boils - ouch! please help.

[Trigurl]

I've been riding for almost a year, about 3000 miles so far. I've never had any serious issues with saddle sores except it took awhile for me to get used to it at the beginning.

Then I did this huge ride around Thanksgiving time, rode from my college to my parents house - 255 miles - nonstop. I was riding for 22 and a half hours. I was using the stock saddle that came with my Giant bike, and needless to say, I was quite painful down there afterwards. Besides the sore tissue, I had a couple small boils that never completely went away. I took a week off, and they haven't really bothered me again until now.

I did switch saddles (to a Terry Damselfly) about 300-500 miles ago. I was comfortable for awhile on the saddle but now the boils have returned and make even a 25 mile ride excruciating. It doesn't help that I always ride with unsympathetic guys...

But anyway, I'm pretty sure that these are boils... they are not open sores and are raised bumps that have gotten to be the size of a small pea. They are only on the right side. I read that I should soak the boils to help them drain, but I don't have a bathtub. I'm putting a heating pad there though.

My mom wants me to see a gynecologist. I really don't want to, many doctors don't seem to understand any of my athlete problems. ("Just stop riding your bike!"...) Please please please let me know if you have any ideas for me! It hurts!

 

[Oran]

Originally posted by Trigurl
I've been riding for almost a year, about 3000 miles so far. I've never had any serious issues with saddle sores except it took awhile for me to get used to it at the beginning.

Then I did this huge ride around Thanksgiving time, rode from my college to my parents house - 255 miles - nonstop. I was riding for 22 and a half hours. I was using the stock saddle that came with my Giant bike, and needless to say, I was quite painful down there afterwards. Besides the sore tissue, I had a couple small boils that never completely went away. I took a week off, and they haven't really bothered me again until now.

I did switch saddles (to a Terry Damselfly) about 300-500 miles ago. I was comfortable for awhile on the saddle but now the boils have returned and make even a 25 mile ride excruciating. It doesn't help that I always ride with unsympathetic guys...

But anyway, I'm pretty sure that these are boils... they are not open sores and are raised bumps that have gotten to be the size of a small pea. They are only on the right side. I read that I should soak the boils to help them drain, but I don't have a bathtub. I'm putting a heating pad there though.

My mom wants me to see a gynecologist. I really don't want to, many doctors don't seem to understand any of my athlete problems. ("Just stop riding your bike!"...) Please please please let me know if you have any ideas for me! It hurts!

 

[Oran]

Originally posted by Trigurl
I've been riding for almost a year, about 3000 miles so far. I've never had any serious issues with saddle sores except it took awhile for me to get used to it at the beginning.

Then I did this huge ride around Thanksgiving time, rode from my college to my parents house - 255 miles - nonstop. I was riding for 22 and a half hours. I was using the stock saddle that came with my Giant bike, and needless to say, I was quite painful down there afterwards. Besides the sore tissue, I had a couple small boils that never completely went away. I took a week off, and they haven't really bothered me again until now.

I did switch saddles (to a Terry Damselfly) about 300-500 miles ago. I was comfortable for awhile on the saddle but now the boils have returned and make even a 25 mile ride excruciating. It doesn't help that I always ride with unsympathetic guys...

But anyway, I'm pretty sure that these are boils... they are not open sores and are raised bumps that have gotten to be the size of a small pea. They are only on the right side. I read that I should soak the boils to help them drain, but I don't have a bathtub. I'm putting a heating pad there though.

My mom wants me to see a gynecologist. I really don't want to, many doctors don't seem to understand any of my athlete problems. ("Just stop riding your bike!"...) Please please please let me know if you have any ideas for me! It hurts!

Hi, Yes I can reply to your question! Firstly those boils are from hair follicles, which are bing rubbed on the seat from ridding for a very long time. I also had 2 on my right side. I cleand the area with a disinfectant and used a clean needle to release the pressure and then I squeesed both boils. I used disinfectant again and they didn't came back. also try positioning your seat slightly more centeral as it maybe rubbing on the right side more.

I wish I could ride such long distances, I only do 3 to 4 hour rides on sunday about 90 km. Anyway see your local doctor just to remove the pus from the boils if you are not comfortable with doing the procedure your self.

regards Oran

 

[JuneBug]

Originally posted by Trigurl

The warm towel is a great idea. Hot as you can tolerate without burning yourself. HYDROCORTISON CREAM is the magic potion I like to use to get them to go away fast.
You should check your shorts too. If they are old the chamois could be rubbing where it interfaces with the lycra. Some of them are just not good.
.
Get some Hydrocortison cream and put that on it. slather it on as often as you can.

tips to avoid them::
( you probably heard all these)
-Dont shave in that area. lots of women do this . If you shave and the hairs grow out they sometimes turn around and grow INTO the skin creating a little ingrown hair full of puss and bacteria that can keep growing and growing and growing.... till forever! HEY.....its the bikini area, I know but .....who cares if someone sees a little hair when you swim. shame on them for looking!!
Wear Jammers girl!! LOL

I know its not worth saying cause you won't do this in a time trial....but its probably a good idea to try to get out of your tuck now and then and stand up riding when you are riding long distances like that....and ride off the saddle just to cool off that area. you know...<whispers> '' Hotcrotch'' :O

-wash yourself really good with a wash cloth BEFORE you ride. ---use clean shorts all the time.
-Use Chamois butter. its kinda pricee but its worth it. there are antibacterials in it . you can put it on the chamois or just on YOU. or both. ((You can make some for yourself with some mixture folks make of noxema and a really thick hand lotion but it smells like noxema and everyone smells it on you. ))

How I Make them go away fast::::: secrets::::
before bedtime...
pop them with a sterile needle just a tiny little oh man ..it hurts.. and squeeeeeze it. Don't freak if its not puss like a pimple its granulation tissue and that looks kind of white ish and thick and sandy. I know you have to be really careful about reinfection.....oh man.... But if you pop it....it feels SO much better after ! push a HOT towel..as hot as you can stand it without burning yourself...and pres it on the cyst. clean it good.
.... get it to bleed red then :::
Hydrocortisone cream SLATHER it on. Put on loose shorts so nothing touches it go to bed. ..and it heals up almost over nite. in the morning just put more hydrocortisone on it. You may not be able to ride on it the next day if it was a really big one. But the day after, if you keep putting the medicine on it...it should be pretty down.
This realy makes mine go away sometimes over nite.

OH.....
Now...a true BOIL.......is not a good thing to have. That could be from HEAT..... you dont want to pop a real true boil. a true boil has other problems and issues with it and is nasty. I dont know how to treat a BOIL.... but I know you dont pop those.

You sure it wasnt heat rash??
I dont think you have a true boil but if you are not sure then definitely just have it checked out by a doc.

what saddle sores all::: they are:::
They are sebasceous cysts caused by the bodies reaction to bacteria. I imagine that the rubbing action on the hair follicles combined with heat and bacteria. ....makes a nice breeding ground. Our bodies are ingenius and wall off the bacteria with epithelial ( skin) cells which creates a capsule. Inside the 'capsule' is the bacteria, and the bodies own leukocytes ((white blood cells...the SWAT team of the blood cells)). If left to fester...they can go from purulent when they are new ( pus) to thick and grainy inside if they are chronic.. called 'granulation tissue' if its left for a long time. OK too much information. sorry I'm just on a roll.
had to give up Beer for Lent... I shoulda given up talking. HAHA!

 

[violablue]

I used to do the keep the area clean and needle to relieve pressure too! Oh, those biking boils are painful. Now I keep the area super clean, using my exfoiliating gloves to slough off sluggish top dead skin layer too, and then tap on frankincense essential oil, straight, the real stuff. And it really will just eliminate a painful boil overnight. It will also prevent if you catch one just starting.

I'd be interested to know if others have good success with the frankincense essential oil. I started using it as I know it's healing properties from my studies of essential oils and TCM applications. Not sure if anyone else uses it in this way, to date.