chest pain

[oliver]

I suffered a car accident 8 wks ago. Since then I have suffered chest pain on and off, but most recently (the past week)it has gotten worse. I have been to the hospital because of the pain they didn't find anything wrong (heart attack?)but they did tell me to follow with my cardiologist because I suffer from cardiomyopathy. I had a echo done this past week and have not heard back so I assume there has been little change in the condition. My cardiologist did change my medication to 100 mg. toprol xl and 12.5 mg. coreg 2x daily. I was on straight toprol xl 150 2xs daily. Is there any questions or tests that I might be able to suggest to my cardiologist to find out what is going on. The pain is a dull sometimes sharp kind of burning pain, with shortness of breath on occasion with tightness. I do suffer from gurd and take prilosec, but this is a different pain than I have never felt before. Could stress be a underlying cause? Also I have been seeing a chiropractor for my spine and neck injuries could there possilbly be any connection?

[Ianna]

Hi Cassius,
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Look under costochondritis or Tietze's Syndrome on the Google search-engine.
This most likely causes your pain in the chest.
It's got nothing to do with the heart, but with muscles,ribs  etc.
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It won't hurt of course to see your dr.
That might put you to ease.
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Stay well - *Ianna* -

[cassius]

Hi i seem to have the same problem as i had an accident 2 weeks ago, i have healed from the accident, but i feel slight pain in the chest when pressure is applied, this has scared me and has helped me quit smoking but i still wanted to know if it is anything serious...

Thanks
Cassius

[CCF-M.D.-RCJ]

Oliver,

Sorry to read of your new pain.

Chest pain after car accidents is classically associated with myocardial contusion (bruising of the heart) or aortic dissection.  The therapy for myocardial contusion is supportive.  It would be extremely unusual for this type of pain to last 8 weeks.  Aortic dissection can be associated with continuing pain -- you should talk to your doctors about this condition to make sure that they thought of it.  As always, in America, when a patient develops chest pain, his/her doctor needs to consider coronary artery disease as a possible culprit.

However, the most common reason for chest pain after a car accident is muscular.  Muscle strain can persist for several months.  Hopefully this is what you have, but be sure to check into the other things I mentioned.

Good luck.