Ladies: HELP! Saddle injury question!

[Bike Mama]

Ladies, I don't have any women to ask about a serious problem that may keep me from riding if it's not resolved!! PLEASE HELP!!

Here's the deal: I just went to my family doc to show her a painful lump in my groin (between the labia majora & upper thigh) that developed while riding over the summer & won't go away. It's more or less right where the elastic/leg of my underwear goes. It's *killing* me every time I get on the bike. My doc has no idea what it is, only says it doesn't look infected. She gave me a referral to an OB/GYN out of desperation.

Apparently women's "saddle injuries" (euphemism for any bike injury in our genital area) aren't well documented (see article at http://gorp.away.com/gorp/gear/features/bikesadd.htm).

Has any other biker or runner experienced this? Can anyone suggest what on earth I should do? Which specialty to see?

[Eden]

I've had something that sounds like that and it turned out to be an infected hair follicle. It was better pretty much as soon as I lanced it - this sounds much worse than it feels, but would be difficult for the squeamish. Is your doc really sure thats not what it is? My lump didn't look like much -just a lump that wasn't red or hot or anything - but really really painful.

[Dianyla]

It could be an inflamed Bartholin's gland - these kinds of cysts are pretty painful from what I've heard. Any gynecologist should recognize this and be able to lance and drain it. Though, from what I understand these are usually right on the labia near the entrance, which might be different from your specific location.

Here are some links:
http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/DS/00667.html
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/bartholin-cyst/DS00667

I've never had one of those, but I have had some serious ya-ya acne and ingrown hairs with deep cysts that lasted for months. Maybe you could switch underwear/pant styles for a while to avoid angering it further?

[Lise]

The bartholin's gland is just inside the vagina. When infected, it's a vaginal swelling, usually very dramatic and painful. Sounds like your lump is outside of the vagina. It's a good idea to have it checked by an ob/gyn. In the meantime, if it's an infected hair follicle, warm compresses several times a day should help it open and drain. I've read that frequent exfoliation, and washing with anti-bacterial soap helps prevent folliculitis. I'm going to try it when the weather warms up and I'm wearing bike shorts again.

[Beth-Ro]

(coming out of lurk mode because this hit so close to home)

I had a similar painful boo-boo in the same area last summer. I thought it was an infected hair folicle. Then I thought it was a saddle sore. Then I thought it was the batholin's gland...so I went to my ob-gyn. It turned out to be a blood clot/vericosed vein. She gave me the option of lancing it in the office (basically slicing it open, removing the clot, then letting it heal...6 weeks out of the saddle), or applying hot-as-I-can-stand-it wash cloths to the area, then using a sterlized needle to work the clot out myself at home. I opted for the home method. She checked it three weeks later and it was much better.

My doctor thinks it vericosed because of all my time in the saddle preparing for my first mountainous metric century. I have the bad habbit of leaning forward on my saddle when I climb, and there is a vein running between my saddle and a ligament/tendon/whatever right there at the panty line in front of my sit bone. Over time the ligament rubbed and compressed that vein against my saddle and created a monster, marble-sized boo-boo.

I have since traded seats on my bike. It is much firmer than the old one and I haven't had trouble with that area since.

Sorry this is so long, but perhaps it will help.

[Hell-uv-a-job]

Isn't it a fat cyst? I have seen them in CT scans sometimes and the patient don't even notice they have them. They are usually asymptomatic (unless of course you ride a bike). Is it painful only when you ride? Does it hurt if you touch it? I would visit the OB/GYN doctor and hopefully they'll order an ultrasound to see if it is just a fat deposit or even a vascular anomaly like Beth-Ro mentioned.

[alpinerabbit]

eek - I think I might be developing an inflamed follicle. Gonna keep a watch on it.

@Beth-Ro:
Why did that doctor give you the option of slicing it in the office or you poking a needle in it at home? couldn't she have done the poking, saved you some pain and NOT made you be off the bike for 6 weeks? doesn't soudn very logical to me?

[Beth-Ro]

@Beth-Ro:
Why did that doctor give you the option of slicing it in the office or you poking a needle in it at home? couldn't she have done the poking, saved you some pain and NOT made you be off the bike for 6 weeks? doesn't soudn very logical to me?

If you are squeamish, DON'T READ!

Good question...brace yourself...
The needle treatment took several sessions (read "days") soaking in a hot tub, then applying a hot-hot-hot washcloth to the clot area, then rolling it around between my fingers to massage it and loosen it up. After three or four days of this "treatment" I was then able to slide the needle into the vein, parallel to my skin, and gently work the needle in a tiny circle inside the vein to further loosen the clot. After all that I managed to pull the clot out. Once it came out I had instant relief. I used antibiotic cream for a week and rode my bike every day throughout the process.

The doctor couldn't do the needle thing in the office because it took days to work on the clot before it was loose enough to pull out. Had I opted to have it taken care of in the office, I would have gone home with a linear incison in a place that is "bendy" and therefore hard to heal. Oh, and it would have cost about $300.00 for that in-office "surgery".

In the end, it was my choice... ...pun intended.

Now let me tell you about my childbirth experience without drugs

[Brandi]

Oh Man! That all sounds awful. But I understand not wanting to pay$300. for something the dr said you could do yourself. Besides you can spend that money on cute bike stuff instead!
I have had similar stuff down there and the hot compresses really help and patients. You must have a huge pain threshhold?

[Nanci]

You must be very flexxible- how could you even see down there???

Nanci

[Dianyla]

Beth-Ro - that totally kicks ***!

[Beth-Ro]

I'm not that flexible...I used a magnifying mirror.
(talk about up close and personal!)

[Rudie]

Beth-Ro,
You just PERFECTLY described my current problem, exact same spot, same medical response. I had an enormous bump over the summer and went to the gyno. I assumed it was an ingrown hair. the gyno was at a loss, positing that it may be a staph infection, a Bartholin's cyst, etc. She sent me to a specialist who said it was probably just an irritation due to my job and would get better over time(I am a bike messenger).
Using hot wash cloths along with a medication prescribed for the alleged staph infection the problem went away but my labia stayed swollen MONTHS later. (Did this happen to you? It is very distressing to see my body change and not know if it will go back to ever being symmetrical)
Now, once again the large bump has reappeared. I am going to try your method because I don't have health insurance and can't afford not to ride. but I have a few questions first:
You said you inserted the sterile needle into the vein. Could you actually see the vein or did you just insert into the bump?
What came out? When you used the needle was it simply a matter of draining a liquid (pus), or removing an actual clot?
I am so glad you posted your experiences. Although I know other female messengers I do not feel comfortable discussing this with them.

Thank you.
- rudie

[Brandi]

Do you have a health dept you could go to? Like family planning or something tey sould be able to see you. I am worried about you taking care of tis yourself.

[Bike Mama]

What an amazing series of responses to my plea for help. I am headed to a gyn specialist today much better armed, both w/info & w/a better and more hopeful attitude that there is a solution.

THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH! Ya'll ROCK!

I'll let ya'll know what the doc says ...