saddle sores or somethin' else? (WARNING: yucky)

[cathleen]

Hi Ladies,

I've been riding a road bike, casually, for about 2 years now. Hit the road for 15-30 mile cruises on the weekends and about once a week just a neighborhood / city tour of a few miles.

OK, here's the question:

Do saddle sores look like zits? I've got about 7 or 8 such beauties right on the skin directly over my sit bones. On either side, they're all concentrated within a space about the size of a quarter. Most are on the left side. I also have 2 smaller ones on the right which are a little farther forward on the *ahem* "lip". They're fairly firm, don't itch, but if you touch 'em they hurt.

I've got an appt. to see my doc this afternoon because the irritation is quite a nuisance and I suspect there may be some kind of bacterial/yeast folliculitis going on that may require something stronger than my treatment thus far which has been "keep it clean & dab on some neosporin with a q-tip". Some actually went away after about 4 days or so, but some are pretty nasty.

ETA: Oh, I forgot to mention something...

This was DUMB, I know. These all showed up about in the space of about 2-5 days after I did something DUMB. I wore some unpadded shorts for a brief spin around the city on a Sunday afternoon. Afterwards, I when I came home, I accidentally fell asleep on the couch and woke up several hours later, still in shorts, having had no shower. So yeah, I am probably paying the price for letting sweat, dirt, germies, etc. hang out right in my craw all night. (Dumb, dumb, dumb. Probably would've been safer to fall asleep in the shower!)

[KSH]

Do you shave the area where you see these "zits"?

I know I can't shave certain areas down there... because I will get a horrible irritation.

Otherwise, I coudln't really tell you what is going on.

Uuumm... do you wear biking shorts? Do you wear underware under your biking shorts? Do you use body glide on these parts (before the irritation?).

[cathleen]

Yes I shave, and, since I've hit the beach a few times, I probably have been a little overzealous with it.

Also, yes, I normally go underwear-less & have padded shorts. Though I don't powder or lube, I usually have no problems.

This one time, I wore some unpadded shorts. (Figured, "hey, it's a short ride.")

But now, I am all broken out and am thinking that between shaving, different shorts, and falling asleep in my bike clothes, I have just got one painful mess going on. :eek:

PS: I plan to throw those shorts away. :mad:

[madisongrrl]

Yes, saddle sores do look like zits. At least that is how they start out. It can also be irritation from shaving. Either way, you might want to consider using lube in your shorts.

[cathleen]

um, dumb question:

do ya put the lube on your girly bits, or on the shorts chamois?

[madisongrrl]

You can lube both....

[KSH]

I would almost bet that you have ingrown hairs from shaving and riding.

When I get an ingrown hair down below, it turns into this nasty bump and a zit. It's really gross looking.

I have had to stop shaving in between my legs... if that makes any sense. Sure, it's not *sexy*... but I couldn't deal with the backlash of irritation when I rode.

One night the irritation was so bad, I couldn't wear panties to bed.

Let us know what the Doc says though.

OH! And you put the body glide on your skin. I always put some on between my legs... up near the private parts... before I ride... even if it's only going to be 20 miles.

[SandyGirl]

I learn so much here! "lube"?? Vaseline? I will search the archives.

[bcipam]

Lube: Chamois Butter, Assos Chamois Creme, Butt Butter, something made for cycling. The creme is meant to be placed directly on the chamois to avoid friction but I also use it in the ceases of my legs if doing long rides.

[RoadRaven]

Shaving encourages ingrown hairs... if you must shave or wax... use some kind of loofah or scrub that stops the hair from turning in...

You'll find a lot of the gals here either don't shave or decide to "trim" (my choice)... if you're interested do a search, there is quite a bit of discussion as to people's various descisions...

Another trick I use is aftershave, after showers and def after a ride. It sometimes stings a little, but its worth it...

[cathleen]

I would almost bet that you have ingrown hairs from shaving and riding.

Let us know what the Doc says though.



Well, I just got back from the doc's office.

She noted that there was quite a bit of irritation and thinks folliculitis, and prescribed an oral antibiotic (Keflex) for 7 days to clear that up.

She also decided to run a herpes swab, just to be safe, she said. (I supposed it's possible, but really unlikely. Nonetheless, just that word freaks me out!) :eek:

I suppose that lumps and bumps down there for us ladies could be ALL kinds of weird and wacky things, so I guess I can't expect a primary care doc to be a specialist in "saddle sores".

Guess I'll take my anitbiotics and wait & see.

I hate the fact that I tend to worry and freak about pretty much everything. :(

[KSH]

Well, I just got back from the doc's office.

She noted that there was quite a bit of irritation and thinks folliculitis, and prescribed an oral antibiotic (Keflex) for 7 days to clear that up.

She also decided to run a herpes swab, just to be safe, she said. (I supposed it's possible, but really unlikely. Nonetheless, just that word freaks me out!) :eek:

I suppose that lumps and bumps down there for us ladies could be ALL kinds of weird and wacky things, so I guess I can't expect a primary care doc to be a specialist in "saddle sores".

Guess I'll take my anitbiotics and wait & see.

I hate the fact that I tend to worry and freak about pretty much everything. :(

I bet it's something very minor that will be cleared up with the medication she prescribed.

Did she tell you not to shave that area? And did she say if riding was a good idea or not?

[cathleen]

She didn't say anything about changing my shaving regimen.

(From now on, I'll probably just use some clean scissors to trim, instead of shave these particular spots. My BF doesn't seem to notice or give a hoot anyway.)

As for riding, she said to wait for redness and irritation to go down before getting back on. AND, she said to be sure to wear good shorts, etc. ;)

In the meantime, care & treatment is keep clean & dry and use some neosporin for any raw spots.

[free2b7429]

My first long ride (17 miles) I rode while wearing padded shorts but ended up with bumps in my private areas anyway. Like yours they didn't itch but were painful to the touch. I went to the Dr and she said it was irritated hair follicles. She recommended I lube before a ride and that I get a bag of peas or corn and put it in that area to help with the swelling. Hope that helps. :D

[Duck on Wheels]

a bag of peas or corn? :confused: :confused: Did she mean frozen veggies, to cool the area down? I guess that would explain it.

My first thought was an old Yom Kippur joke about 3 guys who get caught nibbling chicken wings in the back of the synagogue towards the end of the fast day. The rabbi says that for atonement they have to put dried peas in their shoes for a week. Well, after a week they meet up and two of them can barely walk, but the third is just fine. The two who are limping ask if he didn't do as the rabbi told him ... didn't he put dried peas in his shoes? Third guy replies, "Sure I did, but the rabbi didn't say I couldn't cook them first."

[Nanci]

On my ride Saturday, we were fantasizing about how you could make a saddle with those blue ice gel packs for the seat...

The only time I ever got _really_ swollen down there was on my 400k when my knee was hurt and I kept shifting around trying to find a comfortable position. I am NOT exaggerating- my cootchie was unrecognizeable as such and looked like I had been sititng on a wasp nest for several hours. (And felt like it too!)

I took a hot bath, lathered it all up with Bag Balm, went to bed with an ice pack between my legs at 10PM, and was back on the bike completing my ride at 5AM. I was sort of afraid to look, before I got back on the bike, and remember kind of shrieking the first time I sat down, but after a while it was ok, and by that evening, and more baths and icings, everything was back to normal.

I get a lot more damage from chafing from running say a trail marathon. That takes a lot longer to heal- say a week, than some swollen girly bits from on the bike.

Nanci

[pooks]

All I can say is -- Nanci, you are an inspiration.

[bikaroney]

That is pretty impressive Nanci!

I'm so intrigued. so you really just lather up with Bag Balm? In your coochie?? Who knew? I've been having some burning problems after I ride (like when I'm in the shower or pee). I just got a new saddle (specialized jett) and I know I need to adjust things a bit, but think that might help if burning persists?

[Nanci]

Well, not _in_ the cootchie, but all around it. I get that blue tube of "original" bag balm, which is lanolin. It stays on a long time. It feels really good after a long ride. Probably would feel good during the ride, too- but it's just one more thing to carry. I will carry the small tubes of Butt But'r, though, on rides over 200k.

But yesterday I got that new Brave Soldier Friction Zone. I am not kidding- it smells _wonderful_, not sheepy (lanolin) at all. I kept trying to think of a reason I needed to put some on just so I could smell it! :-) Well, maybe after my ride tomorrow...Maybe before! That's what it's for, after all.

I was reading on some list- apparently it's common for male long distance cyclists to wear _two_ pairs of shorts, with chamois cream both on themselves and in between the shorts. I don't know- maybe for a really, really long ride.

Nanci

[pooks]

Newbie question here -- what is generally used and when and where?

Chamois butter, etc. I don't know what any of it is. Thanks!

[cathleen]

A couple of days later, I am feeling a lot better. No pain or irritation. Most redness is gone. I think the antibiotics are doing their job of kicking any bacteria that irritated the skin.

My doc did note that the area looked ever so slightly abraded, likely a result of sweat + friction. Which, would then create an ideal opportunity for a little secondary infection.

When my doc & I spoke today, she said, "yeah, your labs came back negative" and I had to stifle my desire to go, "Yeah, duh!".

I know docs try to be careful and cautious, and I appreciate her looking out for me to make sure this wasn't something that could've been serious, but seriously, I wish more docs were savvy to bike injuries. Oh well, can't really expect them to be sports medicine specialists.

Maybe in the future, I'd be better taking this kind of stuff to a dermatologist? Someone who can look at weird skin stuff and better pinpoint, without saying, "I'm going to run a culture for *insert name of scary disease here*." ?

On the upside, I should shut up and be grateful that it's nothing more than saddle sores that are going away.

[Selkie]

Aquaphor is great for post-ride chafing. I use Bag Balm before I ride and it seems to help. I think it has antiseptic qualities which might help ward off saddle sores.

[RoadRaven]

The only time I ever got _really_ swollen down there was on my 400k when my knee was hurt and I kept shifting around trying to find a comfortable position. I am NOT exaggerating- my cootchie was unrecognizeable as such and looked like I had been sititng on a wasp nest for several hours. (And felt like it too!)

And this is why I have only mild interest... not a burning desire... to do endurance rides/races...

[Nanci]

But that wouldn't have happened if I hadn't been riding fast way out of my speed range with the B riders for the (glorious) first 80 miles! The ITB injury eventually made it so I couldn't pedal, and was trying to do anything to make my knee not hurt, so that is why I was shifting all over the saddle and causing way too much friction.

I love Aquaphor, too. Especially for that chafing you can get, running, where your arms touch your armholes of your shirt. I also love to lather up my feet with it before a long run.

Cathleen, that's great that it's all resolving.

Pooks, chamois cream or butt but'r or bag balm is all lubricant that people put either on their chamois or on themselves to keep from getting chafed on the bike. Some people use it all the time, some use it on long rides, (me) some never use it. I'd say, if you aren't having any problems down there with chafing (rubbing skin off) then I wouldn't bother with it.

If I'm doing a really long ride, eventually even with the best shorts and saddle, things get a little sore. Chamois cream is soothing. Plus, with all the peeing you do over the course of the day, the urine, if not gotten completely off, is _very_ irritating, as is sweat in that area. Chamois cream protects your skin from that, too. But for a few-hours ride, since my stuff is so conditioned to long rides, that isn't irritating to me, so I don't bother.

Nanci

[pooks]

Thanks, Nanci!