Ouch! Lump in a very unfortunate place

[Realitea]

Just before my period I sometimes get these painful lumps in the labia (sorry tmi)
It’s not a bartholyns cyst as it’s at the top if you see what I mean.
In the past the dr has said they don’t know what it is and to see the sexual health clinic. Now I’ve been screened for everything sti related and it’s not any of these. And I can’t get in to see them without a two week wait by which time it’s gone.
It’s so painful and red - I couldn’t sleep last night for the horrible irritation of it!
Does anyone know what it might be?

Could it be a varicose vein?

No, but I sometimes get these as well. After panicking that I'd managed to contract Herpes, (which was a whole other issue as had been with partner exclusively for 12 years) turns out was just a spot. Hot bath and a flannel applied may well 'pop' it

I think they’re just bad spots too. I remember one doctor saying it’s got to be herpes and the test came back negative, I was so relieved! I’m just worried I’ll get a bacterial infection or something.

also, I haven't had one since I hit the menopause..

Have had one or two of these before and both mine were just spots, eventually went on there own, very painful place to have them and also because the skin is thick they can be very deep rooted. Definitely agree with pp to try hot (ish) face cloth on them to try and draw it out somewhat quicker.

Yeah I would say just a spot or maybe an ingrown stray hair depending exactly where it is! Hot bath and then a walk tends to work for me, the heat and then the slight friction of a speedy walk if you can bear it tends to pop them. But dont squeeze them yourself! That's how I ended up at the GPs with an infected one

I used to get these I think they were ingrown hairs as now I wax regularly I don't get them - I found a hot bath helped and then applying a hot flannel would help draw them. There is also a drawing lotion you can buy from boots for bad ones I'd put this on and let it do it's job and inevitably the pain would ease when they had popped.

A GP once suggested stoppping using soap and switching to femfresh & I haven't had one of these since.

A cyst? I had one a while back after wearing very tight jeans. It went down after a couple of days.

Thanks for your replies. I do wear tight jeans and have a very active job so I think it’s something to do with that. It’s always before my period though so it must be connected to hormones.
I might try the femfresh tip!
It can’t be an ingrown hair because it’s on the inside but if you know what I mean