Tailbone pain from hospital bed...
I have been virtually pain free from my RNY July 12th. But my tailbone is so raw and painful, It started in the hospital that bed was so hard on my back almost no padding on my backside. I put pillow under my back nothing helped. I did not sleep while I was there I would doze and hour here 1/2 there. Now the pain continues. Its fine when I walk. But If i sit longer than a few minutes it gets that numb feeling then goes right into pain. Its so frustrating. Any suggestions? I have Tramadol I'm thinking of taking one of those.
"If you're interested in achieving success, you'll do what's convenient. When you are committed to success, you'll do whatever it takes."
I had trouble with my tailbone, but it was after I had already lost a good bit. And so, I was missing all of that lovely padding. Not sure what would be causing your problem. I have actually heard of WLS patients having to have their tailbone operated on.
I can only use Tramadol very sparingly. It makes me feel yucky. Hope you feel better soon!
Edited to add: What the poster below said reminded me, my skin back there got irritated and I used neosporin on it and it cleared up. It made the pain way less after that. It seemed it was the skin that was painful more than my actual tailbone.
I can only use Tramadol very sparingly. It makes me feel yucky. Hope you feel better soon!
Edited to add: What the poster below said reminded me, my skin back there got irritated and I used neosporin on it and it cleared up. It made the pain way less after that. It seemed it was the skin that was painful more than my actual tailbone.
Take a look (or have someone look) to make sure that you the skin isn't broken. If it is you might need to get some attention for it. Perhaps you might want to ask the doctor about it, because if it is that sore something it might be something that requires attention.
My tailbone hurts too, but they suspect it is because I have lost most of my butt that once protected it. Mine is just a little achy now and then. Yours is clearly much more than that.
My tailbone hurts too, but they suspect it is because I have lost most of my butt that once protected it. Mine is just a little achy now and then. Yours is clearly much more than that.
My suggestion to ANYONE who has WLS.... if they are "blessed" with a big butt prior to weight loss is to get a ****yx cushion:
I buy this one from Amazon.com
It's $11.96 today, with free super-saver shipping if you purchase $25.00 or more. This will take the place of your missing fat in your buttocks. The muscle which pulls the tailbone up and away from a sitting surface has grown weak from disuse. You didn't need to exercise or use it when you had enough extra padding so that your tail doesn't come into contact with a sitting surface.
Once you lose weight, the tailbone gets bruised because you sat on it. This bruising causes pain. You have to build up that muscle, and your body begins to buff it up now that there's a need for it. But the bruised tailbone does cause you pain.
MOST folks will eventually feel that their tailbone gets better. The inflammation goes down, the muscle gets stronger, and eventually you'll forget that you have a tailbone. I suggest anyone with a substantial "caboose" get this pillow as part of the post-op lifestyle. (If you had a little bony butt, you likely won't have an issue).
Occasionally there will be an individual whose pain doesn't get better. What is happening in these instances is that your tailbone swelling just won't heal on its own. You can see either a pain specialist or an orthopedic pain specialist. Normally they suggest a cortisone shot to the posterior. (painful!).... Most often one shot does the trick, but sometimes it will take a second shot, or even a third.
I would say that 90% of post-WLS people who have tailbone pain get over it without any intervention. Of those 10% who don't get over it, I'd say that a good 90% who get a ****yx shot will get over it with the first shot (I had a 15% improvement). For those who don't see improvement with one shot, the majority who get a second shot then see results (I had an 85% reduction in pain with my second shot, and considered it a successful). Even those who don't get there with two shots, most have improvement with that third shot.
A very small percentage of post-WLS people find no permanent relief in this course of action. Probably less than one in ten-thousand even go so far as to get a shot, and a tiny percentage of those have issues beyond that.
I was one of those unlucky ones. I had a large butt from the time I was a small child. The muscle responsible for lifting my tailbone out of harms way was either totally atrophied, or just plain missing. I had my tailbone removed, which is a VERY rare surgery. Fully 25% have serious severe complications - infection is common as the surgical sight is within an inch or two of the anus. One in five have no relief from pain, and one in five is WORSE following the ****ygectomy than they were before surgery. I have about 50% less pain than prior to having it removed, and when I am on my pain regimen, it's down to about 15% of max pain.
Tramadol will help the pain a little bit, but it's a neuralgia and often pain meds don't help much.
I buy this one from Amazon.com
It's $11.96 today, with free super-saver shipping if you purchase $25.00 or more. This will take the place of your missing fat in your buttocks. The muscle which pulls the tailbone up and away from a sitting surface has grown weak from disuse. You didn't need to exercise or use it when you had enough extra padding so that your tail doesn't come into contact with a sitting surface.
Once you lose weight, the tailbone gets bruised because you sat on it. This bruising causes pain. You have to build up that muscle, and your body begins to buff it up now that there's a need for it. But the bruised tailbone does cause you pain.
MOST folks will eventually feel that their tailbone gets better. The inflammation goes down, the muscle gets stronger, and eventually you'll forget that you have a tailbone. I suggest anyone with a substantial "caboose" get this pillow as part of the post-op lifestyle. (If you had a little bony butt, you likely won't have an issue).
Occasionally there will be an individual whose pain doesn't get better. What is happening in these instances is that your tailbone swelling just won't heal on its own. You can see either a pain specialist or an orthopedic pain specialist. Normally they suggest a cortisone shot to the posterior. (painful!).... Most often one shot does the trick, but sometimes it will take a second shot, or even a third.
I would say that 90% of post-WLS people who have tailbone pain get over it without any intervention. Of those 10% who don't get over it, I'd say that a good 90% who get a ****yx shot will get over it with the first shot (I had a 15% improvement). For those who don't see improvement with one shot, the majority who get a second shot then see results (I had an 85% reduction in pain with my second shot, and considered it a successful). Even those who don't get there with two shots, most have improvement with that third shot.
A very small percentage of post-WLS people find no permanent relief in this course of action. Probably less than one in ten-thousand even go so far as to get a shot, and a tiny percentage of those have issues beyond that.
I was one of those unlucky ones. I had a large butt from the time I was a small child. The muscle responsible for lifting my tailbone out of harms way was either totally atrophied, or just plain missing. I had my tailbone removed, which is a VERY rare surgery. Fully 25% have serious severe complications - infection is common as the surgical sight is within an inch or two of the anus. One in five have no relief from pain, and one in five is WORSE following the ****ygectomy than they were before surgery. I have about 50% less pain than prior to having it removed, and when I am on my pain regimen, it's down to about 15% of max pain.
Tramadol will help the pain a little bit, but it's a neuralgia and often pain meds don't help much.
~Lady Lithia~ 200 lbs lost!
March 9, 2011 - Coccygectomy!
I chased my dreams, and my dreams, they caught me!
Is there any exercise that can be done to help?
I have tons of pain , I think it is from sitting so much , because I haven't lost a lot of weight. I have a bad right hip and have had s shot in my right groin my left butt cheek believe it or not both injections have helped my knees !! my doc said he doesn't want to address my tailbone at this time because he , like you, said it is PAINFUL , I think I would rather sit on my icepack and take Norco
My rump is smaller and flabbier, even got hubby's attention in my 16w genes
but really don't think I have lost enough to cause all this , unless it is like I said it is from sitting so much because of knees and hip (2 years) I do the bare minimum , housework , grocery shop, and cook dinner ...that is about it , at least I no longer need to be driven to grocery store , it is very hard to rely on your children , I used to be the one to take care of everyone else...but no more
hubby and I have a plan to exercise it the pool tonight, to get us both moving more
I just got the seat thingy and it does help, sitting on it now with an ice pack.
Thanks for all your help and advice that you and Lora and Kelli give to all us newbies, even tho I am actually not new to WLS I am new to bypass
I have tons of pain , I think it is from sitting so much , because I haven't lost a lot of weight. I have a bad right hip and have had s shot in my right groin my left butt cheek believe it or not both injections have helped my knees !! my doc said he doesn't want to address my tailbone at this time because he , like you, said it is PAINFUL , I think I would rather sit on my icepack and take Norco
My rump is smaller and flabbier, even got hubby's attention in my 16w genes
but really don't think I have lost enough to cause all this , unless it is like I said it is from sitting so much because of knees and hip (2 years) I do the bare minimum , housework , grocery shop, and cook dinner ...that is about it , at least I no longer need to be driven to grocery store , it is very hard to rely on your children , I used to be the one to take care of everyone else...but no morehubby and I have a plan to exercise it the pool tonight, to get us both moving more
I just got the seat thingy and it does help, sitting on it now with an ice pack.
Thanks for all your help and advice that you and Lora and Kelli give to all us newbies, even tho I am actually not new to WLS I am new to bypass
Donna Q. --5'8" -60 years old
Band 2005
hw320 sw276 lw with band 195 gw 160-180?
Bypass 4/4/2012
pre sw 258 lw RNY 162 cw 203
If you've gotten a cortisone shot anywhere, likely it's helping with your tailbone, even if it's not aimedd at your tailbone.
The thing is that you lose weight, and one day you sit, and your tailbone gets bruised. A bruised bone takes time to recover, and teh preferred treatment is NSAIDS...whcih we don't take. Since that isn't an option cortisone shots are an alternative. But you have to give your tail time to heal, which is why you get the ****yx pillow. I use two on my work chair, and two in the car. The muscle that pulls the tailbone up is a very limited muscle, I think that is all it does.
It would seem to me that donig "squats" might work that muscle, since that is a sitting motion, and your musccle is supposed to pull your tail up between your legs (hard to envision) so you might get some toning of that muscle. But it might already be buffing up .... but the thing is that now you've brused your tailbone it has to heal, and that takes time, and the cortisone helps. You might try some ice to help too. Big problem is that even pain meds arent' all that useful on a nerve-based pain like this one. When I startedd Elevil it cut the pain in half. Postop it was still at 85% max pain (unacceptable) and that dropped to 15% when combined with Elevil and pain meds. Eliminating the elevil cranks it up to 50% max pain, and eliminating the pain meds does the same. I've never had the guts to try to eliminate both simultaneously.
MOST folks do have it ease over time. The ****yx cushion helps a lot.
The thing is that you lose weight, and one day you sit, and your tailbone gets bruised. A bruised bone takes time to recover, and teh preferred treatment is NSAIDS...whcih we don't take. Since that isn't an option cortisone shots are an alternative. But you have to give your tail time to heal, which is why you get the ****yx pillow. I use two on my work chair, and two in the car. The muscle that pulls the tailbone up is a very limited muscle, I think that is all it does.
It would seem to me that donig "squats" might work that muscle, since that is a sitting motion, and your musccle is supposed to pull your tail up between your legs (hard to envision) so you might get some toning of that muscle. But it might already be buffing up .... but the thing is that now you've brused your tailbone it has to heal, and that takes time, and the cortisone helps. You might try some ice to help too. Big problem is that even pain meds arent' all that useful on a nerve-based pain like this one. When I startedd Elevil it cut the pain in half. Postop it was still at 85% max pain (unacceptable) and that dropped to 15% when combined with Elevil and pain meds. Eliminating the elevil cranks it up to 50% max pain, and eliminating the pain meds does the same. I've never had the guts to try to eliminate both simultaneously.
MOST folks do have it ease over time. The ****yx cushion helps a lot.
~Lady Lithia~ 200 lbs lost!
March 9, 2011 - Coccygectomy!
I chased my dreams, and my dreams, they caught me!
Yep... that and the cheek shift, LOL. Those don't work in ballpark/stadium seats, though. Thjsoe suckers are so hard it doesn't matter how I sit... after an hour I have to get up and wander around.
Lora
Lora
14 years out; 190 pounds lost, 165 pound loss maintained
You don't drown by falling in the water. You drown by staying there.
Amazing post and answer! I was worried about this given the fact that when I had both my boys, since it was via c-section I spent extra time in the hospital of course and the bed both timres killed my tail bone and I felt it for a long time afterwards so I was wondering what it was going to be like since I would be losing the cushion I am used to as well.
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