TomD77

Several months ago, for some reason, I started being in pain while using a saddle that I had used in comfort for over a year and 6000 miles. I attributed it to the saddle.I tried a number from the LBS but couldn't find anything I was comfortable. The pain always came from the left side and I eventually had to get off the bike for a week. In the meantime I bought another saddle. I rode a time or two with moderate discomfort levels and then took 4 days off due to a trip. Yesterday I jumped on the bike but had immediate moderate level pain that got worse as the ride went on. This AM in the shower I explored to find that there is now a rock hard (what I think is a) lymph gland the size of my thumb in my groin. It has been there for a couple of weeks but much smaller.

Had anything similar?

I'm worried that it will take me off the bike for a while just as I'm making a jump in ability.

10 Wheels

Get you sore butt to a doctor soon.

qcpmsame 

If it were me I'd want a doctor to look at anything like you described, Tom. Lymph glands can host a wide variety of bad things. Best of luck, our ride can wait until you get this sorted out, call me if you want to talk or need anything.

Bill

GeorgeBMac

Yes, I third that: Have a doctor take a look. It's probably nothing and will go down by itself -- but better to be safe...

tjkoko

Former chiro here who had a similar problem with an inguinal lymph node. You could have an infection or toxic buildup somewhere as the lymph system is attempting to clear it. The lymph system is an accessory circulatory system that detoxifies the body. You need to see an M.D. immediately.

In my case and before I had any knowledge of health science/care, a week or two prior to my inguinal swelling I had spilled some ultra concentrated nitric acid on my anterior thigh (worked in a lab analyzing for environmental levels of radiation). the subsequent swellin in the inguinal lymph node was the result of the lymph system cleaning out the HNO3.

Please see and M.D. ASAP, please.

Bent Bill

Had somthing similar in the summer
went to the DR he put me on a strong antibiotic as I had waited a while to see if it would go away on its own
It took almost 2 weeks to go away and it infected my urinary tract
made going to the washroom PAINFUL
it was not pleasant

GET TO YOUR DR.

jppe

Mine was not a lymph gland but I did have a large "mass" that developed near by sit bone as the result of riding. I went to an ortho and he referred me to the leading Cancer doctor in the Southeast which scared the crap out of me. When he heard my situation he felt like it was all brought on due to riding and elected to do nothing. I took a couple weeks off the bike and it settled back down. I have not had any issues with it since--but the mass is still there but just not rock hard like it once was.

TomD77

I think I'll contact the internist Mon AM.

GeorgeBMac

Great! Keep us posted.

B. Carfree

It sounds like "cyclist's third testicle". You may have biker's nodule. Here's a starter link: https://link.springer.com/article/10..../fulltext.html

Get thee to a good clinic. Treatment often involves rest and steroid injections. If that fails, it's knife time.

I would take this opportunity to point out that many of these sort or overuse-type injuries are best dealt with early, but I'm probably the worst offender in the "I'll just ignore the pain and it might go away" club. I broke my ankle playing basketball with a bunch of physicians before work one morning many years ago. I knew that as soon as I took my shoe off I was done walking for the next week or two, so I just kept my shoes on and played for another half-hour.

tjkoko

...sounds like bursitis, an inflammation of a fleshy 'ball bearing' that's situated between two connective tissues.

Dr. Ben Casey 8^0

GeorgeBMac

That's interesting. It almost sounds like a bedsore in reverse: Where instead of the muscle, fat and skin dying and forming a hole, it is forming an essentially dead buildup of fat...

But, it does make sense in that a bed sore is the result of pressure between a hard surface and a bone squeezing the blood out of an area and the tissue in between simply starts to die. A bed sore can form in under 2 hours...

I have always liked to stop and get off of the bike about every half-hour -- and I always felt a bit like a whimp.
... Now I won't feel so bad. I'll tell myself it's "medically necessary" to take a break!

Dudelsack 

Holy cow!: https://www.urosource.com/fileadmin/u...3804005627.pdf

DnvrFox

Goodness:

"Nevertheless, bicycling is also an ideal form of aerobic non-impact exercise with established cardiovascular protective effects and bene

Dudelsack 

It was written in typical cautious medicaleeze. The paper was to address urologic issues, not cardiovascular ones. Some dufus would have fired off an angry letter reminding them they are but humble urologists, not exercise physiologists. Dumb, I know, but we live in a fallen world and it fell pretty deep in the world of Academia.

TomD77

Thought that you may have nailed it there until I located some images. Biker's Nodules are seemingly external whereas whatever I have is subcutaneous with no external external manifestation. The location does seem to be consistent to where I would expect to find a lymph node. I tried heat and NSAIDs last night with no change. Sore just sitting in a chair this AM.

overthehillmedi

So, what were you planning on doing Monday morning?

TomD77

I suppose try for an appt with my Internist.

GeorgeBMac

That's a good place to start. (and hopefully end!) Good Luck with it!

JanMM

The paper is more than six years old, so pay it no mind........Besides, those unfortunate maladies are things that happen to Other Guys.

JanMM

+1

B. Carfree

That's what those 'bent riders say.

TomD77

My soonest appointment with Dr is Thursday AM but the diagnosis can't be anything to do with lymph nodes since I find there are no nodes in that area. Here's a link to what I'm fairly certain will turn out to be the case but it is terrifying in it's own right in that it says that the malady forces a lot of people to give up biking as in "The primary therapy consists of avoidance of the causative factor. Rest alone is generally not sufficient as therapy." Link to article

I rode a short while today but only by sitting way askew on the saddle so the nodule/cist on the left side didn't contact.

GeorgeBMac

That reminds of the old (but never very good) joke about:
"Dr! Dr! It hurts when I raise my arm like this!
... "Well, then stop raising your arm like that!"
.............. "Anything else I can help you with?"

Yes, assuming that that is the issue, stop sitting on the saddle is probably one option. I am not sure it is the only option. Keep an open mind and make sure the physician knows that you want back on the bike. Let him look for a better solution or refer you to somebody who may know a better solution.

and: Good luck with it!

David Bierbaum

I prefer the old standby:

Doctor: "I'm afraid you have a terminal case of grenticular flabulaxis."
Patient: "Doctor! I want a second opinion!"
Doctor: "Sure! You're ugly too!"