To ask if anyone has had a Bartholin cyst?

[espressodrinker]

Just that really. I think I have one and it's pretty big...I can feel it underneath my skin. How did you deal with it?

This is not going to be helpful but yes, I had a Bartholin's Cyst.

I was 19. I went to my GP and while I was there she called a doctor friend of hers at my local hospital. Doctor friend said I should to go straight to A&E. GP gave me a letter addressed to doctor friend and Doctor friend saw me within an hour. An appointment was made for me to come in the next morning for surgery under general anaesthetic to remove it.

Afterwards, I stayed in hospital overnight and allowed home the next day.
A district nurse came to my home every day for 2 weeks to pack the wound.
I was off work for 3 weeks.
It was over 35 years ago ….
I can't imagine anything like that kind of treatment happening today.

It was very painful but surgery was worth it because the cyst has not come back.

I think now they would just recommend paracetamol, hot salt baths and possibly antibiotics which is much less traumatic but if the cyst is not removed there is always the possibility of it coming back.

I've had 2-both required emergency marsupialisation (general anaesthetic) and i don't suggest diy popping as my daughter didn't tell anyone she'd found 'a whitehead': popped it, consequently went into sepsis.
I fainted when i found the first one, the head injury is much worse than the bartholin treatment. I'd never heard of them prior so was shocked to find a golf ball female bollock appear!

*This was in 2017 in a women's specialist hospital in England, so, yes, they do operate on these regularly. Definitely get it looked at, do not diy.

There’s a thread in Classics about one of these.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/general_health/2053678--klaxon-grape-sized-lump-hurts-to-sit-down?pg=1&order=

I've had it 4 times in the last 6 months that have developed into an abscess. Dr has given antibiotics each time but has said I will require surgery but due to having chemotherapy it would have to wait. Chemo now finished but now with covid I doubt it will be done anytime soon

I think I have one at the moment! It's so sore! Should I wait a few days or go straight to gp?
It's about the size of a Malteser

@bigfootfred honestly I'd go get it looked at asap. As I said before, my daughter went into sepsis.
They are unpredictable
My second one, I thought I could leave it & went to Labour party conference in 2017, 5 days later it was golf ball sized, agonising & i was rushed into surgery as soon as we drove into Liverpool (I'm lucky we have the world class women's hospital here ;) ).
I'm going on about My own experience to stress how swiftly they can evolve into emergencies. Genuinely flabbergasted by the stab it with pin gang!

@m00Ma what ever it was popped on our walk today I didn't notice til we got home expect it hurts less.
Cleaned up and put some more Melissa oil on. Hoping that might be it now but will have a hot salty bath & more hot compresses until it's completely gone.
If it's sore tomorrow I might call GP but I think it's ok and I think I did have one before but didn't have my good shaving mirror to peak then

I've had about 3 or 4 of these and it was genuinely the most painful thing I've experienced, it was excruciating. Is it growing at all?

The thing that worked for me was "Phoebe's Cure", you can find it quite easily on Google but I'll pop the link below for anyone else struggling with it. I applied the paste as they said for about 3 to 4 days and had a lot of hot baths with salts and eventually, it popped by itself. The only downside to the paste is that it smells quite a bit, but by that point, I didn't care and just wanted it gone. One other time I just went straight for the antibiotics and it got rid of it, but I don't like taking them often at all. Good luck!

patient.info/forums/discuss/home-remedy-for-bartholin-cyst-that-works--570177

I get them too have had them three times in two years. I’ve had mine drained each time with a word catheters. You leave the word catheter in until it falls out the longer the better.

My gynaecologist told me they have no idea why some wine get them and unfortunately once they do you can be prone to them. They tend not to only offer drainage now rather than the opp as both have the same success rates.

They will only do that if it’s bad. So until then I suppose it’s a waiting game!

It’s such a pain in the arse. I’ve got one flairing up again so I’m doing hot salt baths most nights. Hope you got yours sorted.

Had 2 first one a few years ago then again a few months. Started off a little uncomfortable but quickly grew large & excruciatingly painful both required surgery under ga.
My sympathy op they are horrid

FIrst one was excruciatingly painful, and luckily popped itself before I resorted to taking the scissors to my fanny flaps.

Currently have a much smaller one, no signs of popping and only uncomfortable mostly TMI unless I try poking it

My sympathies OP

Yep. I had no idea what the hell it was. GP gave me antibiotics which cleared it up fairly quickly.

I’ve had a few of them before, usually take a shower when I feel it growing so the hot water makes it come out quicker. If I just gently squeeze it after that it pops out and you feel so relieved. I do have one at the moment that’s been there for a while now and nurse told me that if it doesn’t grow it’s not a problem but I do wonder if I should try booking an appointment again to get it checked.

Was there not someone who had one 'go' in the middle of Paris?

I popped mine, I know you’re not supposed to but it was soooo good when I did, instant relief I felt the pressure go immediately. It brought tears to my eyes to pop but I’m glad I did!

Got one now that I’m trying to manage down myself after having first one drained under local at beginning of lockdown - v expensive private procedure because GP was in freeze mode and I didn’t fancy waddling into A&E

Definitely get it seen by GP and get into NHS system. Gynae if needed to double check symptoms and causes.

In the meantime you could also try some of the following (I’m not a doctor)

Sitz/Epsom baths per PPs
Taking silica (careful re horsetail dosage/side effects)
Trying Silicea homeopathic meds
Using BV gel topically to balance microbiome
Using diluted tea tree oil topically (or Phoebe’s cure)
Taking probiotics
Drinking stacks of water to keep hydrated
Eating best diet possible
Sleeping as much as life will allow

Serrapeptase pills and silica spray topically are other options.

Prob don’t get at it with a needle.

I’m doing a combo above and so far (3 days in) have managed to significantly reduce cyst size. Hoping to avoid antibiotics/drainage route again - vag backstory of two 9.5lbs DS, Endometritis (womb infection) post birth, slow healing, recurrent cystitis.

Good luck!

I've had two or three. Fortunately they've all popped fairly early on and then they have been fine.

Oh poor you.
Go see your gp. Its decades since I had my last. It has to be lanced and drained, and before that it was salt baths .
They are horrid and uncomfortable to say the least.

I actually had one a month ago. It wasn’t that bad as I went to the doctor on the 3rd or 4th day of having it. She gave antibiotics and told me to come back if it got worse or didn’t heal up. I had hot baths with Epsom salts and I went back a week later as it was still not fully gone and she had to give me 5 more days worth of antibiotics but that cleared it up. The antibiotics made me feel so sick and also every time I take antibiotics I get thrush, so you can imagine how fun that was! Hope your tablets work but definitely go back if it hasn’t fully cleared up by the end of the course.💐

To the women who’s cysts just burst lucky cows lol

Mine are always so stubborn there’s no way mine would just burst. I always end up getting it drained.

Mine is giving me hassle just now so I’m calling my gp Monday hoping to get something before it gets to the stage of going to the gynaecologist again. I’m not taking any mores time off work because of this!!

Bartholin cyst !! Well ladies after a few weeks of discomfort and pain and antibiotics I’ve just popped the bugger all sterile of course I was not waiting for this lodger in my ladie area to grow , feels a bit stingy now but I’ve washed myself down there was no pain doing it , I will watch and check for signs of infection in the coming days !! I’m so sorry to all you ladies that are in pain or have had awful experiences with this !! Big hugs

I’ve had several. One became an abscess and had to be removed under GA. the others I’ve caught early and used hot compresses on them. I get them regularly, usually when I’m a bit run down. I didn’t know about Magnesium sulphate - I think I’ll give that a try with the next one.

I get one, always in the same place.
Sudocrem helps it go down sometimes, other times, hot baths and it bursts.