Saddle Sores

[DebTX]

I'm an OB nurse so I'm not embarrassed to be graphic about the nether regions (but feel free to skip if you are!)

Been struggling a lot with this especially when we ride on "chip and seal" (rough surface) roads. The irritated tissue has been in many different places (inner labia, outer labia, etc, depending on how I was sitting I suppose.) I tried antibiotic ointment the first time it happened (didn't seem to help), and I've iced my perineum after my rides to diminish swelling and numb the pain (provides temporary relief but little else). Today I tried a different approach based on something DH told me: He said, "Deb, when I ride I have to 'rearrange things' down there every now and then to stay comfortable." Now, we know men 'rearrange things' down there as a way of life, but for women, it's rarely necessary. But on the bike, we have all those delicate folds of tissue and that's where some of my probem was coming from.

When DH went through radiation treatment at MD Anderson, they gave us a huge jar of Aquaphor ointment to use on his burned skin. Before my ride today, I coated my perineum with it (very greasy stuff, admittedly) but I found that the ointment lubed things up a lot down there so all I had to do was "ooch and scootch" a bit on my saddle, and it rearranged my parts whenever I felt a bit of pressure. Voila - I got off the bike, took a shower and NOTHING hurts!

Now, one time is not "proof" - it might've just been a lucky day. But I'm going to keep trying it. It can't hurt. It contains petrolatum and lanolin alcohol (and I had to look up what lanolin alcohol is: Lanolin Alcohol = Highly-refined fatty alcohol emollient, derived from lanolin, rich in skin-softening cholesterol.)

Thought I'd share...

Deb

[ilima]

Voila - I got off the bike, took a shower and NOTHING hurts!

That's what I notice using a Vaseline-based homebrew chamois cream. I peel off my shorts, get in the shower and no burning sensation from something being chafed raw.

[Jiffer]

Thanks ladies for your posts. Well, today I finally did a long ride with A&D. I put that directly on all the important areas, using a tissue this time, which seemed to work well. No smell on my hands. Then I put Chamois Buttr in my shorts. I rode 65 miles in very humid weather. I am happy to report all is well so far. I do have Nubutte coming, so I'll give that a whirl. However, it's not cheap so, depending on how much one actually uses and how expensive it ends up being ... and more importantly how well it works, I may look into Aquaphor. Never heard of it, so I guess I'll Google it. And possibly the KB concoction, which sounds very inexpensive. Yet, what I'm doing right now might be just fine. But at least I have some options to try if I feel the need to. I'm doing a century on Saturday, so that will be a really good test day.

Regarding "moving the parts around". This is something I have read on this site before, but never think of it when I'm stopped. I only think of it while I'm actually riding and that just, somehow, doesn't work! (Tried it today while drafting ... at the BACK of the pack! I really do feel like I'm having more issues lately with getting comfy on the saddle. It seems that all of a sudden my "left side" is just not situated right and I find myself moving around on the saddle in an attempt to fix it and rarely do I feel I have really fixed it. And then if I do, I end up out of the saddle and starting all over again when I sit back down! Anyways, I do have to try to remember to work on adjusting things more when I'm actually stopped and see if that helps.

[bikerchic]

Okay so it I have to admit it's been a very long time since I've done a long enough ride on my bike to have my neither parts hurt, but I do remember having a problem from time to time. When I had an actual sore I would after my ride shower and put Neosporen on the sore, usually by the next ride it would be healed up.

Now here is where memory escapes me because I used the Chamios Butter as well before every ride but I only put it on my chamios not on me, however and of course it would get on me.

Are you using it on yourself or your chamios? Am I nutz? Oy

[ilima]

Are you using it on yourself or your chamios? Am I nutz? Oy

Both, but not all over the chamois or myself, just where I need it. I haven't had any girly bits issues since I switched from a cut-out type saddle (pinched!), and my issues have mostly been with chafing near the bikini line.

[ny biker]

Question for folks using Vaseline or Aquaphor while riding - any problems getting your shorts clean afterwards? I'm concerned that all that oil-based gunk won't wash out well.


p.s. for Jiffer: Aquaphor should be available at any drug store. It's made by Eucerin. I'm allergic to antibiotic ointment so my dermatologist recommended I put it on road rash to keep the wound moist and prevent it from sticking to the bandage, and I found it at the supermarket.

http://www.drugstore.com/products/pr...45&catid=10400

[OakLeaf]

I've used both Aquaphor and A&D in the past, and no, it does not wash out of shorts. TRYING to wash it out, radically reduces the life of a chamois.

I never found them to be very good lubricants anyhow. I used them for years until I found something better, but they're so thick that they tend to mat hair and keep parts from moving freely.

[Brandy]

I have had decent luck with Bag Balm...when I use it. I forget most of the time!

[Jiffer]

:
Now here is where memory escapes me because I used the Chamios Butter as well before every ride but I only put it on my chamios not on me, however and of course it would get on me.

Are you using it on yourself or your chamios? Am I nutz? Oy

I put the A&D directly on me and the Chamois Buttr in the shorts.

[bikerchic]

I put the A&D directly on me and the Chamois Buttr in the shorts.

Got it! Whew! That's how I do it too, glad to know I'm not nutz......

[Jiffer]

Got it! Whew! That's how I do it too, glad to know I'm not nutz......

Yeah, I wasn't sure and even posted a question about it on this thread, but no one responded. It just made sense to try it that way and it seemed to work well on my one long ride so far.

[polaris]

On a week-long tour, I developed a rash for the first time ever, both on the bikini line & outer labia. It was like whiteheads or blind pimples that hurt like heck. It would subside somewhat overnight, but reoccur during the next days ride as the week grew hotter and more humid.

Finally, on Day Six, I mentioned my burning problem to a co-rider . She gave me a sample of a product called "Calmoseptine". Wow, does that stuff work. You only need a very small amount. After only one application, the irritation started to subside and now several days and applications later, it's pretty well healed.

I have a ride coming up this weekend and will see if it keeps the rash from reoccurring.

Bag Balm didn't help at all, nor did Penaten Cream.