Last night after a terribly painful weekend, my bartholin cyst popped. Luckily I had put some lidocane on the outside, and took 1 1/2 percosets earlier that night. It drained a small amount of red liquid all night. It is still as large as it was, about 1" x 2", and hard as a rock. I can't get in to see the OB until Dec 20th. I started putting tree tea oil in my baths yesterday. Anything else I should do or worry about?

Well, you probably don't need to go to the OB/GYN now, since what was needed was lancing of the cyst! Since it has finally ruptured and is draining, all that you need to do is keep it open and draining. This means at least daily soaks in a warm tub. I don't know if tea tree oil will do anything positive, but it probably won't hurt. It is the moist heat that will help keep it draining. It should already feel much better and should improve each day. You need to call your doc if the surrounding tissue becomes inflamed, swollen, red, and more painful or if you develop a fever. That would indicate the tissues had become infected.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/bartholin-cyst/DS00667/DSECTION=7

Jan

Thanks Jan...my worry is that it is so hard. After it "popped", it did feel much better, but it's still huge, and painful to the touch. My primary doc thought it was going to have to come out. And does it sting when I pee! WooWee!

I'm sure that it will take a week or so to resolve since it has been causing trouble for a while. But, understand that sometimes they recur. Then they have to be surgically removed.

Jan

I had to have the gland removed because after thry drained it, it got hard and seriously leaked for like, a month. Squirt yourself with a waterbottle every time you go to dull the concentration of urine, it deffinitely helps a lot with the stinging.

Thanks Jan & Chelsea,

Just in the last 24 hours it has continued drained and shrunk quite a bit. Hopefully it will keep doing this and go away.

Unfortunately I'm in hotel rooms all week, traveling for work. So it will have to be hot showers instead of baths...(who knows where these tubs have been). Since it has opened up, I don't want to take any chances getting a Fairfield Inn infection...(kidding.)

Thanks again.

Hi Cataja, maybe try a hot wash cloth in that area since a bath is out of the question for now. It will soften it up and help with the drainage.