Anyone had a Bartholin cyst before? If you're not sure what that is, count your lucky stars. Basically, I have an infected lump in a place where nobody should have anything extra.

I made an appointment with my GYN when I started feeling pain, but the earliest I could get in was Monday afternoon, so I ended up going to urgent care today. It was NOT a fun experience, but I guess the bright side is the prescription for Vicodin? Just kidding, but I am glad the doc there gave me something for pain.

If anyone on the boards has experience with these, can you tell me what I might expect on Monday? The urgent care doc didn't want to drain it, so he told me to keep my GYN appt. Ugh.

I'm in pain and whiny. I can't exercise because everything's too sensitive. I want to eat an entire Papa John's pizza and follow it up with a pint of Ben & Jerry's - but, for the record, I had healthy, yummy food that fit into my calories for the day. Although tomorrow I'm supposed to meet a friend for brunch and desperately want to eat the PB and banana pancakes that are a specialty of the restaurant, instead of the egg white veggie omelet I have planned. For some reason, my pain makes me think I "deserve" the pancakes . . . lies I tell myself.

Sorry for the whininess, but I needed to get it out a bit!

I had one before...it wasn't infected though, just a pea sized lump. I drained it myself

Soaking in a tub of warm water several times daily can help ease the pain and promote drainage. Did they put you on antibiotics? When you go to your GYN they may drain it and pack it. They may also culture it and put you on antibiotics. Very painful. Thank goodness for Vicodin!

I haven't had one of those, but I did have a pilonidal cyst once...a golfball sized abcess at my tailbone. So I had to drop my pants for EVERYONE, and it needed to be packed with gauze every day for 2 weeks. I had just started dating my (now) wife, and we ended up on the floor of her grandparents bathroom, with my pants down, while her lovely nurse-neighbor taught her how to pack my butt crack with gauze.

Lots of sympathy from me - hope the vicodin helps to take your mind off of it.

Oh, and believe me, I fight the "I deserve it" cravings too (I have a long-running shoulder injury which requires many painful procedures and makes my life sort of miserable). This morning I had to go get some painful injections into the muscle, and have been fighting cravings all day. So I decided that I'd manage my food today so I could reward myself with a nonfat frozen yogurt tonight. It's a half-victory, but I'll take it.

I had one when I was pregnant with my first son, they put some thing in it so it could drain, I think I went back a few days later and the removed the thing that drained it (I can't for the life of me remember what it was called). I don't remember the draining being any more painful than the cyst itself, or any "special" maintenance, the whole thought of it was just gross. Good luck to you!

Thanks for the advice and sympathy. I'm feeling slightly better after a good night's sleep. My Monday afternoon doctor's appointment cannot get here soon enough.


Indeed, thank goodness for Vicodin! They gave me an antibiotic shot (which hurt worse than when I got a tattoo!) and put me on antibiotics, and I'm soaking in the tub a few times a day. I'm so glad it's the weekend - really not looking forward to going back to work on Monday.


I guess it was that experience that told you she was a keeper? My college roommate had a pilonidal cyst, and once told me that was the biggest pain of her life.

I didn't plan it this way, but now that I've put it on 3FC I have no choice but to get the egg white omelet. It's a pride thing, you know? But yeah, I'm pretty sure I'll always, in some form, have to deal with thinking that comfort food will make all my problems disappear.


When I got home yesterday I looked stuff up online, and this was one of the procedures that got mentioned. Glad to know the cure doesn't sound more painful than the problem. But GROSS is definitely the word for it!

I haven't had the Bartholin cyst, but I get a reoccurring vaginal wall cyst. I had it drained once, it came back. The doctor went to remove it in the office the second time, but neglected to freeze it, and tried to schedule me for surgery. I was already on a waiting list for another ob/gyn so I decided not to get the surgery, and hopefully this one (the best in my city) will freeze me before he tries to remove it. It gets in the way, and flares up on occasion, but it really only gets in the way at that time of the month. I feel your pain though. At least you had a doctor willing to give you something for the pain, a lot just say "take some advil".

I'm going to update this, not because anyone particularly cares, but because it may help another chick some day.

The weekend was VERY plainful. I took tons of hot baths with epsom salts. On Sunday, the abcess opened on its own and started to drain (sorry, I know, TMI!). From that moment the pain was SOOOOO much better. By this morning I felt almost normal.

I went to the gyno this afternoon and she examined me and that it actually wasn't a Bartholin cyst, but just some sort of vaginal/labial abcess. Apparently, it was in the wrong place to be a Bartholin cyst. Since I'm already on antibiotics and it's almost completely back to normal, there was nothing really for her to do, and I should be fine.

Whew for not needing something more done. Yay for the miracle of antibiotics and sitz baths. I'm so glad I live in the 21st century!

Glad you're feeling better. I know how much it hurts when it's inflamed.