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?

Another example of how women’s health complaints are brushed aside. I used to get two, one on each side of my labia, this was 35 years ago, so back in the day when you could wait ages for drs appointments and referrals. So I’d go, it would be going down, they wouldn’t refer me. Or by the time a referral happened it was gone. One particularly awful gynaecologist said, “well just get over it. Tell hubby that he’ll just have to be careful and patient.” Yes because “hubby’s” sexual needs were at the forefront of my mind when I had two golf balls in my knickers. I did attack them myself (almost passed out from the pain). Don’t do that. They vanished after I got pregnant.
Go and complain, get a different doctor, talk to practice manager. Don’t put up with it.

Your doctor might be wrong. I also had mine for years and suddenly it started growing and I went to my GP. She looked at it and diagnosed it as something to do with a sexual disease and sent me to a sexual health clinic. They looked at it and said it wasn't that - but they gave it a squeeze. After that squeeze it grew further so I went back to GP who looked at it and sent m to A&E with a B cyst. A&E gynae specialist said it wasn't any of those things and prescribed an antibiotic that cleared it immediately thankfully, but he was prepared to remove it after a week if the antibiotic didn't do anything. I can't recall now what he called it but I gather this is another aspect of women's health that can be easily misunderstood.

I’ve had 3. The first one I was about 34 weeks with ds 1. I had a GA and they drained it . About 14 years later I had another one. Doctor gave me antibiotics but the next day I was in so much pain I went to a&e. They admitted me and were planning to operate the next day but it popped over night, much to my relief.
My third one is recent. I went to my GP and she said I should go to a&e to have it drained ( I don’t live in the uk). She gave me 5 days of antibiotics. I went to hospital 2.5 weeks ago, had a GA that day and stayed in hospital over night. I’m healing well. They said they made kind of a Joey pouch so fluid can drain easily all the time and should hopefully relieve any more happening.
They are painful and you shouldn’t have to be . Please see another doctor

Not read the full thread so sorry if this has already been suggested.... TCP worked wonders for me (probably not recommended by GPs) if you can reach the cyst with a cotton pad just soak it a couple of times a day in the TCP, it does sting but it wasn't horrific!
After a day or so start bathing it in water as hot as you can stand and it should burst, it was a massive relief when mine did and not painful. I hope it clears up!

GA is where they put you to sleep so I said No but at the time it was more a superficial thing and I decided against it but I would get it sorted if it impacted sex life or exercise etc xx

[quote ChancesWhatChances]@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?[/quote]
I'm not sure how long I'll have to wait. If it is any length of time I've already decided I'm going to go private, as it is already affecting too much of my live to wait several months.

Hi, I know this thread is a month old but I'm getting desperate for help

I've had a cyst for about a year which the GP's been treating with antibiotics - however a woman doctor finally referred me to the hospital a few days ago and they pointed out they weren't working because it isn't a bloody abcess so there's nothing for them to work on! The hospital were willing to marsupialise it then and there, until the consultant told me that all the clinics/treatment centres have been told not to do any "elective" surgery until the patients BMI is under 30 and as my BMI is 31, they couldn't do it.

Thirty one!

So the gynaecology department referred me to their weight loss service, who just called me to tell me they aren't taking any further patients at the moment. I called my GP again and she said either

1. Go private
2. Lose weight (two sodding stone)
3. Wait until it gets infected then go back

I was also told at the gynaecology dept that the waiting list is up to six months for day surgery. So basically, wait until I've lost two stone/got infected then been referred then waited another six months I've got to live with it. It's the size of a sodding golf ball and getting worse! I'm getting batted from one person to another and they're all saying no, I don't know what the hell to do except cry! Please anyone help!