I got my first Bartholin's cyst after I'd been experiencing mild recurring uti like symtopms. I love wearing tights and dresses, and spanx underneath my jeans/pants. Any way, I noticed soreness but ignored it at first, it only got worse. I thought my vagina was irritated due to the tampons but one day I felt a big lump inside of me and hurt a lot. I decided to look it up and found Phoebe's method. It didn't work for me at all, my cyst was way too deep. One new year's day I was supposed to fly to New York but that night I ended up in the ER due to the excruciating pain and distress. The doctor wasn't very helpful, he gave me an local anaesthetic(huge injection) without applying any topical anesthetic. He claimed that it wouldn't hurt because he was just injecting it into the cyst. It was the most painful, horrible, deathly, bone-chilling pain I'd ever experienced. I was screaming uncontrollably, it felt as if he had chopped of my labia with a meat cleaver. I still get chills just thinking about the pain. Long story short, they lanced my cyst and sent me home without a catheter. I was given bactrim but had a really bad reaction to it- meningitis like symtopms, fever & chills. They admitted me to the hospital the next day, thinking that I had some infection when I later concluded that it was just a reaction to the antibiotic. I was shivering uncontrollably and crying in pain. I had an intense migraine that wouldn't go away with percocet. I was put on iv morphine, had a cat scan, everything was normal. They wanted to perform a spinal tap, but fortunaley as soon as I stopped the anitbiotic my symptoms gradually subsided. BUT the cyst returned 3 days later. Thats when I went to an ob/gyn. She was very sweet and talked me out of my demands of general anesthesia. She promised she wouldn't hurt me and she did a great job of lancing it. It just felt like a little pinch here and there and some painful moments but nothing like that night at the ER. She put in a word catheter that stayed in for 13 days. It was very painful to walk but I got better in 2-3 weeks. Its been three months now and I am cyst-free. Last week I had some sweling and some irritation down there, I panicked at first but commited myself to stopping it from becoming infected. I started taking turmeric capsules (2, twice a day) and the irritation subsided, swelling went down. I've taking turmeric for a week now and everything seems to be OK for rightnow. I just wanted to share my experience in hopes that my story might be helpful to someone, always make sure that you go to an OB/GYN who knows what they are doing, someone who has experience with these issues. Others may not understand your problem and end up hurting you, or even worse, may damage your pudendal nerve. Taking cranberry pills helps to maintain a healthy urinary tract, preventing bacterial infections that I hypothesize, may be related to causing these cysts (Escherichia coli e.t.c.) Turmeric is a great anti-inflammatory and helps to reduce inflammation.(Inflammation of the gland can cause it to develop bacterial infections.) I am not a doctor, this is all based on my personal research and self-experimentation. I know how badly these nasty cysts hurt and how helpless and depressed a woman may feel. Don't loose hope, you are not alone. Keep working on taking care of your body from the inside. Good luck.
Sorry about the typos, I typed it in a hurry and I can't find an edit button.
Thank you Ayleah for your advice i actually have surgery on MARSUPIALIZATION BARTHOLIN'S GLAND CYST on friday with my OBGYN hopefully everything goes as smooth as possible.
Good luck Tracie! I hope that your surgery goes well! Stay strong and positive <3
Hello I 'm sorry to hear of the pain you had to go through. While reading this I was thinking WOW this sounds just like me. Here is a little bit of my story... I too love tight pants and so on, well I had on some boy shorts and some tight pants. Later that night when I got home from work I noticed that I was a little sore down in that area, I paid it no mind. Around a week or so went by I notice that I had a lump. Still didn't know what to do, until the pain started.I went to the ER they did a horrible job putting in the "word catherter" they put it in the wrong spot, if you go on line they will tell you if it is put in incorrectly the lubercation will drip down the wrong area. NOT where you need it.. Lucky for me the pain that I was in caused me to have it removed 2 days later, unfortunately it got infected. So now the pain was at its worst, so I went to the GYN. They were GREAT a little pain connsidering, but I got another catherter this one went good. Lost it 7 days later,but since then I did HOT sitzs baths for at least the first 30++ days. Now I'm still doing fine it has basically went away, sometimes if I lose lubercation during sex I might experience a little swellen. If that happens I just do a few Hot sitz baths and take a few days off in the bedroom.. Hate this new found discomfort that I as well as many others go through, but it is so comforting to know Im not alone in this battle of the cyst..
I was 9 months pregnant when I got my first cyst... It was huge!!! Golf ball sized. Went to my OB and she gave me antibiotics, the next day it got worse. She lanced it and the next day it got bigger. So I had to be put under to have it drained properly, 3 days later I had my baby by c section. 9 months later I got another one on the other side. I Was put under local anesthetics, got it drained and got a catheter put in. I'm so scared to have sex because I fear it'll happen again. It's really putting a strain on my relationship. They hurt so bad and I have a crawling baby that I need to chase around, that's hard to do with a cyst/catheter in your vagina... 😕
I'm so sorry for the pain you had to endure. I know that helpess, hopless feeling, how it sucks happiness out of you and you constantly worry. But you shouldn't let fear control your life. I let myself heal down there after the catheter fell out, we didn't have sex for about 3 months when I had the cyst but now I've been having regular sex with my husband and its been fine. Make sure theres enough lubrication(you could use coconut oil if needed) and taking turmeric capsules helps alot!! Turmeric always brings down any inflammation/swelling down there and I combine it with cranberry pills to keep my bladder healthy to avoid any bacterial infections down there. Take as long as you need to come back to sex and your partner should understand. You've been through a traumatic experience, its okay to feel scared but just know that we shouldn't let fear control our lives and it shouldn't stop us from enjoying the present. All the best 
I'm really sorry about what you experienced. Thanks for sharing your story with me. It makes you feel like you're not alone in what happened to you when others share their stories. Stay strong and lets fight these nasty things and stop them from coming back! <3
This would be the forth or fifth time ive had one. When I went to my OB/GYN she told me it was a bartholin cyst and said it needed to be drained (I was in so much pain) it felt like she was slowly driving a nail bit in it, i was in worse pain ever worse than when I had a misscarge, but the pain subsided and I went home a couple of mouths later it happened again went back and I saw her on a Monday stil had to go through the painful process all over again...just for it to swell up bigger with more pain, and therefore forced to go to the ER because of the late hour on Wednesday. I had to wait for a little bit not long and they got be back there and the doctor looked at and said we're gonna have to drain it again and my boyfriend started to hold me down cause like all the other times I would try to kick the doctor in the face, but this time was different I felt the pain of them putting the needle in to numb the pain, but after that I didn't feel a thing! Before I knew it he had finished it up and put a catherter in. I had gotten another one a couple days ago and because I'm tight on money didn't go anywhere, but after a couple of days of keeping a hot comrase on there it finnally popped last night.
Thank you Ayleah for the great advice and for sharing your experience. I'm planning on buying some tumeric vitamins and hoping it will keep my one left bartholins cyst shrunk. I just got my first one May 14th,2015. When I first got it I had no idea what it was and what the dull pain in my area was.
After three weeks of dull pain on the left side of my area I felt a weird feeling like something moved and dropped down there and dropped into my perineum area. Then I felt down there and noticed a ball like lump feeling, but it was small.
I let it go for two weeks and then it got bigger and so painful I could barely sit, stand, or walk.
Then the pain gave me so much anxiety and it started making me feel sick. I finally went to my gynecologist and she said oh my that needs drained. So she drained it and made an incision on it to help with more draining. So far it's been almost three weeks and the cyst is still shrunk and trying to heal. I'm consistently doing sitz bathes and doing my rice heating pack as much as I can. Taking motrin for the pain when needed.
I'm hoping it won't return cause the doctor said my two choices are draining it or going to outpatient surgery and removing the cyst. I'm really hoping that making love to my husband won't cause it to return. The gynecologist said the glands just cause this sometimes, they don't give reasons on why or how we get these cysts.
I sure hope the tumeric will help. I wonder how often and how long do I take the tumeric?
These cysts are so upsetting and annoying.
I know you know this already but my question is, What is my chances it will return and or if I get the surgery if it returns what's the chances another one will form?
I appreciate your thoughts and advice as support.
I'm trying to think positive and keep my bad Anxiety away and so far I'm maintaining.
I'm happy the cyst is shrunk and healing for now.
I do still feel a little dull pain in my area and I'm hoping that doesn't mean it will soon be back.
It's only been almost three weeks since the doctor drained it, so I'm hoping I'm still in the healing process. Sorry I'm rambling. What else can you tell me? Thank you in advance♡
I'm sorry I'm just seeing this now Karen, been away from the forum for quite a while. I'm hoping that your healing process went well and that you're doing alright! Do let me know how you're feeling now!
Yes hello Ayleah, since May I bought the Tumeric Curcumin herb pills and been taking it everyday and I'm guessing since I haven't had any flare ups that the Tumeric must be working. So far my pain is gone but when I make love it just hurts a little where the cyst was but nothing as bad as it was before.
So I'm hoping it will stay away and I can keep feeling good and continue the Tumeric as well as the Holy Basil herb pills. Cross my fingers and pray I stay healed. Thanks and my appreciation that you checked back on here and wrote something nice to me.
Best wishes and blessings to you.
Hello Ayleah,
Thanks for all your insight. I too suffer from batholin cysts. I have had 3 in the past year and have one again. They are awful! I wanted to see if you are still taking tumerac vitamins and ask if you have had any more cysts since then? I am so desperate for a long term solution...... the Drs just treat it but the keep coming back. Any other suggestions you or the community can provide would be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Misti
Did you experience pudendal nerve pain? I think I may be! My cyst is getting better, it's shrunk and way less round, more like an irregular shape of inflammation. But I've noticed aching, shooting pains, tingling, in that area that radiates to my butt, down my leg and even down to my foot. The pain freaks me out cuz it's in the cyst area but the cyst itself is so much better than it was so I'm confused!
I have replied to another of your posts. I feel we are all searching this forum looking for advice or similarities we can relate to, to ease our minds. Mine was also irregular in shape unlike the " classic round shape there supposed to be". I also have radiating pain in my groin area and down my legs and yes at times feels as if it goes into my foot! Access itself seems to be a lot smaller but the pain is worse!!!! And YES IM ALSO FREAKING OUT!!!
Just wanted to update you! I went to my doc and was diagnosed with pudendal neuralgia due to the cyst irritating the nerves in the area. As the cyst is going away my pain is getting better.
It is so comforting knowing that there are other women out there with BC problems. I've been experiencing them since i was 17 pregnant with my firdt child. I am now 31. I have had 11 over these last 14yrs. They are so horrific. Mine usually become abscessed and almost the size of an orange now. I am healing from one as we speak. I got so tired of going to the gyny. That i let this one rupture on it's own. I was in excruciating pain, i felt like i was dying. I kept doing very hot baths and hot rice socks until it finally drained. I went to the gyny the day after and they prescribed me bactrim, it makes me feel so sick. Thankfully i only have 2 days left of it. I am so scared to ever have sex again. It's so depressing anymore
Hello Ayleah. I must say that it's comforting to know that i am not the only one on this. I get these cysts every 4 months and they are excruciating. Its been 11 years and they don't stop coming. I learned to just let it pop on its own but it gets so bad I give up sometimes. I've gone to the hospital numerous times and they just iv me with antibiotics and pain killers. I stopped going. I'm currently going through a lot of pain as I wrote this because I have one. Being that I'm 8 months pregnant I can't tale any medication. I'm in so much pain. I do know that the only way for these cysts to stop coming back is by going through surgery and taking the glands out but that means I will produce less juices. At this point i really don't care though!
Omg you are an absolute goddess. Thank you for this, I like to think I’m not alone with these... I had one that turned into an abscess the size of probably a tennis ball, it was the most painful thing I think I have ever been through in my entire life. They would not lance mine because they said the risk of one coming back would be lessened if it burst on its own.. I was sent home with antibiotics for the colitis that had formed around it and was told to do sitz baths as many times a day as I could. Eventually the thing popped and it was so disgusting but so satisfying just to be able to walk again. Anyway, since then it’s been a few months and I keep getting a tiny bump down there that comes and goes. I’m paranoid about it coming back full swing, so I still do the sitz baths when I feel it and it goes away. I. Wondering if any of you ladies know what it means when it’s hard compared to when it’s soft? Also, have any of you noticed a change in these while you are on your period? Do tango s irritate it? One more, have any of you noticed a change in the frequency when you have sex? I’m wondering if this has anything to do with the fluid that is released while having sex, maybe more would lead to less build up? Just thinking out loud.
im definitely going to be taking turmeric to make sure my insides can help the swelling. love to all you ladies!! We are not alone!
I am so relieved but heart broken at the same time to know that I am not the only one who suffers from this. I have had BC for the last three or four years. I didn't get them until I turned 30 and after I had my tubes tied. They would come every month right before my cycle. Now it seems as though they are coming every other month exactly a week before my cycle. It is ruining my life. I believe that mine is hormonal my doctor will not hear it I'm just a disgusting person. It just has to come from an STD. I am so sick of them giving my antibiotics that aren't doing anything. She has taken cultures and they have come back negative for bacteria. I don't want to remove the gland because I Am scared. I have had plenty of surgeries, and they keep coming back. The recovery time to remove the gland is long and I Have read the horror stories. I don't think my children will allow me to sit out for 4 to 6 weeks. But I am at my wits ends because I am tired of suffering. And it seems as no one understands. I have tired baths, tea tree, the silica pills, turmeric, . It seems as though everytime I over indulge in sweets, ice cream, coffee ( which I crave every other month before my cycle). I try salad and clean eating but I don't want to lose weight. HELP SOMEONE