Boil? Bartholin's Cyst?

[OhThePain77]

I have a very painful lump on my vulva very close to my vagina. It hurts to sit, stand, walk, crouch down, laugh, fart (!). Have had it a few days and it doesn't seem to have really changed. I tried to have a look but couldn't really see very much. I wasn't expecting to see something the size of a melon due to how painful it was, but I wasn't really sure what I was looking at.

What do I do? I'm going to get a hot water bottle. Would magnesium sulphate help? If so how would I apply it as everything says you need a plaster over it. And lots of stuff says bathe it in warm salt water but I don't get it. How?

Do I need to go to the GP? Please say it will just disappear on it's own!

Magnesium sulphate on a cotton wool pad, stuck on with gauze tape but as it’s so close to your vulva I’m not too sure. I’d say go to your gp.

No advice but I feel your pain, I have one at the moment! Assuming an ingrown hair? It is HUGE, total agony, and I can 'feel' all the stuff in there ready to fly out- but when I squeeze the pain is unreal and I cannot go through with it.
Am hoping it will finally give in the next couple of days.

Sit in a hot bath with salt in the water. I usually do this a few times for 30mins over a few days then it's soft enough to squeeze it out... Hurts like fuck but the relief is worth it.

Honestly I'd put a hot cloth on it for as long as possible and next morning I would use a sterile needle to pop it. Literally instant relief when you see the yellow pus!

pop it, it’ll hurt like mad and bring tears to your eyes but a few seconds later you’ll feel relief!

Have you had any other symptoms or is it just the lump? It’s worth going to the GP just in case.

Please be careful, sometimes best not to pop, due to risk of infection. Tempting as it may seem!

I had one that grew so quickly it needed lancing at the hospital 🤢
If you can i’d see your GP just in case!

That’s if it’s Bartholins cyst btw, I’d definitely squeeze an ingrown hair!!!

Please go to your GP. I was finally diagnosed with this specific cancer a year ago, following months of trying to convince myself if was "just a cyst". Your situation sounds identical to mine.

Two surgeries at the beginning of the year, and (touch wood) they got it all and I'm on the home run.

I'm not intentionally trying to scare you. Best of luck, and everything crossed its nothing sinister.

Having had the delights of a bartholin abscess (which was surgically drained) and a number of reoccurring cysts - I completely feel for you.

As mentioned above, warm baths with salt work miracles. If I get a really bad one, I have a warm salt bath every couple of hours (only a couple of inches deep and only for 20 mins) even if it’s middle of the night. In between the baths I’ll do a hot flannel compress - it’s all about draining the bastard thing and the heat will help marginally with the pain eventually.

sometimes I manage to catch them right, go to bed in agony and wake up fine the next day after four baths the night before….others it can be a few days.

slightest sign of a temp though, I’d be straight to the doctors. I was really poorly with the abscess version and it’s just not worth messing about with.

good luck!!

Thank you all so much!

I think it popped itself over night. I sat with a hot water bottle for about 20 minutes before bed. This morning the pain has vastly reduced and I have seen blood and (I'm pretty sure pus). Thank goodness!

I'm pretty sure it was a boil or ingrown hair, not a bartholin's Cyst. It was sort of next to my perineum rather than vagina.

I will remember salt baths for future!

Oh and @SalGlo what a terrifying thing to happen! Fingers crossed for you 🤞