labia cyst?

[needshelp]

After my shower a few days ago i noticed a "bump" on my right labia, it is slowly getting larger and it is not an external bump like a pimple, it is under the skin. Any ladies have any advice or should i try to get an appointment ASAP with my GYN? It is sore to the touch  and red. No drainage or anything.

[kenziesmom]

I've been wondering how you have been.  I haven't seen any of your posts in awhile. Is there a possibility that you used something that irritated you down below?  If not, sounds like you probably should visit the doctor.  Let us know how you make out.

[JJety]

It could be something as simple as an ingrown hair, or it could possibly be a herpes outbreak.  Is it possible that you have contracted an STD?  Whenever in doubt, see your doctor, but it might be nothing.

[justlittleolme]

I had a cyst (a bartholin gland cyst) on my outer labia. It was under the skin and a little red but no "head" or anything. When you lightly squeezed it you could feel that it was solid and the size of a small bean under there. The gyn said it might get bigger with wearing underwear and sex but to be honest when my partner and I started getting more sexually active it started to shrink and now I cant feel it. I know its not "gone" since they have to surgically remove them and it could pop up again, but for now it is.

You should definatly have it looked at

[needshelp]

I know it's not an STD as i haven't been intimate with anyone in a few yrs and when i had my hyster in August they checked me for everything.

[needshelp]

I have been having some computer issues. My internet browser updated and i lost all my bookmarks and such. Thats why i haven't been posting much.

[shygirl1981]

I had one of those recently too, and yes it sounds like a bartholin's gland cyst.  Mine shrunk and went away on it's own in few days. If yours doesnt go down, and continues to rise, you will need to see a doc. I know they certainly aren't fun, hope you feel better soon!

[edelweiss]

I am so baffled by my condition, which started a couple months ago.  Was diagnosed with bacterial vaginosis first.  Then a yeast infection which was treated with Diflucan. My nurse practictioner told me to not have intercourse for about 10 days to allow the yeast to clear up.  So, I waited the 10 days.  Then, after intercourse, I would feel so uncomfortable - itchy, burny, just not right, but the most alarming thing was that my labia minora (especically one side) would turn bright red and swell up like a balloon.  Very hard, and swollen and would take several hours for the swelling to subside.  This only happens during sex - other than that, no symptoms.  I went back to a different doctor thinking maybe the yeast infection hadn't cleared up - got another dose of Diflucan, lab results showed NO YEAST, and waited another 2 weeks before trying sex again.  

Same thing.  Swelled up literally like a balloon - bright red, hard  labia, uncomforable feeling at the base of vaginal opening.  I have no visible sores, only feel this after/during sex and chlamydia/gonorrhea test are negative.    I have not changed partners, have not changed soaps, lubricants, sheets anything different.  

Any ideas?  I am going for a second opinion with an MD in a couple weeks - but in the meantime, I am freaking out.

[hypenray]

What did the balloon thing end up being?

[dayauburn]

Have you tried sticking a needle directly into it. If so puss should come out and it could be a boil (ingrown hair). Also there is no way to test for herpes. The test that they do is to tell you whether or not you have been exposed and carry it.

[raedawn]

i have them quite often. they are almost like boils down there.  what i do is set in a hot tub of water for about 30 minutes. the heat will bring the infection to a head and when it does that you will be able to squeeze it.

[trac777]

An autoimmune disease called Behcet's Syndrome's initial symptoms closely resemble the herpes virus, causing inflammation, then later, vaginal sores, cuts, fissures, bumps, boils, or folliculitis (in grown hairs). If you have repeat episodes of any of these things and your tersts for all STD's ae negative you may then have Behcet's Disease. Other symptoms develop weeks to years later, so it is very important that you find out just what it is that is causing your symptoms. Don't be too quick to brush it off as nothing, Behcet's disease affects people of every age and every race. It is important you see a doctor who know's enough to help you. Ask them about Behcet's Syndrome, if they don't know enough to tell you what it is, they won't be able to tell you if you have it or not. You can also contact the free American Behcet's Disease Website for much more information. Behcet's is not contagious and it doesn't run in families. It is commonely triggered by strep throat, food poisoing or other infections or for unknown reasons that have permenitally damaged the immune system. Stress, injury, common illnesses, and genital to gential contact are common causes for later flares. People with this illness need to rest more often and take better care of themselves. Even then, they will need medicine and a good doctor to stay well. Some common symptoms are chronic yeast infections, bowel, or bladder inflammaton, later arthritis, chronic fatique, muscle pain, and eventually eye inflammation and central nervous system symptoms.It is different for everyone who has it.  I'm not sure what the problem is for you, but I recommend you ask for a herpes blood test if you have this problem repeatedly. Behcet's syndrome is treated by a Rheumotologist in coordination with your GYN and possibly other doctors.

[corkmom]

i suffer from abscess down there for yrs. at the moment i have one on my outer labia lip. its extremly painful. ive been to dr and am on antibiotics and painkillers. it has burst after 4 days of soaking in savlon baths. today ive found and burst 2 more that came up on the join of my leg/thigh area. ive had loads of tests but nothing has ever shown up. they are a pain in the butt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[trac777]

There is no test that can prove whether you have BD or not, it is diagnosed only by the symptoms, some of which may not show up for years. The problem with that is you'd be sick without treatment until it's so bad that a doctor finally feels they have enough visually proof to be comfortable making the diagnosis. I waited 15 years and saw over one hundred doctors, that is about the average right now. Doctors like things to be proven with tests. The first part of treatment is antibotics, to make sure you don't have a lingering infection. You will notice though, this won't stop the symptoms. Bechet's is a reaction your body continues having because the immune system was damaged by something. If you continue to have problems you'll need some prednisolone atleast during flarers and possibly other immune suppressants. Without treatment there is a chance you could have problems like blood clots, stroke, and brain inflammation because Behcet's disease attacks the vascular system and cannot be detected by tests. Most vasculitis has only been studied during autopsies, not from imaging like CT"S and MRI's. Patients often have these tests repeatedly with no luck. Also doctors fail to mention how much radiation you are being exposed to by these tests.  It can get very painful all over, and it can get serious very fast so it's important to fight now, while you have the strength to do it. This sooner you are treated the better you will be doing ten years from now.

[cananyonehelp]

Hi all, about 5 weeks ago i found a small lump on my outer labia and since then its been growing and growing in size! I've had ingrowing hairs before, but it doesn't feel the same, this lump is hard and is rather deep. I went to the doctors today and got given a doctor who didnt seem to have a clue what she was doing, she said it felt like a cyst and to just go away leave it and see what happens! I thought after seeing a doctor it would make me feel better but it really hasnt, the lump is the size of about 2peas and is really uncomfy... can anyone help me?

[trac777]

Please read my messages above. Soaking in a hot bath will help bring the infection to a head, then you will be able to drain it. It will not start to heal until you can drain it. Do not try to sqeeze it before it comes to a head or it could rupture under the skin surf and spread the infection around.

[trac777]

An autoimmune disease called Behcet's Syndrome's initial symptoms closely resemble the herpes virus, causing vaginal sores, cuts, fissures, folliculitis and or inflammation in the genital area. Other symptoms develop many years later. It is different in everyone who has it. . Your immune system is in over drive. It is an autoimmune disorder caused by enviromental damage to your immune system.  It could get better or worse, depending on how well you take care of yourselves and how well you are treated.

. My symptoms started at age fifteen with itching, inflammation, then folliculitis (ingrown hairs), then cuts all over the vagina from time to time. It is different for everyone who has it. Some people just have inflammation where others may get cuts, or sores aswell. Folliculitis is a type of acne and is very common in Behcet's and occurs during or before a "flare" and can be on the face or anywhere. Chronic yeast infections and BV come hand and hand with Behcet's because it is a immune system disorder that weakens the immune system because the immune system is working in over drive. You are now allergic to more things. It is not contagious and it doesn't run in families. Researchers around the world think it is triggered by strep throat or from other enviromental causes. It has been proven to not be genetic. Gential to Gential contact will cause a reaction "flare" in these people, so will a common illness, injury, or stress. It is very important for people who have this to rest often, use condoms, and take good care of themselves to avoid flares. They will also need medication like steriods and or immune suppressants, depending on their case.  Someone who needs a lot of medication to start, might not need that much with a little time. Common symptoms later in the disease, if it goes untreated, are digestive symptoms, bowel inflammation, possible bladder inflammation that feels like a bladder infection, arthritis, fibromyalga, and very late in the disease serious eye inflammation and possibly central nervous system involvement. People rarely die from this illness, the main thing a person has to be worried about is quality of life. That why you want to be proactive, not scared. This disease can be managed if properly treated.

For about ten years I had the gential symptoms and was sure it was herpes. My doctors said there was nothing else it could be wvwn though all my cultures came back negative and never mentioned it again. None of the medication for herpes had ever helped me and I also noticed my husband never got sick from me. The inflammation was the worst and I was using hydrocortisone on my own by then for some relief.

I started having other symptoms like irritable bowel syndrome and fatigue. Then after I had two children my symptoms got a lot worse. FIbromyalga, Interstitial Cystitis, Epi-scleritis (inflammation of the small blood vessels in my eyes), and things like that. My immune system was attacking my body. It took years before I had enough symptoms and saw enough doctors to start getting it treated. They are still not totally sure what is wrong with me. There is a lot of misconceptions about these things because they are thought to be rare. The truth is that they are just highly under treated in the United States. They think I have something called Behcet's Syndrome, the world's oldest known disease. It is an autoimmune disease that can be very mild or more severe. It is hard to tell what it is unless you are able to get enough of the symptoms well documented and you have just the right symptoms even though your symptoms might be totally different than everyone else's symptoms. The stress in your life plays a big role in how bad your flares will be.

There are no tests that can tell if you have Behcet's. It is based on symptoms only. Vaginal symptoms that look like herpes (herpes causes inflammation, cuts, or sores), canker sores in the mouth at least three times per year, and inflammation in the blood vessels in the eyes. It can take years for enough of the symptoms to show up and they usually don't show up at the same time. You really need to fight for answers. Go to the American Behcet's Association for more information, but remember when you are there, those are the worst cases, most people with Behcet's don't have it that severe and do well with treatment.


I don't have an offical Behcet's Syndrome diagnosis yet is because I have yet to have any serious organ damage documented, which can actually be really hard to do. Not everyone has to wait as long as I have been waiting. A lot of the time small damage from tissue and blood vessel inflammation can not be seen by any tests. Often, surgery is required for them to find vasculitis. That is how they found vasculitis in me during surgery looking for endometriosis. If it wasn't for that I wouldn't still be waiting to start treatment. I am lucky because my symptoms have not been as serious as some, but it has also been a big problem because I have been suffering greatly and not gotten the help I needed many times. Most of my symptoms cannot be seen and it's been very hard to prove that something is wrong.  I have had to fight back against people thinking this was all in my mind. I have had to find a medical cause for my symptoms on my own and a lot of time was wasted because it came on over a long period of time. Only one of the hundreds of doctors I've seen had ever even heard of Behcet's Syndrome, he was a GI doctor. They do not look for it. One doctor, my Rheumatologist, told me he didn't even believe it existed. This disease is very real. It's treated all over the world, but most American doctors no nothing about it. They do not know the symptoms or how to treat it. They rely on old information and still think it only happens to people in the middle east even though research has shown it happens because something has damaged the immune system and not because of your genes. It does not run in families and it is not always a text book case. You would think it would show up on MRI's, but often with Behcet't it's the very smallest blood vessels involved, and those don't show up most of the time. It takes a big incident for them to see it and prove that you have it . American doctors don't want to be liable for treating anything until they have enough medical proof to be sure that you require the treatment. It is not easy to get that far. For us, it is more important to get the treatment before something bad happens, not afterwards. I have all the symptoms and I am being treated with immune suppressants and I have had several doctors diagnosis my symptoms as Behcet's Syndrome, but with this disease the ultimate decision is up to the Rheumatologist. My rheumatologist says it shouldn't matter if I have an official diagnosis as long as it is being treated. He says he is more concerned right now that I will lose my ability to qualify for insurance once I have a diagnosis. One thing to look for as far as tests are concern would be a a slighly high white blood cell count...your nerophils mainly, but others white cells also. It could mean just that you aren't feeling well at the time to have it be a little high, but if you can gather your records and show that you have an on going problem with a high white blood cell count, that would be a first step in showing your doctors something is not normal.

[trac777]

One more thing....I've seen over twenty GYN's as well as other doctors and I did my own research on the possible causes for the inflammation and for the cuts some people with Behcet's Syndrome get. I can tell you from what I have learned  that these symptoms are not caused by any type of HPV. They also would not be caused by Herpes 1 in people with no other apparent serious health problems like HIV. Bacterial Vaginosis and Yeast Infections may cause inflammation and small cracks in the folds of the skin, they do not cause cuts in center areas of the skin, and they heal without reoccurance once the infection is treated. An anal fissure can sometimes occur in the center area of the pernium (between the front and back) because of straining or constipation. Unless you have developed more than one cut at a time at some point, or have developed cuts in different areas of the genitals other than the pernium, a pernium cut may just be a fissure. An anal fissure would be a single cut that keeps happening in the same place over and over again on in the center of the pernium. An anal fissure is caused by repeatedly tearing open the thin skin in that area from straining. Not like the small cuts that just happen for no reason the way they happen with the Herpes Simplex Virus and Behcet's Syndrome. I have one cut the comes back over and over again on my pernium area, but I also get cuts in other areas from time to time aswell along with severe inflammation. All of my hormone levels are normal. Those are the only things I've found that could be the possible causes for these symptoms. Just having the inflammation is a symptom, not everyone get's the little cuts. Not everyone get's full blown Behcet's either. If you take good care of yourself, you can do really well.


I wanted to add I have herpes 1. Just about everyone has it. It should not be causing your symptoms unless something is wrong with your immune system. I had the new herpes blood test that showed I have herpes 1 but not herpes 2. We started doing culture after culture of my cuts trying to see if it was herpes 1. I have never had a culture come back positive for anything. It took a long time to prove it, but we have finally established my cuts are not caused by herpes 1. Herpes 1 is much milder than herpes 2 and should not be causing ongoing vaginal symptoms. If it is, it still says something is wrong with your immune system. The white blood cells were the only thing they could find abnormal with my tests. They found them in my blood and in my cultures every time I wasn't feeling good. For years they would say, well that's because you're not feeling well today. Until I gathered 15 years of records showing that I am not feeling well on a regular basis, that was the first clue.

[trac777]

The real reason no one is getting treated for this is all about money. It would cost a lot to treat us, and they also are worried about liability and that having us around makes their jobs a lot more difficult. We force them to go beyond their routine,  beyond what has ever been expected of them. There are nasty little secrets the medical community has ignored, mainly when it comes to enviromental toxins, for many many years. So they only end up treating the one's who are pretty much dying and they have no choice and they tell us how very rare it is and that was why it took them so long to figure it out.

[trac777]

Folliculitis that is a sign of an untreated skin infection, an ingrown hair, or it could be caused by an auto immune disorder. Just keep an eye out for other symptoms.

[cananyonehelp]

Thanks for your posts... I have tried quite a few hot baths and it hasnt done anything, this lump isn't near the surface and because of this it really doesnt feel as though it will ever pop! Do you think i'd be over exagerating to go back to my doctors and see someone else? I've had no other problems in the past but this lump has really concerned me.. the doctor i went to see seemed to brush it off and didnt really have a proper examination of the area at all, i think she expects me to live with this cyst forever! has anyone had a cyst removed before?

thanks in advance for your help... :)

[bkddkd]

should i pop my cyst?

[HappyBondageMistress]

I'm just shy of 20 and I've had this cyst for a few years. I went to a gyno and she brushed me off and said I was clear of any std's. The syst seems to have started and slowly spread, I'm a little concerned and feel really self-conscious about it with my partner.

It's close enough to the surface that I've been able to pop it with a pin, but it doesn't go down. It just seems to stay full of pus and it gets hard. Will it become a callous? I'm scared to let it go because it might develop into something else.

Should I try another doctor?

[poth8503]

Try Green Tea bags. I have a bump on my labia also. I figured when I get swelling anywhere else I put Green Tea bags on them and they go away. So far it seems to be working with this.

Put the tea bag in a little bit of water and put it in the microwave. Make sure it's as warm as you can stand to have it. It should help take the swelling down. Like I said, it seems to be working with me. Just make sure you do it every few hours or when it starts hurting.

[Nursekitten]

I myself have been dealing with these "cysts" for several years. I only noticed them when I gained alot of weight in a short span of time. The first one I got I remember thinking I had herpes for sure, it was traumatizing and I wouldn't see a doctor for fear of what the result would be. Then finally after a month it just "popped" and went away. I did full STD screening after that and everything was negative. I have probably had about 20 or so episodes of these cysts. One time it was so bad and painful just under the left labia majora (where it rubs against your jeans) and I was also on my period which seemed to intesify the pain, swelling, and inflammation. I booked it to the ER as I couldnt bear the pain any longer, I hadn't slept in 3 days. They did a simple procedure, I&D (incision and drainage) and that was that. I still have a crater like scar in the area. It seems I get 1-2 every few months, sometimes in the vaginal area, mostly on the inner thighs now, and when they do pop, they leave this ugly black patch of skin or skin tag. I personally believe this has alot to do with your weight, diet, and the amount you exercise. These cysts really are harmless, and they do have to form a head in order to squeeze the liquid out. From personal experience...DO NOT FORCE IT. Warm compresses on and off every 30 minutes, warm baths/showers, teabags also work as a compress. If you force the cyst it WILL become larger, as well as more painful. Be patient, wait for the head to appear. Usually you can tell when a small crater like opening shows in the center. Gently massaging the out areas after warm compresses can ease it into a head. But be patient as this can take several days, sometimes a week depending on how deep it is. The cyst is usually very hard at the base, the goal is to loosen this up and enable it to release completely, not half way. I hope this short story helped someone. If you are seriously concerned with anything at all though, self diagnosis is not the way to go. Many...many...many diagnosis carry the same symptoms of hundreds of diseases and syndromes. Always consult your doctor if you are unsure.