Join now

Already a member? Sign in

Welcome to Inspire!

What - Inspire is a place where you can connect with people who share your health concerns and find information and advice in groups sponsored by organizations you know and trust.

Why - As a member you can use Inspire to let friends and family know how you're doing, contact others who share your health concerns, receive personalized updates and information about participating in surveys and clinical trials, and more.

How - Joining Inspire is completely free and usually takes less than a minute. Join now!

corner corner corner

9 Days After Leep? Discharge Question.

mamagaines
0 Recommendations

It has been 9 days since my LEEP. Let me tell you I will never have that procedure done again unless they knock me out. My cervical block / local what ever you want to call it did not take place. Needless to say I felt everything all the way through the cauterization. ¾ through the cauterization my heart started to race and the doctor told me that the local was finally taking effect. He said that he has performed numerous LEEP procedures and has never had this happen to anyone? It was awful!

I called the doctor yesterday because I am still not sure what fowl smelling yellow discharge really classifies as? And I just don’t feel right. I have a nose like a hound dog so I am already super sensitive to smells. The discharge is completely different from the punch biopsy. It is slimy, bright yellow, and nasty. This morning when I woke up and did the morning routine it was yellow and gray? Has anyone had that? I seem to be prone to infection so am I being paranoid? She told me if I start to run a fever then I need to go into the ER.

Explore topics in this discussion:

Exercise Cancer Sciatica Surgery Motrin Advil Burns Ativan Fever Pain Valium Clonazepam

25 replies

kelley-ia

First thank you for asking this question since I am starting to worry this 4 weeks of discharge was abnormal. I am feel so sorry for all those who had or will have a bad experience getting this done. Though I am having mild pelvis pain still I will address this with my GYN on 12/2 if it does not go away by then.

I had my LEEP done 11/4 and compared to the 14 teeth taken out at once with only numbing shots not but three weeks prior this was a breeze :)- On 11/10 I started my menstrual cycle and I felt more pain with that then the actual LEEP and the few days that followed. I also developed statica pain from a lumbar herinated disc so with all the other pains I was dealing with... it kind of numbed out what was going on down there.

It took them an hour to perform my LEEP and got the award of having the most difficult cervix. She kept saying she could not find it. I grinned and thought "a cervix moves?" Then one of the nurses could not get a bottle open and had to call for assitance... again here I am butt naked and trying hard not to laugh. Everyone in the room was kind and afraid of my well being. The assisting nurse kept asking if I was okay and the other nurse called in to help hold the light also was able to hold my right leg (the side I was having sciatica on) which made my worries about this a little better. After a half an hour into this my left leg started shaking... since it was growing tired of being in the stirrup mode.

I DID feel a bit of a rapid heart rate when she put in the numbing stuff... but was told ahead of time that could happen. DEEP slow breathes and pick a place to focus on the ceiling and try to think about what you got to do the rest of the day or think about your next grocery list.... mind over matter.... also make sure you take a pain reliever about an hour or so before you appnt. All this will help ease the discomfort.

I was more worried about the result of the pap and biospy over the LEEP.... according to the first two tests I had CIN 11 to CIN 111 so that nasty word, cancer, was stuck in my head. I got the pathology report three days later after the LEEP and ALL is clear for now and the level of dyplacia was less then what the other two tests were telling them.

sparkles1234

I'm surprised your GYN told you tampons were ok after you just had your procedure, Summerdawn77. I think it is pretty standard that most GYNs say nothing in the vagina for four weeks. This gives the cervix time to heal and also helps to reduce the risk of infection. Your cervix is like an open wound right now and using a tampon may rub and irritate it.

Hope this helps! xoxo

summerdawn77

I just had my LEEP 4 days ago and have felt pretty good since. I have the black discharge, and told my doctor I would be starting my normal cycle within a couple days of having the LEEP and followed by asking how long I would have to go without my beloved tampons. She told me give it a day and I could use them again, and have been. Should I have listened to her?

Whitnee

I myself had a LEEP done on 10/19. I was lucky, and had the option of being awake with the needles in the cervix, or being sedated and not feel a thing. I chose to be sedated, and my GYN actually preferred this, as then there would be no twitching legs, and i wouldnt be grossed out by the smell or sound.. Even though i was extremely nervous about the whole thing, it was a better experience than i ever thought! I had virtually no pain after, just mild discomfort, and i don't remember anything of the procedure itself, just being very loopy after i woke up about 20 mins later and the nurse told me that i was asking her the same questions over and over...i don't remember that part! Anyway, i am on day 10 and after about 3 days of brown discharge, i now have bright yellow watery discharge, and little flecks of grey in it. I am assuming that is part of scabs or something? Has anyone else had the bright yellow watery discharge? I have a metallic smell, but nothing offensive to the nose... I notice that if i try to do too much, like exercise or lifting, the discharge is heavier, and i get a bit of discomfort, but as long as i take it easy, i am ok.. I am still waiting on the biopsy results, and am hoping that it has not turned to cancer yet. I have to go back in to the GYN on week 6 for a follow up, and hope that things will look absolutely fine from her perspective.. To all of you who are getting this done, do not be scared, obviously there are alot of us out there, and this is one of the best ways to prevent the cells from becoming cancerous and and is highly effective.

veet

I had my LEEP done on 9/22/09. I was given meds to make me sleepy, but I wasn't fully out. I had a panic attack when I went in for it the week prior. lol The thought of a needle being put into my cervix just sent me over the edge! So the actual procedure was ok. I did feel a painful burning sensation but it only lasted a few seconds. I went hope and slept the rest of the day.A week goes by, and i was in minimal discomfort, but nothing unbearable. I had a mix of blood and black smelly discharge. THEN, 8 days after the procedure I woke up in the morning covered in blood. Very scary. Got an appointment with my doc for the afternoon, but I was soaking through a pad every hour. Doc had to put a ton of that monsel's solution (mustard looking paste) onto my cervix to stop the bleeding. That was by far the most painful expierience of my life. My doc told me I had a clot come loose, and that it is fairly common about a week after the procedure. It has been almost a week since the bleeding and I am so terrified that the bleeding will return.Right now i have a lot of that gross black smelly discharge. I hope I didn't scare anyone, but just know that if you do get massive amounts of bleeding, that its not the end of the world but you do need to go see your doc asap. Good luck everyone!

CowgirlCaz

Wow it's so great to find such support. But at times I wonder if reading all these stories on the Internet do me any good lol. Sometimes it freaks me out and worries me more than anything. But perhaps in sharing my own experience it will help others.

I just recently had a LEEP performed (Sept 16/09) as an outpatient procedure in hospital under general anesthetic (as the OB/GYN said he had to remove a rather large lesion). Other than feeling groggy and mindless (lol) after the anesthetic, I felt good. I didn't experience any real pain at all. And from what my husband says it was VERY quick - he went out to have a smoke and put gas in the truck. I was just being wheeled out of the recovery room as he was returning to the outpatient area lol. So about 20 minutes max I was put under for.

I too am now experiencing that HORRIBLE discharge and leaking of fluids .. and indeed it smells awful! The color is about the same - yellowish-brownish ,ixed with light blood (the yellow-brown stuff reminds me of what one would cough up during a severe bronchial infection lol - but somewhat thicker). And I can completely relate to others in saying that you are so darn self-conscious about the odor that you fear others may be able to smell you lol. I don't think they really can - I believe it could just be all in my mind. And yes, I just started to notice the odd little black flecks of what look like ashes or something. From all that I have researched and been told, all of this ickiness is normal unfortunately. Just so long as you don't have a fever, severe pain and/or chills.

I was told to refrain from any sort of lifting or exercise for the next 4 weeks or so. And indeed I notice that the more exercise I do or even lift light things like a laundry basket ... shortly afterwards I will notice an oozing sensation down below .... more discharge ickiness. Perhaps if we REALLY limit the amount of exercise and lifting for ourselves over the next few weeks, the discharge will lessen slightly? Just a theory lol - but Im definitely going to practice it I think.

Now the hard part ... worrying and waiting for the pathology report to come back. I too am so scared that it may come back as cancer. I have 3 wonderful children and a very adoring husband that I just do not want to leave behind. It's hard to stay positive through all of this, but I'm trying real hard. I am just hoping that the margins will be all clear ... and no cancer present. While so far I haven't experienced any real troubling side effects from the LEEP, I have to be honest and say that I do NOT want to go through any more procedures like this.

sparkles1234

Wow, I feel fortunate that I had a smooth procedure. I had my LEEP this morning. I was more nervous than I thought because my blood pressure was really high. Then when I went into the room my GYN, nurse and a 3rd year medical student came in. Right before the procedure I started to cry. Everyone was comforting and the medical student was really nice. She held my hand and talked to me to distract me.

I may have felt a minor pinch from the local anesthesia, but I think I was too nervous to notice. I didn't experience the racing heart or shaking legs, but my GYN did say that was common. Overall, I have to say that it was a fast procedure for me. I think the speculum was the most uncomfortable part.

I'm sorry to hear that some of you had painful experiences. Does anyone know if the procedure may be more or less painful based on the GYN you are seeing? I know when I had my first colposcopy/biopsy done it hurt soooo bad, but my second one, with a new GYN, was painless.

Another question, there is always the mention of a foul odor. My GYN said this was common, but it shouldn't be unbearable. I have a sensitive nose and can smell most anything from a mile away. Has anyone been told that you smelled funny or is it just something we think everyone else can smell, but they can't?

Sending hopeful thoughts your way!

J_Dubb

I had my leap done a week ago tomorrow. The leep was not that bad... although I was pretty nervous to start with. I took 600mg Motrin before I went to my appointment just for the pain. So yes, I was nervous. The numbing shots did increase my heartrate and made my legs shake like crazy. Both stopped after a couple of minutes. Besides the loud motor on the LEEP machine, the proceedure was very uneventful. I was suprised that she was done when she said she was done. In all honestly, the coloscopy hurt WAY more then the LEEP. I mentioned that too my doctor and she agreed becuse you dont get numb for the coloscopy. I got no pain meds for afterward, and didnt need them either.

So almost 1 week down, I am experiencing a thin brownish discharge. When I wipe, the discharge is accompanied by little blackish specks. (may be blood, may be scabbing, may be left over stuff they used to stop the initial bleeding. Anyway, I also have an oder that showed up about 2 days ago. Smells almost like metal or (someone up above said sewer) and I can almost see where she is coming from. Doctor said to give her a call if there is an oder, so Im gonna do that, but came here 1st for assurance.

My doc said I can have sex after 1 week. Yeah... Im not having sex with anyone if my vj smells like a metal sewer. lol

Good luck everyone. Hope youre experience goes smoothly.

beckycor

It's amazing to see how many women had to go through this...I just had my LEEP on 9/11 and it was the most horrible thing I ever went through. I took 600mg of Motrin along with .75mg of Clonazepam and I was still freaking out. The shot hurt so bad, I cursed and said I can't do this...they talked me back into it and shot the other side of my cervix. I laid there with tears streaming down my face and my legs shaking through most of the procedure. I pray to God I don't have to do this again.

I had slight cramping that evening but it went away and now I have the nasty discharge everyone is talking about. What freaked me out was yesterday I woke up and had a brown, "shredded beef" looking thing sitting on my pad, it smelled and looked awful, thought I was going to vomit. The thought of it still makes me sick to my stomach.

Still awaiting my results and I'm so nervous, I hope it's not cancer and I hope I can just have a pap from now on. I don't mean to freak out anyone who is preparing for the LEEP, again, everyone is different, some claim they felt nothing, others like me say it was horrible.

mssandra

I actually had a LEEP done last Friday (9/4/09). The first couple of days I had a brownish yellow discharge. Now I have this foul smelling yellowish discharge along with a really watery discharge. I have yet to see the black discharge that everyone is talking about.

My LEEP procedure was performed as an outpatient procedure and I was given anesthesia as well as a local anesthesia for my cervix for the pain. I did not experience any pain and have not experienced any cramping as a side effect almost a week later.

marsha123

I got sick from the full anesthesia in my first Leep, and just had local anesthesia with my Cone Leep and that was much better.

The foul-smelling discharge is normal. I thought it was from the burned tissue since it looked like ash. It lasted a long time too, unfortunately. I seem to have had worse bleeding than most people on this site, with both my Leep and the Cone Leep. I hope you're feeling better soon...be good to yourself while your body is healing! Supportive hugs, M

EllieMay

Ladies,

I am so sorry to hear you experienced such pain and discomfort during and since your LEEP procedure. I had mine done a week ago and was so nervous about it that I couldn't sleep the night before! I was also nervous immediately before the procedure when the doctor told me to put on socks so that I was 'grounded' before the 'electrified loop' was put in me for the procedure. Yikes! During the procedure the burning smell and smoke was worrisome, but the doctor explained all that was happening as he was doing it. He also told me the smelly black discharge after the procedure is normal. He says this will continue for 2-3 weeks. So the end is near...one week down 1-2 weeks to go! I didn't have any pain during or after the procedure, in fact I went back to work. It was that night that I was so sore I could not even sit down. The next day I was fine again...makes me appreciate my doctor who told me everything I needed to know to make this procedure not as awful as it could've been. The good news? This procedure is supposed to be VERY effective!

marsha123

I had the Leep Cone procedure done ten days ago and I'm pretty sure I have an infection. I'm in more pain than I think I should be in, and am bleeding quite a bit. Sometimes the blood is dark (like when you're spotting) and other times it's bright red and heavy. I also experienced the odor which is very unpleasant. I've had a discharge of something that looks black like ashes (it probably IS burnt tissue, but I'm guessing). I had the regular Leep done six months ago and had the heavy bleeding for 2 weeks which I was told was normal, but I think this burning pain seems excessive, especially since I feel like I should be feeling better instead of worse. I'm going to try to get in to see my GYN tomorrow. I have a job which keeps me on my feet a lot and that may be contributing to the bleeding. My heart goes out to all of you...this is an unfortunate sisterhood!

lala5

rygell17-- i just had my LEEP done 5 days ago. and i am having the same problem with my discharge! it makes me feel so akward. i didnt think to get femine wipes, did your doctor say it was OK? also this may sound werid.. but have you used soap and a washcloth to wash down there? i always do.. but since my leep i feel like i am hurting the heal process by putting soap down there. any feedback would be helpful!

rygell17

I know this post is old, but I had to reply. I had the LEEP done a week ago and I had some mild discharge, but now I am getting the gray to black discharge that smells horrible (I compaire it to a sewer smell!!). I also feel paranoid that everyone else can smell it too! I bought some femine wipes to use each time I use the toilet and lots of panty liners to change frequently. I really can't wait until it all leaves my system!!!

bliss36

I had leep done with a local aneshesia,i never felt any pain but was warned that the effects of the aneshesia can cause your heart to race,i didnt get this but my legs shook so badly it was embarrasing,the doc had to stop and let me close my legs for a few mins,i found it all quite scarey even though ive had two children naturally,the equipment they used sounded like a vaccum cleaner,and the nurse stuck a odd looking patch to my leg,when i asked what it was she told me it was a earth,that completly freaked me out i had visions of being electrocuted,i never had any discharge for 3 days,then lost loads of blood and ended up back in hospital,where they put a paste on my cervix to stop the bleeding,it worked wonders,have been on antibiotics since, finish them tomorrow thankfully i can finally have a well deserved glass of wine,i think its so horrid for you to have felt pain like that its really not good enough,hope you me and all the other women on this page dont have to go through this procedure again xx

bananagirl

I had my LEEP done under anesthesia because before and during my colposcopy I freaked out enough that my doctor wouldn't let me do it any other way. I am sorry to hear of the mixed bag experiences and must say that I am surprised that they don't make anesthesia required for the procedure. As far as the discharge goes, I am 5 days out and right now it is yellowy-pinkish-greyish and I feel like there's a slow leak down there. Yesterday weird things came out when I went to the loo which I guess were blood clots and dead tissue. I don't know if that is helpful at all, but it seems that a number of us are getting vague discharge information from our doctors.

bevvy

Hi,
I just had the LEEP done on 11/13. My doc gave me valiums. The surgury was scheduled for Oct. but once I got there she thought I had an infection so after all the shot nerves, I had to re-schedule. The injection hurt for just a second but it seems like she didn't wait for it to take and went right to work. My sister who's a nurse accompanied me which helped. I was a nervous wreck. Right after the procdure I had slight yellow discharge. About 3-4 days ago I started with the black, smelly discharge. It's disgusting. I don't know how long I can take it for........I'm pretty good at handling anything that smells bad, but this is ridiculous. Why now and not right after? What is the black discharge? It's not blood that's for sure. This is worse than the procedure.....I'm serious too........I feel everyone around me can smell what I do and I don't know how they can't!! Augh. When will it end? Thanks. Have a good day everyone.

justagirl

I am so glad I found this discussion. I had a leep just over a week ago, and I really felt like I was in the twilight zone! I called my doctor (I have kaiser) and let them know I was very nervous and asked to be given a sedative. The nurse noticed that I have a prescription for Ativan so she just told me to take that and some Motrin before the procedure. I let her know that I was VERY nevous to be aware of what was going on before the procedure but she just responded by telling me the procedure was very routine. I'm sorry, but having my cervix cut with a miniature cow prod is NOT routine for me!

Needless to say, I was a wreck before, during, and after the procedure. I was aware of everything; the smell, the noise, it was just plain awful. I really felt like my provider was extremely blase about this whole procedure, and I felt like there was something wrong with me for being so nervous. They didn't even give me a prescription for pain medication after I called to tell them I was still in pain after taking a few doses of Advil as they advised. I don't think I should have had to suffer through this as I did, and I would have felt a lot better had the doctor and nurses just been a bit more compassionate. And gave me Valium when I asked for it. Ugh.

satya

Yes, sadly, what you describe is "situation normal". I'm surprised that the nurse suggested a douche - my medical folks say NOTHING in the vagina for six weeks. I took a lot of baths, which is somewhat advised against as well, but it just made me feel better and cleaner.
A heavy bleeding episode is a common occurence about 10 days after the LEEP. It can be scary - but again - it's normal. Sorry you are going through this. My doctor (a woman) says she thinks anyone who performs LEEP surgery should have to undergo it themselves, so that they know what it really feels like. It makes me crazy to see it described as a painless office procedure.

Add to the discussion

Don't have an Inspire account? Join now!

Forgot password?

stopcancernow: CANCER, Flu and YOU! What YOU need to know about the FLU if YOU have CANCER (CDC): SEE: www.cdc.gov/cancer/flu/

stopcancernow: Check this video out -- NCCC Breaking The Silence http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpBYHAisBZc

stopcancernow: Cancer Screen VIDEO: http://cbs2.com/services/popoff.aspx?categoryId=69&videoId=120099@kcbs.dayp ort.com&videoPlayStatus=false&videoStoryIds

stopcancernow: CANCER Screening under scrutiny! (CNN) www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/11/20/cervical.breast.cancer.screenings

stopcancernow: DO you think cervical cancer screening can wait till age 21? www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/19/AR2009111904743.ht ml

Group leaders

You