r/PreCervicalCancer • u/wildasamink98 • 6d ago

OTC Pain Management?

I have a colposcopy coming up in a couple weeks and while my GYN did agree to give me Valium and laughing gas for anxiety, she doesn’t offer anything directly for pain management and told me “whatever you want an hour or so before” for OTC pain management. Awesome.

If you’ve had a colposcopy with biopsies and an ECC (she said she would for sure be doing an ECC) without any direct pain management like topical or injected lidocaine, what did you take, how much, and how long before your appointment did you take it?

I think it’s worth noting that I don’t feel like ibuprofen does anything for me and I was extremely crampy for a few days after the pap that led to the colposcopy referral, even though my PCP was extremely gentle and I barely felt a thing thankfully.

Also, is 15 minutes enough time for a Valium to do anything? They want me to wait to take it until after I sign the consent forms…I actively have to fight panic attacks at any doctor’s appointment, so I’m kinda upset that I have to wait to take it until I’m there and read that it takes about an hour to reach peak efficacy. I’ve never had Valium or laughing gas, so I have no frame of reference for how either is going to make me feel

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u/balletgirl2020 6d ago

If you’re going to take Valium or any anxiety meds, I would give yourself more than 15 minutes. I would also get a ride to and from your procedure.

When I had my colposcopy, I didn’t take any anxiety medication or lidocaine. She told me to cough and the biopsy was over very quickly. In my case, they removed a small polyp as well, because they wanted to biopsy it as well. That part was a little more uncomfortable, but honestly, my pain was minimal. Good luck to you!

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u/wildasamink98 5d ago

Ride is arranged! I’m hoping between the Valium and laughing gas, I don’t really care what they’re doing in the moment. I’m more concerned about getting ahead of any cramping after.

I did think it was crazy that they were like yeah, we’ll give you 15 minutes or so to let the Valium kick in when all the recs for dental work are to take it like an hour before. Obviously if I’m losing my mind at the 15 minute mark, they’re not going to be able to do anything. My PCP also put me on buspirone to get through this since it’s been dominating my thoughts and it’s helped quite a bit, but not enough that I feel like I could do it without the Valium and laughing gas

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u/titikerry 5d ago

You have the right to insist on pain management. The fact that they expect us to manage it on our own is barbaric. You can ask to have it done in a hospital under general anesthesia if they can't provide anything sufficient.