WIBU to attempt surgery on this myself if the GP won't?

[Welshmaenad]

Embarrassing problem alert, do not read it eating breakfast.

I have a really large, very painful abscess type thing on my labia. It’s developed over a few days and even though I am maxing out prescription strength co codamol and naproxen, it is SO painful. It’s maybe 2-2.5 inches along by now, red/purple, solid, warm to touch but no head on it or visible sign of pus.

I’m waiting for the Dr to ring me back to formulate a plan. My sister thinks I’ll have to have it surgically drained, has anyone experienced this? What the he’ll is it and where did it come from? I live with chronic pain and consider myself generally a bit of a tough nut but this has me sobbing when I have to move, and I feel quite sick.

If the dr won't drain it and there's no head, is there anything I can do myself to relieve the pain and pressure?

Additional AIBU - I've logged in for work to try to make it to a meeting I have this morning but after that WIBU to bag work off for the day? I honestly can't concentrate because it hurts, and it's setting off my autoimmune condition and I feel quite dreadful generally.

Or it could be hidradenitis suppurativa, a common enough but surprisingly poorly diagnosed skin disease. Very painful, some people use heat and a sterilised needle to release the contents. But first get a diagnosis and know what you are dealing with.

You have my sympathy, I know how painful that is. I was lucky enough to live directly above a chemists the first time it happened and they suggested magnesium sulphate paste and it was a fucking wonder cure! I had it a second time about 15 years later and did the same again, almost instant relief. Fingers crossed you get it sorted soon!

DH drained a huge cyst in his groin in the bathroom. It spurted like a fountain. I personally think he was crazy to do it. He did sterilise everything, but he basically used a huge needle and stabbed it in. I would advise you to go to the doctor.

Do not try and puncture it.

You can use a hot flannel though. God bless you it hurts like a mother Hubbard

If your GP won’t help I would go to A&E if I had a bartholins cyst and it was painful. Good luck.

Warm bath and then cover overnight with magnesium sulphate paste (cheaply available online or pharmacy and a drawing agent). Repeat for 3 nights and it should have a head. It should burst. Clean very throughly to avoid infection.

Not exactly the same but I had a perianal abcess (between my bum and lady bits basically) and I have never known pain like it before in my life (and that's despite having been through childbirth). I clearly remember sobbing in pain at the drs and laying on the floor as I couldn't even stand up from the agony of it and them getting me straight to hospital for an operation. The relief once I came around after the op was incredible - no more pressure or pain! These things are quite common OP and i know our lcoal hospital have a ward just for abcess patients. Just push the Dr when they call you back as these things can cause infection to spread through your body - I was borderline sepsis with mine due to leaving it for too long before seeking help. Good luck and keep us posted x

Massive sympathy OP, recently had something similar but in my groin and it was awful - everything down there was swollen definitely recommend hot flannel to try and bring it to a head. Don’t do a DIY job, you might cause an infection

Oh god, I get these the whole time. Never knew the name for them though so this thread has been very helpful! Must admit I tend to sterilise a needle and deal with it myself, but I've never had one as big as yours.

I also had a groin abscess. Had to go to hospital to have it drained. Doctor did not use anaesthetic. She said it probably would not work given where it was but said “feel free to scream and swear” and boy did I. I was put on a course of very strong antibiotics afterwards, and the site had to be packed as well.

OP you have my sympathy but please don’t try any DIY surgery.

I had one about 20 years ago and went to have it drained in hospital. It was very painful beforehand but when I was under the anaesthetic they found it had burst itself. I wouldn’t try to do it yourself. An infection would be very nasty.

Abscesses are awful, especially in an intimate area! I feel for you OP. I for some unknown reason get cysts that grow over the years slowly but then will ultimately end up a bit infected abscesses and need emergency surgery.
I had one in my armpit threat grew to grapefruit size and I was sobbing in pain at the GP when she sent me straight to the emergency floor to have it removed.
The difference stereo going to sleep in agony and waking up in blissful relief was magic.

I currently have a cyst slap bang in the middle of my forehead that I'm not willing to wait to get infected so I'll pay to have it removed if need be.

Don't do your one draining though that could cause all sorts of problematic infections which you certainly don't want. Good luck with the GP.

Like a pp said, it does sound like a bartolin cyst which are bloody painful. I had one which eventually popped by itself but they kept coming back so in the end I had a small op for it. They don't remove it, they just turn it inside out or something so that puss cannot build up in there. No problems since but man, the pain. I feel for you OP, hope you feel better soon.

Oh and no, do not do it yourself.

@riddlediddle
That was my first one, never felt pain like it. Hence why I have a stock of antibiotics as soon as they start anywhere on my body. Mi e never healed properly and still have an open wound but nobody sees.it 🤣🤣

Get a flannel as hot as you can without burning yourself and hold it on for as long as you can. I really sympathise op

@TARSCOUT ah a fellow perianal abcess sufferer! They are hell aren't they. Mine turned into a fistula which I had to have some further operations for. Mine is still a 'hole' too but like you say no one sees it so hey ho! X

OP, from your description, it's a Batholin's Abscess. DO NOT try and drain it yourself! If it isn't done properly by a surgeon, it will come back, much worse, very very quickly. The operation you need is called 'marsupialisation' - what's happened is that a gland has got infected, and they need to stitch the gland open (sort of creating a pouch) to let it drain and guarantee it won't refill.

DO NOT let the doctor prescribe you antibiotics to see how it goes - once an abscess gets to this size, they aren't going to touch it, and you'll be left in this pain for a full week while you finish the course to no effect (I speak from experience).

Ask them to refer you to the duty gynaecologist at your local A&E, and then ask them to get you on the list for day surgery. They ought to be able to treat you as an urgent case.

If the pain is unbearable, please go to A&E. Tell your line manager you are unwell and are taking the rest of the day off. To echo many other posters, don't attempt to lance it yourself. You have my sympathies. Feel better soon.

Agree with A&E if you don't get any joy with the GP

It sounds like it's too far gone for antibiotics. You need it drained.

In the meantime, bath, hot flannel and maybe a drawing paste.

You will need to be seen by gynae in A and E - I had one a few months ago. It was incredibly painful. I was seen in resus so I think it can be quite serious (sorry don't want to scare you but do want to be truthful).

I can't quite remember it now, pretty sure I was given antibiotics as well.

Do NOT do it yourself, that a very painful area to have hurt... wait for GP, try hot baths

It's threads like this that make me love Mumsnet.

It's just great to have somewhere to go to get help with stuff like this!

Thank you all! GP has ring back and I'm on my way down Dow but she has said she's likely to have to refer me to hospital gynae at least she's taking it seriously.

I don't think it's a Bartholins cyst - it's right on the outside of my labia majora, more pubic hair region that near my vagina if that makes sense.

I've done hot flannels, mag sulph etc since Sunday with zero joy.

I had a painful thing (don't know whether it was a cyst of abscess) on my labia a few years ago. Using as sterile a system as possible I made a small cut and I squeezed. Lots of pus and more solid matter came out. I squoze until only iid came out. I washed it out and put antiseptic into the hole and it healed OK. I think you should definitely go down the gp route first and in the unlikely event the gp does nothing then getting rid of the pus will help relieve the pain.

Oh Good luck Welsh!!