I'm looking for some helpful ideas. About a year ago my wife developed a branchial cleft cyst. This is a birth defect that sometimes shows up later in life. When she first had it diagnosed we were told that it would be fine as long as it didn't become infected and then surgery would be the answer.
About three months ago it began to swell and became about the size of a baseball so we went to the surgeon and made arrangements to have it removed. In the meantime, I began administering a mixture of herbs and it reduced in size to about where it was when we first went to the dr a little over a year ago. Our family doctor told her that so long as we are able to control it she would be better off not having the surgery. I, of course, agree.
I would like to see it reduced even further so she is continuing with the decoction but I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with this kind of thing and if you might suggest what I can do to shrink it even further.
I'm using dandelion root, yarrow, marshmallow root, white willow bark, ginger root in the mixture and she is also taking plantain and yellow dock in capsule form.
Any ideas?

I do not have experience with this specific type of cyst but I have with regular sebacious cysts and fibrocystic breast disease.

Lugol's iodine is the answer. apply it topically twice a day. You can also add a touch of DMSO to add penetrating power but it was not necessary on the cysts we did, but yours is much larger. Taking it orally will also help as that is how I eliminated thyroid cysts. I did not do topical for those.

I suggest you do a forum search here. Just type in iodine and many articles come up. You have to wonder why this became an issue at this point in life. Perhaps complete and total iodine deficiency. You may want to read these articles.

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Thanks Arrowwind, but no, she is not idodine deficient. This particular kind of cyst, according to the experts, is because during the embryonic growth slits (they like to call them gills and there are five on each side) are covered one by one as skin grows over and fills them in. Occasionally, there will be a place where the skin did not fill in. So, in some cases later in life (my wife is in her fifties) it becomes fluid filled and begins to grow. I read someplace that it might be associated with menopause.
There is a simple test to find if one is iodine sufficient. All one has to do is paint a portion of skin on the soft part of the inner arm, or on the inner thigh, or on the tummy. If the idodine disappears in two hours or less the individual is definately iodine deficient. If it disappears in four hours the person is moderately iodine deficient. Thanks again.

Did you do the iodine test?

If herbs can make it shrink, why not iodine? What action was it in the herbs that caused it to shrink?
I would think it is worth a try as it is harmless and worth ruling out before a surgery.

BTW, many menapause symtoms can be alleviated with iodine both topical and or oral

Thanks again Arrowwind 09,
Yes, I did the iodine test and it was normal. Yours is the only advise I've gotten so far and I am totally willing to try it. Will be searching for the Lugol's Iodine.

I have had success getting rid of regular cyst with the iodine. But I dont know what type of cyst we have... Foster daughter gets one in private areas right before her monthly period, and painting it with the iodine gets rid of it everytime, but they do still come back....

Have you tried using castor oil packs? I think I would use castor oil packs...Easy to do, and I have seen results in a matter of twenty minutes on some things...

I also took care of a young man at one point who had a mole growing on his back... We used essiac tea packs... Tore apart a teabag, and mixed the contents of the bag with rice bran oil and then sort of glob it on the mole, and covered with a 4x4. Would leave it over night....With in a weeks time, we noticed that the mole was smaller and lighter..

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God is and all is well
~John Greenleaf Whittier~

This kind of cyst is proportionately pretty rare. That's why I'm having difficulty getting information. All of the allopathic recommendations lead to surgery after antibiotic treatment.
I'm becoming more and more convinced that, eventually, surgery might be unavoidable, but I'm trying everything I know and whatever I can learn. I have the iodine ordered and I'm going to use NSP Silver shield as well. My main objective for now is to get enough natural antibiotics in there to keep it from becoming infected. Secondly, to control it altogether. I have not used a compress but I have used a topical mixture.Thanks for your input.

Cysts are sometimes made of pretty tough firbrous tissue forming a sack that fills with different kinds of things, like puss, basically dead white blood cell that can even get very hard and if expressed can have a stringy quality, other cysts fill with serious sanquinous (blood tinged) fluid, other cysts can formulate around a very active infection, but these type generally eventually seek an outside channel to drain.

If you can get the body to molilize and self drain the cyst through herbs or iodine you might be able to avoid surgery. If the actual fibrous sack does not break down it could refill after a time, in which case you would have to treat again. In time your wife could determine if surgery is really worth it.

What you have here kind of reminds me of a pilonidal cyst that forms at the base of the spine and can beome huge and very painful. With a cyst in this location I would recommend surgery because it is such a difficult place to self treat. On the other hand in my work I have seen these surguries go quite bad due to MRSA on several occasions, and recently I heard that my nephew just went through this, no MRSA for him but with a huge gapping wound at his tailbone he was sent home to self administer his dressing for which his wife was too grossed out to help with, that required about 10 feet of kerlex for packing. Man I'd like to get my hands on the neck of the doctor who put him in this position.....and to make matters worse they refused to give him no more that 3 days worth of pain meds at a time... and wouldn't you know it, all this, then the Northridge earthquake happened. In all the turmoil and inability to find and get help with his wound he ended up going from door to door begging for pain medicine and dressings. It did eventually heal.

Hello,
I can across this board searching for an answer as I have a branchial cyst that has flarred up again. 2 years ago I was on Ayurvedic and Chinese herbs for this with success and a cooling anti inflamatory diet which was successful. After 6 months of going off diet and herbs it returned to the size of a chicken egg. I have been using Neem, Marshmallow and Fever few which keeps it undercontrol but not gone. I have difficulty with the diet as I love spices and lots of meat which all cause heat and inflamation in the body. I was searching for a different herbal product on the internet first before going back to my Ayurvedic physican. In years past it would flare up after dental work and my mainstream primary would simply drain it, but he has since retired and I cannot find a doctor who is willing to drain so that is why i sought a natural alternative. I know what your wife is going through. I wear a bandana or scarves. The fever few really helps with any pain that sometimes occurs. I will double the dose on the Fever few which helps. I also get the Fever Few and Marshmallow at Wegmans. Neem they sometimes have or will special order, but usually I get the Neem from iherb.com Anyway, if I find anything that would help permanently or even a little I will post. Please if you find something working for your wife do let me know and post as well.
God bless-

Singer Girl
Thanks for your response. In that decoction that I spoke of in my first post, marshmallow was included.
I think what happened was that after the antibiotic did not work and I began with the decoction, it was actually whatever was left of the antibiotic that worked with the decoction to make it shrink. Then after a few weeks it began to grow again.
I'm using Nature's Sunshine products but I'll tell you what I'm doing and you can use what you will. She takes Cat's Claw (Una de Gato) for that deep down antibiotic action, chickweed, oregon grape (liquid form) and Silver Shield (which is a colloidal silver). It has stayed fairly small since we began using it but I have no idea if we'll be able to get rid of it or if it will grow again once we stop the herbs and formulas. I imagine we will probably have to resort back to the treatment from time to time until we find a better way.
Hers does not hurt and causes no discomfort except when it was swollen at which time it was painful, and causing headaches, etc. She says she can easily live with it as it is so long as it does not enlarge again.
Have you tried massage? or is it too painful? I've been wondering about it as it seems like movement would help. My wife has not really dieted but she does walk a couple of miles most days which I also think helps.
Best to you!

Thanks for the quick reply! I have cat's claw and the Colloidal Silver on hand- I will add them to the mixture as it sounds like your wife's has gone down alot. Chick weed and Oregon Grape is new to me. But, after reading up on it they sound like potent cooling anti inflammatories which I am willing to add in. I have also started the other day letting one capsule each dissolve under my tongue, then I swallow the rest. Herbs get into the system with more potential than through the digestive tract. The saliva dissolves the herbs into a paste and I hold it there for 1-2 minutes before swallowing. It takes a couple of times to get used to as the Neem (cooling anti inflammatory and anti biotic) is very bitter. I have tried massage, I seem to start clearing my throat when I do this. I did not know if this was causing it to drain or if it was from sinus. Does this happen to your wife also? I have read that there is lymph tissue that is apart of the branchial. Which could be part of the draining. The main stream medical field only offers surgery and I am not for doing that as it is very dangerous being next to the artery and facial nerves. It would be nice if I could find a physician who would just drain it with a syringe like my former physician used to.
Although the other side of that coin is my desire to know what it is that I'm lacking in my body, vitamins, minerals or consuming too much of that causes it to flare. I also started taking 2 vitamins a day. Once in the morning and one in the afternoon instead of reaching for coffee when feeling sluggish, I take another vitamin which seems to boost me better. Thank you again- please do keep me posted on results. It makes me feel like I'm not alone out there fighting this.
Blessings and peace-

Singer girl, I mentioned using iodine in another post on this thread. You might look into that. I know woman who use to have cystes drained with a needle in fibrocystic disease. Now those cysts are gone due to the use of iodine both orally and topically.

Singer Girl,
I don't know how old you are but my wife is 58 and is post menopausal. I have read someplace, that hormonal change can initiate the flareup. That is what the chickweed is for. You may want to think in terms of hormonal imbalance even if you are younger.
I know what you mean about feeling alone as I have searched for help on three different sites to no avail. I guess I shouldn't say that because there have been some suggestions here. One thing I found out was that my wife cannot tolerate iodine!
I have also read that lymph is related to the cyst and I know that lymph can be moved so, even if it only helps a little that's a big step. Your feelings about surgery reflect ours exactly. We saw a doctor who wanted to do surgery but he would not drain it ahead of time. That's why we are doing what we're doing.
Today I am making up a couple of syrups for treatment of other things but I think I will make one up for my wife as well. I'll let you know if it is helpful. And, if you come across anything we can try let me know as well.
Like I said, hers is at the place where there is no discomfort and it really doesn't look all that bad but I would like to be rid of it entirely. I know she would as well.
Stay tuned

There is a homeopathic preparation that I have been very impressed with over the years it is made by Heel and called Lymphomyosot and will facilitate lymphatic drainage. I like to use it with Galium Heel as that has a good effect on nonspecific immune functions and heel claims that these two used together for about 3 months a year will do much to protect against cancer and other diseases. But lymphomyosot is quite remarkable on its own. Before I got some of the causative factors figured out it really helped with PMS symptoms for me so it obviously mitigates some hormone imbalance also. You can purchase them at www.iherb.com

Thank you Natural Man and ArrowWind:
The info has been very interesting for me. I'm 43 but I had my first flare up when I was 28 the next day after dental work on that side the branchial swells. What you both said has triggered my memory about hormones and iodine. I used to buy progesterone creme from GNC when I was under the Ayurvedic care 2 years ago and had often thought it was helping. The iodine my husband reminds me to use as well. I just a put a dab on my wrists and the iodine seems to be disappearing quickly. I was also on a superior women's vitamin called Eve Womens Mulitple at evitamins. com which had iodine in it. This vitamin seemed to assist in the situation better than the over counters.
I did notice this morning when I woke up it felt like the cyst had gotten skinnier, still long, but not as fat. I know when it starts to fill up because there is some discomfort. For me the Fever Few works well for any pain. I am going to go back to my progesterone creme and buy the Chick week and Oregon Grape. I believe that Black Cohosh is also for hormones and menopause. It is good to discuss this and share what we all know about this as when I was going to conventional physicians they had no answers or insight about common symptoms. If and when we ever get this permanently under control we should write a book together! I will keep you folks posted! Blessings and peace!