Bartholins abcess **lots of TMI!**

[SquishyFishy]

I've got a bartholins abscess. Saw the docs on Thursday night and she said it's an impressive one and unlikely to form a head and burst on its own so booked me in for marsupialisation on Monday morning as well as starting me on a good strong course of antibiotics.

So this morning I got the sense that things were slightly different, and upon dabbing it found a small amount of pus.

Went for a full mirror straddle and it would appear that it's done the unlikely and popped of its own miserable accord! I encouraged it along a little and got plenty of pus ranging from clear but slightly bloody, to cream with a hint of green 🤢 then back to much clear again.

So the question is, I still have 5 days of antibiotics left......do I call the hospital and cancel the marsupialisation?

And what salt do you add do a bath to help it keep drawing?

Ordinary table salt is fine for the bath AFAIK.

The cyst may come back, even after antibiotics. (Just checking. Did she give you augmentin? It needs that rather than straightforward penicillin if you want to clear it up properly.) I had several bartholin cysts years ago - sending huge sympathy.

They can also come back after marsupialisation - mine did, as the skin healed still and a new cyst formed underneath. (I had about 6 years of ongoing problems, then they sorted themselves out and never came back.)

Not sure whether they will still operate, if it has burst spontaneously, but it may be worth going and letting them check. If they will still marsupialise, I think that it reduces the chance of them coming back.

Best of luck. Sending loads of sympathy!

Marsupialisation is such a good word.

They're going to need to remove the sac anyway, aren't they? Any way you can get a message to the doc rather than just cancel/wait and show up?

You're still finishing the course of antibiotics, aren't you?

Absolutely still finishing the antibiotics. I'll try and call either the doctors or the hospital today and see what they say.

The relief is amazing now that some of the pressure has been released. Just need to keep it draining

I'll check the type of antibiotics in a mo, I don't think they are augmentin

Another name for Augmentin is co amoxiclav.

Ah yes, that sounds like it

Just checked 7 day course of 500mg co-amoxiclav 3 times a day