Already a member? Sign in
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!
Hello all,
I have recently been diagnosed with HPV with moderate dysplasia. I will be having a LEEP procedure in October. The HPV only showed up after I had been on immune suppressant drugs for autoimmune disease. Neither my neurologist nor my gynecologist has any clue about these drugs may affect HPV. Anyone out there with experience in this area? I'd love hear if so.
JLBN
Cancer Autoimmune diseases Arthritis Imuran Cryosurgery Cervical cancer Chemotherapy Penile cancer Rheumatoid arthritis Prednisone HPV Myasthenia gravis
Well, I don't know much about autoimmune diseases or anything. I do know that anything that suppresses your immune system can give way to activating an inactive HPV.
It is not "typical" to perform a LEEP for mild dysplasia; or any proceedure for that matter because mild dysplasia, often times, can clear up without a procedure. Are they doing the procedure do to your autoimmune & they feel your dysplasia may grow quicker? Have you gotten a second opinion? Are you seeing a gyn onc? They are better in dealing with these procedures and such.
Don't forget to get copies of everything k :o)
My best to you.
The diagnosis was moderate dysplasia and according to my gyn, either LEEP or cryosurgery is the standard procedure. In other gyn issues I have had, he was the second opinion doctor.. much more conservative in treatment and so he became my first opinion doctor! However, he doesn't seem to know about autoimmune issues. My neurologist doesn't know much about HPV but is checking on the immune suppressant drug issue. Since it is my body, I decided to do some checking also but haven't found much out there.
The suggestion to keep all the records is a good one. I haven't even received any paper copies of the test results yet other than the first "bad" pap; it has been face to face or over the phone. If the results don't arrive soon, I will call and ask for them.
Is it common for gyns to have the HPV typed as to whether it is high or low risk or is that something you have to ask for?
Thanks for the encouragement!
JLBN
I wasn't on any drugs but I do have MS. I think having a compromised automimmune system does make it more difficult to fight off this virus, like it makes it harder to fight off other illnesses. My family can get a cold for 5 days, and I'll have the same cold for 3 weeks... I'm used to fighting off the colds and stuff, but not used to the insanity of this virus.
Hi Marsha,
Does your MS doctor work with your gyn? Have they said anything about the HPV infection being worse because of being immune suppressed?
Thanks for sharing!
Everything is worse when your autoimmune system is suppressed. On top of that I was exposed to an "aggressive" form of the virus. What type of automimmune problem do you have? I've had MS for 40 years so I'm a veteran, of sorts.
Both my docs are Cleveland Clinic docs but they aren't in contact. Now I remember, I did get prednisone from my neurologist after my 1st Leep which was a mistake because it made my bleeding worse, and probably prolonged it.
Keep in touch and let me know what's going on with you...I'll try to help when I can...M
Hi Marsha,
I have myasthenia gravis.. have had it for probably 20 years (the diagnosis took 10 years) but only started on immune suppressant drugs (Imuran) a few years ago when it flaired up. It seems like we just the MG somewhat under control and then HPV shows up. So, the neurologist is checking to see if there is any research showing immune suppressants being related to HPA showing up and if I should go off the immune suppressants and risk the myasthenia flaring up again...
Thanks so much.. I'll keep posting as I find out anything.
J
JLMN: I apologize, I miss-read your post; I thought it had said mild dysplasia....sry :o)
It sounds like you have a couple wonderful doctors by your side which is wonderful.
I am glad mentioning getting copies was useful. It is so important to make a binder of all these procedures. Of all your paps, etc.
Best of luck to you :o)
I figured that was the case. Thanks so much. Having this group to chat with has helped already.
JLBN...I too take Imuran, for Rheumatoid Arthritis. I have been dealing with HPV and everything that goes along with it. On one of my doctor visit and getting more bad news, I asked my doctor, if because I was taking Imuran, could that be why I could not get rid of the HPV virus raising havoc on me. She told me no, that if anything, taking Imuran should help my immune system. Really, don't know how much truth there is to that.
Yes! Taking immune suppressing drugs can definitely impact HPV. Here's the first link I found, but having a suppressed immune system is always listed as one of the "risk factors" for developing a persistent HPV infection, so any drug that suppresses the immune system will have the same effect.
http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/wha/wha_hpapillo_wha.htm
Under risk factors for HPV, from the link above:
"•Your immune system (which helps the body fight infections) is not working well because of cancer treatment (chemotherapy), immune-suppressing drugs (for transplants or autoimmune diseases), or an immune-suppressing infection, such as HIV"
One consideration in choosing treatment, is that you have a better chance of clearing the active HPV infection with a LEEP than with cryotherapy. Cryotherapy destroys the abnormal cells by burning them, but often doesn't actually destroy the cell layer that contains the HPV, so your body's immune system must then try to clear the HPV infection. But an excisional procedure, such as a LEEP, actually cuts out the dysplasia AND cuts out the cells containing HPV. There might still be some cells containing HPV outside the excisional area, but with a LEEP you have a better chance of getting rid of the HPV in the place where it's causing the most problem.
Hi all,
I just heard back from my neurologist and he is suggesting that there is some evidence (combined with logic) that being on immune suppressants could keep my body from fighting off HPV. Beginning now, I will be tapering down the Imuran and completely stop within the month. I am not looking forward to feeling as bad as I used to before Imuran but the possibility of the moderate dyplasia becoming cancer is much more of a concern.
Thank you all for your input. If I get any further information, I'll pass it along.
JLBN
Hi JLBN,
Sorry to hear about your situation - it really does suck when you have more than one health issue requiring treatments that conflict with one another.
I am new to all of this stuff, as I have had a very conservative sexual upbringing and have only had 3 oral sex partners in my life and one intercourse sexual partner (my current bf).
I recently had a "bad" pap (my first ever) suggesting mild dysplasia (LSIL) and am going in for a colposcopy soon to confirm the picture. At the same time, I was also diagnosed with VIN-III (severe vulval dysplasia - similar to CIN but affecting the vulval skin) associated with a high-risk HPV strain and benign warts associated with a low-risk HPV strain. I have an appointment with Gyn-Onc on Thursday, at which time I hope to have a full and proper diagnosis of the extent of my VIN (i.e. unifocal or multifocal).
While technically I could have contracted my HPV infection from one of my previous oral sex partners, it is unlikely. Chances are I got it from my current bf, which means my infection could not be more than 10 months old (most likely 6-8 months old).
My bf has Rhemetoid Arhtritis, for which he takes immunosuppressive drugs (HUMIRA), and so my concerns are very similar to yours. I am concerned about him - i.e. (i) does he have a persistent HPV infection due to his autoimmune condition / drugs. While cell dysplasia, even from HPV is less common in men, PIN (penile dysplasia) can occur in rare cases and I worry if his immunosuppressants make him more susceptible to this. He is otherwise healthy and doesn't really get frequent or longlasting colds or anything else, for what it's worth.
My other concern is (ii) what long-term impact would this have on me. I'm already very upset and scared about my current diagnoses and all the fun treatments that go with it that I'm going to have to undergo, but I am also nervous about what impact my bf's condition could have on my long-term health with recurrent infections. Most conventional literature I've read suggests that partners do not "ping pong" HPV infections between each other, but given his autoimmune condition and HUMIRA drugs he takes for it, does this have a longer-term impact on me?
Any insight you may have from your own research that could share would be most appreciated. These are really difficult challenges to go through, and I wish none of us had to go through them. But these boards and sharing collective wisdom helps.
Best,
-RJ
rj, while hpv doesn't ping pong back and forth like a bacterial infection might, if your boyfriend has an active persistent hpv infection, you may be continually exposed to that same hpv strains resulting in increasing your viral loads and making it more difficult for you to clear. and, while penile cancer is relatively rare for men, they can also get hpv related anal cancers, head/neck (oral) cancers, and lung cancers from the same hpv strains that can cause cervical cancer. i'm not sure what the best approach would be for both of you, but you certainly want to consider using condoms, if you're not already doing so. maybe corellin, who posts often on hpv related research, will have more ideas on what to do, including getting your boyfriend clear of active hpv infections! and he may want to see a urologist for treatment options.
Thanks for the prompt response, flowershoplady.
The other ironic thing in this whole thing is we do regularly use condoms (I have never been on birth control pills or anything such). Have never smoked, done drugs, barely drink, have only had one vaginal-sex partner in my life, never been on the pill, always use condoms, Yet, I still contracted the damn infection. Very unnerving.
What's also frustrating is that there is no way to test men for HPV. I have no idea if he's still harboring an old infection he contracted many years ago, or if he cleared that and then recently contracted a new one from a more recent partner. Since we have only been together 10 months, it is hard to know.
Thanks to all of you lovely ladies for your continued support. Look forward to hearing more insights from you, Correlin, and any others.
-RJ
Add to the discussion