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Can you live a normal life with a hiatus hernia?

Posted , 9 users are following.

nancyj1979
nancyj1979

Hi everyone, I am a 36 year old woman, I weigh about 11 stone and I am a stay at home mum to 3 children. I have suffered with excess acid for about 10 years now. The doctor put me on lansoprazole which I have been taking everyday. Everything was going fine until I was put under a lot of stress due to some family issues. I started to get very bad acid reflux which I don't normally suffer from, only have acid in stomach. I also have a really bad pain in between my shoulder blades. Gp referred me to gastroentologist who performed an endoscopy. She confirmed a sliding hiatus hernia, 4 cms. She said it has been there a while, it is not new. I don't know how she knows that. Any way I am in so much pain that all I can think of is to have the surgery which is what she has recommended. What is stopping me is that, if I have had the HH for a while, I have lived a normal life. I know I am lansoprazole but I could eat what I wanted apart from spices. I could eat how much I wanted, when I wanted.  I don't drink or smoke but I love my food. At the moment everything gives me heartburn but I am hoping that it will slowly repair itself or is this wishful thinking. If I have the surgery there still may be a chance that I won't be able to enjoy my food. I would love to hear your different opinions.

thanks Nancy

1 like, 39 replies

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  • nancyj1979
    nancyj1979

    Posted

    OK silly question but has anyone ever tried the stomach massage and the water technique?
  • cbielich
    cbielich nancyj1979

    Posted

    I have had a hiatal hernia for about 5 years now. I didn't know I had one till about a year ago. When it comes to learning to live with one I am still in that process now. I am much better now that I know what I have. Maybe this can help someone else but I am going to tell you what I went through including symptoms (current and past) that I have from it so that hopefully it won't cause the anxiety I developed from it lol.

    For me all my symptoms started about 5 years ago when all of a sudden after drinking coffee I would develope what felt like a lump in the bottom of my throat (in the neck area). Shortly after that I started developing a very full feeling after drinking coffee. Many times I would feel so full that I would skip a meal just because I didn't feel hungry.

    From there I started developing muscles in my neck starting to tighten. Like as if they were cramping. That went on for a few years

    Now about 2 years ago I started to develop chest pains. This caused me to land myself in the ER about 6 times thinking I am having a heart attack. I started developing the anxiety I have now from this. It would freak me out. Every time I went to the ER I would get an EKG, Blood work and everything came back healthy. I was driving me crazy.

    Finally about 9 months ago I went to a gastro and he found my hiatal hernia. Once I did my own research on it everything makes sense now. Luckily once I found out what I have 99% of my anxiety left, but there is that 1% that slips in once in a while when I start feeling weird in my chest. I just have to tell myself I am fine, take a ant-acid and go on my day.

    So just in case someone reads this with similar issues and thinks they are going crazy...your not. And if you have not seen a gastro go see one, it doesn't hurt.

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