What is this fresh hell? Menopause

[faithfultoGeorgeMichael]

I woke up at 4am with a huge boil on my labia - it is AGONY. I can't think about anything else, its throbbing and I want to cry!

My mum said "oh yeah, it's menopause" WTF mother?! Why didn't you warn me? (and what good would that possibly have done?)

Is there anything beyond compresses and morphine that can help me?

Fuck menopause, fuck the patriarchy and fuck this fucking boil to hell.

Oh absolutely… I am frequently in a brain fog, it’s so annoying. I’m always wandering when mine will bugger off!

2 months ago, I cheerfully put premium petrol in our (diesel) car… that’s an expensive mistake by the way - don’t do it! Only been driving 45 years…

This morning I was filling a form in, and turned to the person next to me and said “ how old am I?” For a million pounds, I could not remember how old I was😱

Menopause is a funny thing, you seem to get metaphorical balls, and don’t care what people think of you, and start to stand up for yourself…but on the other hand, I am a complete mush at anything even slightly sad.

Sleep is a distant memory at night, yet I can sleep for ages so blissfully in the day.

Never had one and don’t think it’s a symptom of menopause, but sympathy nonetheless.
Hope you get treatment sorted soon x

seriously....A&E for a fanny boil ?...

You are a genius and I have nominated you for a Nobel Prize 🙌

@catlife7 @Happyjoe @Nosejobnelly @LittleMi55Nobody

Yes, I am serious. I’m glad you are trying to discern and use your common sense. But maybe, just maybe, you don’t really know everything. Just a thought.

Hot compress! Get a bowl of boiling water in the bathroom, dunk a clean flannel in it, squeeze out and hold to the boil. Repeat several times, and then do the same again every few hours. Gets rid of mine within 24-48 hours every time. The lots of savlon and a plaster once it bursts and drains out. Lots of tissue paper first to ensure all the funk is out and mopped up. The joys of bloody menopause!

I have a self heating eye mask in my knickers like a sanitary towel. Waddling a bit, but there is some relief! Fucking hell.

I was thinking that
I had them when pregnant, hideous

If there was red swelling and groin glands up, i probably would (minor injuries dept wouldn't deal with it). My DP had an infected boil in his groin and he was sent to have it removed under general anesthetic to stop the infection spreading!

I had something on the fouffe many years ago. Called the husband over to ask (show) him. He looked horrified so I popped it myself. Went away and didn't come back thankfully (fanny problem, not husband)

Interestingly, just googled Bartholin's cyst. Feel more educated about fannies but surprisingly, after asking the Internet for images of fannies with issues, it only showed me medical diagrams.

I think this is the only health problem I have ever googled without a wealth of real world images.

I actually wanted to educate myself about the difference between fanny spot, fanny boil and fanny cyst and I can't.

@ZeldaFighter no medical pictures? That's stupid! You can find pictures of terrible accidents (made the mistake of googling mistakes with angle grinders once, and swiftly decided not to use one). So we can see people with eyeballs and brains hanging out, but you can't look at a fanny with a boil? Just seems wrong.

I had one of these and made the mistake of squeezing it. I agree re the menopause.

I had a Bartholian cyst in my 20s, it got infected and I had to have it drained and some antibiotics... I was on holiday in the US and the trip to urgent care cost over £1k (almost 20 years ago!) I was in so much pain I was willing to pay anything to make it go away! Thankfully insurance covered it but my god I never knew pain like it!

Could it be a Bartholin Cyst? I had one of these a little while ago and I was massive! I just went away on it's own - I obviously gave it a good old squeeze in the manner my GP had told me I absolutely should NOT do in the meantime 😂

Probably a blocked follicle. Try magnesium sulphate paste and/or and Epsom salts bath.

Bartholin cysts are supposed to be painless. Folliculitis hurts like a bitch.

Bartholin cyst are extremely painful in my experience.

I had one a while ago.
I got some Castor oil from the chemist &
put it on a panty liner, such relief !!

Oh gosh! I had these come and go (in various places between my button and flue) for about 3 years. I'd know one was on it's way because I'd get a mild tingling or itch in the spot where it would burst forth like a volcano. It would reach its worst after a couple of days, really sore, itchy, then subside. I might not see it again for months, then the little fckr would return. I went to the Dr a few times, she said it was likely to be a blocked gland. I bathed it in the hottest water I could tolerate just to relieve it, I think I used Vagisil to soothe the skin. Never came to a head. Eventually it stopped visiting.
I completely and utterly empathise xx

Boils can be a menopause issue for some woman - not one I have ever been afflicted with but then from what I hear I just floated through the menopause, totally unaware!

https://procedureclinic.com/bartholins/?amp

@faithfultoGeorgeMichael I hope that your boil drains and clears easily, and you can have your planned weekend.

For those wondering about vanishing labias, here’s a very informative thread. Thanks to the thread I realised that mine had shrunk (46yo, perimenopause) and ended up getting vaginal oestrogen cream prescribed by my GP. Things have returned to almost like before, and in general feel much calmer and more normal down there. DH is very appreciative of the results of the cream.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/menopause/5341585-the-strange-case-of-the-vanishing-labia-minora?page=1

"Another choice is to open the gland and insert a special balloon for 4 to 6 weeks, creating a scar tract that prevents the gland duct from blocking again. Some women do not like this method." ...I think i just found the understatement of the week.

Thanks for the link, looks very painfull. Just said a prayer for every woman out there who has ever had this 🙏🫶🙏

Why was it bad to squeeze it?

All the options in that link look nasty.