Sciatica and/or Coccydynia anyone?

[mecch]

I have a very tender tailbone area.  I've had no accidents and no special strenuous, hard and fun activities down there recently either... 

The symptoms look most like those described for coccydynia - inflamed tail bone.  Or maybe sciatica.

What kind of doctor should I go see? 

Anyone ever get a coccydynia diagnosis?   Looks like it could be managed with drugs and probably cured with physiotherapy...

Have any of you HIV+ people experienced or heard of such troubles being related to HIV infection and/or HAART?    Is this a post 50 ageing thing?  I feel like i've had a few spinal problems in the last few years - just wondering if this is partially about being hiv+, or just age, or principally not keeping up a strong back (exercising/weights, stretching), or whatnot.... 

Thanks for any advice, shared experience...

[skeebo1969]

The symptoms look most like those described for coccydynia - inflamed tail bone.  Or maybe sciatica.

  That's strange.  Are you sure you didn't unknowingly do something to cause trauma back there?  Riding a bike, horseback riding.. etc., etc., .  If there is nothing you can recollect that is causing this you need to have it checked out.

[Miss Philicia]

Why are you not going to your GP, describing what is wrong, and letting him steer you to the appropriate specialist? It's very hard to tell you what to do on the internet in such cases.

[Jeff G]

Why are you not going to your GP, describing what is wrong, and letting him steer you to the appropriate specialist? It's very hard to tell you what to do on the internet in such cases.

Maybe he just wants to vent and see if others are dealing with the same thing ... maybe he thinks this is a support forum where we all can talk about things like this . 

[Jeff G]

I have pain in that area often and in my case its clearly because I have lost my fat in my buttocks due to lipo issues . It bothers me if I sit in my computer chair too long or in the car for more than a hour . It doesn't seem to matter if I add a pillow or not .

Its one of those things I just have to live with so I sit in my recliner to do my forum work or in bed laying down . Its really painful sometime but cant see where much can done I my case . My experience may not be yours but I thought I would mention it anyway .

[bocker3]

Maybe he just wants to vent and see if others are dealing with the same thing ... maybe he thinks this is a support forum where we all can talk about things like this .

I actually think that Miss P makes a good point.  It's all great to come here for support and to vent -- but if one does so in lieu of seeking medical help bad consequences can ensue.  Putting doctor visits off can be bad -- my brother, literally, lost a ball by waiting too long to see a doctor.  So vent away and ask for other's experiences, but do that in tandem with seeing a doc.

To OP -- Sciatica, generally involves pain running down your leg.  I've had it on and off for years (more off of late, thankfully).

M

[mikeyb39]

I had this issue when I lost so much weight when I was diagnosed.  The doctor said that if you have no meat on your bones, then that can cause inflammation just by sitting in a chair wrong.

there isn't anything you can do about it except let it heal and take anti-inflammatory drugs.

i don't have this issue now that I've gained weight back.

[mecch]

Miss P, yeah of course I will see my doc. Also what Jeff G said - just wanted to hear others experiences related to this and any possible HIV angles. 
I successfully managed the Sustiva crazies because of this Forum, not thanks to the ID I was seeing at that time, who resisted the known facts related to me here, and which I had been relating to him.  Sometimes the crowd knows a lot more than one individual doctor.

[Ann]

What a pain in the ass! Sorry, couldn't resist.

The only time I've had the type of pain you're describing is when I've fallen on my tailbone. When I lost way too much weight during my hep C treatment and lost my fabulous ass, my tailbone didn't hurt so much as those two bones you sit on that make up part of your pelvis.

I had several really soft cushions on my desk chair back then and always had to shove a cat off it when I was away from it for more than a couple minutes. Darn cats always want the best seat in the house!

I've gained that weight back now - and then some - and my ass has plenty of cushioning of it's own now. So much so that I've recently had to buy new jeans (at the charity shop, natch) to fit it into!

#timetodiet

[mecch]

Thanks for the inputs.  I will surely see what the doc(s) have to say.  It hurts a lot.

I am guessing its age and poor core muscle tone multiplied by poor habits how I recline at home, slouching. My ass is pretty fat these days.

[Theyer]

Mecch I do not have any particular advice , but it did strike me that all off the clinic buddies I know 35 + long timers all have pain issues from one source or another.
I do know that paying attention to your office chair , posture and using physiotherapy advice have all helped me.

I also think that HIV accelerates aging and those aches and pains that we thought we,d never get are biting our preconceptions.

Good luck with sorting this out.