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Please help. Do I have a Hiatal Hernia? Undiagnosed but certain otherwise.

Posted , 4 users are following.

MrLeeMason
MrLeeMason

Hi.

I am a 36 year old male. Ex smoker, probably drink a little more than average and asthmatic, but ideal weight for my build.

I have a long list of reasons why I feel I may have a Hiatal Hernia and want to see if anyone can relate. I have had two doctors in the UK tell me I don't but I haven't had any tests and neither knew what a hiatal hernia was. One of them even laughed right at me because I'm too young to have one apparently. I had an alternative therapist tell me I certainly had one, then prescribed me with acupuncture, which I didn't follow through with due to skepticism and cost.

My symptoms include:

Acid reflux every single day, especially after coffee, orange juice, beer, fizzy drinks, milk or spicy/greasy food (which I mostly avoid these days).

Tightness in my chest on and off at all times, especially upon waking.

Hiccups and wind after almost every meal. This is worse if I eat too fast.

General lethargy and shallow breathing even if I have had plenty of sleep and good food.

And I can feel something which I can move around and pull down through self-massage. It's a visible lump that crunches back into place and sits just below and against my sternum.

This "lump" (I'm pretty slim) can be forced back up, once pushed away, if I do sit ups or also after sex, which is real mood killer! Basically bending the abdomen at the hips, forward, seems to exacerbate it.

I also suffer from sudden, but rare, pain in the chest, like especially bad heartburn, that is instantly alleviated through drinking a pint of water really fast. Something I discovered randomly many years ago.

Please can anyone help me figure out if this is indeed a hernia!? Thank you.

Lee

0 likes, 6 replies

6 Replies

  • clarice34348
    clarice34348 MrLeeMason

    Posted

    Please try to see a GI Specialist, who will have an endoscopy done on you. Try to stY away from quack doctors. Sometimes even babies are born with hiatal hernia. It can happen at any age. Please see a real Doctor (GI SPECIALIST) and get the test done. God Bless you
  • Abuabu
    Abuabu MrLeeMason

    Posted

    Agree you do have many symptoms suggesting might have hiatal hernia but   also your description is very similar to something a friend of mine suffers from and after extensive GI investigations appears he hasn't got an HH but suffers from an irritable gullet. As clarice says jeep pushing for an Endoscopy or I think a Barium swallow ( I prefer) both of which have had and confirmed the HH. Your GP needs to write referring you. It may be a 6 month wait which unfort reflects state of the NHS.    
    • MrLeeMason
      MrLeeMason Abuabu

      Posted

      Thank you. That's very interesting. I'll look into it.
  • Abuabu
    Abuabu MrLeeMason

    Posted

    Good luck. Presume you are already on some sort of medication? Some seem to prefer Omeprazole but for me Lanzoprazole  has worked better. Doesn't cure but sure helps.  
  • papote53
    papote53 MrLeeMason

    Posted

    Sounds like you might have a Hiatal Hernia, reflux and anxiety.  Ask for a complete Barium Swallow, not just the esophagus.  They can check this as well with an endoscopy which is a more complete test.  Now, anxiety will make symptoms worse so you need to control your anxiety, which is easier said than done. ;-( Medications specially benzos do help, but you have to have control so you do not get addicted. The other medications which are not benzos have way to many side effects and sometimes it takes momths to find out which one helps without many side effects.  (normaly).
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