Help. An actual saddle sore.

[Prairiedog]

Well...and what a way to make new friends! lol I feel like I know you 'intimately' now.

It sounds like you've hit on a therapy that is working. The main point is that is doesn't get worse/bigger and it seems you've been successful there. Indeed, try a different saddle and see if that helps relieve the pressure spot.

Goodluck...but I would be curious to know what works for you in the end so please, do keep us updated, okay?

[CorsairMac]

Moritz: The one and only saddle sore I had was caused by the seam of my shorts.....not the saddle. The chamois was broken down (I don't know how else to describe it) and the seams were causing irritation. I did what you did, used 2% hydrocortisone creme and bought new, higher end shorts I found on sale and I haven't had any issues since. Good luck.

[Ninabike]

You might try using antibiotic cream or ointment like Bacitracin in your bike shorts. It works just like Chamois Buttr but prevents infection. It washes out well too. Cortizone cream is Okay as a short term antiinflamatory, but if you use it for a prolonged period, it weakens and breaks down the skin. A general rule of thumb for any skin condition is "if it's wet, dry it; if it's dry, wet it". This is from my old RN days (prior career, but you never forget that stuff). You just might want to use some antibiotic cream all the time until the condition goes away. There's also the old "sitz bath" thing: sitting in a tub of warm water a couple of times a day.

[KnottedYet]

On the sitz bath idea-

Gentle saline soaks or baths can help a lot, too. Mix 1 cup of water with 1/4 tsp salt and warm it up in the microwave until it's body temp. (35 seconds in my micro)

Put it in a canning jar or cup with the right size opening. Hold the jar to the sore, and kinda suction it into place. (you might want to be lying on your side) Hang out for about 5-10 min with the warm salt water in contact with the sore the whole time.

don't try to scrub it or wash it or anything. Just let it soak.

You can also drip the saline over the sore for 5-10 min. That uses a lot of saline, but can be a bit more effective if you've got yucky stuff that you want to wash off gently without irritating the tissue underneath.

[KnottedYet]

Lise-
Do the wound care supply folks still make those cool jelly-patch things to put over decubs?

If those patches could stand up to the pressure, there could be a huge untapped market for them in the biker world...

[Quillfred]

Knotted,

You sort of read my mind.

A while ago I wondered if putting Duoderm (a fine foam protein membrane) or the clear gelatinous square called ??? on the ichial tuberosites would prevent skin breakdown during a long ride. It is remenicent of using moleskin on the achilles before going on long hikes.

I have some shorts with a heavier gel material (Flubber) that remind me of the product "X".

I know both the items were still on the market as of two years ago. I think Duoderm was about $7 a 4" x 4" square.

Of course if the covering would rub off or move during a ride that could be a problem.

Quillfred

.

[Velodog]

Thank you for all the help. I went with the warm to almost painfully hot washcloth idea and it helped. I also got new shorts. That helped. Plus a different seat. I just got back from a short ride and my angry twin bump is no worse and still on the mend, so I think I'm headed in the right direction. I am probably going to try that saline/jar thing next if it does not continue to heal. Partly just to see if I'm capable of doing it. It sounds very 18th century and I'm intrigued.