Hi
Please could someone help me! I have scared myself stupid constantly internet searching and I'm more stressed about this :-(
I'm 29 and I felt a grape sized lump just under a week ago and went to the Dr. She said it is a Bartholin cyst and I should just try and forget about it!! Trouble is a can't... The uncertainty of what it could turn into is making me a nervous wreck.
I think it is getting larger too... No pain just irritating knowing a lump is there.
I have been trying baths, compresses, silica, serrapeptase and avoiding dairy for the past few days. Haven't seen any change yet. Just wondered how long should I persevere?
I'm also confused about the bursting thing I have read about... Where does it burst from? Hopefully should it drain from the blocked duct?
I'm so worried and confused it is affecting my job and my home life.
Any advice, I would be so grateful for.
Thank you
Hi Claire
Your situation sounds the same as mine, painless grape size lump, when I found mine I saw my gp who diagnosed bartholin cyst but she referred me to see a surgeon, I saw him and was supposed to be having a marsupilisation last fri but once they had me preped for surgery they decided it was too small to operate on and that it was best left alone!
I know it's hard but try not to worry, I'm ignoring mine too, it doesn't effect me at all so it's quite easy to do, I think mine has been there for about 4 years since I had an episiotomy while giving birth to my son but I assumed it was scar tissue as it wasn't so much a lump then, aparently mine could be due to scar tissue blocking the gland!
There are lots of home remedies on here is you read back through the posts that people swear by for easing/ unblocking them.
I hope you have some luck reducing yours and try not to worry!
Debbie
Thank you for speedy reply. I am trying so hard not to worry but struggling.
It is good to know yours does not cause you problems.
Claire
Hi Claire,
It's going on week 6 since mine came about and like you, mine is the size of a large grape and not painful except that I feel a kind of pressure sometimes. I continue to do the sitz bath several times a day. I also take Serrapeptase (I'm about to start my 3rd bottle), I take silica also. I continue to hope and pray and just hold on to my faith. Last weekend was very depressing for me because it seems like the Bartholin cysts gets bigger and harder with the menstrual cycle. I just have to believe that in my case it's just taking much longer to dissolve/reduce or simply just go away. It seems like some people get fast results from the remedies/ treatment they use so I have been practicing patience. Please don't put your mind on the worst. It is a Bartholin Cyst and you just have to keep trying all you can. I am saying this to you only because I am in the very same situation as you. About the Cyst bursting; I believe the Cyst would have had to be infected/abscess for it to burst as mine is this big mass/lump. There's no head, etc.
Just hang in there. That's really what I'm doing while I wait for this to go away. Sending you (((hugs))).
The cyst will only go away if you can unblock the duct, some people can some can't, it depends what's blocking it in the first place, the surgeon I saw who preped me for surgery last week said best to leave it unless painful or you are having reoccurring abcess with it as it's not life threatening and is not harmful, if you can unblock it then great but I'm trying to look at it as it's nothing to worry about, the worst that can happen is it will become accessed which I know will be extremely painful and not a good experience but it will also get better with antibiotics and hot baths will help more Of it's does get infected and surgery can be performed if really necessary at a later date x
Hi Debbie,
I was wondering how does one unblock it. Lately, I've been massaging it while I'm doing the sitz bath. I read on another forum where someone said she massaged hers and it slowly got smaller so I've been doing that. Honestly, mine does feel smaller today but when I look at it in the mirror the buldge seems to look the same size as before. I will continue to massage it and see if that will really reduce it and I will certainly post an update. I also would like to ask you how long have you had the cyst? I ask because it's now going on 6 weeks for me. Thanks so much!
Hi Corinne
I think what your doing helps some people to unblock there's. I haven't been able to unblock mine but just like you mine often feels smaller but looks the same size in the mirror!
I think I've had mine for about 4 years, I had an episiotomy when I had my son and my gp said it's likely the duct is blocked with scar tissue from that. It's never been a problem, I only really noticed it was a lump about 4 months ago and saw the dr, it was more just a slight mis shape before then so I assumed it was scarring as it kind of sits in between the lines of scaring I have from the episiotomy if that makes sense? It must have grown bigger as I then noticed it as a lump, since then it has got smaller again but I haven't really done anything to help it get smaller, I did hot baths for a week and it stayed the same so I stopped as they were so time consuming, It seems to get smaller if I leave it alone so that's what I'm doing :o)
As I said, I was supposed to have surgery last week on it but the surgoen said it was too small and if it's not painful then best to leave it! x
Hey there,
I was a bit like you overwhelmed with the wealth of info out there, if its not painful it means is not infected which is great!! The draining yes occurs when the duct somehow unblocks and that I believe is helped when you do the tea tree camomile and witch hazel and you gently massage to sooth but it can just happen by its own.
I did find the serapeptase worked wonderfully for me mine was infected and I haven't had another one since, the time it takes to work changes with each person ... Try not to worry too much hon as its fairly common and there are home remedies to help the draining of the duct along ... Big hugs xx
Hi Claire,
My situation was very similar to yours! I was 23 when I discovered a grape sized lump inside me about 6 months' ago now (since turned 24) and saw 2 GP's who sent me away telling me not to worry and that it's nothing sinister.
It was only when I moved country and begged my new doctor to do something, she referred me to a gynaecologist. I saw him last Thursday and he took a quick look and said "the only way to ever get rid of these is to unblock it". In my case, because it's been there a while, he's said he'll make an incision and drain it... Except under general anaesthetic and something about sewing it open...
I think in England, they're of the "if it's not broken, don't fix it" approach however here in Germany they are really thorough (which I've discovered since moving... Might also have something to do with going private).
Rest assured though, it's nothing sinister! Promise! Mine is totally painless but like you, I was worrying myself sick.
Hope this makes you feel a little better... If you really want it gone, I suggest going back to your GP and telling them that it's interfering with your life and you want it gone for your own happiness.
Good luck and stop worrying :-) xxx
Hi claire
i had this a few years ago, mine was walnut size.. Firm painless .. I could feel it though
my doctor said 2 or 3 simple table salt baths daily ..
1. Run hot water in bath
2. Tip half a mug of table salt in the hot water to dissolve
3. top up the bath with cold and hot water to as hot as you can stand it
4. Fill to about above top of thigh depth
5. Get in and try and get the salt water in the cyst area this will unclog the blocked pore and the hot water will draw the fluid out ..
i did this and mine went ... Never returned ...
simple table salt ...
I could feel my walnut cyst by just inserting my thumb slightly inside and the top of it externally with my fingers .. I gently massaged the cyst allowing the hot as possible salt water in the area and it went .. After a few baths have 2 daily if you can.
if you want more salt .. Its fine to add more ..
do this twice daily for a few days
jay xx
Hi Jayneejay,
I know you addressed Claire but we all can benefit. I am amazed that only table salt in the bath water did it for you. I've had my cyst going on 6 weeks now, the same as you described yours and I've spent so much $$ already on all these other products/treatments and supplements and it's still the same. I just got this silica spray delivered to me and quite frankly it's very difficulty to spray directly on the Cyst so I am going to try using the table salt and see what happens.
I hope Claire gets to read your post. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Corinne
Your very welcome.. It sure worked for me
Never returned either ..
Good luck i hope it works for you, should do if you can try and do what i did ..
That was my doctors suggestion and it was perfect for mine .. Gone ...
Take care
Good luck ..
Jay xx
I hope you find something that works for you soon everyone is different. I can say for sure the serrapeptase does work and the cyst never goes away completely but it does reduce in size quite a bit which is what happened to me and I stopped wearing tight undies too because the rubbing aggravates the cyst so i would roll up a little toilet paper or use a liner and that helped me a lot. From a personal point of view the silica spray didnt help much when i sprayed on the cyst so i took it by mouth along with my serrapeptase 120000 iu. No miracles happen over night you have to keep taking them for at least a month or more. try not to stress it does play a big part with the cyst.
I don't know why doctors treat Bartholins abscesses as trivial, but they do. Did you not even get offered antibiotics?
Go back and hassle the doctor! If it bursts, you will get relief from the lump, but that does not necessarily mean that the infection has gone away. Do emphasize the psychological trauma.
Hi clair
I have been having bartholins cysts from the age of thirteen I am now eighteen and still get them. My bartholins cysts usually grow to the size of an orange and they are extremely painful, I usually have to get a minor operation to remove the cyst also when I get the operation im ok for about a month without out the cyst but then it always comes back. I have tried everything but there has been one thing that has helped which is the aloe Vera gel which cleans the inside of your body. Now when I fell like the cyst is coming back I drink some of the gell and after a few days the cyst dissappears. hope it work's for you too
Miriam
Hi Claire
It's been some time since you posted so I hope you've gotten your Bartholin's cyst sorted. I got one when I was 13, and (naturally) freaked out. It was absolutely mortifying getting it checked out by my doctor, but he referred me to a gyno specialist who surgically removed the cyst. It has been ten years and I haven't had any problems since. Hope this helps :-)
Hi All,
Cannot believe it has been 9 months since I first wrote on here!
Just wanted to say thank you for all the kind advice and update on everything that has happened and share my eventual positive experience!
So I got a hospital referral after repeat visits to the GP and a needle aspiration which failed as reoccurred in weeks.
First hospital appointment was told it's very small which I didn't agree with. Saw another Dr who said I didn't have a cyst and it is inflammation!! Got give antibiotics. Obviously they didn't work because it was the wrong treatment. Found this very distressing and frustrating.
Again went back to the GP who agreed with me and there I was waiting for another referral appointment. Fortunately this time it was with the Consultant who within 2 seconds said yes that needs to be removed! Got booked in for excision of cyst for 10 days later and job done! Day procedure with general anaesthitic, was in and out in under 5 hours.
Post op wasn't exactly pleasant at times but worth it. I found driving the worse thing but improved day by day. It has now been nearly 2 months and so much happier. There is so much negative stuff on the internet which scared me stupid but try and remember people will always be quicker to write the bad stuff.
Hope everything has gone/ is going well for you
Claire
Hi! I had a barthlins cyst for a full year. I tried lots of stuff, serrapeptase, sitz baths, heat pads, meditating, pleading, doctors visits. Nothing worked. Then I asked my friend who is a Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner and Accupunturist that specializes in women's issues, if she would be able to treat me. She did ! And to my suprise, after a year of having it, it was gone. I had several follow up appointments , it reappeared very tiny just once. But never as bad as it ever was. I hope you find what works for you, I've heard of lots of women using different things. This is what worked for me.