# lumps in the nether region



## mtnbiker29er (Sep 20, 2006)

This is a problem I've read that is supposedly common to high-mileage mountain bikers like myself. I am currently taking time off from all riding (road too) due to the development of a hard subdermal nodule or cyst on the ol' perineum (the area between one's anus and gonads, the "taint"). As you can imagine it's rather painful to sit on my bike. Not only that but the lump is putting pressure on a very sensitive part of my body to the point where I actually get nauseous from it. My problem may be more the result of high mileage riding, but I'm fairly sure that my seat position may have played a major role in this. I'd be curious to know if anyone else on this forum has had this problem? I'm currently taking anti-inflammatory pills and resting, but I'm starting to wonder if it's utlimately going to require surgery to get rid of this "third testicle". Help a brother out if you have had any similar experiences!

p.s.--Age may have something to do with it too; I'm almost 34 years old and have been riding competitively off and on since I was 17 years old.


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## cgee (Sep 1, 2006)

I get those, too. I'm pretty sure that they are ingrown hairs that got that way because of riding. They can throw your bike postition awry, and, yes, I've felt nauseous from them, too. I will tell you what I do about them, but you have to promise *not to throw up*.

Step 1: Take a shower so you are very clean in that area. Then, with clean hands, you must "knead" the little bugger intermitently for about 10 minutes. Hold on to the sides of it and roll it around and pull on it. This should not cause pain, just do what you can. The purpose of this is to draw the pus and oil up to the skin surface.

Step 2: Now you must take a hand mirror and look at it (be brave). Do you see any sign of the pus? You know, like the way a disgusting pimple looks with the pus all ready to be popped? If you see pus, proceed to step 3. If you don't see pus, put a good heaping of Bacitracin anti-biotic ointment on it, and repeat Step 1 and 2 twelve hours later.

Step 3: Okay. Now you see the disgusting pus. Yes, you must lance it. Sit on the floor, and set up the mirror and a flashlight or lantern so you have both hands free. Insert a clean pin where the pus is and squeeze the way you would a pimple. Squeeze it several times until you think it is all out. Do it gently or you may cause the skin to get thicker, and this makes healing slower. When finished apply Bacitracin.

You may have to do these steps many times over the course of several days, but it gets better each time, so you should be able to ride. The main thing is that the hair is in there, and that's what's causing problems. If you happen to see the hair trying to come out, by all means use a tweezer to gently pull and extract it. The hair will be soft and weaker because it was soaking in the pus, so be careful or it may break.

Sometimes by kneading it, a hole will appear on it's own because that is the thinnest area of skin. This is good, because then you don't have to lance it. Other times, you knead and knead and you never see a sign of pus. In this case, you may have to be courageous and put the pin in anyway, hoping you will strike pus. Do not overwork your nodule or it will become a mess of broken skin, etc.

Some preventive measures: 
1)Take a shower before you ride.
2)Scrub your saddle with Lysol and water to disinfect about once a week (or, depending on how much you ride).
3) How old are your bike shorts? Are they bacteria-ridden?
4) Sometimes wearing bike underwear is good, because it's like a protective shield from the bacteria-ridden shorts.
5) Is it time for a new saddle? If the padding is worn out, it may be causing pressure points instead of evenly distributed "nether regions." Thepressure points may develop nodules.

Good luck! Signed, Dr. Cgee.


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## mtnbiker29er (Sep 20, 2006)

Thanks for the reply! I have seen my doctor twice now and we don't think it's an infected follicle/ingrown hair. Rather it seems to be what's known as a perineal nodular incursion. The anti-inflammatories took the pain and nausea away but the lump is still there. Am going to continue monitoring for the next month or so to see if it will go away on its own. However, I am definitely going to implement your recommendations as far as replacing my saddle, replacing shorts, disinfecting the seat, etc. I am going to try and see if anything rises to the skin's surface per your recommendations just to make sure that it really isn't an infection of some sort. Again, thanks for the reply, I REALLY appreciate it!


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## BadHabit (Jan 12, 2004)

mtnbiker29er said:


> Am going to continue monitoring for the next month or so to see if it will go away on its own.


What a drag. You got a good answer there. Good luck. Maybe you can take some pleasure in knowing it was just this condition (or similar) that got Rush Limbaugh his 4F, and my buddy Fink into Germany from Vietnam. Or maybe not, but at least it's some historical perspective. Just because the region is nether doesn't mean it is unimportant--far from it. Some say the Battle of Waterloo was lost while Napolean draped himself over a fence for some relief in the netherlands.


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## RockyRider (Nov 21, 2004)

I've know two people in the past 15 years or so who've had something very similar although neither were cyclists. Both had infections about the size of a small bird egg in the same area and both were preceded by some kind of injury (falling on the ice, etc). In both cases the doctor had to drain it and pack it with gauze and the gauze was changed out daily. Have you had any kind of injury to the area? 

I am dealing with a lump caused by damage to the epididymis from cycling although mine is not quite in the same area. Mine responds to ibuprofin so I guess I am lucky. I just have to be more aware of my sadlle position (specifically the nose of it) on climbs that I have been in the past.


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