abnormal pap suddenly

Hi! I just got a call from my doctor saying my pap came back abnormal and that it was most likely indicative of being infected with HPV. She said something about "pre cancerous."
The crazy thing is, i just had a pap smear only 4 weeks ago from a different doctor and it came back normal!!

Is it possible to go from completely normal to pre cancerous in just one month?? I thought that took years.
Is it more likely that the first pap is wrong, or that I had something other than HPV causing inflamation (inflammation) at the time of the second smear?
I am really trying to figure this out.
What else causes an abnormal pap? I heard it could be yeast or herpes thats causing it, but wouldnt my doctor have been able to see that by the pap results? she definitely said HPV and that it was precancerous.

[Jules0228]

Hi.  I find it strange that the second doctor even wanted to proceed with a second pap only four weeks after your first one.  My gyn woldn't even see me until 12-14 weeks had passed since my first pap (which was abnormal and HPV positive) because it takes that long for the cells to reproduce which helps with accurate pap results.  I would ask your doctor about this.  Very weird.  Oh, and my gyn is a doctor at a prestigious Boston hospital.  She graduated from Harvard Medical.  

[worried0000113]

ok, for many reasons I wont go into, I have little or NO faith in the previous doctor. I sought a second one becuase I was pretty convinced everything he said was ********. My second doctor didnt know I had just had a pap smear but after it came back abnormal I told her and she was just as surprised. I have since been doing a lot of reading and im worried that other things can cause an abnormal pap smear suddenly such as inflamation (inflammation) due to another STD or vaginal infection. like herpes or yeast. but i am also willing to believe that the first Pap was basically worthless testing from a worthless health "Professional"

[Jules0228]

If it came up as HPV positive, then the abnormal pap means that cell changes have begun.  
If your new doctor is any good, she will schedule a colposcopy which is simply looking at your cervix under microscope.   She will also take a biopsy which is uncomfortable but worthwhile since it will offer a precise reading of your cervical tissue.  It is either a wait-and-see game or you can take another route once you know with what you're dealing.
I've been struggling with the same thing since March of '07 and last December chose to see a naturapath who put me on high doses of folic acid, a multivitamin, vitamin C and selenium.  In March and July, my pap smears came back normal.  I just had a third one today and am hoping that it, too, comes back normal.  She also tested  again for HPV.  I'm crossing my fingers and praying that I can, for now, put this all behind me.  Oh, I also started working out 3-5 times a week.  

[worried0000113]

my doctor asked me to schedule a colposcopy but I havent set one up yet. I have no insurance and I need to save up like 300 bucks to have it done.

so a precancrous pap result definitely could not be caused by herpes or yeast? I mean, if its precancerous its definitely HPV right?

[Jules0228]

If she tested you for HPV (and be sure she tested you) and it came back positive and you have an abnormal pap, then yes, the cause is HPV most likely.  Most mild dysplasia reverses itself within two years.  Just get in there for a colposcopy.  Your doctor may wait several months before performing the procedure.  Web MD is a great place for accurate information; educate yourself and record any questions before you call/see your doctor again.  Sometimes we get so emotional the questions don't always get asked.

[worried0000113]

she didnt test me for HPV, it was just a pap smear that came back precancerous. And its really strange to me becuase I just had a normal one 4 weeks ago. Any ideas as to what might have caused this discrepancy?

[Jules0228]

No, I don't.  Maybe you should ask for another pap in 3-6 months and decide on a colposcopy when those test results come in.  And did she say "precancerous"?  Ask if it is mild dysplasia or high-grade dysplasia.  She should be using that language, rather than a general statement like "precancerous".  

[worried0000113]

Ok, I got the results in the mail and they are high grade displasia (HSIL). she told me to scedule a colposcopy. So should I go ahead and assume that the first test was a false negative?