The Student Room Group

Swelling/lump (graphic)

Last night I noticed a pain down below and I can feel that one of the sides of my vagina is swollen, i guess there is a lump on the side. I am on my period at the moment but this is the first time it has happened. It's only painful if I touch it or if I cross my legs and if I lay in certain positions. Anybody else had this before? It's not amazingly painful, just a bit sore as if it's bruised or something. The fact that it looks swollen really worries me though. :frown:

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Reply 1
Anonymous
Last night I noticed a pain down below and I can feel that one of the sides of my vagina is swollen, i guess there is a lump on the side. I am on my period at the moment but this is the first time it has happened. It's only painful if I touch it or if I cross my legs and if I lay in certain positions. Anybody else had this before? It's not amazingly painful, just a bit sore as if it's bruised or something. The fact that it looks swollen really worries me though. :frown:


One of my friends had this recently - she described it in almost exactly the same way - and was diagnosed yesterday as having endometriosis, or an endometriotic cyst. Or whatever it's called. I don't want to panic you, but you should definitely get to the doctor's as soon as possible so they can give you an ultrasound.

xxx
do you shave down there?
if in doubt go see a doc as soon as you can ;-)
Reply 4
No I don't shave down there.

A cyst? Won't that have to be removed??
Reply 5
I would see a doctor, they are professional and know what the problem may or may not be.
Reply 6
hmm i had same problem but i shave and turned out to be a ingrown hair which got infected now its gone but i got one on otherside:smile:
Reply 7
Go to the doctor. I could be a whole unch of things and you don't want to do nothing and endanger your fertility/sexual organs, do you?
Best to see your doctor they deal with things like this everyday so they will know.
i had a similar thing which lasted for a couple of weeks and then it recently came back. I didn't really want to see the doctor so i decided to keep the area clean. It has now vanished but that area where the lump was is now a little dark. I suggest you should see the doctor and if mine was to come back i would too.
yeah see your doctor.
your body reacts differently when you're on your period so maybe it would be best to wait until you've finished bleeding?! might make it easier for the doctor to examine you too.
Reply 11
I might wait until after my period and see how it is then...I've done a bit of research and looks as if it might be a harmless cyst. Bartholin cyst?
I really don't want to have to see the doctor if I can avoid it...hoping it will go away by itself.
Reply 12
Anonymous
I might wait until after my period and see how it is then...I've done a bit of research and looks as if it might be a harmless cyst. Bartholin cyst?
I really don't want to have to see the doctor if I can avoid it...hoping it will go away by itself.


It's good to do research but I don't think self-diagnosis is the way forward here. Definitely see your doctor as soon as possible, don't just think it'll go away by itself. If it does, it might come back as a bigger problem. If you're not comfortable with going to the doctor while you're on your period, just go to talk about it and so that he/she can feel the lump from the outside. If they want to do some kind of internal thing (I wouldn't have thought they would, but I guess it depends where it is) then you can just wait a few days.
Anonymous
I might wait until after my period and see how it is then...I've done a bit of research and looks as if it might be a harmless cyst. Bartholin cyst?
I really don't want to have to see the doctor if I can avoid it...hoping it will go away by itself.



That sounds quite a likely diagnosis, I'd recommend seeing a doctor or visiting your GUM clinic though, because a professional opinion is always better, and if you're right they'll check it doesn't get worse and give you antiboiotics to make it go away quicker. :smile:
Reply 14
Anonymous
Last night I noticed a pain down below and I can feel that one of the sides of my vagina is swollen, i guess there is a lump on the side. I am on my period at the moment but this is the first time it has happened. It's only painful if I touch it or if I cross my legs and if I lay in certain positions. Anybody else had this before? It's not amazingly painful, just a bit sore as if it's bruised or something. The fact that it looks swollen really worries me though. :frown:


why are you even on here asking us what to do darling? panic, call your doctor, and get yourself in his/her office ASAP.

the problem with self diagnosis is that wow!!! you haven't been to medical school, and have no idea of some of the nuances that might seperate things out.....

if you're scared to go in to your doctor get over yourself. they aren't trained to see your problem (or even your vagina) as disturbing. so get over yourself and head in!
i have the same prob. I finally went to the docs after 6 months after reporting lumps near my gential/grinal area. (similar to described above) The doctor told me its a cyst and prescribed me: oxytetracycline as i was allergic to some other medication. I haven't taken it yet and because i have been put off for many reasons..a) its for 6 months, to be taken twice a day and b) its causes side affects like, nausea, vomiting, diarroeha, skin rash and even thrush. Does any one know if this will even help because when it says it is for skin bacteria but doesn't specify that it will remove or reduce the cyst..:confused:
Reply 16
Anonymous
i have the same prob. I finally went to the docs after 6 months after reporting lumps near my gential/grinal area. (similar to described above) The doctor told me its a cyst and prescribed me: oxytetracycline as i was allergic to some other medication. I haven't taken it yet and because i have been put off for many reasons..a) its for 6 months, to be taken twice a day and b) its causes side affects like, nausea, vomiting, diarroeha, skin rash and even thrush. Does any one know if this will even help because when it says it is for skin bacteria but doesn't specify that it will remove or reduce the cyst..:confused:


Presumably with 6 + years of training, a doctor is going to have some idea fo what drugs work for which ailments. :rolleyes: Besides, cysts are often caused by a bacterial infection, so unless it is caused by some wierd rare species, I'm sure the antibiotics will work fine. Surely taking antibiotics for 6 months is better than a load of recurring, painful lumps? And side effects are only 'possible', not 'definite'; the drug producers have to put them on but that doesn't mean that they're a certainty. For example, I'm on some medication at the moment and the list of side effects is HUGE and slightly horrific- there must be about 40 or so different ones- but I've experienced maybe one or two or the least serious ones (occasional headaches which could be caused by something else, and a bit of sleepiness). I guess what I'm trying to say is, trust the doctor and take the drugs dammit!
It could be a cyst, depending on what sort of lump it is. These can get very painful, and turn into abcesses (or from abcesses into cysts), and have to be drained. Sometimes they are marsupialised which means they are kind of left a bit open incase they get infexted again. I would go and talk to a doctor asap, believe me, its better than leaving it.
Reply 18
Actually, when I used to wear REALLY tight jeans, I used to get swellings down there from corssing my legs and stuff getting trapped. They went down after about a week, but they were quite tender. I bought new jeans.
Reply 19
Oxytetracycline huh? thats a cure-all when it comes to skin inflamations.