****yx-Ectomy

I've been battling tailbone issues since I was pre-op with WLS. As soon as I lost 50 pounds and got closer to the weight I was when I fell down some stairs on my tailbone, I have been in pain. Four cortisone shots and 200 lbs lost and I've gotten to the point where I'm in daily pain.

Today I saw my orthopedic pain specialist, and he says that the MRI indicates that my tailbone gives every indication of repeated trauma.... which means every time I sit down I'm traumatizing my tailbone. Since most of what he does only treats injuries that are over and done with, to help the healing body, he feels that it is time to consider having my tailbone removed.

(I could try invasive physical therapy, wherein the therapist manipulates the tailbone from inside, and you can imagine what that is like.... no thank you). 

Today he gave me a referral to a spinal surgeon. I'll see him next week to find out his opinion and to get specifics.

Has anyone else had their tailbone removed?

I had to have the Chiro do the "inside" treatment and I was 14 years old-it was awful, but it worked!!  I am 58 now and have had no problems since.

Well, if after consultation with the surgeon, it seems as though I should go that route first, I might. But I am not a fan of the concept! 

I'm glad to see you've found someone who's going to help you take action against this chronic pain. I may be mis-remembering, but it seems like you've had a hard time getting help with this. Good luck.

I began my WL journey at 350 pounds. I lost 57 pounds pre-op. As soon as I got into the 200's, I began to hurt. That was this time of the year in 2007. That's three years I've had pain. I did have about 11 months without pain, as one injection did help for a long while. Thank you for your kind words!

In college I slipped on concrete stairs and fell down six of them.  My tailbone hit the corner of each and every step!  It took about 6 months to be able to sit and even now 30 years later I still have problems sitting and my back is twisted from trying to sit on one buttock instead of both.  I also now have a spine that is twisted sideways at the bottom.  Not good.

I was told a number of years ago that they could go in and surgically remove the tip (which I broke in that fall so many years ago).  They said it was a fairly common surgery and that many people have fallen and done the same thing.

 They did not recommend any PT treatment.  That does not mean that I believe that would not have worked but just that they did not mention it.

I am interested in what you decide after you research the options for treatment.

 Cindy

 

Cindy, I could have written the first two sentences you wrote, because that is exactly what happened to me! I had trouble sitting for months, but I gained a bit of weight, and the pain subsided. When I dropped back down to the same weight I was when my butt hit the stairs... and the pain started up. 290 lbs of solid weight coming down on concrete stairs on the tailbone..... OUCH! I also had no health insurance at the time. Was told that I probably broke the tailbone, but nothing but a donut pillow to treat it.

My big problem is that I'm a bony mess these days. When I sit, I'm sitting directly on the tailbone. I could probably solve this issue by regaining 160 lbs or so..... but I'm not really in the mood to double my weight.... and not even sure if I could if I wanted to.

There is a member here that had that done. I remember because I saw that and looked up what it was. If you do a search for "****ygectomy" you should find her.

I havent fallen but my tailbone hurts everyday

I have heard that a lot of folks who have WLS have transitory (but still quite acute) tailbone pain MOST of them have their pain diminish over time until it is but a bad memory.

I hope yours gets better without resorting to all of this stuff.

I did find that my tailbone got better the two weeks before Thanksgiving -- I just gave up on sitting. Of course I was exhausted and unable to relax, and this affected my everyday life, but hey, my tailbone didn't hurt too much.