Urethral irritation

yeh, used to happen to me, unsure whether it was the cyclng or the other common cause... now I drink heaps & heaps every ride & things are fine. Try to drink at least a litre for every hour you are on the bike, that may help. & get a womens seat, Trans am is good

I agree, drink about 1 litre per hour of exercise and on a normal day about 2 litres of water is sufficent, also, try sitting as far back on the saddle as you can with the front of the saddle tilted down slightly, and also to help avoid the infection, have a shower as soon as possible after riding and empty your bladder before and after you ride, that helped with me (under doctor's advice). Let us know how you go!

Lactobacillus also helps in general to keep the good bacteria fighting the bad ones in that whole area of womanhood. Candida is extremely difficult to balance but if you don't, it spreads to other organs and deteriorates normal functions. Anyway, if you have more questions, I suggest you go to your nearest naturopathic/homeopathic store and ask them about this. The natural way is the best way to go.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Seecyd
Lactobacillus also helps in general to keep the good bacteria fighting the bad ones in that whole area of womanhood. Candida is extremely difficult to balance but if you don't, it spreads to other organs and deteriorates normal functions. Anyway, if you have more questions, I suggest you go to your nearest naturopathic/homeopathic store and ask them about this. The natural way is the best way to go.

DITTO!!

Published in Mar 2003 Bicycling magazine "...1/3 cup of dried cranberries (Ocean Spray Craisins) gives you 33g of carbs plus a dose of phenols (antioxidants that fight heart diseases and cancer) and proanthocyanidins, which may prevent urinary tract infections...

I eat Craisins all the time as a snack and I've not experienced urinary track problems... perhaps it does prevent it.. Give it a try...

First aid/prevention with any urinary tract issue is hydration, not just during the ride but all the time...don't start riding in a deficit position where you're trying to catch up.

And if you start getting repeat infections, get to your doctor and make sure it isn't something more serious.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Kathisings
Hi,

I'm very new to cycling and after my first couple of rides I came down with a UTI..did anitibiotics...then had to be treated for yeast from the anitbiotics. I've recovered by I'm still dealing with irritation in my soft tissue area, mainly my urethra (my sitting bones are coming along fine it seems). I know now that I need to check in to a few things, such as an anitomical seat, tiliting mine present one down, proper hydration, etc...but has anyone struggled with this when they were first getting into cyling??? Mine husband was previously an serious cyclist and is getting back into the sport. I am joining him. He's very educated but obviously hasn't had to deal with this issue and can only offer his experince in the "saddle" as a male.

Appreciate your feedback!!

Kathie

Kathie,

The advice you've gotten so far is right on!

As you know, hydration is a huge factor, as is the importance of proper seat adjustment. One of my guy friends helped me fine tune my seat adjustment: angle of seat, fore/aft position, and that helped me.

I also upgraded one of my bikes to a women's seat, the Terry Butterfly, about a month ago and am trying still to decide if there is really a difference from the VeloPlush on my other bike.

For the yeast, you can take an acidophilus supplement that you get over the counter from your local pharm/health store, or if you don't like poppin' pills, I suggest a daily dose of 8 oz of live, active cultured Yogurt (take it ORALLY! with a spoon is fine ;-). Any flavor you like: Nothing weird or harmful there, it's even affordable!

If you don't want to take the acidophilus/yogurt route all the time, then consider using it whenever you have to take antibiotics for any infection you get (down There or otherwise), and you should be able to avoid the yeast that typically goes with the bacteria. See, it's a chemical balance between the yeast & the bacteria; kill one off and the other one blooms, causing all that discomfort you're experiencing.

I didn't have a full out infection but lots of swelling and even some bleeding during urination...YUK!
It was all my seat. I have a butterfly now and I LOVE it! haven't had any troubles since. YEA!
My daughter (15) has chaffing problem that I have never experienced with my Butterfly so I am getting her one as well. Hope that helps a little. Ride well!

And as I found out, having the seat too far from the handlebars can cause awful irritation problems, even worse than the sore butt, as well as numbness in the hands. Mine was a too-long stem.

Another help for me was not wearing underwear under the bike shorts - the cotton tends to creep up and "sand" you after hours and hours. Ouch.

Yeah, I rode for months, just about 1/2hr to an hour at a time a day for commuting purposes. After like 9 months I got a UTI...but i really think I came down with one b/c I was so under-rested, my immune system was a bit down. Hasn't happened since (took antibiots, no yeast, thank god). I do change my clothes, underwear included when I get to work. I don't shower, but I do dry myself off, making sure to drink lots of water water water. I'd love to bike across country......ain't looking forward to a UTI or yeast infection on the road, ack!!!

I was really hoping to get some good tips here b/c I'm about to go on a 4 day bike tour (50 mi per day riding) and I ALWAYS get urethral irritation....ALWAYS, no matter what. I have to pee just about every 45 min when riding. But I'm prone to this sort of thing anyway. The same thing will happen to me if I'm just sitting in a chair for more than an hour or two or wearing a wet bathing suit out of the pool. My gynecologist said you're either someone who has this issue or someone who doesn't. I'm going to try more "breathable" underwear, I'm trying different saddles (all of mine have cut outs for sure). I tend to ride very upright anyway (i'm not a racer, just a utility biker and tourer). I eat lots of yogurt so probably can't do much more in that area. If anybody is in this camp (the frequent urethral irritation camp) and has actually found a way to cope with it when bicycling, please let me know, thanks!

Maria

Eh, I just pull over to the side of the road and pee somewhere behind a bush. I can go about 2 hours before I get desperate, but sometimes the urge to pee happens during the first 5 min. of biking...but that is just my mind playing tricks on me. That being said, I don't think I have a chronic problem. I suppose cranberry juice helps prevent buildup of bacteria...but I'm sure you've tried that.

Lizbids said:

I suppose cranberry juice helps prevent buildup of bacteria...but I'm sure you've tried that.

yep, still I'm going to fill one water bottle w/ nothing but cranberry juice for the bike tour and then keep restocking it as I go along. maybe the "breathable" underwear will help

Yes, I'd get a wicking fabric for the undies...been thinking about getting a pair myself!

Thanks for this site very helpful.

Urethritis is generally treated with antibiotics.
Drinking lots of cranberry juice and cranberry extract juice will be more effective a lot.

I don't have the urethral irritation but I do get a lot of pain and grazing around my labia majora. I can only ride about 20 km before I start to get this pain. Have tried a couple of different seats. Very frustrating as I want to do longer rides. Somebody suggested Santini gel nicks - can anyone help with this ?

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by willybeans [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

I don't have the urethral irritation but I do get a lot of pain and grazing around my labia majora. I can only ride about 20 km before I start to get this pain. Have tried a couple of different seats. Very frustrating as I want to do longer rides. Somebody suggested Santini gel nicks - can anyone help with this ?

I'm relatively new to road cycling, but I got my hands on a pair of Santini gel knicks (Twist gel is the name they used). While I have nothing to compare them to, I find the padding really works!
I also use Udderly Smooth Chamois Cream - a bit each ride, lightly applied to the area, seems to combat the pain I first experienced when riding.
Lastly, I bought a Ladies saddle with a cut out - and while I don't do massive rides (most are between 20 - 30km), I find that I can walk, and use the bathroom, like a normal person afterwards!

White cotton undies for the ladies instead of synthetics. Cider vinegar (not white) for a douche, about 1tspn per cup water at first, then switch to tablespoon per cup. this may sting at first use (sign of infection/irritation) but strengthens this area while killing yeast infections. I add about about 1tspn to my 1.5L drinking water bottles as well for the potassium. You might add a bit of honey & lemon/lime to taste, as well, since vinegar doesn't taste great. This comes from my herb manual. Both of my wives suffered this at one time or another.

The other advice given by pekingese is also good: cranberries do fight urinary tract infections, and pomegranates are also good. You can get the juice in many grocery stores, and health food stores are better yet. Good luck.