I am now 32 years old, and have had Bartholin Cysts on both sides since I was about 17 or 18 (before I was sexually active). I have found that sexual arousal increases the size of the cysts, and they will slowly grow in size over the course of a few months. As long as they do not enlarge in a short course of time (which is indicative of an infection, and you need antibiotis to fight the infection) I can drain them on my own.

The left gland only has a partially blocked duct, so if I am in the shower, or just after a warm sitz bath, I can apply pressure to the gland, and I can depress the fluid out. It should be a relatively clear, mucousy discharge. If it is not, then you might need to get to a doctor to get some antibiotics and a culture. But, manual manipulation will decrease the size of my left gland.

However, the duct of my right gland is completely blocked. This requires a little more drastic measure to drain the cyst. If you are squeemish, please stop reading this paragraph, and continue onto the next paragraph. I go on ebay, and purchase about 10 needles at a time. Make sure when you get them, that the paper appears to never have been wet, and there is a good seal on the needles, or do not use them!!! I would suggest buying somewhere around a 22gauge needle. You need it to be large enough, to have a decent size hole in the middle, to let the fluid escape. My first gyno at 18 taught me how to drain it. She said, make sure to take a shower, and wash everything good. Then, after you are dry, take a cotton ball with a very mild hand soap on it (I use Ivory hand soap) and wash the area, pretty close to the vaginal opening. Then use a couple more cotton balls with warm water to rinse the area. (Its almost like you are cleaning for a urine specimin, but in a slightly different area.) Then, pull back on the labia, to expose the inner area. I generally sit backwards over the toilet, with a mirror between the seat and toilet basin, so I can see. You can see the difference between the two types of skin, with a sort of line as they change appearance. You want to be on the inner type of skin. Imagine the Bartholin's cyst as a little water-balloon just under the skin. You want to press the needle directly into the cyst. The pressure inside the cyst will push liquid out the hole of the needle. Does the needle hurt? Yes. It sometimes takes me several minutes to get up the nerve to push the needle in. But, the relief is almost instantaneous as the fluid drains out. It will kindof drip out the end of the needle. Normal, uninfected fluid should be a relatively clear, mucousy consistency. Once it slows down, you can put a little pressure on the gland, and maybe push a little more out. I can get the size down to about a grape, by using the needle. You cannot get all the fluid out, because the needle will start to rub against the inner walls of the cyst, and you don't want to cause damage. If the fluid is green, or smells, or has more of a puss-like consistency...immediately go to the doctor, because it is not normal fluid build-up, but rather an infection. Again, please make sure to dispose of any used needles in a safe manner. My local casino has sharps containers on the walls of their bathrooms (I guess for all the older patrons with diabetes.) However, if you do not have access to a sharps container, then place the needles in a very sturdy container, such as an empty film container, like the 35mm or Advantix films came in, tape the lid shut, and write “SHARPS” on the tape. Then it can be tossed into the trash.

In about 15 years of double Bartholin Cysts, I have only had 2 infections. An infection has a tendency to grow exponentially fast (in under a week becoming so painful that you cannot sit, stand, walk...) and needs to be immediatly treated by a doctor. But, if it just slowly grows and accumulates fluids, you can manage them on your own. I do not have any insurance, so spending a few bucks on ebay, has allowed me to handle most situations myself.

But, in dealing with them on my own for 15 years now, I am ready to actually have surgery to hopefully eliminate the problem. I will be scheduled for a double marsupialization sometime in the next month. I can handle quite a bit of pain, and it should be relatively short-lived, right after surgery. But, my question is, for those who have had marsupialization of their Bartholin glands, how big has the resultant opening been. I have heard anywhere from healed completely/cant’s see it, to a one-inch gaping hole. My doctor says it should be about the size of a pencil eraser, but I am curious about the real life experiences and outcomes you ladies have seen.