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Home Remedy for Bartholin Cyst that WORKS!

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victoria31526
victoria31526

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

190 Replies

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  • chrystle_65689
    chrystle_65689 victoria31526

    Posted

    How do you ladies know if it’s a cyst? I think I’ve got one goimg off my google searches, but I don’t want to try this if it’s going to be wrong and make something worse, and my Drs away this week!
  • pam94790
    pam94790 victoria31526

    Posted

    For me, I’ve found that my body develops these monsters when ph balance is off and my body is more acidic than base. Drinking fresh lemon in water helped me bring my body to a less acidic state. Avoiding coffee, soda and alcohol also helps. Plenty of medical articles can be googled for reference regarding acid/base balance Of your body. 
  • claire20920
    claire20920 victoria31526

    Posted

    I am 21 years old and I've had a reoccurring bc for about a year now, they were always relatively small and painless but a few days ago I noticed this time it was a lot bigger and experienced pain when walking and sitting ( I'm a waitress so I walk about 10 miles a day on average at work) I was taking pain relievers like no other just to get through the day. I read online that taking warm baths would help so I did that a few times a day but it just kept getting worse and so on the third day the pain was unbearable so I called in to work and pretty much didn't leave bed because it was so bad. It was a Sunday so my doctor was closed and I felt uncomfortable going to urgent care and I'm a poor college student so I didn't want to go to the er. I was desperate so I did a little searching and found this forum. I took a bath in Epsom salts, used the mixture on a gauze pad and repeated this about 4 times and I was in an extreme amount of pain but after about the second time I noticed some discoloring and remembered in some of the previous comments this was normal so i felt some confirmation what it was working and pushed through. Then I was doing the gauze treatment and I went to switch it out and I noticed a tiny amount of puss and I got so excited so I replaced it put some pressure on it and waited a minute and when I pulled it up again it was covered. I'm currently repeating the process just to be sure, a lot came out but there's still a lump there. I don't feel any pain anymore, I'm going to go to the doctor today to get some anti biotics though to make sure there's no more issues as it heals. I am beyond greatful for everyone on this forum who shared their experience and whoever this phoebe is because this method seriously WORKS!! 

    • jennifer11585
      jennifer11585 claire20920

      Posted

      Glad it worked for you! It's a miracle for sure! Over two weeks later and mine is still gone. It's such joy to check down there and realize it's still gone!

  • erica65586
    erica65586 victoria31526

    Posted

    Hi my name is Erica and before I start explaining my situation i just want to say this forum has been the only thing that has kept me positive about this very bad situation. I feel like the doctors I have seen are very insentative about this situation. ..... Im 26 this is my second cyst. My first Occured 2 months ago and I got it cut in the ER ..... omg the worst experience I have ever had .  Very painful. This time around I caught it before IT got  infected and got antibiotics and pain killers ,this is currently my 6 day with it. I just found this forum last night and just started the treatment last night. I have applied it 4 times thus far the first time It burned as I expected .... but the next 3 times not burning as much not nearly half as much. I don’t know if I added the correct amount of each component. It’s it 

    2 tsp of calamin lotion 

    1tsp of tea tree oil 

    1tsp of witch hazel 

    Is this correct? 

    Oh another observation, after the first time I applied the cure it was very irritated and big which I think is a good thing so it can burst in response I did applied a hot compress and it went down. Since then very time I apply the cure it doesn’t get irritated 

    I checked to see if it is leaking it doesn’t seem to be. I’m concerned because IT doesn’t  seem to be following the pattern of everyone’s experience. Don’t get my wrong Im still in a lot of pain. I just figured it will get irritated enough to burst. I’m not sure if I’m doing this correctly.plz help 

    • kate17689
      kate17689 erica65586

      Posted

      I poured the whole 6oz of calamine lotion in a bowl, then 2 teaspoons of witch hazel. I couldn't find tree oil so I went without. Soaked a bandage in that.

      Just keep doing the cycle and checking back.

  • kate17689
    kate17689 victoria31526

    Posted

    I created an account to confirm this worked for me.

    I do not like home remedies, I think at best they are a placebo and at worst, harmful. However I've been in a lot of pain and discomfort (like you if you're reading this) and was at my wits end. So I went out and bought witch hazel and 6 oz of calamine lotion, as well as Epsom salt. (Found this all at a local pharmacy.)

    First I put half a cup of Epsom salt in the tub with hip level water and soaked for 20 minutes, then I made the "phobes cure mixture" (without tree oil because I couldn't find it). I soaked a bandage and thought "this is going to be messy", so I also wore a feminine pad when I put the badage in place and secured it with underwear.

    I've been feeling most uncomfortable while sitting, so I sat with the bandage, this forced it to come in contact with the area of misery. Unlike a lot of ladies my cyst isnt huge,

    It just hurt huge and I didn't know exactly where it was.

    After 30 minutes of sitting I put a heating pad on it for 10 minutes, and took another Epsom salt bath. Then put a fresh bandage on, heating pad again, salt bath.

    I was beginning to wonder if I wasted my evening but on a whim I took a baby wipe and wiped. Some blood and puss came with it!

    So in conclusion, I think the calamine lotion is the key ingredient here, then the epsom salt and heat. Keep doing the cycle, then wipe to see progress. Hope this post helps someone.

  • stephanie07900
    stephanie07900 victoria31526

    Posted

    This is my second experience with a Bartholins cyst. I had my first only 10 weeks ago. It was horrible. I mean horrible. It was absessed and I had to go to the ER to have it drained. Which was the single most painful experience of my life. And I’ve had a tooth pulled w no anesthetic. Anyway this cyst showed up out of no where and it was the worst few days of my life. Once I had it drained I immediately felt better. It went back to normal within days. This past Monday (it’s now Thursday) I woke up with a famililiar lump. Another cyst. Since Monday night I have been treating with Phoebes and taking 3 Epsom salt sitz baths a day. It hasn’t gotten any bigger and it is not painful. Uncomfortable but not painful. I mean I’m pressing on the thing pretty hard to try and pop it/bring it to the surface.  Nothing. I just kept treating it and praying it won’t get worse. Last night I was on the internet for hours. Combing through any information I could find and I remember a home remedy of my grandmother’s. One time I had water stuck in my ear. My Gran made me a “salt sock”. She put rock salt in a clean tube sock and heated it in a clean pan on the stove. I held the sock to my ear and bam! Water cane right out. So I thought it couldn’t hurt to try to pull the fluid from the cyst. I took 1.5 cups of Epsom salt. I added tea tree oil to the salt and mixed it in a bowl. Poured that in the clean tube sock and heated it on the stove. I’m currently lying in bed with the warm “salt sock” on my cyst. It’s reduced the swelling a lot and is smaller. There was also what looked like mucus on the sock. I’m hoping this works. If anyone had other suggestions I’m open to anything. 

    My biggest worry is that this is going to be a regular occurrence. Seeing as there was only 10 weeks between the first one and this one. How often do you ladies experience BC? Has anyone had surgical treatment? Was it worth it? 

    Thank you for your help! 

  • emily78145
    emily78145 victoria31526

    Posted

    I just discovered what I believe is a Bartholin cyst or maybe now is an abscess because it is hurting horribly. I noticed it about 4 days ago and can’t get into my gyno until Tuesday. It keeps growing and is about the size of a golf ball. I want to start this remedy but I am so so so scared and I haven’t been able to work all week because I’m a bartender. Would anyone recommend me going to the hospital? Or an emergency clinic??
    • stephanie07900
      stephanie07900 emily78145

      Posted

      If it’s infected you need the antibiotic as soon as possible. I would say ER. They’ll send you out with the antibiotic script.

      They can also drain it for you. It’s going to hurt like hell. First they inject into your labia. I screamed at the top of my lungs. Also for me the anesthetic didn’t do anything. So when they cut it open and I felt every bit of that as well. I’m not trying to scare you. Just prepping you. Self medicate if you can before hand if you decide to let them drain it. 

      Or you can just get the script for the antibiotics from the ER and try to drain and pop it yourself will home remedies. 

      The phoebes cure hasn’t worked for me. But mine is not infected or painful. I think it only works for large absessed cysts. So you may have a good shot at getting it to burst at home. 

      Good luck! 

  • erica65586
    erica65586 victoria31526

    Posted

    Is there any particular reason why they refuse to give me general anesthesia to drain my cyst? Draining with local is by far the most painful experience I have ever had. Local is a def no go for me. General I can do....but the doctor I met with last week will not consider using general. I do not understand why not. 
    • kris24947
      kris24947 erica65586

      Posted

      Probably Because it would then have to be scheduled in the hospital and the procedure is so short. It is the most painful thing ever that I’ve gotten done over atleast 15+ times. And probably

      Because the doctor themselves never had to get it done 

    • erica65586
      erica65586 kris24947

      Posted

      15+ times!!!!!!....I get sick just thinking about going to get it cut one more time. God bless you Kris24947! To be honest I think I will get the gland removed if possible.
  • ashley38469
    ashley38469 victoria31526

    Posted

    I just wanted to share

    My success story. I had my second BC come a few months ago it was small and didn’t bother me, about 3 weeks ago it became Larger and caused minor discomfort during sex, then 2 weeks ago it became uncomfortable to sit in certain positions, so I bought the ingredients for Phoebes method but was too scared to use it more than once for a few seconds lol. I did a warms compress a few times a day for a few

    days then just a few hours ago it became very uncomfortable to the point of it feeling like a constant pinch or sting. I got fed up and took and ibuprofen (I had read someone help say it helped oth the pain and caused two of theirs to pop) I was starting to feel worse and couldn’t sit so I laid on my side then few

    Minutes later I noticed I felt relieved and sat up to feel moisture in my pants rolleyes went to the bathroom and it had popped. So ibuprofen may help with pain and also help it to pop. idk of it’s a coincidence that at the height of pain u want to take a pain reliever and it was going to pop anyway or if the ibuprofen does cause it to rupture but that’s my story. Really hoping it doesn’t come back. Best of luck ladies.

  • sharee85169
    sharee85169 victoria31526

    Posted

    I wanted to comment here on my experience with Phoebe’s cure.  I noticed a knot that started growing one week ago.  I read online, and decided it must be a BC.  Mine grew to the size of a grape.  I came across this page and went out yesterday morning to get the supplies.  Previously I had been taking sitz baths and treating with witch hazel. I tried the whole process last night, as described.  When I awoke this morning, I found so much relief when I realized the cyst had drained!  

         My question is, should the area still be tender afterwards?  Should it still feel a little swollen too? And, is there anything I should do to get promote proper healing? 

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