feeling of something stuck in middle chest and pain in left chest and back

[WishEverybodyHealthy]

I am a 36 years-old Female with 1 child, married, and have been very healthy until July 6, 2005.  On that day I took the water ride in a theme park, which let you fall in very high speed and then stopped suddenly. I took the ride with my bag (midium-size) carried in front of me.  During the ride, I felt as if everything inside my chest got lifted up, heart was very unconfortable -- I did not have any heart problem before.  At the time of being stopped, I got hit on my chest and stomach by my bag.  After the ride, I felt like everything in my chest was still lifted, not going back, and throat was grasped, tightness in my chest, and minor chest pain at left side.  I start to feel shortness of breath even walking on a levelled road.  Things got worse since then.  I felt geneally fatigue in the next several days, and one night, a tearing pain inside my left chest during sleeping.  The pain persisted and my GI system then got affected greatly.  I started to feel uncomfortable/pain in my stomach, along with the chest pain, and tightness, tried to vomit several times but couldn't, dizzy, lightheaded, lost of appitite totally.  I went to my Dr. and he took a chest X-ray, it came back normal, but I did notice that the left side diaphragm was about 1cm higher comapred to two other X-ray films that I took in February.  I felt very bitter in my mouth even during daytime, especially when I woke up in the morning.  Dr. gave me Zantac to try, but did not help.  I was so sick that I could not go to work--want to sleep all day.  Took stress test and blood test (CBC, thriod, liver function, etc), they all came back normal.  Even drinking water will upset my stomach (I do not take any caffeine), I feel my belly is getting bigger, and lot of gas inside.  Took abdominal ultrasound, it came back normal as well.  Dr. switched me to Protonix, and it seemed to help my stomach ache, but not the chest pain, tightness, and the feeling of something stuck in middle of my chest is still there.  My appitite got a little bit better, but still cannot be compared to before. I never had any GI symptoms before.  My resting Heartbeat dropped from 81 to 68, BP dropped 118/78 to 96/60.
I did some research, and wondering maybe I
1) developed hiatal hernia when falling on that water ride and got hit by bag?
2) diaphragm got injured somehow during the ride and after got hit by the bag? The location of my chest pain (just below left breat, and same level in the back) seems to indicate diaphragm.
3) possible heart/blood vessel damages?

I know that Upper GI can be used to detect hiatal hernia, especially large ones.  Since all the symptoms started after the injury, can I ask my doctor to comptelely check up my chest using MRI, in which case, both Hietal Hernia or other Hernia, or even any injury to the diaphragm will be found out -- I heard CT is no good for examining the diaphragm.

I love this forum and would like ask for your guys help.  Any suggestions/comments are apreciated

[mija_Az]

I recently went to a new chiropractor,upon doing his initial assesment,he mentioned that I had a hiatal hernia among other things. That evening, when I researched hiatal hernias, I knew he was right. So many of the symptoms were familisr to me and I know they have been present for most of my life. I went to the Chiropractor this morning and asked him what treatments were available for my hernia besides surgery, it was what seemed to be the medical way of resolving it. He said that he could pull it down and that might be enough to give me relief. I was relieved that there might be a way, besides surgery, to treat the hernia. He then proceeded to do the procedure, if you have had any chiropractic care, you know that there can, at times, be  times some discomfort when getting an adjustment,this is no different. While it is to early for me to tell if there has been any improvement I am cautiously optimistic, I have always had favorable results from my chiropractic treatments in the past.

[astros18]

I have to say I am puzzled that the first chiropractor you saw didn't examine your spine. There is a definite correlation between spinal subluxations in the thoracic spine and gastro problems. A chiropractor can even adjust your hiatel hernia by pulling it down. You can literally feel it give. One thing I do is stand with my back against a wall. Take the palm of your right hand and run it along the inner ribcage on the left side of your stomach area starting at the top just under your breast, then switch sides. Sometimes this helps. If you go to David Singer web site, you should be able to find a good chiropractor referral for your area. Digestive food enzymes may help as well. Keep me informed.

[WishEverybodyHealthy]

Hi I am back to report the progress and also want to thank you all for your comments and help.  

I saw three Internal Medicine doctors, and every one gave me a different view, I was a little confused by that.  The first doctor told me that it might be Hiatal Hernia that was developed when I was having that slide ride and then got hit on chest.  She suggested me to do an endoscopy or UpperGI series;  The second doctor said that's impossible, maybe only plane crash will have a chance to push stomach up, he suggested me to go see a bone doctor; the third doctor just ordered a Chest CT for me.

I also went to a Chiropractic doctor, he examined my stomach and abdominal area, and he liked the Hiatal Hernia theory.  I am a little puzzled that he did not even exam my back/spine area.  I saw a lot of places saying that spine problems can cause GI symptoms too.  This doctor is very nice person, but I guess I'll have to find one who supports the idea that GI and spine problems connect to each other.

I went with the Chest CT approach, because I think if I have bone problem, it will show up, and the third doctor also told me that Hiatal Hernia should be detected on CT scan as well.

Well I had my Chest CT done yesterday, and the report just came out today.  I did not see the report, but communicated with the third doctor on the phone.  He told me it was a normal scan for my age (don't know what that's supposed to mean) but anyway I asked him about the hiatal hernia/stomach problem, he said the radiologist did not mention that on the report so he assumes I don't have that condition.  But all my vital organs and bones do not have any problem.  

These days, my sysmptoms are still pain inside left chest diaphragm area and the feeling of something stuck inside my chest, food is not easy to go down smoothly, which sometimes makes me want to throw up. Very stange taste in my mouth (bitter taste?) No appitite at all and keep losing weight.

I also talked to another chiropractic doctor via email (he is located far away).  He told me it is possible that during the rough ride my rib cage got shifted against spine.  

I am not sure what step to take next.  One option is to go see a GI doctor, by performing an endoscopy to find out for real whether or not I had developed Hiatal Hernia throught the rough ride.  The other option is maybe request a CT reread to ask them to concentrate on the esophagus/stomach area, I am not sure whether CT scan can tell small Hiatal Hernia; The third option (and probably the final option that I will take at the end anyway) is continue searching for a good chiropractic doctor.  
I read on the internet that some chiropractic doctor treat Hiatal Hernia as well by mechanically pull down the stomach, but it's hard to find a good doctor who has done that.  Yesterday I tried to jump up and down (one site said this helps to get the hernia back), but it made me really painful inside my chest.  If I know of a good chiropractic doctor who can adjust my spine and also handles Hiatal Hernia, I am willing to travel to any state to fix the problem and get out of the current suffering state.

Any comments and suggestions are very welcome.  And thank again for your help!!

[Zinni_singh]

hi..im 19 years old male,one day i was with my friends at night smoking weed,i dont want to lie im a regular smoker..so that night after smoking weed i felt a severe pain in my heart for about 30mins and after that i felt breathlessness for one full day,and today after eight months when ever i think of anything exciting or emotional,i feel a slite pain in my heart and left stomach....the pain is always there and i cant sleep that well at night...i dont know whats wrong and dont want to talk to my parents about this,the pain is also at the upper back of my body,left hand,left sholder..and the pain keeps moving around..i feel like something is trapped under my bottom ribs please help..
                                  
                                   thanks zinni

[astros18]

She had no symptoms of GERD or anything until her turbulent ride down the water slide. The solution lies in treating her true problem, not by masking things with a pill.

[ckg]

you might want to also consider non-cardiac chest pain.  some of the symptoms that you are exhibiting are consistent with that diagnosis -- which is also known as atypical GERD.  treatment would usually be a Proton Pump Inhibitor therapy.

hope this helps!
ckg