Can frequent sitz baths cause other problems?

Posted , 3 users are following.

I'm 28 and I've had a Bartholin's cyst for just over a year now. It used to be soft and external, but now it's hard and internal - it's barely visible and I can only really feel the lump when sitting on the toilet seat/in the bath and pressing down in the area of the gland. Fortunately it's remained the size of a pea/grape, uninfected and painless (unless prodded very hard!), but it causes me a lot of psychological distress as I worry about it getting worse in the future (e.g. when I become sexually active). I just want it gone! :-(

I saw a consultant gynaecologist a couple of weeks ago, to get the opinion of someone other than a GP, and as expected he suggested marsupialisation. However, I'm really not keen to jump into that straightaway before exhausting alternative remedies. I started taking 250,000iu of serrapeptase daily about five days ago, and at the same time I began hot sitz baths four times a day.

My question is: Could the frequent sitz baths cause problems of their own? I make the baths as hot as I can stand them and add a mixture of table salt and deep sea salt, lavender oil and tea tree oil, making sure the water gets into my vagina and covers the opening of the blocked gland duct. However my vagina has felt rather sore since last night and I'm worried that continually immersing myself in water is altering the pH/bacterial balance down there, in the same way that douching would. My period started yesterday evening so I suppose it's possible that could be the cause, though vaginal soreness isn't something I usually experience during the time of the month.

Does anyone have any thoughts on this?

Thank you, and sending sympathy and luck to all of you suffering with these wretched things!

0 likes, 2 replies

2 Replies

  • Posted

    Hi,

    You could be right about the baths as after the horrendous cyst burst I then has acute thrush & sore vagina also. I only put Epsom salt in the water as your right the more oils & potions it does mess up the PH level.

    If you've been offered the op I'd do it as these awful things keep coming back. Thanks for your reply! Very helpful & something to think about. Good luck

  • Posted

    Hi Lisa, this is an old post but I was wondering if you had any success with the Serrapeptase treatment or any other treatment?

    I'm in the very same situation as you were. It has been 3 years now I have a hard internal lump that gets swollen when I engage in any sexual activity and it causes me so much mental distress. I'm constantly worried that it will get infected again... I want to get rid of it. 

    I would much appreciate if you have any tips to share. 

    Thank you and all the best to you,

    Mari

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