep in touch.

Barb xx

Hi barb, 

instagel or instillagel is what they used to use in hospital for male catheter insertion, it’s a local anaesthetic gel , which numbs the area so they can catheterise without too much discomfort, I just thought I might mention it to the GP tomorrow to see if it could be used for the smear test, but I think I’m going to have to bite the bullet ( as it were!) and use the pessaries if I’m going to get this smear test done! 

About 2 years ago I went for a smear test and for the first time ever it was agony. Like broken glass! I mentioned to the nurse that I had been having problems with continence so she arranged for me to see the GP. He said that from the description of what the nurse had seen I probably had vaginal attrophy. He prescribed vagifem which is a tiny pessary which contains a minute amount of HRT. It worked but I needed to use it every night as the twice a week recommended dosage didn't work. My GP was happy to prescribe it for daily use as the amount of HRT in it is less than one contraceptive pill for a whole year. In may this year I had to go to A and E as I was in horrendous pain in my stomach and back. A CT showed a mass on my uterus. When I saw the gynaecologist the next day I mentioned that I was using vagifem and she said that it could have caused the cancer to grow. Strangely since I have had my total hysterectomy I don't have the continence problems anymore. My cancer is leiomyosarcoma which is very rare and very aggressive and was inside a fibroid.

Omg that’s so scary, I’m so sorry Deborino to hear what you’ve been through, smear tests have always been painful for me , I’m going to mention my anxieties about the pessaries to my GP but why would they prescribe something that’s so potentially dangerous ??? Hugs xxx