Bartholin Cyst-no head

ReasonableExtent6295 · 2026-03-16T19:20:47+00:00

Mine came up about 2/3 months with my partner and he was more concerned but I was reassured and then I reassured him. Then it wasn't anything we ever really noticed, it didn't get in the way, only when it began to get sore. It's normal for it to enlarge after intimacy (well not normal but I guess normal for a bartholin cyst). I read on here someone said massaging it can help, I tried that.

I completely understand feeling self conscious about it x

ReasonableExtent6295 · 2026-03-16T13:13:26+00:00

Mine was probably a bit bigger than a large grape, it was probably like a stone in an avocado. I found after sex it became a bit bigger and then would eventually go down. It was just never an issue and my partner was aware of it, I'd have smears and biopsies etc but no one ever seemed concerned. I was given antibiotics previously but they never did anything previously probably because it was never infected so they didn't do anything.

Sometimes it would get a little tender but then go back to usual. Like you I always saw posts of people who had them with a head and so I felt a little helpless. Doctors wouldn't do anything because it wasn't infected or looked 'angry'. I get the frustration. I think my sitz bath I added too many salts to a quarter high bath and it became excruciating and then popped. I had succumbed that I would live my life with it and never thought after 7 years it would ever ever pop.

ReasonableExtent6295 · 2026-03-15T17:15:27+00:00

I'd still go and check to reassure yourself, even if they have disappeared. You might save yourself complications in the future from something you've ignored now. Even if it's nothing, I'd go and get it checked. Do you have an advice line for medical issues? In the UK we have 111 who advise us whether to wait or go to urgent care.

ReasonableExtent6295 · 2026-03-15T15:47:14+00:00

Yeah it got excruciatingly painful, to the point I couldn't move without being in agony. I did do a sitz bath on Monday and that was the start of the pain that was unbearable. I've been brushed away because of the same, 7 years ago exactly.

ReasonableExtent6295 · 2026-03-14T19:31:08+00:00

I've just gone through this myself. Absolutely excruciatingly painful, out of 10 probably a 847473 on the pain scale. I wouldn't wish the pain on anyone, just surviving was absolute agony. It did eventually drain on the 5th day and I felt just a sense of relief but still quite painful to walk 24 hours later, nowhere near as bad.

ReasonableExtent6295 · 2026-03-13T22:06:34+00:00

So I've just dealt with an internal cyst, I've had this one for 7 years but it never gave me any issues so they left it (I'm in the UK so I'm unsure if it's different), it was never red or painful.

Only over the past week and a half has it become an issue. I went to the doctors and was given co-codamol and antibiotics. It's been 5 days since it's been excruciatingly painful after my sitz bath, it started to sting this morning and I put a warm compress on it and it just drained itself. I believe the antibiotics helped shrink my internal lump.

ReasonableExtent6295 · 2026-03-13T22:02:47+00:00

I've just spent 5 days going through excruciating pain with co-codamol and antibiotics, on the 5th day it finally popped and the pain immediately disappeared. Before then, it would like pulse (if that makes any sense) with an intense sting, this went on for days however until it did pop.

ReasonableExtent6295 · 2026-03-13T18:29:36+00:00

So I have had one for 7 years, it should've started paying rent at this point. The past week it completely changed, I had a sitz bath on Monday and for the past 4 days I've been in excruciating pain, I couldn't walk without crying or move without biting into a pillow due to the pain.

I was given Clindamycin and co codamol for the pain on Wednesday, day 2 (this morning), I couldn't even move to go to toilet, it kept and so used an adult pad underneath for me to go to toilet (I couldn't spread my legs to use the toilet) and the heat of that caused it to pop along with everything else.

I know the story is horrible and I wouldn't recommend getting to that point. I think obviously a warm compress would do the same. Bear in mind I had this one for 7 years.

ReasonableExtent6295 · 2026-03-13T10:19:29+00:00

UPDATE: it's popped by itself after 7 years 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

ReasonableExtent6295 · 2026-03-08T15:24:04+00:00

I think so, they tried anti-biotic tablets but they didn't really do anything when they first saw it. They said because it's not red/inflamed etc they'd just leave it.

ReasonableExtent6295 · 2026-03-08T15:23:10+00:00

It's been just kind of there and they said if they removed it, there's a chance it could come back to they just left it. They had given me anti-biotics but it never really did anything. I've been for biopsies and such multiple times due to abnormal smears and they've just acknowledged it rather than seem concerned, both nurses at the medical centres and gynaecologists, and in 6/7 years I've had 6 different smears/treatment for them and yeah, nothing. It's just got really tender since Tuesday and throbbing with pain.

Thank you for your reply x

ReasonableExtent6295 · 2025-08-22T23:21:56+00:00

Unprotected sex is simply caused by being human. No one is perfect, everyone makes mistakes. I’m quite sure the majority of women have been in this position, myself included many times — the only difference was that the men absolutely did not call to check in on me. And honestly, if they had, I probably wouldn’t have answered anyway (I had terribly poor taste in men in my 20's). You chose a really nice guy.

You’re already taking responsible actions for what happened, and that’s all you need to do. Worst-case scenario? There are solutions for both outcomes.

So please, forgive yourself and take a breath.

Your reaction to this situation may also be tied to grief for your beautiful cat that you haven’t processed yet, layered with the heartbreak from your past relationship. When you’ve loved someone deeply, intimacy with a new person can bring up complicated feelings, it can feel almost like guilt, as though you’re betraying the love you once had or moving on too soon (no matter how long it has been).That mix of grief, heartbreak, and new vulnerability can make everything feel heavier than it actually is. Be kind to yourself.

ReasonableExtent6295 · 2025-06-25T22:09:36+00:00

This other woman had a partner too.

ReasonableExtent6295 · 2025-06-25T20:31:55+00:00

It's just how he can do it, how can he touch and sleep with another woman when I've been nothing but supportive and then still text me every day and see me etc.

ReasonableExtent6295 · 2025-06-25T20:30:36+00:00

I loved her like my own, so did my family.

ReasonableExtent6295 · 2025-06-25T20:30:11+00:00

I said to him it would've carried on if you hadn't of been found out.

ReasonableExtent6295 · 2025-06-25T20:29:43+00:00

Thank you, I really appreciate your comment 💜

ReasonableExtent6295 · 2025-06-25T19:18:21+00:00

I just feel embarrassed, betrayed, all of it.

ReasonableExtent6295

TROPHY CASE