Chronic tailbone pain - saw the specialist doc today...

Well I went to see the orthopedic surgeon (spine specialist) today for my chronic tailbone pain.  After he tried to recruit me to work in his office... he then gave me a cortisone shot in the tailbone. HOLY SHMOKES THAT HURT!!!  And then in about 10 minutes I was pain free.  Totally and completely pain free.  I haven't been free of that tailbone pain in the past 9 months or so (with the exception of about 10 days in Mexico while on Percocet and I wasn't feeling ANY pain).  It was pure heaven.  I leaned back in the chair - no pain.  I got in the car - no pain.  Hallelujia!  I quickly sent a text message to my husband and my friend praising the fact that I was pain free!!!  I was just about to add that man to my Christmas list...

And then...

I got home...

And the local anesthetic that he mixed with the cortisone wore off...

That's when the tears started.  My tailbone hurts worse now than it did before - which I didn't even think was possible.  HOWEVER... I know this is temporary.  The good news is that since the local anesthetic got rid of the pain - that means that he hit the right spot.  The bad news is that with cortisone shots - the pain is often worse for 2-3 days before any improvement is noted.

So the doc says...try not to sit too much over the next 3 or 4 days.  I gave him that "you've got to be kidding me" look and told him I will be on an airplane most of tomorrow - then in a conference for 3 days and then back on an airplane on Sunday.  He said "ummm stand up in the back of the conference hall and well...I don't know what to tell you about the airplane rides...take your Vicodin..." 

Gee...thanks doc.

Anyway...I just popped 2 Vicodin because the pain is unbearable and I'm a whimp AND because I'm home alone with nobody else to take care of so I can fall into a nice drug-induced sleep and not worry about DD tearing the house apart as I slumber.  I go back to see him in 6 weeks.

In 6 weeks if the cortisone helped significantly then he'll do another one.  If it didn't help much then the only other option is a ****ygectomy (go under the knife again and saw the darn thing off).  He said he usually gets good results with that procedure but the last one he did on a guy who was a WLSer didn't provide much relief because the guy didn't have very good muscle mass on his butt and was still sitting on all his butt bones even after removing the tailbone.  He said when I go back to the gym I need to do a lot of squats to build up my muscle mass in my buttocks because it will help if I end up having that surgery or not.

Sigh...at least we're making progress at getting rid of this pain...

it does get better on its own

i really suffered the first year as the weight came off, had my pcp do xrays, etc.

now it rarely bothers me at 2 1/2 years out, im sure you will get better too

oh sitting on a special pillow helped, got it at drugstore

good luck, jacki

Hi!

I have a good friend (who's also an RNYer) who suffered tailbone pain for years after giving birth.  She thought the weight loss would help but it didn't and she had it removed this past summer.  She isn't pain free yet but it is soo much better.  PM if you want more details. :)

Sorry :(

Are you SURE it's your tailbone and not your sacro-iliac joint???  Does it hurt right in the middle or on one cheek or the other?  Do you have radiating pain in your leg?  Do you have any trouble lifting either leg ever?

I had pain for a whole year after giving birth to my daughter.  Finally, they did an ultrasound guided cortisone shot directly into the joint and I was cured.

Check out www.sacrowedgy.com

I had severe tailbone pain and sat on a donut pillow or a kids swim ring for quite a while.  What really helped me was walking.  It builds up your sit muscles and the tailbone pain goes away.  Build up your butt muscles and see if that helps.