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Worsening Reflux Oesophagitis from Hiatus Hernia - Shall I Take the Op?

Posted , 21 users are following.

benhiatus
benhiatus

Hello to all

This condition is a bit of a hidden nightmare. I don't think people really know how hard it is to deal with the symptoms when getting strong. I have had minor effects for probably 20 years, but it really started 5 or 6 years ago and the effects are getting steadily worse.

I fortunately don't get to choking or gagging, but I have strong acid taste in mornings, even sleeping at 15% gradient in bed (which is the only effective gradient now)! 40mg esomeprazole doesn't seem to make things much better. I get increasing strong chest pains and pain in back between shoulders. It is debilitating and saps my strength. I now can not touch acid food without nasty consequences. I don't touch alcohol (almost never), I'm on a very strict diet to keep symptoms manageable. Its hard to sleep, travel and live any kind of sociable life with friends, and I'm just talking about staying over in a bed I can sleep in, or eating food they prepare. Holidays mean I have to find places with loads of pillows and then I cant eat most of the food anyway.

Colds etc cause complications that seem to stay down in the chest and are hard to go. I had a virus that lasted 2 years and its pretty certain that my condition worsened the virus effects and now I have tinnitus and sometimes a numbness in the sinuses and head and aching eyes that seem to be connected to the level of acid reflux.

It looks as if all of us sufferers seem to have a different mix of effects from our condition.

I'm seeing a leading gastroenterological specialist (Prof Annette Fritscher-Ravens, don't know if any of you know her based in in London) this week and the big question is should I still live with this level of suffering or take the risk of the Fundoplication operation? Personally I have had nasty events where recently I thought, that's it, you must push for an alternative solution (an operation).

It seems hard to tell from all your feedback what is the right decision. I don't mind suffering after, so long as it will lead to a marked improvement in the end.

Would love to hear your thoughts, especially from those with experience of the operation and results

Many thanks

1 like, 21 replies

21 Replies

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  • eddie10
    eddie10

    Posted

    Hi ben, I understand how you feel, being a fellow sufferer for many years!

    However the last two years have been hell, my hiatus hernia has taken over

    My life, constant chest pain, neck and shoulder pain and the most horrendous

    Vile taste in my mouth constantly. Bed on bricks no spicy, greasy or fatty

    Foods and nothing rich! I'm now gluten free as well...I take

    No ppi's and manage with just gaviscon. Suffered with gerd

    For 15 years and only recently been diagnosed with a 3cm

    Sliding hernia. My specialist has advised against surgery and would

    Like to hear how you get on with yours, if you go that route?

    Eddie

    .

    • chinaheed
      chinaheed eddie10

      Posted

      Hi Eddie, you said your specialist has advised against surgery? For what reason have they given? If you want the surgery, and by the sounds of it, you are a candidate for it, then request that you be put forward for the surgery?  
  • Daden
    Daden

    Posted

    Hi guys, yes many of those symptoms are familiar to me, mine are: the morning flavor of acid vile in my mouth always, litchi eyes in the inside corners for many years, I notice this when the immune system is low, almost always, I'v been having hiatus hernia for 25 years, used bricks in the up side of my bed but no

    change had, many years ago had for a year acid re-flux burning in my esophagus and with good foods combination and reinforcing my intestines it went away, but if I drink to much it wants to come back a little. I always awake at about 4 am feeling hot in my neck and head with some head ache, drinking milk and some other dairy and even some meats it give me allergies that last about one day with sniffing and much watery mucus, depending hows my inm sys. that moment.

    I'm trying DigestaCure have like 2 weeks and really I'm felling better with more energy less allergies, etc I thing I can recommend it now, but, I have to take it in the correct way for at least 4 months, but its easy to drink it, I just need almost not to drink much alcohol or nothing to go steady forward. I wouldn't do in my self any operation, If I don't address the root cause (toxic or diseased intestines) how much good is going to be surgery? if not worse. Daniel.

  • lesley118
    lesley118

    Posted

    Hi All. I have been back and forth to the hospital for over 2 years. I have a sliding hernia, I have constant pain under my right rib, shoulder blades, all round my side. I get bad burning in my chest with almost anything I eat, my stomach bloats like I'm constantly pregnant. No ppi's work at all. My surgeon doesn't want to operate, and for what I have read it does seem a very long recovery and not overly successful!. What really annoys me is they are telling me it's not the hernia causing the pain!!!!?????. Yet all the research I have done, everyone I speak to has pain!!!!. Mine NEVER goes away and at the moment is making my life a misery!!. In help with your question Ben, there is a site on Facebook called Nissen fundoplication (not sure of spelling), which has been a massive help, all these people voice there operation experience and after affects, very kind too, I'm sure this will answer a lot of your questions :-)
    • sandra11682
      sandra11682 lesley118

      Posted

      Hi lesley, I was diagnosed with only a small hiatus hernia back in June after having a lot of chest pain and that awful burning feeling, I take 30mg lansoprazol once a day and gaviscon when needed. I can relate to the pain between the shoulder blades and also in my ribs on the right side infact I can get pain almost anywhere in my back. I love to cycle and the pain does really impact on this but I refuse to give it up. My doctor told me to drink plenty of cold milk and it does seem to help but again what works for one doesn't for another. Sandra  
    • gwen45436
      gwen45436 sandra11682

      Posted

      HI i am new on this particular site but not to Patient UK - I had gastritis five years ago and managed to sort it.  PPIs did not help and I went the natural route which did see it off.  Over the last couple of years I have had acid taste now and then and heartburn if I have had too much wine and a Gaviscon sees it off.  However, this time it has come back with different symptoms, still the tight feeling on the left side but pain and burning up the gullet and into the throat and back.  It makes me scared to eat and stays for hours - hence me looking into Acid Reflux.  I love to run but am afraid to at the mo.  I am surprised to read that the doc said drink milk - I thought that was a no no - but on saying that my Mum had an ulcer for 40 years and always took a glass of milk to bed.  She lived with it quite ok until 84 and did not pass from ulcer problems.  All very confusing, but this is awful.  It is so painful all the time, definitely worse than my gastritis.
    • sandra11682
      sandra11682 gwen45436

      Posted

      Hi gwenn, Yes I did start drinking cold milk after the doc said it was good for hiatus hernia only because he himself had suffered with a hernia. It seemed fine at first but then things seemed to get worse so have now cut drinking the milk out, I still have it with my cereal which seems to be ok and this last week have not been too bad, although I still have a lot of pain between my shoulder blades and sometimes further down in my back. Anyway of to see the doc again tomorrow and a different one this time as it is always best to get another opinion.  
    • gwen45436
      gwen45436 sandra11682

      Posted

      Thanks for coming back to me - let me know how you get on.

      I go on Monday - but dont trust em.

    • sandra11682
      sandra11682 gwen45436

      Posted

      been to see doc today she's sending me for an ultra sound to see if the pain is comimg from gall stones
  • chrissy71310
    chrissy71310

    Posted

    Hello! just wanted to tell you a bit of my situation to see if anyone has any answers for me, well for the past month a have been experiencing a feeling of something stuck in my throat, then I went for the scope procedure and found out I have a HIATUS HERNIA, then recently for the past 4 days I have been experiencing a really BAD BURNING SENSATION IN MY MOUTH... I DONT GET ANY HEARTBURN BUT I GET A FEELING OF PRESSURE IN MY CHEST... THEN I FEEL WEAK AND DIZZY! IM JUST SO SCARED OF WHAT IT COULD BE, AND THIS BURNING SENSATION IN MY MOUTH IS DRIVING ME CRAZY! I DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO TO MAKE IT GO AWAY. I AM TAKING 20MG OF OMERPRAZOLE ONCE A DAY...

    CAN ANYONE HELP ME OUT AND HAS ANYONE EVER FELT THIS WAY?????/

    • joyce26040
      joyce26040 chrissy71310

      Posted

      Hello

      Take 40mg . I find Inexium 40 mg is needed when I get a sore throat rather than 20. Try upping your dose and see an an ear nose and throat doctor if you don't like your gastro enterologist.

  • valerie21605
    valerie21605

    Posted

    I to have a hiatus hernia, but although I get bad acid reflux, I haven't experienced what you are, and would be frightened if I did! what I would like to know from hiatal sufferers is what pure fruit juce can I drink? I know I can't have anything citric but am fedup with drinking just pure water. please help
    • al63292
      al63292 valerie21605

      Posted

      I switched off of soft drinks to canned and bottled iced tea.....works for me.
  • chinaheed
    chinaheed benhiatus

    Posted

    Ben,

    how did you get on with the specialist? I recently had surgery and my symptoms were not even close to yours. It sounds like you have one option if you want to live a better life? 

  • al63292
    al63292 benhiatus

    Posted

    Bottom line....the operation is successful about half of the time but I've never heard of anyone worse off after the operation.  If other maladies such as sinus infections and allergies have been ruled out via formal testing, I'd say 'go for it'.
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