HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Just got a surprise rectal exam...

Support Forums
>
Ulcerative Colitis
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
12
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 2/10/2011 5:33 PM (GMT 0)
I just went in for my yearly pap smear and physical with a new primary doctor. Right after she did my pap smear she gave me a rectal exam out of the blue. I have never had this happen before during a pap smear and she didn't even ask me if it was okay to do it. It hurt too.

I really liked her other than this, but I wish she would have asked me first if it was okay to do that. Is this normal???

Posted 2/10/2011 5:39 PM (GMT 0)
I have a friend who said her ob always does that. I've never had an obgyn do it to me.
Posted 2/10/2011 5:46 PM (GMT 0)
I've had an GYN do that once or twice but she told me first.
Posted 2/10/2011 5:52 PM (GMT 0)
Well, this one told me as she was doing it...didn't really give me any advance warning. Next year, if I go to her again, I'm going to ask her not to do it. I see no point in getting any more rectal exams than necessary. I've already had enough to last me a lifetime.
Posted 2/10/2011 5:53 PM (GMT 0)
What are they checking for? I don't like having my butt probed. My poor little butt has enough problems. lol
Posted 2/10/2011 5:56 PM (GMT 0)
I would be annoyed. I agree it does not seem necessary since you are under the care of a GI for any issues in that area.
Posted 2/10/2011 6:16 PM (GMT 0)
Mine would check the skin in between the anus and vagina. She would use a finger in each....not very comfortable I can tell you that! My PCP does it now (paps) and she never does a rectal exam...in fact, I haven't had one in years even with the GI.
Posted 2/10/2011 6:18 PM (GMT 0)
Hmmm...mine just did a finger in the butt. I wanted to ask her what she was checking for but I was too embarrassed/uncomfortable.
Posted 2/10/2011 6:26 PM (GMT 0)
This is totally standard procedure during a pap smear, at least in the 20 or so years I have been getting them.

Sue
Posted 2/10/2011 6:37 PM (GMT 0)
I've had paps done by 4 different obgyns in the past and have never had this done. I guess it must really vary by doctor.
Posted 2/10/2011 8:00 PM (GMT 0)
She didn't even buy you a drink beforehand, now that's just rude!

Seriously, though, I do wonder what they are checking for.
Posted 2/10/2011 8:01 PM (GMT 0)
Lol! Maybe I'll ask her on the phone. I called and left a message asking her about the buspar she prescribed for me "as needed." I looked it up and that drug takes a month to build up in your system and you have to take it every day...
Posted 2/10/2011 8:12 PM (GMT 0)
It has never been standard with my pap smears and I am 50. I have only had this done once and it was for a fecal smear, I believe, to check for blood in the stool. Obviously this would be unnecessary for folks like us.....
Posted 2/10/2011 10:09 PM (GMT 0)
The nurse called back and told me it was to check for rectal cancer.
Posted 2/10/2011 10:18 PM (GMT 0)
Yes, I was just reading the posts, and it is a check for rectal cancer. I just recently had a pap done by a new doctor, and she did the rectal exam. I thought it was kind of a moot point since she knew I had UC but I didn't want to derive her of the pleasure, lol...funny thing is she knew I had a GI appointment later that afternoon. I've never had a rectal exam done by my other gyn's either. Interesting!
Posted 2/10/2011 10:32 PM (GMT 0)
Is she a younger doctor? Maybe it's a new thing they added to the standard exam protocol?
Posted 2/10/2011 10:42 PM (GMT 0)
It's not new where I live and has been practiced by the 3 internists I have rotated between the last 20 years. I'm surprised so many of you haven't experienced it?

Sue
Posted 2/10/2011 10:48 PM (GMT 0)
Oh great, I have an appointment with a new OB next month and now I am scared she is going to give me the rectal exam. I don't think it is necessary for me considering I've had colonoscopies. I don't think she would find anything that isn't already known about. I hope she at least asks so I can say NO - the surprise rectal exam would definitely freak me out!!
Posted 2/10/2011 10:53 PM (GMT 0)
My PCP does them and she's never done a rectal exam. If my GI isn't concerned about it why should by PCP be?
Posted 2/10/2011 10:54 PM (GMT 0)
It definitely freaked me out! I've had paps done by at least 4-5 different doctors over the past 9 years and none have done this. It irritated my rectum too and kind of pisses me off since I have inflammation there.

Ugh Just Ugh - Yeah, she was sort of young I guess.

The nurse was kind of *****y to me when she called back. She told me it's "standard protocol for pap smears." Um, then why haven't I ever had it happen before? lol
Posted 2/10/2011 11:06 PM (GMT 0)
Not to butt(lol) into girlie stuff but I wonder if this is for anal cancer?

I just read an article on it and it is caused often by the same bug that causes cervical cancer and some others. Men and women are getting it and it is not caused by anal sex as thought before. I think it was NYTimes.
Posted 2/10/2011 11:07 PM (GMT 0)
Here is a description from Medline, You have to copy and paste:

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/007069.htm

It does say some doctors "may" do it as part of a routine Gynecological check, but most of the reasoning relates to checking stool for blood and other problems we already see our GI for. I don't really see the reasoning for it unless you are having problems. As part of my yearly physical I get a little pack for a stool sample when they take my blood that I am suppose to bring back the day of my physical/exam. I don't do it and my primary doctor sees no reason for me to do it since I am under a GI's care. Seems like just an unnecessary test for an already overpriced, overburdened healthcare system: a waste of time and money, not to mention the personal humiliation.
Posted 2/11/2011 2:29 AM (GMT 0)
Hmmm... I have always been asked first, I can't imagine anyone just doing a rectal exam without giving you some advance warning.  I always thought during an annual pap exam they generally do a rectal exam just to check for anything out of the ordinary (occult blood, unusual lumps and bumps...)
Posted 2/11/2011 3:04 AM (GMT 0)
It sounds like this PCP just marches in ANYWHERE she deems fit for probing. That's why managed care sucks! I've always had pap tests done by obs, who do not mess with other body parts. In fact, my ob of recent yrs, who is relatively young, does gyno exams on a kind of birthing chair which keeps the butt cheeks pressed together (lol). My gastro does the rectal exams, generally twice yearly, but always asks 1st: "Shall we do the digital exam?" (And then immediately processes the smear to determine whether it shows occult blood.) I doubt that any samples collected at home are reliable indicators for this type of test! From what you write about the nurse's comments it seems that insensitivity to patients' feelings is a norm there-- so you probably need to shop around for another doctor to get more considerate treatment. Is this a family practice office or an internist? / Old Hat (30 yrs with left-sided UC; presently in remission taking brandname Colazal)
Posted 2/11/2011 3:14 AM (GMT 0)
Hi, OldHat. Was hoping you'd chime in. :) It's a family practice clinic. She's my dad and stepmom's doctor and they recommended her...and she is nice and spent a lot of time with me, which was nice. But the rectal exam with no warning was not cool.

Also, she told me two things which are inaccurate --
1) I've had some moles removed in the past for cosmetic reasons and she sort of scolded me for this and told me that moles will always grow back if you remove them (this is not the case and hasn't happened to me or anyone I know...). She also told me I should never have moles removed for cosmetic purposes....and acted kind of like it was a horrible thing I did!

2) She prescribed me buspar for mild anxiety. She told me to take it as needed, but everything I've read about it on the net as well as the medical literature that came with my prescription says this is a medication that needs to be taken daily and takes about 2-4 weeks to build up in your system. After reading this, I called her office back to make sure i understood correctly that I could take this drug as needed and her nurse said yes, it's to be taken as needed and that my pharmacist who told me otherwise is wrong!
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
12