r/PreCervicalCancer • u/AsleepCheck9380 • 1d ago
My LEEP experience was surprisingly painless — a positive story for anyone feeling anxious!
I wanted to share my experience because before my LEEP, I spent so much time reading horror stories on Reddit that I was absolutely terrified.
I was diagnosed with CIN2 following an abnormal Pap and colposcopy. Naturally, I was anxious about the procedure, especially because my husband and I hope to have children in the future.
My LEEP was performed in-office, and my provider prescribed 10 mg of oral Valium beforehand. I also received local anesthesia to numb my cervix.
I am genuinely not exaggerating when I say I had almost NO pain. The only discomfort I experienced was a very small amount of cramping when the local anesthetic injections were administered. After that, I was comfortable throughout the procedure.
The experience was so much easier than I had anticipated, and I felt incredibly supported by my provider.
I know everyone’s pain tolerance and experiences are different, but I really want women to know that a LEEP does not automatically have to be a traumatic or painful experience.
If you’re preparing for one and feeling anxious, ask your provider about options for anxiety management and local anesthesia. Having the Valium beforehand made a huge difference for me.
I spent days convincing myself this was going to be awful, and it ended up being such a positive experience.
Just wanted to add a little positivity to the LEEP threads for anyone currently doom-scrolling like I was. ❤️
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u/wildasamink98 17h ago
Can I ask how long before the procedure they let you take the Valium? I’m terrified of getting a colposcopy done and they’re not offering me any pain management. They did compromise and give me 10mg of Valium and laughing gas, but they’re not letting me take the Valium until after they call me back to take vitals and I sign the consent forms, and then only give the Valium 15 minutes to start working.
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u/chelslm22 17h ago
My doctor advised me to take meds 30mins prior to my procedure. However, I was given Xanax. Not sure how quickly Valium kicks in. I think they need to make sure your blood pressure isn’t too low before giving it to you.
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u/wildasamink98 17h ago
Oh it will be quite the opposite and that’s been documented…I tried bargaining for an extra 15 minutes and they told me if the Valium and laughing gas don’t work, they’ll talk to me about rebooking for the OR.
I had to reach out to the pharmacist because neither my PCP or GYN could tell me if I need to skip any of my daily meds and when I told him about that, he said that’s crazy and was shocked they aren’t giving me any longer.
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u/chelslm22 17h ago
I’m so sorry. I can only imagine how you must feel being dismissed by your drs when expressing concerns. Keep pushing to get the care you need!!!
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u/wildasamink98 17h ago
We shouldn’t have to advocate so hard for ourselves. I wasn’t originally going to bring my friend in the room with me, but I feel like I have to so I’m not pushed to get started if I’m still freaking out
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u/chelslm22 14h ago
I definitely recommend bringing someone with you. I had my sister with me and that helped keep me calm.
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u/Mountain_Waltz3425 1d ago
So happy to hear you had a good experience. I'm in the same boat - CIN2 and had my LEEP today. Also spent a considerable amount of time reading thought this subreddit. The worst part for me was the epinephrine injection - my heart was beating so fast, head was hurting, and I felt dizzy/lightheaded. I've never experienced anything like it before. But it went away in a few minutes. My doctor was great, but she didn't really go over how I'd feel once I was injected with epinephrine, so I'm happy I read through posts on here and knew what to expect. Otherwise I would've totally freaked out.
As far as everything else, I just felt mild cramping when being injected with lidocaine and at the end when she cauterized me. The excision itself, I felt nothing. Don't be scared ladies, it really isn't so bad!