Bartholins Cysts - Agony

[Skint2022]

A few days ago I felt what was like a small pimple on my inner labia which I’ve had before. Annoying and slightly painful but they normally just pop like a spot and disappear. This time though it feels much worse. It’s become quite swollen, red, tender and very painful. To the point I’m struggling to walk. Currently lying in the bath as Dr Google suggests and contemplating phoning the doctor. Has anyone gone through this before? Unsure if I should ride it out and wait until it hopefully pops or it if it is in fact very infected and I need antibiotics. I’m going on holiday on Sunday and have been looking forward to our first child free holiday in the sun for 10 years. So worried this is going to get worse. I should def phone the doctor by the time I get out of the bath but I guess I’m just a bit anxious about what they will say/do. Thanks

Yes see your GP ASAP, if it gets really big it will need an operation to remove. You poor thing, they are horrible.

Yes, I really will have to phone. Urgh, last thing I need.

They are horrible, the 3 I had never went away on their own. They also can grow big quickly to a point where you can’t sit or walk anymore without being very uncomfortable, try to get it sorted before your holiday.

When I’ve looked in the mirror one side is definitely quite swollen and is getting bigger by the day. What did you need to have done to get rid of them? I’m worried they want to make a cut and then I’m presuming going on a pool/beach type holiday is going to be out of the question.

I’m afraid the only thing that got rid of mine for good was to go down the full surgery path, the one under GA where they completely open it. Before that, I tried having them drained with a catheter (don’t recommend it, it was quite uncomfortable and pointless as it immediately filled up again once the catheter was removed). As a first solution, and because like you I was due to go on a holiday and didn’t have time for anything else, I agreed to just have them drained by doing a small cut, without catheter. The doctors told me that it’s likely to be unsuccessful in the longer term, but at least it allowed me to go on my holiday without too much discomfort (it wasn’t a beach holiday though so I don’t know about swimming). Once back from my holiday, the cyst had filled up again and the doctors gave me the catheter, and after that didn’t work, I had the surgery which solved the problem.

My daughter had one drained with the word catheter when she was 27 weeks pregnant.

second one when baby was a few months old. Salt water baths as hot as you can bear broke the second one. Exploded in the toilet in A and E

I get them often. Well I did when I was a smoker I always used drawing ointment on them. They would pop in a day or two, also hot compress.

Thank you for your replies. Have literally been in the bath all afternoon and as I’ve got out I had a look and it has popped just with me having a wee prod. The relief is unbelievable! Is there anything I can put on it to avoid infection?

I’m now wondering if it’s in fact just a horrible boil and not a bartholins cyst. It looks quite high up and I’ve read they are usually lower down? Fingers crossed it stays drained. There was a lot of bloody type fluid, yuk! But feeling a lot better so fingers crossed.

I use Hibiscrub on cysts that are sore, I find it helps relieve them.

Hibiscrub

Check out my recent thread, I'm nearly two weeks out from surgery from mine. Tried at home remedies (bath etc) for the first week, did nothing. Went to GP and had antibiotics for full second week, did nothing. Referred to Gynae for emergency surgery. If it's small, I hope you can get antibiotics and knock it on its head (I wouldn't wish these stitches on my worst enemy).

edit to add: mine was the size of a satsuma, according to the surgeon. Maybe yours isn't a bartholin cyst/abcess if you've managed to pop it?

I've had a couple that have gone away with the frequent application of a hot as you can stand folded washcloth with a load of tea tree oil on there. Fingers crossed you're sorted.

You have my sympathies, it’s one of the worst pains you can experience. I think you should phone your gp for advice as you might need antibiotics. The puss can be quite deeply imbedded and you don’t want to risk becoming very unwell from infection. Also, if it happens again I’d recommend hot baths and a generous dollop of magnesium sulphate to speed up the cyst coming to a head and bursting.

If it's on your labia it's not a bartholin cyst.
Bartholin cyst is where the gland duct becomes blocked - it is an internal cyst.

Thanks, I’m thinking maybe it was just a regular boil/cyst type thing then. Hard to tell.

I have had a couple of these and they are higher up. They also pop after days and heat helps. The instant relief is crazy!

I'm prone to boils and such, I hate it.

Hope this helps.

If you imagine a clock on your vulva, your barts glands are at 5 and 7 oclock.