Painful barrholin’s cyst (can nhs fund for treatment?)

[Moomoo19911]

Hi, I’m a woman of 27 years old. I have two children, one girl aged 8, and a boy aged 3. I’ve had a Bartholin’s cyst on my left labia for 6 years or more, the past 4-5 months it’s gotten a lot bigger and it is painful after going to the toilet, I cannot have sexual Intercorse either. I’ve seen my GP and it’s not infected but it’s causes a lot of problems and it is very painful. My GP said it isn’t infected. Can the nhs fund for me to have it removed at all? My GP doesn’t seem to care on helping advise me, he said he wasn’t sure and he would find out and give me a call within 3 weeks. And time has passed. It’s getting more unbearable. Please someone help. Thanks

Correction - Bartholin cyst.

You poor soul! I had two treated on the NHS. Any chance that you can see a different doctor/get a second opinion??

At the time I was treated they didn't remove them, they marsupialised them - (TMI alert here for the squeamish. They slice them and stich them open, so that no fluid can build up inside.) It is possible for them to come back afterwards and if I remember rightly my specialist then said that they could go deeper to remove the whole area.

HTH. Best of luck

It's causing an impairment to your day to day life. It shouldn't matter if it's infected or not, if it's stopping you doing normal things, like having sex, or causing pain during your day to day life, ie going to the toilet. They should be looking to have it treated and removed.

I had one for a few months that then became infected and it was removed within 24 hours of going to the doctors about the infection. Prior to that I'd already been referred for further treatment because it was growing and causing an issue day to day.

Kick up a fuss. Let them know just how much it's affecting you. Don't leave without an answer.

Call the doctor for a chat now, find out why they haven't got back to you as agreed.

God yes go to theDr, i get them and get them treated you must be in agony poor soul.

Tbh I found the practise nurse was more help than the Gp .

My doctors is useless, I’m going to try and book with the nurse to see what she says, if she says the same what can I do next 😢

My GP was so certain it’s under cosmetic, how the hell can that be, he was kind of arrogant and acted like it’s not affecting me.

Can you change GP?

I’ve been at this gp for a year, I might have to look into changing doctors, but it’s quite far. Outs such a pain, these here have always kicked up a fuss with anything, even my asthma. I’m so fed up now it’s gettin me down, it’s just too painful

I had one after DS's birth and luckily it popped before my appointment from the GP referral came round. It's most certainly something that the NHS deal with, at least in my area. Anything that is causing discomfort/pain is for the NHS to deal with. It is not cosmetic.

Ive had a few Bartholin cysts/abscesses.

3 surgeries, 1 word catheter, whole bunch of antibiotics all on the NHS. It's painful as fuck, not cosmetic.

If your GP won't do anything, go to a walk in centre. My first abcsess was giant and infected and so painful I couldn't sit, stand or walk without crying. I went to A&E and had surgery that day.

Now I go to the GP as soon as it's painful to touch and if the antibiotics they give don't work within a week I get referred for surgery.

Unless you are planning to display your vulva to the wider public, it's not cosmetic!
It's painful and impacting on normal activities

This pisses me off no end-I doubt male gp would be happy for HIS wife to have to endure this!
Another vote for the practice nurse, they are usually fab for things like this.
Poor you it must be agony

Breakfast

Yy to the practice nurse and/or walk in centre. Emphasise to her how it is impacting on your everyday life, particularly the pain. Don't put on a brave face at all.

If they are not helpful then is there another GP at the practice? If not ask to see the practice manager and ask to see their complaints procedure. Lodge a complaint that a painful gynaecological condition is being dismissed as "cosmetic". No need to tell the practice manager any more details than that. Demand to know whether this treatment is regarded as cosmetic in any other part of the country - this thread would seem to suggest not!

for you

I’m in Walsall West Midlands. If this helps anyone 😢 I’m going to book in with nurse, and then if I get no joy out of that, I’ll go to the walk in centre. I feel like crying, it’s dreadful.

I've had two bartholin's cysts over the years. Both eventually became infected abscesses, which was the most horrific pain I can possibly explain. You should definitely get them treated before that happens, because it is awful.

With the first one, I was young and naive and didn't see a doctor about it until it abscessed. With the second one, I went and made arrangements to have it sorted out. The GP I saw was 100% happy to refer me for the surgery, so it definitely can be done on the NHS. I was just unlucky that it abscessed while I was waiting for the op.

Oh, and a PP is correct, these are fixed by marsupialisation. The cysts form because the duct that normally allows them to drain gets blocked, and the abscess forms because bacteria somehow gets in. Marsupialisation is basically just the process of creating a new, artificial duct.

Well done for posting. Get it sorted and you will feel so much better.

Just a word of advice about changing GPs. I did it once - honestly can't remember why!! However, I was called for "interview" at my new GPs before they would accept me. It was an informal chat and very easy - so easy I asked why I had had to go in. I was told that it was to make sure that I wasn't leaving mid-dispute with my old GP as they do not accept people who are in dispute. There had been a differing of views, but I didn't mention that, just that I was looking for a larger practice with more female GPs as I felt more comfortable sometimes seeing a woman.

So if you do change, don't mention any disagreements until you are on their books!

I hope it goes ok with the nurse I hadone last year just at my bikini line and it was agonyit eventually burst but I can only imagine the pain you are in

I've had these - ouch. Two operations in my 20s.

Please return to GP or change GP. You need to get it sorted.

Tell the GP you want a gynae referral. It is not cosmetic at all, I work alongside gynae consultants and see lots of women getting treated for this.

Thankyou will keep that in mind 😇

I will keep you all updated, it’s nice to know I’m not alone

And it's certainly not cosmetic. When mine were infected I could only walk with my legs wide apart.

Why is my gp saying it’s cosmetic 😢 I’m in my pjs at 4.30 in afternoon it’s just painful. I’m going to get some forms from a different doctors tomorrow so fingers crossed I’ll have help by next week 🤞🏻

I used to suffer with these in my twenties and thirties. Long time ago

Seriously OP, if you get no joy from the nurse and/or walk in centre then I would go to A & E. I know that I will get flamed for suggesting this but you must be in agony and I see this as far more of an emergency than many other general A & E conditions. (I had to go to A & E with the very first one I had. Passed out with the pain so DH drove me there - it was Boxing Day 😱 - and they kept me in/operated the next day.)

Good luck in getting this sorted SOON!

Cosmetic is a term used for when people just want things removed as they don't like the look of them, so that can apply to this sort of thing, and the GP might think you're exaggerating any symptoms to get it removed. Which isn't on, so you need to go back and explain how much pain you are in and insist on a referral. Good luck.