Cycling following an Abscess

[Tucky]

Back in January, I had a pretty nasty perianal abscess. It knocked me out for a couple of weeks, but it was cured without an operation, just some pretty heavy drugs.

I have hardly cycled in 2012, maybe been out less than 10 times, nothing over about 3 hours. (Last year I completed Abu Dhabi tri (200km bike) and IMUK (180km bike)).

I still have a bit of a lump down there. I'm a bit worried, and have been to the docs twice but both times they told me it was scar tissue. I have looked this up in the internet, and it seems quite likely that it is just scar tissue.

I want to know whether I should start cycling again, or whether this could make it worse? Any docs in the house, or people with prior experience?

My wife is heading back to England for 5 weeks, leaving me the perfect opportunity to get some quality time on the bike. I usually aim to get a 4-5 hour ride in at the weekend, and 2 x 2 hour rides during the week.

Or do I just wait until everything is completely healed and it's all disappeared?

Any advice would be brilliant (I'm in the Middle East, and the doctors here don't really understand my need to exercise!)

[VLAD (the Friendly Vamp)]

Scar tissue is just that and it does take time to completley heal and sometimes wont go at all.
Due to there being a lack of blood vessells in that area, less for the main item, healing is very very slow. I have heard that a pro, think it was robbie mcewan, used to sit in a bucket of hot water and then cold water to stimulate the blood flow down there.
I would try that and then just go for a ride with plenty of cham cream draped down there and see how it feels.

[coolboarder]

I gather that from you description of the problem the abscess wasn't even lanced Tucky. If that is the case then there is no scar tissue, it will be organising inflammatory tissue that may form fibrous tissue. The good news is that it should disperse with time, its not like you have a wound that will not properly heal so there is no danger of you making it worse, indeed cycling may help disperse things if you can put up with the discomfort. The bad news is that if it was not drained then there may be a focus of infection that will recur, if its hot and painful as opposed to just uncomfortable that may be the case. I'd also ask why you got a perineal abscess in the first place?, abscesses are usually caused by an infection gaining access through a wound, you may need to revise your personal hygiene and the pad on your shorts. This is only my opinion as I'm a vet but the closet you'll get to a doctor on here at the moment.

[Tony Price]

Invest in a decent saddle - really good ones might well be available on a demo basis from your LBS - try a few and see which is most comfortable. A few of my clubmates have complained of "gentleman's problems" from years of cycling and a good saddle seems to sort it. The ISM Adamo looks strange, but works well. Selle italia also do one - the techno flow - with a huge slot cut out to keep your perineum pree of pressure. Not that I'm advertising of course. Other manufacturers are available....

[Mike the bike]

It's taken me until now to realise exactly where your abscess was Tucky. Bad luck indeed, hope all is well soon.