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Generally I can handle a bit of pain, but this is just getting ridiculous. Got chamois creme, clean shorts each ride and into the shower fairly soon after each ride, yet still my bottom is like a minefield. I'll refrain from going into any more detail, but currently I can't even sit on the road bike, and if I try, it only makes things worse.
Anybody any magic tips or tricks for a pain-free perineum?
Dunno how to avoid it, but Sudocrem was was like a miracle cure when I suffered from it. Saddle sore after day one of a three day ride, did day two no problem, day three saddle soreness a distant memory.
Sudocrem worked well for me too in the past, basically you need something to dry them out and draw out the infection. Check to see if there's a hair ingrown into the sore, I've had to extract a couple of long ingrown hairs from my notcher before that were the cause of frequent sores (using mirror and tweezers isn't easy)
If you have to do a ride while you still have them then compeed blister plasters work really well to cover them, dry them out and allow you to continue to ride.
Is your saddle too high meaning your applying more pressure through your arse than you should be?
Mahoosive jar of Vaseline from the poundshop, apply liberally and frequently.
Get some Germoline OINTMENT not cream. Amazing stuff.
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Years ago I had one so bad I had to go to my gp.
It is a bacterial infection staph auereus getting into your hair follicles iirc. Spot creams work for treatment. As above see if there is a hair in it. You might be able to pluck it out.
Once treated you'll need to figure out what is causing it.
My guess would be to change your saddle or position.
If you get really desperate then a doctor may prescribe antibiotics but it treats them rather than prevents them and isn not a long term solution.
Keep washing the shorts but wash them hot, not just at 30 degrees, which isn't hot enough to kill bacteria. Dry the shorts quickly and thoroughly. Shower daily or even twice daily until it clears up, giving the undercarriage a good wash, twice over, using an antiseptic soap or face wash designed for treatment of acne. Clean shreddies every day, also washed hot. Consider using an antiseptic wet wipe for that final wipe after a poo.
Aside from the cleanliness issues also consider the fit of your shorts and position on the bike. If you aren't in a good position you might be increasing pressure on certain areas and/or the cut of the shorts might combine to produce more friction.
yup, it's a bacterial infection. As for preventing them I tried about a million different saddles out and bought brand new shorts, threw all my old ones on the fire.. and use hibiscrub anti microbial skin cleanser on ma arse before riding. no more problems.
Sudacrem is 'OK' - Morhulin is a step above IMO - cod liver oil based I think, more gooey, less slimy - better..
Thanks guys, lots of new ideas to try.
I found that my altura progel bib shorts gave me saddle sores whilst doing LeJog on the first day I wore them. I swapped back to my trusty Assos bib shorts for the rest of the ride and no more saddle sores. I put it plain and simple down to the friction and the pad quality. Used the altura progel ones since and whilst I have had no sores, after about three hours in the saddle I would feel them becoming uncomfortable.
Hope they heal up fast I can remember the sheer agony for the day that they were bleeding!
Try udderly smooth bum cream once they've healed up?
Then Sudocrem overnight if combat any infection
Not sure I'd try vasoline, club mate tried it and it ripped him up a bit, issues with the skin being able to breath and the vasoline just blocking all the pores? Never tried it mind.
It probably wont be this in your case but if your spinning a decent rpm and have your saddle to high it may cause issues, try lowering it a few mm maybe?
If they get really bad you may end up needing antibiotics, I know a few riders whove ended up on a 3 week course to clear really bad sores....
Mine got in a bit of a mess down there back in the autumn.
I used some Metanium nappy cream to sort out the rash, and one bad sore. Once it had calmed down a bit started using Assos Chamois Cream on rides and treated the one sore with Savlon until it went away. Once out of the shower used Tea Tree Oil as a final clean up. Slept commando at night...
maybe try a different saddle too
Assos chamois cream here when riding, them sudocreme on anything sore post ride and shower. Mine are never too bad though. Found some shorts were a more irritating than others so worth trying a few different ones. Same with saddles.
May be worth popping some nappisan in the wash too.
For most people, saddle creams, etc are trying to fix a problem with the symptoms, not the cause.
To the OP, you really need to try some different saddles and check your position. When I started out cycling, I had some very painful experiences (which has taught me that saddle that are too flat aren't good for me) but now I've found what works, I pretty much never get saddle sore, even when I'm not doing much riding.
Make sure that your weight is supported on your sit bones, not just your perenium - adjusting the saddle forward can be a help on this or adjusting your whole position on the bike slightly backwards (incl shorter stem)
Get on the classifieds, buy some cheap, popular saddles and try them out to see what works. I would highly recommend spesh saddles to as they seem to fit quite a wide range of people (though as with all saddles, not everyone) but make sure you get the ass-o-meter measurement in a spesh shop.
For the current sores though, some good advice above but definitely keep on top of them - there are some absolute horror stories about people who didn't and had to have infections surgically removed 😯
I had a bad one a few years back.
I faffed around with creams etc for months but eventually went to the GP. After some antibiotics it cleared up and I haven't had any trouble for the last few years.
Hot bath with detol in it worked for me. And detol in the wash with the bibs. And wipe 'the affected area' with 50/50 TCP and water before riding and after showering.[b]
DO NOT WIPE WITH DETOL, THIS IS A VERY VERY BAD IDEA[/b] unfortunately you wont notice how bad an idea it is untill its too late. It did get rid of a persistent sore though.
http://skoda-cycling.com/post/55421024918/i-cant-tell-you-where-it-hurts
A saddle sore forced Irish rider Sean Kelly to withdraw from the 1987 Vuelta just two days before the end, when he was in the lead.
And from memory, the screams of noted hard man Kelly when they tried to stitch/drain the sore were legendary after they were heard by pretty much the whole hotel.
http://inrng.com/2011/09/boonen-saddlesore/
“It does hurt quite a lot… Because of the friction of the pants with the saddle, I suffer from an injury to the scrotum. The extreme heat and excessive sweating caused a heavy irritation in that area. There is a hole. It is not the first time that I have suffered in this place, but never as bad as now… I got a ‘second skin’, and glued it at times to a kind of diaper. The perineum, the area between the scrotum and the anus, is simply the most delicate part of the body“
My point being, get it sorted!
One other point: are your shreddies polycotton? This will make your undercarriage sweat and fester. Go to M&S and buy seven pairs of cotton keks and change every day.
I've had to use antibiotics on several occassions to get rid of them. I've also had to have one surgically removed about ten years ago when I didn't know what it was... I tried to pop it and made it worse 🙁 not an experience I would wish to repeat, ever. They are usually the hard to tackle staph infection as ^^jonba^^ said up there. So my advice would be, from previous experience is to stop wearing the same shorts and stop sitting on the same saddle. Get some antibiotic cream or go to the GP and get a course antibiotics if they're proving stubborn to shift.
Off to the GP, this should be fun..
what @clubber said!!!!!!!!!!!
mm's on seat height and hand/stem/bars position can make a huge amount of difference
also lots of movement on the saddle causes friction, causes sores. so check your not moving around due to poor form, crank length and seat height.
Gobalti....... are your shreddies on at all? Skin - cream - shorts (or proper liner) No pants involved or you really are asking for trouble.
This stuff is briliant, silky smooth!
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If it's a bacterial infection, then Canesten works very well.
Cheers, Rich
Canesten Hydrocortisone Cream is great stuff for any sore related soothing.
Off to the GP, this should be fun..
Looking forward to the update 😀
Assos bibshorts are the way to go....nothing else even comes close. Wear nothing underneath and make sure that your seat is the right height.
It sounds as if you are rocking as you pedal. 😉
If using Sudocrem, be sure to keep it away from the family cat.
Er.... nobody wears shreddies under their cycle shorts, do they? Do they? I certainly don't.
Canestan was an anti-fungal cream for thrush and athlete's foot last time I used it.
I'll add is if you can't shower immediately after you finish your ride like a t a trail centre, don't wear the bibs home, and use a baby wipe.
If you are saddle sore, make sure you dry the area properly before you use sudocream - I found using a hair dryer more effective than a towel.
A word of caution following all the creams and ointments recommended above; if you already have sensitive skin down there, piling on something that you may or may not react to is a bit like playing Russian roulette.
Assos chamois cream disagreed with me after 12 years of using it, I think they changed the formulation, and it left me unable to ride for a week... Also take care with anything containing a local or topical anaesthetic; they can provoke rather unpleasant reactions.
Concentrate on sorting your position out if the issue is chafing, and try new shorts if the issue is a more widespread reaction. Never wear your shorts more than once without washing, and never wear your shorts without a clean bum.
I just misread your post Gobalti. But I have come across (speaking metaphorically) some people who have worn shreddies under their shorts! And couldn't be talked out of it! I didn't try to hard to be honest. They deserved the pain.
I wash before and after a ride, stick Vaseline on before a ride, and do as advised above- shorts off ASAP after rides. I would be careful about washing too frequently or vigorously, or with dettol sprays as that can irritate the skin and you lose the protection of the "good" bacteria that naturally live on your skin.
GP was in fact a nurse, who did nothing but said she'd refer me to the GP tomorrow. Which is unfortunate, but probably moreso for her, having to see such sights unnecessarily.. "if you can just pull down your trousers"
So GP tomorrow, after almost 4hrs in the saddle today, fun fun. ('in' used lightly)
Appreciate all advice so far. Have been using chamois creme before and savlon straight after ride, clean shorts, showering a couple of times a day(around rides and in morning), bit of spot cream on them but aware that this could be irritating the area more so not too often, playing with position too. Off to get sized up for a Specialized saddle tomorrow to see if it helps things - 30 day swap if it's not comfy - closest thing I could find to demo saddles nearby.
They haven't been getting much worse of late, but its the little ones that seemed to have settled as bumps under the skin that I'm worried about. May need to get the hot bath and needle out. But I'll see what the GP says first.
stick Vaseline on before a ride
Again, particularly for ladies, be cautious with any petroleum based creams or ointments applied around the ...er... tuppence.. area. There's a lot going on down there without the addition of potentially irritating stuff and I'm sure you know about the evils of cystitis without me going on about it.