Chamois lubricants--what's "safe" & where?

[Miranda]

Cycling is new for me, and trying to work out some pain issues. Worst pain, bleeding labia minoria abraisons. Read some great info on this site to try and help resolve the problem. Worked on bike fit with LBS (still needs some more work, but some improvement), kept same saddle for now anyway, working on posture and technique, and also applied Desitin diaper rash ointment on my tissue and the chamois after I healed from the bad bleeding episode--gyno's NP made me stay off until healed. Posted a thread in tips/tricks about how to get the Desitin out, some responses, and read on their web site too--just spent a lot of time scrubbing--all shorts are toast, soaked thru to outside looking like a skunk trunk, and alas my vigorous rubbing also got the stuff all over other places of the shorts, kinda like a lovely retro tye dye look-ugh! After reading I know that there is Chamois Buttr to try and Assos--that say they will wash out of shorts, but I am not sure they will give me same protection as the 40% zinc oxide of Destin and where you could put it? Meaning like, my worst abrasions were in the underlying folds of the labia under pubic bone, not just the outside, so lined these internal channels with a lot of Desitin--knew the peds said it was ok for the kids years ago, so I thought it was safe to do (and put on chamois as well). Some soreness, but no more bleeding, so improvement. Also, going to gyno in few weeks when he gets back from vacation because I suspect I have some perimenapausal issues I never thought much about until I read it in some other threads. Dryness hormonally, and my allergy/asthma meds do this as a side effect of drying all things in the body--breathing takes a higher rating than the dry, so I stick with it and use lubricants for intimacy and added this to my bike rides by trying to insert KY vaginally--which I knew was safe, plus the Desitin outside. Also, I don't really seem to have my much padding tissue wise in the labia, know thinning can be another issue with the hormones. OK, and weirdly enough I don't know about other ladies but I think I am uneven down there it looks like??? ..the smaller/thinner side gets more sore and I am not sure how to sit my saddle straight to try and stay off that side more--it gets the most Desitin. Plus, I think I have more scar tissue than the average lady from pelvic prolapse repair surgeries and having a couple big babies that required lots of stitches as well. JMO-a need for stitches shouldn't even be allowed down there at all! Someone said to try A & D to not stain the shorts, assume it is ok on the internal labia channels? and another idea was Bag Balm--it that OK on the internal labia channel tissue? I read the ingredients of Assos and think the tingling/drying properties of the Witch Hazel in it would make my hormone dryness problem worse in my case? I know ladies use Vaseline for dryness/chaffing I was told by the gyno a long time ago can seal infections in? so not sure about that one either. Yes, while the Desitin is helping, I just don't think I can be seen with this nasty shorts fashion statement. I'll see what the gyno says, but any thoughts are appreciated!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Aaaaahhhhhh!!!!!!!
Start trying out some different saddles, that would be the very FIRST thing I'd try if I was bleeding and in agony.

[KnottedYet]

Yeah, my first thing would be to change the saddle also. Especially to one with less padding (less to rub and catch and crush you) and one that you are certain is wide enough to support your sit-bones so you don't weightbear on your soft tissues. And there is absolutely NO reason for you to be weighbearing on your pubic symphysis!!!!

Don't use vaseline or any other petroleum product especially on open skin, cuz it will be tougher for your body to clear. You said you've tried KY, and it wasn't good? Try astroglide. Try "Oh My" or System Jo if you want glycerin-based lube. (just be ready to reapply glycerin lubes often)

[Dianyla]

Seconding the previous two wise gals posting ahead of me. Get the saddle fit issues taken care of first. No amount of topical cream can solve problems with saddle and shorts fit.

That aside, I had some spectacularly unpleasant results with diaper rash cream containing zinc. Zinc is a natural antimicrobial agent, and it completely nuked the natural protective flora that I try to nurture down there. This led to problems with yeast infections, cracking, bleeding, etc. Occasionally I'll do some spot treatment with zinc on a zit or saddle sore, but now I generally avoid it.

Water-based lubricants work well for me. Also, if I'm feeling borderline, an over-the-counter anti-yeast cream (generic miconazole) also works great as a lube. Both of these wash out just fine.

[salsabike]

Just what Dianyla said. Be wary of stuff like Desitin, A&D ointment, and any other pore-blocking stuff--they make a small infection become large. Water based stuff like Chamois Butt'r also works best for me, and doesn't seem to cause any harm anywhere. And oh, please oh please break your messages into a few paragraphs--it would make it way easier for us to read..

[Miranda]

Thanks ladies for the thoughts on the saddles and creams for chamois.

Know what you mean about cushier is not better necessarily for saddles--LBS put one on to try in trainer and it did have a ladies cut out, but a cushy higher crown in the back which seemed to slant my weight even more forward--didn't buy that one for sure. Read some saddle posts on here, and looked at online, but just a bit baffled what might work and not. My current saddle is the only one I've had with the bike and is a ladies WTB SheSpeed with a concaved channel, but not cut out. Sounds like all you can do is buy and try--don't think my LBS has the saddle exchange program I read about on here that some do.

The Terry saddles on this site have descriptions for useage. Forgive my ignorance, but what is the difference between the ones that say use for performance, and say the one that says best all around? Now I have just been road riding up to miles I think I can do, without pushing past overdoing it (minus the bleeding episode) so up 30 miles yesterday on w/e, and on a weeknight, I have a 20 mile loop I can work in. My big goal I would love to accomplish is to ride a century. Know that takes time and training. But with those thoughts, is there a certain saddle that would fit my needs?

Thanks also for the typing tip about paragraphs. New here, so still learning the board. I know that was a "book report" but sometimes I feel like my womanhood has been worked over enough that it has enough info for one--and I'm 38--most ladies don't need the surgery stuff until their 60s--just weak tissue for unlucky me. Hmm, my mother always said I was "special" but she just never said HOW...oh my! Thanks for reading and any other ideas.