What's wrong with my butt?

December 31, 2007 6:29 PM

What's wrong with my tailbone?

Starting three days ago, my tailbone has been extremely sore. Also, it's been itchy and there's an approx 1cm bump on it. Is it bruised? Broken? Am I growing a tail? Thanks in advance.

posted by drleary to Health & Fitness (7 answers total)

Have you've seen this post from earlier today? It's a popular day for the tailbone tag!
posted by mumkin at 6:31 PM on December 31, 2007

This one too.
posted by Burger-Eating Invasion Monkey at 6:33 PM on December 31, 2007

Um, did you fall or something? Or did this just happen all on its own? If you fell, it's probably broken (very common) and you can get some help from seeing a doctor (they don't really try to set tailbones, since they aren't important, but you can get better pain medicines).

If it just happened on its own, then I have no idea and think that you should see a doctor for sure if it doesn't start to go away in the next couple of days.
posted by TeatimeGrommit at 6:37 PM on December 31, 2007

Probably a pilonidal sinus. Very common.
posted by fire&wings at 6:42 PM on December 31, 2007

I fell on my tailbone in the worst way possible and fractured it (I assume, didn't see a doctor) this past summer. My whiplash lasted a day, and I thought I wasn't going to be able to sit comfortably ever again, but it healed in about six weeks. If you didn't fall on it, dunno.
posted by maxwelton at 8:02 PM on December 31, 2007

Sounds exactly like a pilonidal cyst. Go to a doctor ASAP! (seriously)

This resulted in surery for me, and its not something you want to mess around with. Not to scare you off, but the sooner you get it looked at, the more likely you be able to manage it w/o surgery.
posted by jpdoane at 11:42 PM on December 31, 2007

Thirding pilonidal cyst.
posted by BrotherCaine at 1:25 AM on January 1, 2008