So, I just had my first egg sized bartholin cyst ever since last sunday. It was a manageable pain until three days ago where I was in tears every few hours from the pain. I had only tried hot baths and hot compresses until I came across a post yesterday and was totally prepared to go to the pharmacy today and pick up supplies for this home remedy I read about... but I scheduled an appointment with a gyno because I was in that much pain. I knew what it was already from countless hours of research on the internet so when the doctor told me that's what it was, it was no surprise.

But she did encourage me to try the home remedy of soaking in very hot salt baths 4 times a day first until it popped and she prescribed me Antibiotics which I can't take anyways from allergies to amoxicillin. She said if it didn't go away in a few days that she would lance it for me, but that would be even more painful than the pain I was experiencing at the moment. And odds were that it would close quickly and definitely come back. It was nice to hear that she didn't want to lance it right away to get it over with as I've read about many women having it lanced only to come back days later and hurting worse.

Soooo.. low and behold I was in the middle of Grand Central Station on my way home from the doctor back to Brooklyn when my stupid cyst burst open. It felt like a rush of liquid falling out. I booked it to the restroom and found blood and puss coming out. IMMEDIATE relief. I was so happy. After squeezing my legs together for the hour journey home on the subway, I finally made it home to take a hot salt bath to clean out. And then I applied Phoebe's home remedy of 1 oz calamine lotion, 1 tsp of tea tree oil**, and 1 tsp of witch hazel solution to the remaining lump.(I soaked up a cotton pad with the mixture and held it on the lump) It's a cooling relief. Any pain left over stopped right away upon application. And it has helped in keeping the draining process going.

I am so happy that this problem is almost gone. I'll continue my hot salt baths 3 times a day for a week just because I'm paranoid and probably once a night for like ever!!! just to be safe!! : )

DON'T GET LANCED!! I know it's painful, believe me I cried for 3 days straight. It will pop eventually with the right techniques. Mine took 9 days to pop.

-Melisa ** I've heard tea tree oil burns for some people and it does if you use just tea tree oil. I tried it because that's all I had at the time. But if you mix a small amount with the calamine and witch hazel, it creates a soothing effect. or just leave it out if you'd rather play it safe. OR forget the whole mixture altogether as it only took hot salt baths, hot compresses, and walking even when it hurt for me to burst.