Bartholin's cyst can anyone help?

[ChancesWhatChances]

I’ve had this cyst on my inner labia for 7 years now. It started off tiny, doctor said there was nothing that could be done after it didn’t clear with antibiotics. It’s continued to grow extremely slowly for the last 7 years, doctor has always been satisfied it’s not infected so won’t refer me to get it drained.

But it’s rather big now, I can feel it when I sit, walk, sex is currently off the table because it always hurts afterwards. It’s occasionally painful if I’m wearing jeans etc. Called the doctor a couple weeks ago about the size of it and begged her for a referral but got the same spiel of its not infected so there is nothing she can do. Continue with the baths, if it gets infected she’ll issue antibiotics.

But surely it can’t grow forever? The baths do absolutely nothing and I want rid of it so badly. Someone please please tell me how? (So long as it doesn’t involve sticking a needle in it myself I’m happy to give it a go!).

Please?

Oh you pore thing!

I have one that keeps reoccurring. If it won’t burst I put sudocrem on it and I find that works, but it sounds much smaller than yours.

*poor

Ask to see a different doctor. It’s affecting your daily life and should definitely be dealt with.

@Trisolaris it can burst?? Please tell me that’s not as painful as it sounds! I’ll try the sudocrem, thankfully got plenty of that about

I went private for a consultation a few years ago and was told they could operate (decided against this as at time was told only GA) but it wasn’t huge so I decided to live with it. I’m pregnant and current consultant said if it flares up or gets lineup that they can operate and not under GA (not sure if that’s accurate or not). I would say you need a referral to gynaecologist and then see what they they say. I think I paid £125 for my private consultation that I whacked in a credit card. X

I soaked in a hot bath for a couple of hours, sterilised a needle and popped mine. Just made sure after it had burst I soaked it in boiled salt solution for a while after. Didn't hurt and never came back.

I have literally just had one seen by my doctor. It isn't sore at all but she says it is the biggest she has ever seen and it is affecting things I do. She referred me to the hospital and I said I'll need an op. I decided that if I need to wait a long time I'll go private. I got a call from the hospital three days after I saw the doctor.

Ask for a second opinion.

@TenThousandSpoons only one female doctor in our practice or I would, I’ve had rather bad experiences with one of the male doctors there and it’s really put me off asking to see any of the others but if this doesn’t go very soon I might just bite the bullet

Cross post.

That sounds tough but I still would. I had ignored this one for ages too.

I get these too often so I'm a dab hand at popping them now. The relief is instant and it really doesn't hurt that much .

@Lovemylittlebear private is possibly an option for me, I’ll have a look into that. Is general anaesthetic where you’re awake?

@BlueLionel not sure I’m that brave

@TheBitchOfTheVicar that was fast! Think I really might see about a second opinion then, how long until you get the op?

Call and say you're going to pop it- you've seen a tutorial on YouTube and are just calling to see if she thinks it'll need antibiotics afterwards or if will it be fine as is. She'll say she advises you not to do it, say it's significantly affecting your quality of life and mental health so you feel DIY-ing it is the lesser of the two evils available.

See what she says. TBH I'd pop it myself if it's still a no and there's no scope to go private.

Ask for a second opinion.

It's affecting your day to day life, you can ask to be chaperoned in a consultation in my practice (male doctors only) if you want and a female nurse or receptionist stands in the room but outside the curtain, if that would help you and the practice offer it (I'm pretty sure it's a universal thing though?)
Mine did get infected a few times, but, I was riding a few horses for other people at the time and I couldn't ride when it got big, it was one of the reasons they took it out, because it was affecting my daily life.
Good luck 🤞

I had a gynae referral over a decade ago for mine and had a 'marsupialisation' as a day surgery and no other problems with it since. I had previously been very unwell with an infected labial cyst which had me in A&E twice and fobbed off with antibiotics before I was finally admitted and operated on the next morning. I was really ill with the infected labial cyst so perhaps that's why I had a quick referral with the bartholin, as more of a preventative measure. Not sure. Hope you are okay. X

I had one of these. It was never infected. I had it for years until it suddenly got bigger. I had to go to A&E where I was told it needed to be marsupialised but they couldn’t do it as an emergency, only incision and drainage. I let them drain it, it came back within a matter of days. Went back to hospital and this time they could do it as an emergency

The surgeon was at least lovely and obviously did a good job as it hasn’t come back since. Don’t let them fob you off. Even if it isn’t infected, it still needs to be sorted. They may put you on the waiting list for the operation so the sooner you get seen the better.

I think it's quite shocking they won't do anything, sorry you're going through this op.

I absolutely would not pop it myself, But I think it's a great idea to say you're going to. It's also definitely worth trying a different doctor.

Just keep making appointments and insisting on a referral. The way women's issues are brushed off is infuriating. If a man presented with a cyst on his knob, you can bet he'd be referred pretty damn fast.

Also, I had popped mine a few times myself - don’t do this. I had an MRI for a different issue and it showed the cyst walls of the bartholin cyst had collapsed and stuck to themselves in places. Imagine a deflated balloon with sticky bits inside. When you blow the balloon up again it will be irregular in shape and size where the walls are stuck together. This makes it harder to get a good result from surgery.

I had one when pg with DD1. It was hoped that it would burst during labour, but no. I had an op under a GA to remove it about 6 months postpartum.

She can refer you to a gynae to get it drained. She's not doing it because of cost. If I were you I would ring up the practice manager, say how it's affecting your life and that you know you aren't getting the referral because of cost - and you are going to put in a complaint.

Or just put in a complaint and change practices - they sound pretty awful. Even if you do go private please complain - it's absolutely unacceptable and extremely sexist this isn't being taken seriously.

@CausingChaos2

Also, I had popped mine a few times myself - don’t do this. I had an MRI for a different issue and it showed the cyst walls of the bartholin cyst had collapsed and stuck to themselves in places. Imagine a deflated balloon with sticky bits inside. When you blow the balloon up again it will be irregular in shape and size where the walls are stuck together. This makes it harder to get a good result from surgery.

Yes - this, don't pop it. It makes it more likely it will keep re-filling. Surgery will remove the walls of the cyst to stop that happening.

Mine has burst before when sitting on the loo (TMI) I think the acid of urine hitting it was the trigger. It stung like hell but then was such a relief

Thanks everyone, I’m going to phone up Monday and say I’d like a referral as it’s affecting my daily life, if she still refuses I’ll ask to talk to another doctor about it (or possibly go private, depending on the cost). Really helps to know I’m not the only one that’s been through this too!

@SenecaTrewe I never really thought of it in that way, but now you mention it I’ve never been taken seriously about women’s issues. Always told its hormones or side effects, even when you know your own body well enough to know something isn’t right!

I never really thought of it in that way, but now you mention it I’ve never been taken seriously about women’s issues. Always told its hormones or side effects, even when you know your own body well enough to know something isn’t right!

It's a massive downside to general practitioners being gatekeepers to specialists. I do think we ought to have GP level OBGYNs we could self-refer to and paediatric GPs too.

It makes me so angry to read this. I had this issue nearly 40 bloody years ago and it seems women are still being fobbed off.

I spent months going back and forwards to the Dr (a male) who kept fobbing me off with antibiotics, in the end after I came out of the surgery with more pills, in pain and tears my then dh drove me straight to a&e, a nurse (a woman, who said 'dear god you cant walk about like that') took one look and was horrified, I was admitted there and then, it was a short op under GA and I have never had a problem since.

In short OP dont be fobbed off, of course it affects your daily life, your poor thing