Home Remedy for Bartholin Cyst that WORKS!
Posted , 108 users are following.
I'm 24 and starting getting bartholin cysts just over a year ago. It has recurred at least 6 or 7 times, and I have had an Incision and Drainage performed twice, one under local anesthetic and once under general. I can't stress enough, GET THE GENERAL! The needle with the anesthetic was BEYOND painful, and I'm not ashamed to admit I screamed bloody murder when they cut the thing open! Hands down, the most painful experience of my life. With the general, I experienced zero pain and no memory of the procedure.
Yesterday, to my horror I felt the familiar hardened bump start to rise. Today at work, where I sit at a desk all day, the pain went from tolerably uncomfortable to unbearable. After being driven to the ER and speaking with a doctor, I decided to forgo the surgery, or at least postpone it, and give home remedies one last try. In my searches through forums and websites, I saw the same remedy mentioned a few times: Phoebe's Cure. I decided I had nothing to lose, drove to the pharmacy, and picked up the necessary ingredients: a bottle of calamine lotion, a bottle of witch hazel, a bottle of tea tree oil, and a roll of gauze. At this point, it was about 5:00 in the afternoon. I drove home, drew myself a hot bath and added Epson salts, and sat for about 20 minutes. When I got out, I soaked the gauze in a mixture of 6 oz of calamine lotion, 2 teaspoons of witch hazel, and 2 teaspoons of tea tree oil. The recipe actually only asks for 1 teaspoon of the latter two ingredients, but at that point I was almost hysterical with pain so I figured, go big or go home. I soaked the gauze in the mixture, then covered the cyst (likely an abscess at this point) with the gauze, held in place with my underwear. I left this for about 40 minutes, swapped for a hot compress for about 10 minutes, then applied another soaked gauze for about 30 minutes. At this point, I couldn't even help crying from the pain. I took a painkiller, and drew myself another hot bath, this time using table salt instead of Epson salts. I stayed in again for about 20 minutes, then restarted the cycle of changing the soaked gauze every 30 minutes or so. I could feel the cyst growing in size and getting even harder, and I noticed the mixture in the gauze was causing some stinging. At around 9:00, about 3 and a half hours after I drew the first bath, (WARNING, this is gross! Please do not read past this point if you are squeamish!) I was lying on the couch and suddenly felt liquid drip down. I put some mild pressure on the gauze, then went to the bathroom to see what was going on. Full disclosure, I'm also on my period right now, making it extremely difficult for me to tell exactly what was going on. I pulled the gauze away and sure enough there was a large spot of pus about as big as a Canadian Twoonie. I wanted to cry in relief, but didn't let myself believe I was out of the woods yet. I swapped for a new gauze again, left it, checked again, and sure enough, more pus. I put pressure on the spot where it seemed to be originating from with the gauze, and when I pulled it away, more pus. I cried with absolute relief.
I have never, ever found a home remedy that was even remotely effective for this ailment or any other. I am BLOWN AWAY at how effective this was! Let me preface this by saying I'm not a medical professional by any means, but I believe this worked by bringing the pus to the surface of the abscess until it finally burst. The originating spot of the pus was the spot that had become the hardest and probably the most painful point on the abscess over the three and a half hours of changing gauzes.
If you experience painful bartholin cysts or abscesses, PLEASE give this a try! Absolutely worth it!
10 likes, 190 replies
evelyn60380 victoria31526
Edited
As someone who had suffered from vaginal cysts about every 3 months. I know all too well the pain and discomfort you suffer from this. I couldn't understand why this kept happening, until a light bulb went off and thought "It has to be the Liquid Body Wash " and I've used every brand. So I decided to STOP using Liquid Body Wash all together. If you read ingredients they are about a paragraph long, so I switched to all natural bar soap like TOMS (there are other brands also available.)I'm happy to report since the switch, I have been cyst FREE almost a year now. I do feel more studies should be made, the Liquid Body Wash industry is a 3billion dollar market and growing and chemicals are used in these products. I'm not a Dr. but I just wanted to share my story.
Mimilicious40 victoria31526
Posted
I am gonna try it now.
Worse pain ever. I went to a gynae and he sent me to the hospital for incision and drainage. problem is I don't have medical aid and I ve had worse experience in non private hospitals which left me scarred for life . imagine now in such a delicate place. no offense and we thank hospitals for their extra ordinary work but ,I ll try this remedy.
my question is do u put the mixture outside or even inside,coz most of my swelling and hard orange ball is more in the inside walls than outside. the pink area.
but is it safe to apply the mixture there..
thank u ..
rachael86976 victoria31526
Edited
Hi Everyone , I don’t want to speak too soon and jinx myself but just want to say a huge thank you for sharing all your stories . I’m on 3rd BC , the first was when I was 17 and the last two have been 6 months apart. On Tuesday I had the dull ache and decided I was going to trust my gut and listen to my body , I just knew BC was back . I had 2 antibiotic left from the previous time so took them by Wednesday I knew for deffo the pain ! I rang my GP and just asked for my prescription of antibotics . I was hospitalised last September for 2 days due to the pain so I knew I needed to act fast. I googled home remedies and found this thread and I went out and bought everything needed for phoebes cure and i was still a little worried about using all this mixture is such a sensitive but Omg all the advised worked !! Day 3 of antibiotics (today) I woke up in pain so I decided I needed to just try the home rememdies ! I was having Epson salt baths once a day with tea tree - after using the toilet I would also use a cotton paid of salt water and tea tree on the area . At 3pm I used Phoebe Cure for 30 mins on the area followed by 10 mins of a hot cloth on the area and 30 mins of a bath. I fell asleep and have woken up to the BC starting to slowing drain ????🙌??🙏??. I can already feel the relief setting in . THANK YOU ALL ! I wasn’t sure if I wanted to share but if your reading this at home in pain wondering and asking yourself will it work ! It does !
jody02837 rachael86976
Posted
That’s brilliant! It’s the worst thing right? Glad you tried it and got success! 💪🏻
raquel73085 victoria31526
Posted
Hello ladies. I'm so grateful for the internet for giving me access to these kind of conversations. It is Monday the 2ND of April and I had been dealing with my self-diagnosed Bartholin Cyst ( thanks internet) since Wed but It's 2:30 am and I am laying in bed typing this as my abscess is draining yay!!! The wet feeling just woke me up right out of my sleep and I ran to the bathroom and there was a light pinkish liquid it wasn't thick and it had no smell whatsoever followed by blood then I also noticed that I was able to run again so I knew I'd succeeded with my home remedy. Here's how I did it! I ONLY USED 100% TEA TREE OIL DILUTED WITH OLIVE OIL which initially I tried with coconut oil and for some reason there was a strong and painful burning sensation after so I switched to olive oil much better with no burn whatsoever not sure why. The recipe was 1/2 TBS OLIVE OIL (give or take) & 4-5 DROPS OF TEA TREE OIL mixed then soaked up on a cotton ball and put it right on my cyst some times id let the cotton ball sit there for 20 minutes other times id just rub it in then ice pack it or put a heat compress later not right after it can burn you. I'd switch back and forth with the heat and ice packs. Yesterday I knew it had to go so I stuck to heat as it brings the cyst to the surface. I put a warm cloth about 5 times total just throughout the day and the tea treatment about the same amount. I also tried to stay active like doing light cleaning (advice read on a thread) because I knew I wanted it to rub and irritate so it can come to the surface and drain already I also had been in so much pain I cried a lot. I took my last warm bath (only second bath through the entire experience) around 12:15 am and then went straight to bed barely able to lay down with tears in my eyes and hope in my heart that this thing would drain. Now this next part is for your spirit because this s**t drains, depresses, and brings your soul to a dark place but I read in another column that you should cup your vagina in one hand and put the other hand to your heart and just tell your body that you love it and you need it to heal. So I did that because I love my body and want to be myself again 😊 so here I am almost 6 days with this thing and it's almost fully drained. Mine got to the size of a large grape by the end of it all. I was so happy when it finally drained! I screamed to my sleeping boyfriend and he was so happy too because I've just been so down the last couple of days. It really starts to wear you down. Anyway that was my story. I hope it wasn't too long and that it was informative enough. Good luck to you ladies and stay positive. You will get through it. ????????????????
brittany59124 victoria31526
Edited
This is my first ever bartholin cyst, I'm 22 years old and even a Medical Assistant but I had never heard of bartholin cysts. I discovered the little lump about a month ago but in time it started to go away, but in the last 2 weeks has reoccured and made my life hell... A week ago I went to the local emergency room after calling my Obgyn and them having no appointments. I went into the ER and they drained 1 cyst (I'm pretty sure I have 2) I have been on horrible pain since I left been to 2 different hospitals where they gave me IV antibiotics but the pain is unbearable. Today I found this page of all you wonderful ladies talking about this cure... I sent my fiance to the store and started the steps.. Let's just say it's the most relief I have felt in weeks! I'm praying that this really works and can atleast ease the pain until I can get into my doctors! Thank you everyone for sharing your stories!
jody02837 brittany59124
Posted
anna28082 jody02837
Posted
anna7887 victoria31526
Edited
Hello! First of all thank you for all the information shared! I want to ask some questions because I am freaking out !!!! Unfortunately I don't have an insurance and I can't pay the amount of money doctors here (Austria) are asking for so I really hope you guys will help me...
So 2-3 days ago I felt this hard 'lump on the left side .. It is felt from the outside too but you can see and feel it more from the inside wall... It doesn't hurt at all but it is big , not as small as grape, pea etc...but maybe a walnut size... From what I've read, it's most likely Bartholin Cyst so I wanted to ask:
1) Can I still do the Phoebe's cure even if it doesn't hurt at all and even if I am not 100% sure what it is?
2) If I do it, since the lump is ''inside'' , how is it possible to put cotton pad on it and especially leave it overnight?
3) When you guys say that pain woke you up , was it because the cyst was painful or was it because Phoebe's cure was working?
Thank you in advance!
I am looking for your replies! I have never been that worried in my life!!!
jody02837 anna7887
Posted
Hi, I don’t know how much of this will help you, I know that some of the ladies on here have had results, as I have. That said, doctors advice should always be sought in case of it being anything else that you’d want to get assessed.
My bartholin cyst I could feel the pain from it all the time with no break, even sat still.
I placed the gauze inside, on the lump and put knickers/pants on to hold it in place.
To be honest, the pain was so severe that I was surprised to sleep at all, but I woke when the pain relief wore off I guess.
I think you must go see your doctor above anything else if just to get a diagnosis. Good luck and I hope it passes soon for you 👍🏻
hannah_08215 anna7887
Edited
Hi Anna, I totally understand your frustration as I don't have an insurance either, and the medical bill is horrendous to say the least (in the US). I just had mine less than 2 weeks ago, and no jokes my lump was big as hell (it's swollen from my upper right labia closed to the clitoris and all the way down to where Bartholin's gland is located so I'd say it's even larger than an egg, which scared the hell out of me as I've never gotten it before.) Personally I did try Phoebe's cure, but my experience seems to be slightly different from other ladies here since mine didn't rupture but actually drained from the gland pretty slowly for a couple days, and the mixture of the cure had abraded the top layer of skin on my lump, which made my pain even worse to bear. If you don't feel any pain at all from your lump, then good for you cuz that just means it's not inflamed/infected. In this case I'd suggest you to take vitamin C and D to boost your immune system and doing hot sitz bath with epsom salt multiple times per day may do the trick for you.
As for cotton pad placement, I've put it on both the inside and outside, and it was fine, but I suggest not to leave it overnight if you're concerned about it. I read from another lady in a different thread mentioning that dabbing a cotton ball with diluted epsom salt water and leave it on the lump also worked so you may try it out as overnight treatment since it's just salt and water.
Pain level wise, mine was pretty bad that I had to pop ibuprofen to ease the pain. I laid in bed for 5 days cuz walking and sitting were extremely painful for me, and even in bed I had to sleep in a very awkward pose with my legs forming an "O" shape so that my inner thigh wouldn't rub on my lump. Since Phoebe's cure is meant to harden the lump(speed up the process) and draw the puss to the surface, I'd say the pain was from both? I only felt minor irritation for the first 2-3 minutes after each application of Phoebe's cure, but I got used to it fairly quickly so I guess it really depends on your skin's sensitivity. You can test it on your inner thigh to see how your skin would react before putting it down there if you're worried.
Hope my experience helps and wish you the best luck in fighting this b*****d! Get better soon!
anna7887 hannah_08215
Posted
Thank you so much!!!! You have no idea how much it helped right now... I've found it last Thursday (5.04) and since Friday evening just putting warm towel on it...today I started with the normal bath tub (sat in warm water for 15 min).Will do it couple of times per day and from tomorrow on I will also add epsom salt and let's see how it works... I want to avoid any other treatment at this time, I don't want to make anything worse. As I've said I don't have even slight pain , I wouldn't even know it's there if i wouldn't accidentally touch it so, I guess I'm ''lucky''.... I think I will still go to Gyn next Wednesday to have him look at it...Probably 120 Euros is worth paying in this case...I am just scared that people are writing that even after draining, after surgery or home remedies, it dissapeared but NOT COMPLETELY or it came back..I am so confused and freaked out... After I'll do the home remedies and go to the Gyn I will for sure update my experience here , hopefully will help other people going through the same...
Once again Hannah, thank you very much for taking your time to reply and being so helpful!
hannah_08215 anna7887
Posted
You're very welcome sweetheart~ Sorry for the late response as the email notification got sent to my junk folder, and I didn't notice it until now!
How did you Gyn visit go? I sincerely hope everything's gone alright, and hope your Gyn did prescribe you with antibiotics such as Cephalexin to prevent from infection. When I had my cyst, I tried to stay in hot bath for at least 0.5-1 hour per time and massaged the lump while in bath as theoretically speaking it should help in de-clogging the gland. 120 Euros still sounds awfully expensive to me, but hope paying a visit to Gyn would help in dealing with the cyst and taking away your worry!
As for recurrence rate, I'm concerned too since based on my research online, the recurrence rate is 38%, and sadly there's no real ways to prevent it (other than being suggested by Gyns to keep a health life style, have enough sleep everyday, workout more, and having protected sex...). I believe mine happened and got infected due to having weak immune system and lack of sleeps at the moment so from then on I try to make sure to have enough sleep and take vitamin supplements to at least maintain a strong immunity!
Hope your cyst gets smaller or even disappears so you could be worry-free!
kris24947 victoria31526
Posted
Hey guys so I got my first BC when I was about 16. I had no idea what it was obviously and my mom took me to have it lanced. I didn’t have another problem till I was pregnant with my first son 3 years ago. I got them about every month the whole pregnancy and had to get them lanced in fear that the infection would get into my blood and to the baby. I haven’t had one in a little over three years and one just popped up a couple days ago. This time, it hasn’t grow over night to excruciating pain like it used to. It’s uncomfortable and a little painful but not unbearable like they used to get. I have tried phoebes cure for about a day now and nothing 😩 I don’t know what to do anymore. This is throwing me into such a depression and it’s hard because I have two boys. I have taken about five baths so far today and applied phoebes cure about 5 times as well. Please help guys!! Where’s does yours “pop” from? Not sure if I’m doing something wrong and I really don’t want to have it lanced again. I’m so scared
jody02837 kris24947
Posted
I don’t know if that helps you at all? Fingers crossed yours goes away soon! Good luck x
kris24947 jody02837
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I ended up getting mine lanced I couldn’t take it anymore. It’s draining but still feels pretty big and isn’t really decreasing in size. Should I take baths or do anything else? How long does it take for the gland to go back to a normal size??? Help please I’m so worried
jody02837 kris24947
Posted
hannah_08215 kris24947
Posted
I'm actually a little bit jealous of all the ladies here who tried Phoebe's Cure and had it starting draining within a couple hours. In my case, mine didn't drain until 3.5 days after applying the cure multiple times a day and wearing the cotton pad overnight so yes everyone's condition is different. Since my lump was the size slightly larger than an egg, and it didn't rupture but drained slowly from the gland, it took me over the next 3 days to drain it completely and about a week for the gland to return to a normal size. During that period I still took sitz baths 3 times a day, one with epsom salt and the rest two with just hot water. If your doctor has prescribed you with antibiotics, as long as you take it there shouldn't be any worries of getting reinfected. If you didn't get prescribed, ibuprofen should do the work, and make sure to keep your bottom clean and dry as further prevention. In terms of sizing, it's been roughly two weeks since my first drainage, but honestly I still notice that the sac of the cyst did decrease in size significantly but is still there. I'm hoping it would disappear eventually but I'm a bit concerned as based on what I've learned, if the sac isn't surgically removed, it's likely the cyst may recur from the same sac..
Since you had yours lanced I believe you Gyn has performed all the proper measures and procedures; therefore, hope you could find a bit of relief and ease your worry even in the slightest. Wish you a speedy recovery!
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