Riding on Roids

pgiesin

Hemorrhoids, that is. I have developed a rather severe case of hemorrhoids. I have to admit that this is a fairly normal occurrence. Normally they are more of an annoyance then anything else. However, this time the are rather painful.
 
I am following the recommended treatments: fiber, water, creams, baths and did I mention fiber. Hopefully they will subside and clear up in a couple of days.
 
My question is should I hold off on riding or running while they are so irritated. I have had a great week of running, and was looking forward to an equally great weekend of riding. I am 6 weeks off of ToC and 11 weeks from CdA and can't really afford to loose a lot of training time. However, I also don't want this to drag on forever as it is a pain in the butt.
 
Thanks,
Pete

ghernand

Peter:

the key is to avoid conditions that irritate the roids.  sitting in one position for too long can lead to further irritation. 

exercise is actually helpful, since it keeps the blood flow moving along and less likely to form a clot, etc.

as long as you tolerate sitting on the bike, then you should be fine, but just don't ride too long.  until the current episode resolves, keep to only the work portions of the assigned rides vs. the entire 4hrs, for example.  once it subsides, then go for the 4hrs.

if you are taking nsaids for pain, then make sure you stay hydrated to avoid issues with kidneys and Nsaid use.

hope it resolves soon.

DrGh

pgiesin

@DrGh: Thanks for the advice. It fits with my plans perfectly. I pulled the plug in racing Battenkill this weekend, since I knew there was no way I was going to ride 4-5 hrs. Instead I will coach my daughters soccer game and then head out for a short, but work-intensive ride of 1-1.5 hours on Saturday. I will keep the loop close to home just in case things turn bad. If that goes okay I will try for 1-2 hours on Sunday.

I am currently not taken an type of medicine other than the OTC variety. I have been keeping well hydrated and trying to clean up my diet a little bit. Been a bit heavy on the sushi/asian food the past week. Don't know if that is good or bad, but is definitely a drastic change in my diet.

Pete

sleighcastle

Pete, my only addition to what GH said is to keep in mind that not everything that hurts "down there" is a hemorrhoid, even if those have plagued you in the past. If this is normal for you and they're starting to hurt, then likely that's what's going on, but since anyone who hangs out in a sweaty chamois for hours on end is going to be a little more predisposed to abscess formation, keep a eye on things (if that's even possible!!??) and make sure you don't have an infection that gets going. Last thing anyone wants is a scalpel pointed at their butt.

pgiesin

@Shannaon: Thanks. I plan on heading to a doc on Monday if it doesn't clear up a little bit.

Norton

And here I thought this was going to be a thread on riding a bike while taking steroids. I'm a little disappointed.