Need help with sore bottom! Not sure what to do...

Hi all. I have been back on the road again for about a month now. I have a mountain bike and a soft (but not too squishy Planet Bike Comfort Gel saddle with a groove down the center so my vaginal/labial area is ok) Lately, My butt has been sore but not the skin, just my muscles. Sometimes I feel a little sensitive where my sits bones are because the pain is exactly the same on both sides but it doesn't really bother me. I think I have a skin irritation of some sort. Yesterday I took a ride with some challenging hills (for me). My butt did not hurt during the ride too much. I have been shifting around the saddle trying to find my place. I also took most hills seated and only climbed upright a few times. My pain is in the back not in the front, my vaginal/labial area is doing alright. So, it was a very hot and humid day here in Omaha. The ride went so well and I was proud of myself because it went really well on the way home, I thought I would be hurting for sure, I wasn't, just tired. My clothes were soaked, I made my husband some dinner and then took off my clothes and I fell asleep. I woke up this morning with pain near my anus :o:o:o and surrounding skin:eek: (SORRY!) but I am trying to be specific so you gals can tell me how I should handle this. So, I woke up this morning and immediately took a shower because I was so grossed out and mad at myself for falling asleep like that:( I was in the Marines and have done some camping so I can go a long time without showering. So, I washed really well and it feels a little better now. At first I thought, "Do I have a hemmoroid"? But no, I have had those before and the pain is not as specific as that. Since i started riding again i have been wearing cotton bikinis under cut off cotton sweat pants. I was hoping that with the gel seat I could avoid wearing tight shorts. I probably went 5 miles yesterday which is my longest ride yet but my other rides have been @ 3 miles or so. Any suggestion, help would be GREATLY appreciated. I have reviewed other posts/threads but am not what my problem is specifically. Thanks so much :confused::confused:

First of all, there's really nothing wrong with sleeping before you take a shower. Your ancestors went entire months without one with no serious problems.
From the way you are speaking, I think the first thing you need to do is examine the area with lots of light and a mirror to eliminate surface problems.
Now if it is NOT a skin irritation, it could be that your squishy seat has you actually hurting your cocyxx bone. If that is the case, you need a bike fit.

Could be a heat rash...aggravated by hot weather, sweating, and pressure+friction. It can be painful in a place like that. Change your clothes and clean&dry that area well after a hot sweaty ride. Some talc might help too.
Sleeping naked might help it heal. (keeps it dry and air circulating)

I suspect your other 'bottom' pains will likely get better as you ride more often. :) Good that you are not experiencing any pain in the 'girl parts' up front. I think those are harder to eliminate on the bike.

Thanks Biciclista : I will check myself out with lights and a mirror. After I started the thread the thought came to me that I felt like I had a really bad wedgie, just in the back. The gel seat is brand new (1 month) and still feels pretty firm. I am thinking that my "panties were all in a knot" (Literally) due to sweat but I did not feel uncomfortable during the ride. Just once I woke up. I fell on my coxyxx bone pretty hard after falling from a bike that was too big for me when I was a girl. So I know that pain. Are you thinking that the seat is pushing on my coxyxx and as a result the skin right in that area is irritated. I have been riding this bike for a month, wouldn't the irritation have occured already? Thanks so much for thinking this through with me, It is a real pain in the a**!!!:o:mad::(:confused

Thanks Lisa. I will get out of the wet clothes immediately. Also, My Mom says "Gold Bond" talc draws heat away from the body so I will try that. It will be kind of difficult to "air out" this area:D!!!! It never sees the light of day or catches a cool breeze but I agree, there is nothing better for a cut, lesion or rash than letting it air out at night if possible. Thank you!!! So much!!! Still looking for suggestions, anyone else? :confused:

I was getting chafing from the hair around my anus when I run. It doesn't bother me on the bike, but maybe that's a possibility? I'd never trimmed that hair before, but once I started running longer distances, I had to start keeping it short. :o

+1 on taking a look at the area to see what you can see. Not too hard with a hand mirror and a good light. (Mine looked like a baboon's @ss, it was that red. :o)

I had pain in the skin over the coccyx before I got a new saddle. It's hard to explain -- sort of felt like the skin/muscles in that area had been injured. It wasn't pain in the bone itself.

I'm not sure if that's similar to what you are describing, but for me it was a saddle issue. I was sliding around on the soft, squishy saddle and I think it stretched or injured the skin or muscle. All was well when I got a firmer saddle with the sit bones properly supported.

You mentioned shifting around on the saddle -- for me, that was a sign I had the wrong saddle. When I got the right one, I just fit right on it.

Don't wear cotton in hot, sweaty weather. You don't have to get spandex cycling shorts if you don't want to, but perhaps some loose-fitting mountain bike shorts with a liner will help to keep things from bunching up in sensitive places. Something made with Coolmax or similar, breathable material.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by navybeetle

...It will be kind of difficult to "air out" this area:D!!!! It never sees the light of day or catches a cool breeze but I agree, there is nothing better for a cut, lesion or rash than letting it air out at night if possible.

---

How about maybe a popsicle stick prop?

JUST KIDDING!!! :D

Seriously though, Navy,
if you think your problem might be due to sweating/chafing/heat rash, and not due to your saddle, then I humbly point out that products for this problem are available that might help in your situation.
Please don't think I am making fun- I'm totally just trying to help when I give this link. The product is somewhat unfortunately named, but it might help! (might give your hubby a laugh too) Apparently a lot of people do have this problem with rash and chafing 'where the sun don't shine', especially when exercising in the hot humid summer. Good luck!

Oakleaf- this product might help you too, considering your own 'colorful description'. :eek:

That stuff's very popular among motorcyclists. :D

Trimming the hair, and a dab of shea butter if it's going to be really hot and sweaty, seems to have solved it.

There's nothing more irritating than damp cotton. Check out some wicking undies (I think there are some made for travelers that could work well). I gave myself a terrible heat rash riding in cotton undies a few years ago. Not fun. Also, the powder with the funny name (see above post) gets good reviews from motorcyclists around here.

Deb

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by OakLeaf

That stuff's very popular among motorcyclists. :D

Trimming the hair, and a dab of shea butter if it's going to be really hot and sweaty, seems to have solved it.

---

I checked out "the situation" down below. I have a little hair and will try to trim it without injuring myself! I couldn't help but laugh when I did my "mirror inspection", we only have a full length mirror in the closet. So there I was...
Anyway, shea butter? I have seen it in the drugstore in a lotion type bottle. Does it come in a thicker cream consistency that I can dab on? So, just a dab'll do ya? :confused::D What about talc ladies? I don't want to over do it and make things worse, I haven't used talc much. Hope to get some anti-monkey butt soon. Thanks for any help! You ladies are the best:o:D

[QUOTE=BleeckerSt_Girl;516549]Seriously though, Navy,
if you think your problem might be due to sweating/chafing/heat rash, and not due to your saddle, then I humbly point out that products for this problem are available that might help in your situation.
Please don't think I am making fun- I'm totally just trying to help when I give this link.


Do you think I can use talc while it heals? Can I use talc/monkey butt or shea butter together? I am inquisitive I know... I want to get back on the bike!:(

+1 for Anti Monkey Butt powder. Didn't know there was a girl version, though. I've been using unisex and it hasn't hurt me that I know of.