Possible Coccyx fracture. Oh the pain.

[vintageviolets]

Hi, I slipped from my top stair yesterday, and think I hit every stair on the way down, I was still on my back when I landed.

After screaming , sweating, nearly passing out and finally getting my breath back, I was put on a spinal board & stretchered into the ambulance and ended up in A&E for a few hours.

I couldn't be x.rayed as 13 weeks pregnant, so came home to cry!

I can't sleep as I can't lay down, I am currently sitting with 4 sofa cushions under each bum cheek, leaving a gap in the middle so I don't touch the sofa. But trying to stand is agony.

Having a wee is something else, as is sneezing. Pain is ridiculous :(

Has anyone been through similar?

iI've got the dr's at 4pm so hope to at least get some bum numbing ointment

I'm just feeling sorry for myself, if anyone has an ice pack I would be grateful!

DP has gone to buy me a special cushion for Coccyx pain, I think I can safely say I won't be at work for a few days!

Thanks x

oh, I remember the pain. especially when needing a number 2...

take painkillers, there are some you can take, ask gp (but don't let them fob you off). and also lactulose to make things easier.

try to sleep on your side with a cushion between your legs or on your tummy (if that is still possible).

Yes, I am dreading the toilet trips, I will ask for lactolose, thanks.

They gave me codeine & diazapam in A&E, I was offered gas & air, but needed a wee & thought it would make me lose control of bladder!

I'm moving to a bungalow next time bloody stairs

Ouch, I feel your pain. I fell heavily when I was 34 weeks pg with dd and I was convinced I'd broken it but as I was so far gone along my pregnancy I didn't actually do anything about it. I saw the mw about dd and she was fine so I left it at that, but I was in agony too. It even led to my final decision to have a cs as at 40+10 and after three sweeps I still wasn't showing any signs of labour and when they offered me an induction I fell apart and wept all over them saying I couldnt' stand lying on my back any more, so they very kindly offered me a cs.

Nearly 3 years on I'm still in lots of pain when sitting. It's absolutely fine when I'm standing, but sitting down for more than ten minutes is really painful. Not great when you do a mainly sedentary job! I've finally decided to get something done about it and I had an MRI a couple of weeks ago which showed the bone hadn't been broken in the fall, but I had damaged the nerves between the coccyx and the joint above. In a couple of weeks i'm having some steroid injections in to the joint to try and fix it. My mum has had those injections before for a similar problem and has said they worked really well for her. The whole proceedure is under sedation and is guided by xray so probably not suitable while you are pregnant, but it might be worth asking about once the baby's born if you're still in pain.

. Physio can help - both in terms of re-positioning an out of position coccyx and for strengthening exercises - pelvic floor and deep abdominals. Ultrasound can help with pain relief and to reduce the swelling as can acupuncture.

Might be an idea to get a referral to an orthopaedic surgeon. Even though you are pregnant and there's a lot of diagnostic stuff that can't be done, if he/she does believe you have knackered your coccyx, he/she might have a view about whether VB is or is not a sensible idea.

Headfairy - have had the steroid injections twice now (sometimes it takes 2 or 3 goes to get maximum benefit). It's fine. And yes, it helped me. Sedation is luffly .

Thank you for your replies, feeling better today. Moving is getting easier . Managed to get some equipment on loan from the hospital, so am getting there xx