Home Remedy Tip for Bartholin Cysts

Posted , 9 users are following.

Hi All smile

I had a BC around a year ago, i was too scared to go to the doctor and it grew rapidly and became an abscess. I took sitz baths which relieved the pain and it hardened. (I also noticed lightly scratching the outside of my thigh was relieving the pain, i think its more in my head but hey, worth a try right?) after a few days of absolute agony and excruciating pain it burst on its own. I was so relieved but some of the pain still remained. I tended to it for days, letting it drain itself, not pushing. Cleaning every hour if not less and it healed fine.

About a month ago i noticed a small lump, and since it has been appearing, swelling and disappearing randomly. I now have swelling on both sides, the left pops up every week or so and the right is always there but sometimes is tiny. I have noticed if i take a sitz bath (some have mentioned salt bath) and build the heat up, gently pressing and lightly massaging the cyst, allowing water to go all around, it drains itself. The discharge is stringy and clear, i ease it out rubbing down towards my bum with a finger VERY SOFTLY. It goes down in size and is painfree! I do this around 3 times a day, but it hasn't fully gone yet so i'm a little worried that i will never go. I hope this helps some of you. 

If anyone has any ideas or help, it would be much appreciated. 

Kind regards,

Chloe. 

1 like, 13 replies

13 Replies

  • Posted

    I have had 9 flare-ups since my B-cyst trips first began. Every doc keeps saying there is "no way to prevent them" (lucky us), but mine keep coming back too. Mostly on my left side and one time on my right side. The first two times I went to the ER and had it lanced because it also abcessed. For those of you gals that aren't sure if you have a cyst or it's abcessed - PAIN and suffering is the giant red flag here because a cyst is small or maybe large and simply noticable, but an abcessed one will make you crab-walk to the bathroom, make your labia swell up like the elephant man, and likely bring you to tears. 

    After getting two of them drained at the ER which was very expensive, my 3rd one I decided to let "burst on it's own" which I read with baths can take between 3-10 days. On the 10th day after several times of sitting in the bath for about 15-20 mins PER DAY, I was ready to go back to the ER - and it finally burst. NOTE: It does NOT hurt when it ruptures. It's like having a period and the swelling goes down within the hour. You can't even tell when it bursts, so it's a good idea to sleep in a pad or in things you don't want to ruin. 

    I still feel the one on my left side, but it doesn't bother me. I know it's there though if I feel just inside my opening in the shower and it concers me. I read someplace about a supplement called "Serapeptase"(spelling?) and it wasnt that expensive and doesn't upset my stomach or anything, and I take it once a day or 3 times if I feel like it seems to get irritated (like occassionally with sex, but not always). I have also completely sworn off tampons for now too, although I don't know if that matters. And if I think it's starting to swell up again I now just use hot compresses - I take a clean hand towel and either wet it a little and heat it in the microwave, or heat a cup of water and keep dipping the towel in it and place it there over and over again for just one sitting at a time per day for a few days and it seems to settle back down. A nice hot, wet compress (almost as hot as you can stand it down there) I've found is almost as affective as a sitz bath, and certainly more convenient. But for abcesses, a sitz bath/regular bath is certainly relieving too. 

    • Posted

      So sorry to hear you have had such trouble with it, its rather frustrating that nothing can be really done about it, surely they must be able to find some cure. I haven't tried serapeptase(not sure if thats spelled correctly either) but i have read a few posts mentioning it, did it work for you?

      I have started using actimel/yakult and its either placebo, or its actually helping me. I noticed when i was taking it, the cyst drained so easily on its own in the bath, it unclogged straight away. I stopped it for 2 weeks and found i couldnt get it to drain very well itself. I have now started taking actimel again and with daily sitz baths/how steamy showers the lump is nearly non existent.

      I also saw a post from someone mentioning something about sex, and not letting your partner finish inside, i have tried this and not sure if its this or actimel which is working, but i will continue to do both. 

      You are completely right about the difference between a cyst and adscess, my first abscess (and only) was horrificly painful, i also did the walk, but the cysts i have now don't really cause any problems its just a bit visable. 

      Thank you for the reply, it's nice to know i'm not alone.

    • Posted

      Hi I started having pain in the middle of the night when I was sleeping. At first I thought it might be a muscle. Two days later I realized it couldn't be a muscle it seems to be the larger vagina lips on the outside. On the left side. What struck me from your comment was talking about walking like a crab LOL because that is basically what I'm doing. I have looked in a mirror I have tried I don't see about of any kind. Do you in your experience know are you supposed to feel a bump? I don't want to go to my doctor and tell her what I think it is a gland or cyst like this and her tell me I'm crazy. Just turned 50 years old haven't been sexually active in more than 10 years. It's definitely not anything sexually transmitted. All I do for the past 4 days is keep ice in my pants it's the only thing that makes life bearable. I guess I'm most curious did you feel a bump? From one crab Walker to another LOL. I just I'm wondering if I should massage it although whenever I tried to feel around to see if there was a bump I definitely could feel pain in the spot. So I really don't think I can massage the pain away. This is just horrible and if I have the same thing you have you obviously can relate. I can't tell if I have a fever or not don't have a thermometer. I don't want to be a hypochondriac but definitely some things going on. I appreciate your feedback thank you so much Rita

  • Posted

    Ladies! please explain to me, what do you mean by "the cyst drained itself"?

    my cyst is inside, its almost invisible, I can feel it  - like a 1 inch swollen circle  (sorry) only when sitting using the toilet. And after sex, it becomes bigger. Half an  hour later it s disappearing, but it s inside. The diagnosis I made myself.  The gyno could not see anything, as it's painless and Iinvisible.

    I can't understand the use of hot bath and hot compresses without painful abscess. Maybe I will make the situation worse with hot water?

    Now the cyst only embarrassing me when I feel it,  no pain but lots of irritation. 

    I terrified with the cyst, so want to ask:

    - whether sitz bath can help to open blocked bartholin duct, so the cyst's liquid will go through the duct outside? 

    or

    - the hot sitz bath can modify the painless cyst to abscess, and it can bust out so that the cyst will ddisappear? 

    • Posted

      Hi,

      I have the same as what you are describing. I take a hot sitz bath, gently massage where i can feel the lump on the outside, and when i feel the opening of my vagina, the fluid comes out. Its clear, often stringy and after a few minutes, the lump has gone down. I do this after sex as mine swells during any arousal. I have noticed keeping this up has prevented me from getting an abscess like i did before, and has prevented me getting any pain or discomfort. Which believe me, after the last one, i am greatful of! 

      Good luck smile x

    • Posted

       So using a little bit of Teatree oil , witch hazel and warm water running over it ,   My cyst sort of burst open while I was running all those liquid over it and you could feel the tension relieving and all the pus oozing out.  I just sat as far as I could back on my toilet so I could run the Mixture down  over my stomach and kind of tilt your hips forward so you can feel the mixture running all the way down to your ass  and I would not be sitting in a bath full of it. 
    • Posted

       Doctors here in Minnesota have recommended that I take a long hot  showers and make sure the hot water reaches all the way down to the cities and I leave the water running on it for a few minutes and it seems to be working .  Teatree oil is really good for your hair so I put some in my shampoo bottle but the shampoo runs down my body when I  take a shower and it runs over the cyst so I think it’s helping a little that way too.  Are use the hottest water that I can comfortably stand and I stay in that shower for at least five minutes to feel better ,  it fogs up my entire bathroom but if the result is less or no pain for me I’m willing to do that . 😊

  • Posted

    Hi all

    I m suffering from bartholin cyst .my doctor send me to the hospital for lancing when i went to the hospital nurse asked me why my gp has sent me here.i was frustrated finally they took the blood test d some other test they admitted me to the ward d after that no one came to see me i was in a terrifying pain wen i asked the receptionist she said she doesn't know when doctor will come i was lying on the bed from morning till evening nobody came to see me d finally in the evening i got discharge by myself as i m having 2 kids d i kept my kids to the neighbours.is there anyone whi can help me to get rid of this abbesses cyst .

    • Posted

      Hi Priyanka26,

      So sorry to hear about all your pain. I did it all at home and it burst itself, healed and now i have the odd lump come up but its not turned into an abscess again thankfully. Sitz baths, warm compresses will help not only the pain but get you quickly through the process ready for it to burst. Mine went harder and harder and i woke up in the middle of the night to a horrid smell (sorry but its true) I didn't use anything else other than a hot bath (building temperature up and up) gently massaging the lump, and warm compresses. Only wear cotton knickers too!! Anything else makes it too warm and spreads bacteria! 

      Hope this helps, ask if you need any more smile 

      Good luck,

  • Posted

    I have had a ping pong ball lump cyst for 8 years now on my left side....I may have the whole thing removed soon.  I am debating!  Do not wear tampons....I think that makes more yeast and makes it grow.  I had it grow to grapefruit size a couple of times....took sitz bath and it finally burst after 3 days....that was the worst! 
  • Posted

     I have had 6 Bartholyn cysts and I’ve had my doctors talk about marsupialization I and removing the gland .  Both surgeries which I’m terrified but I am considering them seeing as all these this have happened in the past two years and I’m only 25. Sitz  baths and using a little tea tree oil with witch hazel seems to help,  using these home remedies it burst one cyst that I’m aware of and the amount of pus that came running out was incredible but it’s not a cure all.  Even with everything I’ve had to be rushed to the ER and the hospital to have the catheter placed so my cyst would be Medically drained out .  I actually have one now and it feels like there is a baseball sure of which right against my pelvic bone and you can feel it growing and it is not horribly painful yes it’s just really bad pressure and itchiness .  I used to have the marina implant and on that I got  all six cysts but I am developing one without the marina implant and I am wondering if maybe I am just cursed do I have so many at such a young age .
  • Edited

    hey idk if anyone is still on this forum but my cyst isn't round, I think the gland got stretched out. it's like a long oval shape and is uncomfortable and sometimes itchy. I don't have time to go to the doctor as I am very busy and don't even have time to sit around in a bath or lay with a washcloth. anyone have any suggestions please. I have had this for a few weeks and has burst a couple time but keeps filling right back up

    • Edited

      hey just came across this as i was looking up how to deal with my cyst. This has happened to me like 6 times in the last year and i just dont know what im doing wrong. but starting to realize sitz baths are the best for helping it burst and helping it drain on its own. but like you said its time consuming and im busy as well but it is the best to help with it and keep it gone. i also noticed sex makes it inflammed so cleaning yourself well after sex and using the hottest water you can stand helps your gland drain before turning into a full blow cyst or abcess

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