Problems with pain after Heimlich Maneuver

Lori474 · 02-28-2005, 02:01 PM

I'm not sure I can get any advice here since this is an unusual problem but I'm hoping someone else may have been involved with a situation like this or know of someone who has.
I was choking and my husband perfomed the Heimlich which saved my life. However, he performed it incorrectly (which of course I hold no ill feelings for!).Bless his heart for helping me so quickly! It was done too high up, closer to the breast bone. We had been on a cruise and the ships Dr. diagnosed soft tissue trauma with possible rib fracture and sent me on my merry way with pain killers. It was worse by the time I got home so I followed up with my Dr. He chest contusions and thought again it might be rib fracture so he did an office xray which turned out to be negative. According to him this is supposed to be feeling better but it hasn't. The pain is so intense I haven't been able to sleep on my back or side because it makes the pain worse and its hard to breathe...almost makes me feel a little smothered.
He sent me to the hospital for better xrays to see if the sternum might be fractured or possible a rib which didn't show in the original films. I am waiting to get the results today. If it comes back negative I don't know what else can be going on. I feel like a hypochondriac complaining to my Dr but I keep feeling like something may be torn or displaced. Can simple chest contusions cause an extreme amount of pain?.. I know athletes experience this playing sports and getting hit in the chest but I don't know how much pain they experience.
Can anyone relate to this situation? Would appreciate any advice.
Thank you,
Lori

susieq0726 · 02-28-2005, 02:06 PM

I didn't get hit in the chest, but was hit on my left side and experienced similar pain. It hurt to breath, lay down, basically moving at all hurt.
I was on pain killers and lots of rest. It took 6 weeks before I felt 100% back to normal. I wouldn't be surprised if you had a small break somewhere.

twizliz · 02-28-2005, 02:09 PM

I wouldn't worry about feeling like a hypocondriact. Like my dr always tells me "you're in your body---- you know what you feel.. I'm just an outsider trying to help"

Lori474 · 02-28-2005, 02:13 PM

Thanks for the reply. The Dr. said he thought I might have a cardiac bruise with effusion (fluid around the heart) but the ehco came back negative. I have been on percocet for a week but its a trade off...either feel alot of pain and keep a clear head, or get really spacy and a bit nauseaus and feel little pain. I really can't tolerate anything stronger than the percocet so I take advil most of the time which just takes the edge off and allows me to function mentally. I'm just so tired of sleeping propped up on the sofa in a sitting position!

twizliz · 02-28-2005, 02:25 PM

I can understand how you would be sick of sleeping like that.

Have you asked your dr about prescribing a stronger NSAID? I am on nabutone (relefin) for a shoulder sprain and it helps a lot and doesn't make me sleepy.