I have chronic bartholin abcess help!!!

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Hello, I am currently writing this from the hospital bed recovering from marsupialization surgery that was done yesterday. I am so frustrated and at my wits end about all of this. I'm hoping someone who has gone through the same can help me even if it's just knowing that I'm not alone. I'll start from the beginning, I'm 25 and live in Canada. I've never had a Bartholins cyst before and the first time i got it became an abcess on the right side which was in January of 2017. The first 2 days it was the size of a marble, i didn't know what it was and went to a walk in doctor who says it's a cyst caused by ingrown hair and gave me antibiotics that did not help at all. By the 4th day it became the size if a golf ball and I was in a lot of pain. I went to the emergency and was told by a gneocologist specialist that it was a Bartholins abcess and she lanced it and put a word catheter in for 4 weeks. Post op went fine and only felt pain the first few days, and after 4 weeks it was taken out and I was all better for 5 months until it reappeared again in May of 2017. The second time was different and very unusual. I noticed the right Bartholins gland was about the size of a marble and was painful so I knew for sure it was abcessed because of the pain and how quickly it appeared. I went to emergency again the next day and by that time my entire right side including the labia majora and minora were super swollen within 2 hours of waitig while at emergency. Once I got to see the gynecologist it had been 6 hours of waiting and the swelling had made it not possible for the doctor to locate the the Bartholins abcess. So i went home with oral antibiotics and was ordered an ultrasound to see what exactly is happening down there. The antibiotics worked and i went to get the ultrasound which was a very odd experience because they don't usually do it in that area and the technician was very confused with what she was seeing. She actually let me looked at it (which in canada they are not allowef to do) and asked me a bunch of question and got the radiologist in because it was so odd! It showed that there was clearly a Bartholins gland that was still a little inflamed but there was also another duct or gland in my labial majora that was swollen as well be no one not even my gynecologist knows what that is. She said it may be a residual duct from when I was forming as a fetus that was left over. And now that the antibiotics have worked she just told me to live my life like nothing has happened and if it happens again they'll treat it accordingly. But it's healed I got a yeast infection from the antibiotics that just would not go away and was driving me insane! I had it for 3 month trying 4 different medications before the last one finally worked. So after all of that I was just happy I'm back to normal. But then on October 2nd of 2017 the Bartholins abcess came back again and this time with a vengeance...! I noticed it on the monday oct 2nd and made an appointment with the my gynecologist but her only available time was Thursday which is 3 days away but it was the earlier spot so I made it with the receptionist and they told me to go to emergency if it gets worse. And of course it got worse because it's me and I have the worst luck....! This time the Bartholins gland grew to the size of a golf ball again, but then on Wednesday night it became super pain and the swelling travelled to the labia majora and minora again, except this time the tissue was firmer and 100 time more painful the the first and second time. I couldn't take it anymore and went to emergency Wednesday night and the doctor there only have me morphine to control the pain cuz I already have an appointment with my gynecologist the next morning. I woke up Thursday morning still in a lot of pain and the right side of my vagina was barely recognizable...! I went to the gynecologist and she says she can't feel the Bartholins gland anymore because everything is so swollen and gave me oral antibiotics again to treat it a little first do the swelling can go down enough to feel for anything, and to go to emergency is it gets any worse within the next couple of days. I took 1 day of the antibiotics and a ton of codeine and morphine for the pain and that didn't even help anymore! The pain was beyond control! The next morning the Friday I knew something was wrong because even with all the pain killers I could barely make it to the bathroom and the swelling had gotten worse. I finally broke down and cried from the pain and called my mom to come and get me, but the pain was so intense I can't even make it to the front door. The only position that's remotely tolerable was laying down and I had to get my mom to call the ambulance for me cause there is no way I can sit or walk. After hours of waiting at emergency i developed a fever and was shaky and dizzy. I finally got seen by another gynecologist on call there and she put me on iv antibiotics( which should've been done the first time I went there instead of just pain killers!!!) Because I might've gotten sepsis from this! And after a horrible night in the hospital the doctor says she can do a marsupialization and explore the area on the inside under anesthesia. After the surgery I felt so much better. The post op pain is nothing compared to before! The doctor said that the infection spread all the way up to my clitoris and I still need a a lot of IV antibiotics and oral ones to take. And now I'm laying in the hospital bed tired and frustrated. It seems like if it's not a specialist then the doctors don't know what it is and even the specialist aren't familiar with chronic cases like mine. I've asked my gynecologist about removing the gland but she doesn't like that option since there could be lots of complications. And now after this third ordeal, I'm afraid that even if the Bartholins gland heals completely I still might get the infection in other places now since it spread so wide...! I feel so helpless and I feel like the health system in Canada although free, doesn't take me seriously until it becomes so bad that it could kill me! Even for the surgery I was on a wait list and I couldn't eat or drink anything for 48 hours before the surgery because they don't know when I'll be going in so I just kept starving myself for 2 days in hospital. I don't know what to do if and when it comes back, I'm so scared it will come back again because each time it gets worse and I'm so scared. If anyone has had any similar expereince as me please help! What should I do if it happened again and what other options are even out there?

Thanks for listening everyone!

0 likes, 3 replies

3 Replies

  • Posted

    I am as helpless as you are. I am on hospital bed with the fear that this horrible bartholin abscess will appear again. Please anyone that can help, please give advise on what can be done. I am a mother of four beautiful kids and these whole night mare is frightening my children. Please help if you have solution. Thank you and God bless you as you offer help to women that is going through this bad situation.
  • Posted

    Omg I am going through the same thing and its so tough to explain to anyone around me what it feels like to go through this constantly and how painful it is I have had a bartholin absese which the infection caused a another absese near my anus the size of a golf ball ive had to deal with both absese and each have come back I have had 2 surgeries where they out me to sleep, and neither had healed before I had to have the surgeries again, and now ive just gotten back from vacay and the bartholin abses is back with a vegence on my way to the hospital again this is very frustrating.

  • Posted

    Just want you to know your not alone I have the same problem I get these bartholin cysts like every 2 months it's the same over and over again I get a cyst I go to the er they drain it I go home with antibiotics and 2 months later I get it again since I'm diabetic they don't want to do surgery on me and so I have no options they did remove one of my glands only because the cyst got so bad I was going into septic shock but even after they removed my gland I still get cysts there too I feel so hopeless sometimes but your not alone

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