Saddle Sores

[ACG]

I just rode a century saturday, after being off the bike for 2 weeks. And now I have saddle sores! I started to feel sore after mile 75 but didn't really pay attention to it. I was sore for a few days, even rode 30 miles on Monday (in pain) but again just figured it would go away. Finally I took a mirror and voila!

So out of my own fault I've got these things but how can I minimize them? Do I soak in a hot tub? Is there some kind of thing I can do? Or do I just wait it out?

Additionally I have a 60+ mile ride planned for Saturday and really I'm really wanting to ride my bike.

Thanks as always all suggestions are welcome and appreciated.

[pardes]

The very old remedy for bed sores in elderly patients who can't soak iin a tub and will continually be rolling on them was tincture of benzoin. It helped to dry them up, toughen them up.

If they are open saddle sores that are weeping and burn, soak it a tub with a few handfuls of epsom salts in the water. It helps to take the sting out of them AND it's a great tense muscle reliever. (I buy epsom salts by the truckful.)

I'm sure the pro riders here have other suggestions as well.

[Becky]

I'm a big fan of tea tree oil (TTO) for its anti-microbial properties. I mix it into my chamois cream, and even have some TTO body wash for after rides (but I use it all the time 'cuz it smells so good!).

I'd probably dab some TTO on the sores to help them heal. But the old adage about "an ounce of prevention" rings true... Use chamois cream during rides (especially long ones) if you need it, change out of your shorts right away after rides, loose fitting clothes to "air things out" afterwards.

Feel better soon!

[indysteel]

I had my first saddle sore in May after a long weekend of riding. It was in the crease between by thigh and pubic area and was a large cyst and not an open sore. I used benzoyl peroxide (zit cream, basically) on it. I read that suggestion on another cycling forum I think. It cleared it up within a couple of days. Just be careful, the stuff will bleach your undies, shorts, etc. I tried other things like bag balm, hot baths, neosporin, with no success.

[aicabsolut]

I just got another one. It was really really really swollen yesterday (though it was relatively fine after my ride on Sunday). I did an epsom salts compress today to get it to drain some, which cut down on the pain a lot. My derm gave me a prescription for Zithromax. I've put off taking it, hoping it would just resolve itself on its own. It's turning into being like one I had in the same spot that lasted for a LONG time, so I guess I'm going to try the antibiotics and see how that goes...

[wolfak]

On my last one I used A+D baby ointment at night, then the non-smelly Smooth Baby Butt Lotion the next day (it's seriously called Baby Butt the brand is Bordeaux, I think.) Mine was essentially a diaper rash, just a lot of red, red skin. :( I did a lot of searching here on cures, and there are so many options. I'm doing my best to prevent them now!

[kenyonchris]

I am a mounted patrol officer as well as competitive event rider (and, obviously, a cyclist). On some of our mounted details we are on twelve hour shifts. Especially in the heat, even with a seasoned butt like mine, saddle sores happen if precautions are not taken. The BEST things I have found are:
1. Preparation H. I'm serious. Use it on any existing saddle sores and any place where you might chafe.
2. This stuff called Anti-Monkey Butt. I sometimes use the two together.
You can get anti-monkey butt on Amazon.com or through a tack store.
3. Udder balm. Not as good as preparation H but less embarassing to buy.


At the last concert I worked I was on 12 hour in the saddle days (as opposed to mids) and my lips got so sunburned despite my chapstick with sunscreen that I resorted to putting preparation H on my lips. And it helped! I should write heloise.

[amy]

My grandmother swore by Preparation H. She would put it on anything!! Have a cut? Preparation H. A sore muscle? Prepartion H. A chapped or runny nose? Prepartion H. Chapped lips? Prepartion H. I was a teenager before I realized what she was rubbing on me. But it does work. :)

[ACG]

Thanks ladies!

I bought epsom salt.
Won't wear a almost new pair of cycling shorts on a century ride again.
Do have Preparation H
Ordered a new seat (mine is 4 years old)

Agains, thank you, thank you, and my rear end thanks you too.

[kenyonchris]

Also, someone told me that Prep. H is great if you get bags or puffiness under your eyes. I have NOT tried that yet. The lips were a desperation move.

[emily_in_nc]

Also, someone told me that Prep. H is great if you get bags or puffiness under your eyes. I have NOT tried that yet. The lips were a desperation move.

Ewwwww, are you sure it's safe to ingest? Anything you put on your lips is going to be ingested to some extent. Not sure I'd risk that! :eek:

[OakLeaf]

Ewwwww, are you sure it's safe to ingest? Anything you put on your lips is going to be ingested to some extent. Not sure I'd risk that! :eek:

Well, considering it's supposed to go at the margins of your digestive tract at the other end, I don't know that that makes any difference. Although I understand things are absorbed differently through the stomach, through the colon and directly through external mucous membranes.

But I just looked up the ingredients, and it does contain parabens. So none o' that for me.

[RoadRaven]

Get a mirror, get comfy, and check for ingrown hairs, or infections around hairs - pluck those hairs out... and then tea-tree oil or whatever antiseptic solution you use...

[Brandy]

I'm going to try the Preparation H. on the one that I got this weekend. In the past mine have gone away on their own in time.

[SlowButSteady]

I get them about twice a year since I've been cycling (including one that needed to be lanced and an adverse reaction to abx landed me in the ER getting IV's). I've tried about everything. I like hot soaks in epsom salts. I did not like Preparation H, but I like A&D ointment.

Prep H is an osmotic--it "draws" fluid out of the tissue. Not trying to be graphic, but I don't like that "juicy" feeling I get when I use it.
A&D, in my opinion, is far more soothing and is a better lubricant than Chamois Butter. A & D smells like fish oil or diaper creme; I guess I'm weird and I find the aroma comforting.

[tab123]

Prep H is great when the sore appears. I tried DZ Nuts (marketed toward men - hence the name). It stays on better than Chamois Butter and seems to help keep sores at bay.

[ilima]

May be TMI, but I had one that I ended up going to a surgeon to get removed. It was an easy in-office procedure and I'm glad I had it done because the dang thing just didn't seem to be going away on its own.

[kermit]

I just got my first saddle sore a couple of months ago. Thanks to this forum I knew what it was and didn't loose my mind. I have found that a 10% acne cream works really well. It dried it out and has kept it from coming back. I also soaked in Epsom salts and YES I love prep-H. It lubricates and is an anti-inflammatory. I still don't know why I all of a sudden got one, must be the Miami heat I guess.

[aicabsolut]

Prep H is great when the sore appears. I tried DZ Nuts (marketed toward men - hence the name). It stays on better than Chamois Butter and seems to help keep sores at bay.

Good to know. I have been using a mix of Assos and Chamois Butt'r (on more sensitive spots that can't handle the menthol), but Chamois butt'r doesn't really last, especially in the rain. I'd been waiting for a review of DZ Nuts. :)


May be TMI, but I had one that I ended up going to a surgeon to get removed. It was an easy in-office procedure and I'm glad I had it done because the dang thing just didn't seem to be going away on its own.

A lot of sebaceous cysts will return even after they appear to clear up on their own or with antibiotics. The first one I got hasn't come back, luckily, but now I have another one right next to it. The antibiotics are helping a lot, but I had to use preparation H and epsom salts to get some of the goo out first, because it was just too painfully swollen. We'll see how this one turns out. I'd really rather not have any lancing and stitches in that area, but It is common for cyclists, I guess. A friend of mine had to have one removed last year, and she had to be off the bike for about a month. I've also heard that cortisone shots from a derm can make them shrink pretty quickly.

[Misandal]

Ok, I have a question. And I'm not being sarcastic, I seriously have a question. If the little bumps and red, raw-feeling skin is just basically "adult diaper rash" why do we powder babies' diapers but butter our chamois? Should we be making an attempt to keep our chamois/skin dry? Should it be a combination of powder on the chamois and ointment on the skin? :confused:

Since I have lots of hours in the saddle coming up (I'm doing the Blue Ridge Epic Tour Sept. 8-12) I am seeking ways to stay comfy in my shorts from day to day.

[emily_in_nc]

I've also heard that cortisone shots from a derm can make them shrink pretty quickly.

I'll vouch for that! Mine was not diagnosed as a sebaceous cyst but was a chronically inflamed saddle sore on the crease between my buttocks and crotch. A cortisone shot from my dermatologist stung for a few seconds but provided instant relief. Still, it returned when I went back to riding on that same saddle several months later (I got the shot during the winter and started riding again in the springtime). Turns out I needed a wider saddle so that my weight was supported on my actual sit bones and not further inwards. Since I've gone back to a Terry Butterfly (from a narrower SSM Atola), I haven't had a bit of a problem with this area.

Good luck -- saddle sores of any variety are no fun! :(

[aicabsolut]

Mine are from clogged pores or a pinch or something aggravated by the folds at the sides of the chamois. It really came on after a wet ride when my chamois cream had pretty much disappeared and I was all red and raw. I suppose better fitting shorts/chamois could help, but I take what the team gets.

As for buttering our butts versus powdering a baby's, I think it has to do with the inevitable amount of sweat we produce when riding. Yeah, I guess some powder would help keep us dry, but it's a losing battle, especially on long rides. It's also not in a very good area for evaporation, so we're going to be a bit soggy. Sure, babies get sweaty, but between the diaper changes and baths, I think we keep that pretty well under control, right? I mean, you don't want to be hanging around for a long time in a wet chamois just like you don't want to leave a wet diaper on a child, but if you're riding around for several hours, you don't get the luxury of changing frequently enough. In light of that, the best thing is to try to reduce friction, condition the skin, and use something with antibacterial properties to make all that moving around in dampness as comfortable as possible. And if we do irritate the skin harshly despite all the lubing, to then try to keep the bacteria on our skin from causing some sort of infection (whether a cyst, infected hair follicle, ulcer, whatever).

[Jiffer]

Ok, I have a question. And I'm not being sarcastic, I seriously have a question. If the little bumps and red, raw-feeling skin is just basically "adult diaper rash" why do we powder babies' diapers but butter our chamois? Should we be making an attempt to keep our chamois/skin dry? Should it be a combination of powder on the chamois and ointment on the skin? :confused:

Interesting way of looking at it. I think the idea of the ointment is to make your skin slip and slide in your shorts instead of rubbing and getting irritated.

I have to say, I have never understood the purpose of baby oil for babies. I have had two babies and the baby oil just sat there never being used! Kind of a similar confusion as you are having about chamois butter, I guess. :)

[OakLeaf]

I think those of us who use lubes use them to prevent chafing, not other types of rash. Chafing can be pretty severe on certain areas - think skin literally ripped off!

I think the heavier lubes like A&D, Aquaphor, etc., do promote clogged pores. That hasn't been a problem for me since I switched to water-based lubes (Chamois Butt'r, which I quit using because of the parabens, and now Beljum Budder). But I've ordered a tub of Nübutte (shea butter based), just to try it, so we'll see if that causes any problems.


ETA: Tab, could you do me a favor and post the ingredients list for DZ Nuts? It's not on their website. I'm intrigued by that product too - despite the name!

[Misandal]

I've used Chamois Butt'r before and it just seems to give my skin a head start on getting chafed because it's already moist and tender! If it actually lubed I'd use it more, but it seems like I do better without anything.

Forgive my ignorance, but why are we against parabens?

[OakLeaf]

Parabens are known to be endocrine disruptors, which mimic estrogen in the body. Many people believe that they can contribute to breast cancer, reproductive abnormalities, and abnormalities in developing fetuses.

[tab123]

ETA: Tab, could you do me a favor and post the ingredients list for DZ Nuts? It's not on their website. I'm intrigued by that product too - despite the name![/QUOTE]


Here is the paragraph from Competitive Cyclist that made me want to give DZ Nuts a try despite the name:

"The second reason we've got a crush on DZ Nuts is the fact that it uses plant-derived all-natural ingredients. The main three are Tea Tree Oil to make the cream anti-bacterial and anti-fungal; Evodia is an anti-inflammatory and wound healing agent from Chinese herbal medicine; and Masterwort is another herb well-regarded for its wound healing and calming properties."

It really stays on, even on hot humid days. I am much happier now.

[lph]

bumping this thread up, because all of a sudden I have one again - a large raised, sore lump that feels like I have an olive implanted under my skin :eek: :mad:

It doesn't seem to be infected or open at all, just very annoying and quite painful to sit on/along. So I'm not sure what will remove it - is there actually liquid in there? Feels more like scar tissue.

...and i really really really don't want to go to a dr and be told to stay off my bike, commuting is what keeps me sane... :(

[Trekhawk]

bumping this thread up, because all of a sudden I have one again - a large raised, sore lump that feels like I have an olive implanted under my skin :eek: :mad:

It doesn't seem to be infected or open at all, just very annoying and quite painful to sit on/along. So I'm not sure what will remove it - is there actually liquid in there? Feels more like scar tissue.

...and i really really really don't want to go to a dr and be told to stay off my bike, commuting is what keeps me sane... :(

In one of the recent road bike rider newsletters they mentioned this stuff was getting good reviews from long distance riders. http://www.summitinds.com/product/lantiseptic/lantiseptic-skin-protectant-14-oz-jar.html

Hope it clears up for you soon.
I hate saddle sores.:mad:

[lph]

Thanks, I'll see what I can find!

[JodiC]

I know this is an old thread, but I just wanted to send a heart felt thanks to all of you that contributed!!!
After years of riding with no problems and generally without chamois cream, I started to have the weirdest chaffing problems recently! It was bizarre. And I was wondering about things like prep H, which seemed to help (but I thought I was very weird for trying that!!!).
I think most of my problem was related to a hot weekend where I was looking for/buying a new touring bike, and wound up sitting around in my shorts alot, which generated some irritation that I wasn't dealing with correctly since never experiencing it before (well, and also figuring out saddle adjustment on the new bike which is crucial for me - DH enjoyed the first few rides of our tour where I was like, wait, have to stop and adjust the saddle every 15 minutes!).
Butt - anyway - thanks again for all the helpful suggestions ... this is such a great website .... and I have determined that I am going to buy stock in Anti-Monkey butt powder and always have it on hand for such occassions - it's the greatest stuff in the world! Cheers, Jodi
much happier now!

[kenyonchris]

I know this is an old thread, but I just wanted to send a heart felt thanks to all of you that contributed!!!
Butt - anyway - thanks again for all the helpful suggestions ... this is such a great website .... and I have determined that I am going to buy stock in Anti-Monkey butt powder and always have it on hand for such occassions - it's the greatest stuff in the world! Cheers, Jodi
much happier now!

At the concert I worked (on the horse) a few weeks ago, I got poured on. Because of how wet I got (I wear my bike shorts when I am going to be on the horse for 12 hours) I wound up getting rubbed. Because of my preparation H prevention, it wasn't as bad as it could have been but the second day after the rain was miserable. However, I had put the anti-monkey butt in my saddle bag. At lunch, I went into the portapotty and liberally doused my behind with it. I came out and hauled my chapped butt back into the saddle (a long climb)...when I sat down a huge POOF of antimonkey butt escaped through my waistband and engulfed me and settled about my horse's mane, ears, eyes, and most of his neck. He was sweaty, so it stuck. He stuck his big ears out to the side and sneezed.
The lesson learned? Wear a belt? Less Anti-MonkeyButt? or carry a little brush?

[channlluv]

Chris, that's a hoot.

This has been a really educational thread for me, too. I've had those little cysts, too, but I didn't know they were saddle sores. I thought that was soem kind of open wound from the chafing.

Where do you buy DZ Nuts? D*H likes Chamois Butt'r, and I've used it once, but I don't like what you guys said about parabens, so I'll need to be more attentive to product labels.

I like Trader Joe's Tea Tree Tingle body wash. I don't know if it has enough tea tree oil in it to be medicinal, but it does have a nice tingle. Can anyone suggest a better brand?

Roxy

[Biciclista]

At the concert I worked (on the horse) a few weeks ago, I got poured on. Because of how wet I got (I wear my bike shorts when I am going to be on the horse for 12 hours) I wound up getting rubbed. Because of my preparation H prevention, it wasn't as bad as it could have been but the second day after the rain was miserable. However, I had put the anti-monkey butt in my saddle bag. At lunch, I went into the portapotty and liberally doused my behind with it. I came out and hauled my chapped butt back into the saddle (a long climb)...when I sat down a huge POOF of antimonkey butt escaped through my waistband and engulfed me and settled about my horse's mane, ears, eyes, and most of his neck. He was sweaty, so it stuck. He stuck his big ears out to the side and sneezed.
The lesson learned? Wear a belt? Less Anti-MonkeyButt? or carry a little brush?

rotfl. Is AntiMonkeyButt a powder? what color?
that is hilarious!!

[katluvr]

Ditto!

Nice visual image! And w/ a name like "monkey butt"!

Good AM laugh w/ my coffee.
Thanks, Chris!

K

[OakLeaf]

hehe

I've had that happen with gloves - my hands break out from too much moisture, so sometimes I dump some cornstarch into them, which can billow out in clouds. But having the powder come out your butt is a whole 'nother picture! :D


Anti-Monkey Butt Powder (http://www.aerostich.com/catalog/US/Anti-Monkey-Butt-Powder-p-17484.html):

http://www.aerostich.com/files/images/detailed/1881_1a.jpg

[bluebug32]

The DH and I use Asmaster chamois cream. It has a pleasant tingle and seems to serve it's purpose. The one longish ride I skipped using it on this season was the one where I came home with two saddle sores. They also have free trial packets of the cream, which we stick in our jersey pockets to reapply during really long rides. I second the tea tree oil as a good treatment option. Also keeping the area as hair free as possible has proven beneficial.

[channlluv]

Okay, keeping the area hair-free...that's a good topic, too. How do you ladies manage? Razor? Laser? Some kind of depilatory cream?


Roxy

[OakLeaf]

Okay, keeping the area hair-free...that's a good topic, too. How do you ladies manage? Razor? Laser? Some kind of depilatory cream?


Roxy

I just trim it very short. Any time I actually try to remove the hair, I wind up with ingrown hairs and infected hair follicles.

Could be that's part of why I'm not much on swimming, either... my "natural" hair seems like it grows halfway down my thighs... :rolleyes:

[bluebug32]

An electric razor

[Norse]

+1 on the electric razor. Every single time I have tried a non-electric razor I break out in bumps worse than any saddle sores.

[bluebug32]

Agreed. Anything other than an electric razor turns my skin into braille!

[Tri Girl]

Ok, so I have a really, really, really dumb question. :o I feel so much more comfortable asking you ladies than going to the quick clinic and dropping trouser to show a strange doctor.

I think I've developed a saddle sore. Been riding for 4 years and never had one. I also have never lubed up before rides, but certainly will now.
Like LPH said; it feels like an olive is trapped under my skin. It's not open, it's just big and sore. It's gotten bigger in the last couple days since it appeared. I've taken everyone's advice and have bought some prep H (hasn't worked so I'm off to buy acne cream today). Here's my really, really dumb question: can the saddle sore be on your lower labia (near the sit bones)? Soooo sorry if that's TMI. I just read a ton of stuff online and most sites indicated that saddle sores are on the buttocks or sit bones. Mine is not. It's close, but not.
Also- at what point do you go to the doctor, show him all your glory and get medical help? When it's been there and hurting for a week? Two?

Thanks for any help. I will try all the remedies listed here one at a time until I find relief or until I don't and break down and go to the doctor. It's not an open sore, so that's good I suppose.

[kermit]

I had them. They look like blood blisters, hard under the skin. I got into a tub and actually popped the first one. Then a little acne cream will dry it up. Mine was right where my upper thigh meets my crotch. I'm sure you can get them anywhere there's pressure.

[endurancerider]

hey Tri Girl, I think that different bodies must respond better or worse to different treatments. Acne cream, tea tree oil, antibiotic cream (including prescription) all did nothing for me (didn't try Prep H, will keep that in mind for next time). I got them even though I used Chamois Butt'r, Assos cream, and Hammer's saddle cream. But when I followed Levi Leipheimer's method and tried petroleum jelly, I finally had some relief.

In complete honesty, over the last year the only thing that really makes them go away completely, once they're there, is--time off the bike. It seems to take a week. Luckily (?) every once in awhile I have to leave my bike behind for work-related travel, so a week/ten days off the bike can happen!

[mcglasson]

I've done a lot of reading on the subject because I've just started having problems with saddle sores. According to what I've read, most saddle sores are actually boils. I've found that if I soak in a hot tub, it helps bring the boil to a head. Once the boil has a very defined head, I pop it with a sterile needle, wash the area around it with Hibiclens and then apply lots of triple antibiotic cream and cover it with a band-aid. I change the band-aid and add more triple antibiotic cream daily. It's amazing how quickly the boil quits hurting once it is drained. One word of caution, don't try to drain a boil that hasn't "come to a head."

[bikerchic]

I've developed some chafing and finally figured out today on my ride that it's the position of my seat so I'll have to make some adjustments and see how that works out for me.

Anyway I have this book which I really like and recommend it's by Gale Bernhardt and titled "The Female Cyclist, Gearing up a level". I'll share with you what she has to say on the subject, pages 283-285.

SADDLE SORES

Sores in the groin, upper leg and butt area can be a nuisance--or worse, force you to take time off the bike. The best teartment for saddle sores is preventing them. The most common sores include blocked or infected glands, which show up as lumps; pain in the pelvic bone area where your weight may be resting; and chafing problems.

PREVENTION

Be certain your bike is set up correctly by referring to Chapter 3. a saddle that is too high can cause the rider to reach too far for the pedals causing either pressure or chafing. A saddle that is too low doesn't allow the legs to support the body and puts excess pressures directily on your crotch--ouch!

To help prevent chafing, slather your genital area and upper thigh with a good emollient such as petroleum jelly. A relatively new product on the market is Sport Slick™, which combines the lubrication of Vaseline™ with anitfungal properties.

Wear padded cycling shorts without underwear. Cycling shorts are designed to reduced friction from seams and give you some padding to help reduce pressure on sensitive areas.

After the ride, get out of those dirty shorts. Good hygine is essential. Wash your crotch and don't wear those shorts again until they have been cleaned.

Don't suddenly increase weekly or daily mileage on the bike.

If you shave the upper leg and lower torso, a light application of antibiotic ointment after shaving may help prevent red spots and infected bumps.

Be certain the bike seat isn't tilted too far up or down, causing pressure or making you constantly push back in the saddle.

If problems persist, a different saddle may help, especially one with a soft or cutout area near the nose.

SELF TREATMENT

Soaking in comfortably hot bath water one to three times per day with help boils surface and drain.

Antibiotic ointments such as Neosporin™ aid in healing.

Moleskin with an area cut out around the sore may help keep pressure off the sore itself.

I hope this is useful to you gals I know the information has helped me a great deal over the years with saddle sores.

Happy pedaling!

[Tri Girl]

Thanks for the help, ladies! This morning it's started "oozing" (sorry- that word grosses me out). I'm going to soak in a hot bath and try to get it to healing. Thanks again for all your help. I really, really don't want to go to the doctor.