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I'm four weeks post-marsupialization and my cyst keeps reoccuring!

Posted , 10 users are following.

stepht94
stepht94

I first had a bartholin's cyst form in October 2013, but it was only there for around 2 weeks and disappeared on it's own. Then I had an abscess the size of a golf ball form almost overnight around 5 weeks ago, and I was prescribed a week's dose of flucloxacillin antibiotics by my doctor to try and clear the infection.

After 4 days of taking the antiobiotics I was taken into hospital as the abscess had started to rupture and I had the onset of septicemia. I was given intravenous flucloxacillin while I was in hospital and had marsupialization of the abscess on 28th March. I was sent home on the 29th March with another week's dose of flucloxacillin which I completed, and the pain and swelling disappeared completely.

Three days after finishing the antibiotics I was back at the doctors as the pain and swelling had returned and I had another lump around the size of a grape, I was given another week of antibiotics, this time it was clarithromycin, which gave me horrible side effects. Again I completed the course and the lump disappeared.

This time, within 24 hours of finishing the antibiotics the lump was starting to come back, I saw an out-of-hours doctor at the hospital and he prescribed amoxiclav antibiotics for a week and a topical antibiotic cream. I finished the antibiotics yesterday afternoon and already I have a painful lump the size of a grape in the same place.

I am 4 weeks post-marsupialization on Tuesday (28th April), the stitches have completely dissolved and the surgical wound is healed and healthy looking, the pain is definitely coming from the area where the abscess was. It seems that every time I complete a course of antibiotics the abscess just keeps coming back, but all the doctors I've seen seem to do is keep giving me different kinds of tablets to take, I don't know what to do!

0 likes, 29 replies

29 Replies

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  • debbieh84
    debbieh84 stepht94

    Posted

    Hi, you poor thing, I've had a cyst for around a year although I just found a painless swelling so it could have been there a while, it's been fine until recently when it's got bigger and become painful and uncomfortable to sit so I'm waiting for a consultants appointment to get a surgery date, I was booked for surgery when it was first diagnosed but when I got to surgery they decided it was too small and that it was best left alone, it's about the size of an egg now so hopefully they will do it this time! Can I ask how sore/ painful it was after you had the marsupilization? And how long after were u able to drive?

    Where about in the work are you? Will hot baths help the swelling? Are you doing these every day still? Maybe it is just the area healing still? I had an episiotomy when my son was born 5 years ago and although the stitches dissolved and everything looked good after 10 days I still had swelling and nerve pain for another 6 weeks or so before it became painless and normal again!

    Can you still see the opening that they made? Or do you think it may have closed up?

    Sorry I can't be too much help, and I'm really sorry your going through this x

    • stepht94
      stepht94 debbieh84

      Posted

      Hi, the area where they made the cut was quite sore for about a week, I had 6 stitches so it was bound to be! But compared to the pain from the abscess it was a massive relief, although I still found it uncomfortable to sit completely upright for around 2 weeks. I had a general anaesethic so wasn't allowed to drive for 48 hours, but I didn't drive for the first week after because it was still quite sore to sit. The cut they made was around 2cm long, but now it's probably less than 5mm and I can still see it, although the incision was made inbetween the outer and inner labia so it's only visible if I look for it! I've been having hot baths every day since the operation and have been doing my best to keep it clean. The main thing that's bothering me is that each time it seems to be completely fine and painless, with no sign of a lump for 2 or 3 days, then I finish the antibiotics and it starts to come back again, not only the swelling but a hard tender lump starts to form where the abscess was x
    • debbieh84
      debbieh84 stepht94

      Posted

      How frustrating for you :o( are you in the uk? Where about did you have your surgery? Do the drs think that it is just forming again or just handing out antibiotics as they don't know?

      Thanks for the info on the op, I'm quite nervous about it but after an episiotomy they have told me that marsup is a much smaller incision so hopefully if I can manage episiotomy I can manage this! xx

    • stepht94
      stepht94 debbieh84

      Posted

      Yeah I live in Birmingham so it was done at Heartlands Hospital. Well I had one doctor say he thought it was the same infection as the first abscess and that it just hadn't cleared, but at that point I'd had 2 courses of flucloxacillin and IV doses so he gave me more antibiotics. The most recent doctor I've seen said he though it was a new abscess but almost said he thought I was overreacting because the lump wasn't very big and he just gave me antibiotics so I'd go away basically - but it was only small because I'd noticed it so quickly and didn't want to get that ill again! I'm getting mixed messages and I'm not sure what the next course of action is, surely I can't just keen taking antibiotics? x
    • debbieh84
      debbieh84 stepht94

      Posted

      No I wouldn't have thought they would want to keep prescribing them!

      Didn't they operate the first time you had an abcess?

      I would go back and see someone again before it gets bad again, can you get in to see a dr tomorrow? Or even a and e tonight!

    • stepht94
      stepht94 debbieh84

      Posted

      The first I had in 2013 didn't need treatment it was never painful and just sort of came and went in 2 weeks. I had marsupialization of the abscess a month ago and it's just kept coming back since. I'm going to go to the doctor's tomorrow, but I'm wondering what else they can do, because although the operation was quite straight forward, I don't want to have it done again really, especially with the chance it could happen again like this time sad x
    • debbieh84
      debbieh84 stepht94

      Posted

      Its strange, if the hole is still open I wouldn't have thought they would have to do it again as tit should still be able to drain so maybe they could just drain the abcess is that is what is there?
  • loopy_lou_71
    loopy_lou_71 stepht94

    Posted

    Hi have u tried serratapse or sillica. ? I had one I thought I had injured mysellf on a lid in the bath my little one was playing with. Looking back now tampons become hard to use before the bath incident.

    I was so swollen I couldn't see any cut or anything.weeks went by I thought oh it will go it got I couldn't walk sit and no pain killers were working.

    To cut a long story short I was in hospital with my boy, I started to be sick and in real pain. I mentioned this to a nurse as it was obvious there was something wrong. I felt guilty as my son was really poorly. I got to a&e with the help of nurses treating my son with no wait.

    Next trauma was how I was treated I doc called the registrar, walked in saying u think cancer. I asked for an explanation and I was overtalked. He examined me squeezing hard an I was asking him to stop. When he did I got told its not an abscess,have these antibiotics,visit your gp if its still there.

    While my boy was still in hospital 2 days later it burst. What a mess and smell loads of goo came out. The nusre who I called to watch my son while I tried sorting myself out got me back to a&e again.

    I daw different doctor as I refused the previous one, I was told it was an abcess / bartholins cyst.

    6 weeks later I felt swelling again I was given anti biotic. 3 weeks on I can feel swelling down one side of my lip Ana bump which moves near the perineum. Nothing is documented on line about swellings around the area, have you experianced it.

    I have ordered some serratepse to see if it helps. I get the feeling health professionals don't really know alot to tell about it. This has made me depressed with medication and is always on my mind. The treaments don't seem to be a success like you have experienced. Can anyone give me answers. Thanks

  • sarah42169
    sarah42169 stepht94

    Posted

    Is there a chance that with your stitches already dissolved that it didn't give everything enough time to heal and the 'pouch' flipped back and the cyst refilled? I am 7 weeks post marsipulization and I went to the dr two weeks ago due to feeling though I still had a lump where the incision is & I could feel 'poking' my stitches were still in and starting to slowly dissolve. My dr (gyno turned GP) said the stitches should be in for atleast two months to allow everything to heal and so the 'pouch' they created didn't flip back around and allow the cyst to re fill.

    I'd go back to the hospital. 4 weeks post surgery, and it's already back.. They should be defintely seeing you. I haven't had a reoccurance & I'm almost 2 months post surgery.

    • stepht94
      stepht94 sarah42169

      Posted

      Hi, thank you I think that is what has happened. I had a look last night (torch and mirror) and I can see the opening where the incision was, but when I pull the skin tight it's nothing more than a dimple, the skin behind has completely closed over! I've got an emergency appointment to see my doctor after work tonight.
    • sarah42169
      sarah42169 stepht94

      Posted

      The last time I checked my incision it looks still open.. And I could see stitches in there. My dr said that if done properly, re occurance shouldn't happen & this procedure is the only real way to get rid of it.

      Hopefully your doctor can re do the surgery and this time it works out for you. It sucks you have to go through this.

  • debbieh84
    debbieh84 stepht94

    Posted

    Hi, how are you doing now? Was the dr able to do anything?
    • stepht94
      stepht94 debbieh84

      Posted

      Hi, I had another marsupializaton done yesterday after another abscess formed. This time a swab was taken last week and they've given me antibiotics suited to the bacteria they found. The surgeon also took a much larger piece of the cyst wall away, the hole I've been left with is about the size of a 20p coin, with 10 stitches! But this should mean it takes a lot longer to heal so there should be enough drainage time. I had the surgery under local anaesthetic which I would not recommend if the cyst is infected, the anaesthetic kept failing meaning I had a lot of pain and over 10 injections of anaesthetic into the infected area, what should have taken 20 minutes took over an hour. But it's all over now hopefully, I'm very sore today but hopefully on the mend xx
    • debbieh84
      debbieh84 stepht94

      Posted

      Poor you :o( at leasts it's done now and a bigger incision hopefully means it won't heal over again!

      Hope you heal nicely and have no more reoccurrences!

      The cyst I had for over a year suddenly drained itself from the duct last week! I wasn't expecting it! Am carrying on with hot baths 2 or 3 times a day to try and help keep the duct open but not holding my breath that it won't come back! H fingers crossed it doesn't tho :o)

    • stepht94
      stepht94 debbieh84

      Posted

      I'm so pleased that it's drained for you without you having to go through anything painful :-) I think it's just one of those things that can come back any time :-( hopefully not but I'm not holding out much hope either to be honest . At least we're both okay for now though! Xx
    • debbieh84
      debbieh84 stepht94

      Posted

      Yes glad all is ok for now, I'm still getting a slight stinging from the gland at times but I'm hoping that's just part of the healing!

      Hope your not feeling too sore? Are you able to carry on as normal as you had a local?

    • stepht94
      stepht94 debbieh84

      Posted

      Not quite as I am very bruised from all the injections, everything down there is a big greeny purple bruise! He also took a section of the cyst wall out creating a 'window' rather than just making a cut, so I am very sore today but he's given me codeine for the pain. I'm not back to work until Monday so should be okay by then I hope x
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