Fifty Plus (50+) - Doctor's Orders: No more cycling until symptoms resolved

Cellulitis is the diagnosis, where the seat contacts the body. Inflammation, fever, discomfort. Did this come from a 600k brevet two weeks ago? No. From unicycling 12 miles last weekend? No. It's from the new saddle I put on my commuter, and my 1.5 mile commute. Amazing. I guess I'll be a pedestrian and motorist for a few days. Searches don't show this as very common for cyclists, but I've had it twice in the last year - both times after switching saddles.

Moral to the story------If it works- Don't change it.

Sounds as though you have a problem. Not only is the doc telling you that there is a problem-Your butt is saying the same.

Ouch. Take this seriously. When I was verrrry overweight, I had cellulitis in my lower leg. I never went to the doctor (because I wasn't into going to the doctor when I weighed 475 pounds.) But it would get horribly inflamed and erupt with blisters etc. I still have the discoloration on my leg from that 15 years later.

I must say though that I'd rather have it on my leg than on my butt... my condolences :(

Downtube, we trust you to have described the problem accurately therefore, in this case, no pictures of the problem are required! Get better soon as we all know how much a pain in the buttocks a pain in the buttocks is. :lol:

Have you thot about switching to a recumbent?

Don't know how common it is for a saddle sore to progress to cellulitis. Any infected saddle sore has the potential to lead to cellulitis.

Maybe a Spenco saddle?

http://www.bikepro.com/products/saddles/spenco.html

Their gloves worked wonders when I had hand pain on long rides.

Moral to the story------If it works- Don't change it.

Sounds as though you have a problem. Not only is the doc telling you that there is a problem-Your butt is saying the same.

And it sounds like your butt is taking a lot louder! :D

Have you thot about switching to a recumbent?
+1
The seat choices on recumbents will offer a different perspective for you.

Cellulitis can kill. Nearly got a friend. Listen to the doc.

Cellulitis can kill. Nearly got a friend. Listen to the doc.

+1 Yep - it can turn into sepsis and that's really bad! Sorry about your layoff though.

Like others said Cellulitis is a BIG DEAL (a bacterial infection ,staph or strep usually, of the skin and subcutaneous tissues/ red,swollen, painful warm to touch and it blanches when pressed on).
Wet chaffed skin with "poor" blood supply(from saddle pressure being sat on, or from being a diabetic) sets you up for it.
Is it warmer in Indiana lately-sweating etc?
Make sure you keep your riding shorts spanking clean( I sometimes and won't wash mine daily-don't do that)
Get out of the saddle for a few seconds every 30 seconds or so.
Keep your eyes pealed for redness and pain-especially pain-tipoff for cellulitis.
It is more common in older folks, diabetics, overweight folks,and probably more common in humid climates.Wet abraded skin sets you up for infection.

Yuck.

I had cellulitis in my forefoot. It was MRSA, got into my system through a crack in the skin between my toes (athlete's foot). The nerves were inflamed and it felt like the bones were broken and the foot was on fire.

The doc said I could have acquired the MRSA walking around barefoot in a lockerroom; or possibly the bacteria was colonized around my nose, got on my hands when I wiped my nose, then got onto my feet when I was tending to the athlete's foot with unwashed hands. I was on IV antibiotics for two weeks, cost about $600/day, missed a couple weeks from work. MRI showed the infection was down to the bone but happily did not invade the bone.

Don't mess around, follow the doc's orders. I talked to some people who lost a relative to cellulitis/MRSA that started as a paper cut.

If your problems are in association with saddle changes, is it possible that there is something on the saddle that you are allergic to? Some kind of protective coating that wears off quickly? Is it a leather saddle? Contact dermatitis causes breaks in the skin making it very prone to infection.

Have you thot about switching to a recumbent?

My long distance bike is a recumbent, and long rides up to 600k have been no problem. Well, other than fatigue and sleep deprivation :) The issue seems to have come from the seat I just put on my commuter bike, which is a regular upright bike. That seat is now gone.

Don't know what they use for the butt but for eye lids Keflex works wonders. Minor miracles actually.