saddle "issue"

[dreadpirate]

Hi there, I'm new to this forum, I've been cycling for a couple years now. I train for triathlon, so I do ~100 miles a week, give or take.

I have a question, and I'm hoping someone out here can just reassure me that this is not too weird.

I have a lump that has been developing in my crotch. I joke that it's like an undescended testicle, but it's smaller than that - about 2 jellybean's worth. It's hard. It has been there for a couple of months, it isn't going away on its own. Longer rides seem to bruise all the tissue around it. It does seem to change size a little bit, it has gotten a little bigger since I first noticed it in July.

It appeared pretty suddenly - I first noticed it when I climbed onto the saddle for a race - it felt like there was something in my shorts.

I'm hoping it's a saddle issue gone horribly wrong, but I'm just wondering if there is someone else out there who has dealt with a similar issue?

I see the doc tomorrow, I just made an appointment with a GP because I thought this should be seen.

Has anyone had a similar issue? Is this common?

Thanks in advance for your help!

[CycleTherapy]

dreadpirate---

google bartholin's gland/cyst. Your situation sounds quite similar to my experience. Bartholin's cyst is a pretty common aflliction, but can be quite painful if it should abcess.

There have been many past threads regarding this issue. You can use the TE search function to pull the past threads.

Hope this kind of helps. :)

[dreadpirate]

Oh wow.

OK. so, will the doc just go in there and drain that puppy? there's no open sores, just a lump. An unfriendly lump. How is a sitzbath supposed to help a lump?:eek:

Could it be related to other issues I seem to be having (discharge, weight I can't shake)? Is it hormonal?

Gaa! I know I'm asking way too many questions...

[CycleTherapy]

I can only relay my experience. I went to my Ob/Gyn and he diagnosed the bartholin's cyst. We opted to do nothing unless it became a problem ie. painful or showed signs of infection/abcess. I had it for a REALLY long time. Last Dec. or so, without any new symptoms, I opted to have it drained. I was just tired of it being there and worrying what it would eventually do.

The draining procedure was no big deal, in-office and completed in just a few minutes. It did not require "numbing" or anything...there was an initial prick and then nothing. I did opt to have the fluid sent to the lab, just to make sure everything was a-okay.

I was very happy that I had it drained, it gave me back some "peace of mind". There is no guarantee that it will not return again, but so far so good.

If I were you, I'd just have it checked out to be certain that is what it is.

[dreadpirate]

Yes, I have a doc's appointment tomorrow to eliminate all scary things.

I think if that's what it is, I'm ready to have it drained myself. It's in an unfriendly spot, and it's not going away on its own.

I've tried a lot of things - new shorts help a little, chamois butter helps a little. Applying cold seems to help a little, heat does not. Long rides just bruise all the tissues around it. Not riding does not make it go away.

Thanks for sharing your experience with me. it's taken awhile for me to even talk about it, it's so weird and uh, personal.

[CycleTherapy]

Good for you for getting it checked out. I'd hate for you to use my experience as a diagnosis. And yes, I hear you, it is weird and personal and a bit scary. Anytime a lump appears where it once was not is concerning. I think you'll feel a ton better just getting the reassurance that all is okay. (not to mention, getting back on the saddle in comfort !).

[dreadpirate]

OK - so I just got back from the docs. i said, is this a bartholin's cyst? and he said why of course it is!

(is anyone surprised that I had to suggest it?)

So he's given me a scrip for antibiotics (in case there is an infection), and suggested sitzbaths. I'll go see an OB/GYN next week and see what they say too - probably everyone is going to be reluctant to drain it, since hole = wound = infection, bad.

Does anyone have a recommendation on a saddle I can try next - I currently ride a specialized Jett, but it's a tri bike (so I'm riding on the nose a lot - which could be the problem).

[CycleTherapy]

Hi Dreadpirate,

I've been checking on the thread to see if you would check in after your Dr. appointment.....I was glad to read that it was what you had suspected (the bartholin's cyst) and nothing more.

I'm not sure that I can help with any saddle advice....I ride a Terry Damselfly which has a cut-out. I can only say that the saddle has never aggravated the condition (bartholins's).

[dreadpirate]

Yeah, the Jett has a huge cutout - vast improvement from other saddles I have ridden, the lady parts are happier than they used to be.

The cyst, however, is to the side of the actual parts, and I suspect the poor gland gets blocked when I go aero. I'll pay more attention to this, but I think a padded nose may be in order.

The doc was unhelpful in this regard. He recommended a more upright riding position.

[Di bear]

Cysts are "normal" abnormalities. Does that make sense? They happen and they're usually nothing. If it doesn't bother the patient, then nothing needs to be done, however, this is causing you discomfort, and your OB/Gyn should drain it for that reason.

A cyst is a fluid filled sac (your bladder is a cyst, and your gallbladder is a "cyst," so if you have your gallbadder removed, it is a "cholecystectomy"). Cysts are generally no big deal. Some occur normally, like during your menstrual cycle (you grow a cyst, it pops and releases an egg; follicles are small, or functional, "cysts"). An abscess is not a cyst, but an infection.

With that said, I'll tell you what I've told some of my patients: it's kind of like my acne problem. It happens, is undesirable, and is not always comfortable, but it doesn't mean anything.

Good luck!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

If i were riding on a hard lump the size of two jelly beans, I'd want my gynocologist to drain it too! :eek: Ask them to see if it is safe to drain it.

[KnottedYet]

Can you borrow a Fizi'k or Brooks from someone, to see if being on a firmer saddle that keeps your sit bones weightbearing and your soft tissues hovering above the nose works for you?

I've never had a Bartholin's cyst, so I don't know nothin'. But I know I lent out my Fizi'k, and I sort of miss it....

[dreadpirate]

Fiz'ik you say. Hrm. I'll see about borrowing one. Thanks for that.

The Jett is pretty supportive of my sit bones, when I am sitting up. I noticed the first time I sat on it that it is exactly where my sit bones are.

My coach also suggested a gel pad - which is an interesting suggestion. I'll feel like a total grandma, but if it works in the interim, I'd rather ride than not ride.

I notice that the spin bike saddles are less of a problem, for whatever reason. I also note that after Tuesday's spin class, the lump is decreasing in size. Better it takes care of itself than I have to do something about it, right?

[ehirsch83]

Ahh Gel Pads! Louis Garneau makes a gel pad chamois that is heaven! I have LG bibs that have the gel chamois and I hate wearing anything else(but I often have to, since I normally ride in my kit).

Try a Fi'zik, I have the Vitesse HP and I really like it, I used to ride with a Fi'zik men's aliante sport(until it got stolen). I am a huge fan of Fi'ziks. But... I do still get cysts in the nether regions! I get mine when I am riding in the drops a lot(same as you getting them from being in aero), but when I bought my new saddle(the vitesse) I also tried a Specialized Jett, and I could not stand how the saddle felt. I took it out for a short hour spin and ended up trading saddles with my ex and riding the rest of the way back in his.
The Vitesse I tried on the trainer(we stuck it on the new bike while I was doing my fitting) and I fell in love with it.

So definitaly give it a try, and don't be afraid to try the men's saddles also! I feel that I am just as happy with the women's as I was with the mans.

[sundial]

A cyclist friend who rides on the aerobars for long distances swears by the Koobi saddle. Maybe this is another option?

[dreadpirate]

good options - I'll take those into account.

In the interim, I've found a gel saddle cover that I've put over it (by Royal Gel)

It's a cheap option to a full-on new saddle, which I'll look into later

I can't believe that they make a gel cover that fits a racing saddle - very slim, fits exactly on the Jett - but they do.

It does make the saddle look like a total grandma saddle, but it's helping. The lump is not getting bigger. Used to be after a long ride I'd get home and the thing would have grown - not so much with the gel cover.

does anybody like the anatomica?

[CycleTherapy]

Dreadpirate,

I actually ordered a Selle Anatomica....but ended up returning it. I received the saddle and was in a bit of shock when I realized how heavy it was. At the time, the site that I ordered it from did not detail the saddles' weight. When I returned it, I suggested that they may want to put that information in their product description, which they have now done. So, if weight is not an issue I'd say try it out. I had heard alot of positive reviews about the comfort.

[dreadpirate]

OK. So. I'm putting this out here because I think it should be OK for women to talk about stuff even when it's weird.

Last week I saw my GP. When I said (helpfully) "I think it might be a Bartholin's cyst" he said yeah, sure, that's it - barely touched it, prescribed me antibiotics Just In Case. I went with it because it matched everything I had read and heard up to that point, but I thought the guy was being a bit stand off-ish.

That said, I just got back from seeing an actual gynecologist nurse practitioner today. And she said, No Way is that a Bartholin's cyst, it's way the heck up over there. She said, it's a sebaceous cyst - the kind that only plastic surgery can get rid of. It's because of where your pelvis is - which means it's a saddle issue (which I already knew).

So - it just goes to show that just because somebody is a doc doesn't mean they know jack about ladyparts. Go see a ladypart doc for ladypart issues. Silly me!

I'm still not sold on the plastic surgery issue - I'd like to resolve this with a saddle - because my thought is if I stay with the same saddle (and have the lump removed), it'll just come back, or I'll have another issue, or something.

In the meantime, the gel cover is working (as a band-aid).

[KnottedYet]

DreadPirateRoberts - I'm wondering if you'd be better off with a more "T" shaped saddle so you avoid the friction that kicks off a sebaceous cyst.

Unfortunately, the only saddle I know of that's T shaped is the Brooks B66, B67, B68, B72, and B18. (Cuz I have wide ol' sitbones, and these are the T shaped saddles that fit me. It's all about me, y'know!)

The An-Atomica is a more pear-shaped saddle.

I'm sure if you post in the "Favorite Saddles" area, and give your sitbones measurements and saddle needs, someone will be using the saddle that will suit you.

Meanwhile, are you taking the antibiotics? Are you considering surgery to get the cyst out of the picture? (ask the gyn ARNP what she thinks) I'm doing women's pelvic health, and I'm amazed at what the male docs just throw their hands up in the air over. Dude, those guys are sooooooo easily embarrassed! We got a woman in for "pelvic pain" who actually had a hip joint dysfunction!!! She just needed regular physical therapy. TG she had a doc who could refer to some female practitioners who aren't shy.... :rolleyes:

<me? shy? never! :D >
Edit: well, at least not at work. :)

[dreadpirate]

I think you may be right - something that's wide across the back but narrows immediately to accommodate my Gi-normous pelvis and Huge Enormous Quads (as if) would probably help. dang - Brooks you say? Those brooks saddles can be quite heavy, no?

OK - I'll post in favourite saddles and see what comes up.

The antibiotics was a 7 day course - which I had already started, so I finished (dang it). If I knew then what I knew now, I would not have taken them. Grr...

I'm on the fence about having it out. It would have to happen after my last race of the season (late October). So I have some time to think about it. Surgery seems a bit extreme. I'll probably try other saddles in the interim and see if it changes things. I think that silly lump is there to stay, however, I am willing to be proven wrong.

Anybody ever had luck with hydrocortisone cream?

Yeah - dude GP doc was really not helpful. About the most helpful advice he gave was "follow up with your Gynecologist."

[KnottedYet]

Brooks aren't generally known for their light weight, nope... :D

But I would bet someone has found a "T" shaped saddle that *is* light.

(I have the Brooks B67 with springs. Yeeehawwww! You can get muscles just carrying that critter home from the mailbox! Most comfy saddle for my hind end I've ever found, so I bought a 2nd one for my other bike too.)

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I'm on the fence about having it out. It would have to happen after my last race of the season (late October). So I have some time to think about it. Surgery seems a bit extreme. I'll probably try other saddles in the interim and see if it changes things. I think that silly lump is there to stay, however, I am willing to be proven wrong.

Think about what you would do if that lump was on your arm, or on your forehead. Would you just leave it there, or would you get it removed?

[Zen]

excellent point, Lisa.

Surgery's not so bad. My biggest worry during surgery is the anesthesiologist.

[amy]

I would say modern medicine, even when practiced by a "lady" with "lady parts" is sorely lacking when it comes to actually knowing what to do with the "lady parts". After doing 5 years of doctoral work looking at women's experiences with pelvic pain, I couldn't take it anymore. Be careful and make sure any decision you make feels right for you. As far as surgery being an extreme measure... some would argue that riding on two jelly beans for hundreds of miles and choosing not to do anything until AFTER race season would be an extreme stance on life. ((Ride on girl, ride on!))

You might consider a second opinion if you can manage it. Just because she was a "lady parts" doctor, does not mean she has all the answers all the time.

Good luck!

[KnottedYet]

Ooooh, Amy, can you PM me your dissertation info?

We just started a pelvic program, and I'd love to read your findings!

(please?)
:p

[dreadpirate]

OK, so I just found a link to a usenet forum with dude cyclists (not as useful to me as chick cyclists, but still...) in which, this guy talks about something called "Cyclists Nodule"

http://www.cyclingforums.com/archive/index.php/t-13233.html

I am stunned. He's describing almost exactly the same thing as me - he even calls it a testicle (I was only half joking when I called it an undescended testicle).

Also, I did not know that guys had perineums. I thought that was an exclusively chick term.

Thought I'd share.

On an update note, it's getting smaller - I think just the gel saddle cover is enough for it to dissipate. While I'm indecisive, it may just go away on its own!

[emily_in_nc]

Just got back from my yearly physical with my GP, who is a triathlete so very understanding about athletic issues. I too have a sebaceous cyst (aka big honking saddle sore that won't ever go away). She said that the only way it will go away is to have it excised, which she recommended I have a dermatologist do (not a plastic surgeon). Fun fun.... :(

I will probably wait until the off season since it would take several off-bike weeks to heal, and I'm not willing to give up fall riding, so maybe in early January would be the time to have it done if it's still there. In the meantime, going back to a wider saddle (Terry Butterfly) has helped relieve some of the pressure on it since it distributes my weight over a larger area. I still have a harder, narrower saddle on my mtb, though, and the cyst is a bit tender/irritated now after a longish mtb ride on Wed. night

I feel your pain! :(

Emily

[dreadpirate]

I did the Colorado Relay last weekend, injured my ITBand. The week before that, I laid off my training so that I could try and kill an impending headcold. So I've done less cycling than usual in two weeks.

Here is the report: after two weeks of little or no riding, or just riding the spin bike = LUMP GONE except for the nerve that started it all.

How very interesting.