Hiatus Hernia and breathing issues

I know I'm responding to an old post, but I was hoping to hear an update from you regarding the Hiatus Hernia. Your post basically describes me exactly. 33 years old, very healthy, constant reflux brought on by movement which started out of nowhere. Currently in the early discovery stages trying to sort this out.

Hi 

I had all the same symptoms and more..... your first step should be get and read the two books by Dr Jamie Koufman.  She is the leading Reflux specialist.  She is in NYC.  Books are:

Dropping Acid 

Chronic Cough Enigma 

Dropping Acid will give you a road map to helping fix your problem yourself. 

My Reflux was undiagnosed for so long then I saw dr after dr who couldn't figure out what was wrong with me. Finally found Dr Koufman and she has helped me so much. Unfortunately my Reflux had gone so long and another dr did a dilation that ruined my LES.  I just had the nissen fundoloplication procedure at NYU and am feeling great. 

I had breathing issues and the doctors couldn't figure out what it was. I saw my family dr, the gastroenterologist who did the dilation that caused the breathing problem, the pulmonologist and several ear docs. The advair and rescue inhaler didn't help. I could get air out I just couldn't get air in....which means it is Reflux related.  All those doctors thought it was in my mind and stress related so they prescribed Ativan.....which didn't help.  I also had acid so bad that I couldn't eat....for several weeks. After a horrible er visit I realized if I didn't figure out what was wrong with me I might actually die from it.  That is when I did a web search and found the books by Jamie Koufman. I called and got an appt with her and she knew immediately that it was Reflux. Within 2 weeks of her treatment, the breathing issues were gone.  My LES did not recover from the dilation so I had the surgery.  I also had a slight hiatal hernia repair. I'm feeling good.  I am 2 weeks post op and I'm starting to eat solid foods again. The thoracic surgeon who did my procedure said I will be able to eat more normally soon and will actually be able to sleep in a more flat position (have been sleeping at a 45 degree angle... almost sitting up....for a year).

I really think your first step should be to read those books and if you can, get an appt with dr Koufman at the Voice Institute of NY in NYC. 

Hi Lori, I have had this shortness of breath issue for 8 years now. I know I have a hiatus hernia. The reflux doesn't really bother me. It's just the shortness of breath. Diet hasn't helped me and no meds work. Will the wrap or Nissan fundoplication help this breathing issue because my quality of life is shocking. Please let me know

Hi Daniel,

I am only 3 weeks from surgery so I'm still healing so I don't know. I do know that my breathing issue was caused by Reflux even though my GP or the pulmonologist or gastro doc believed it.  It wasn't until I went to Dr Koufman that it was treated.  I take1  Zantac before each meal and bed.  I also sleep in an upright position....at a 45 degree angle.  . Started in a recliner then I bought an Avana 4 piece sleeping pillow for acid reflux sufferers.....got it on eBay.i now eat a low acid diet (read Dropping Acid by dr Jamie Koufman) and that took care of my breathing issues.

I had the surgery because I could only eat a few things without terrible acid pain. I'm not really sure how the hiatus hernia plays into it.... for me, I had trouble getting air in....didn't feel like I could get a full breath which is usually an indicator that you are aspirating stomach acid. (If you can get air in but not out that is usually an indicator of asthma)

I can only recommend you going to see dr. Koufman at the Voice Institute of NY. She is one of the leading specialists in this area. She sure helped me when no one else could figure out what was wrong with me and all the inhalers did nothing to help me.  

I don't know how much this helped, but Zantac 4 times a day and sleeping more upright and reading and following the diet in Dropping Acid for two week can't hurt you and would be worth a try if it fixes your breathing issues. 

hi daniel

sorry to hear your quality of life is shocking  depending on the size of your hernia (tear) the larger amount of stomach may have slid into your chest where it should not be which can cause you chest tightness and shortness of breath as the stomach pushes against the bottom of your lungs you should be concerned about long term reflux as prolonged acid reflux burns the lining of your oesophagus  which can cause changes to the lining of your oesophagus  not to mention severe heartburn. at the start of any Nissan fundoplication procedure the portion of stomach that has herniated into chest is returned to the abdomen and any tear is sown up and the fundoplication procedure is carried out mainly to secure the stomach in the abdomen and tighten the cardiac valve at the top of your stomach to reduce acid reflux

​

​I hope this info helps give you a better understanding  as I have underwent several fundoplication procedure to repair this defect  today I have no breathing issues

I came across your post and i thought it is quite interesting. I have been having shortness of breath which ocurred 3 weeks ago. I have a hiatal hernia, (gerd) , and was diagnoised with gastritis. I discovered this diagnoses this past March. I am also in perimenopause which i think triggered everything off. The gastritis finally got better around August, Im able to eat again. The thing is i was only treating the acid reflux and gastritis with diet, i had side effects from ppis. I took zantac instead, but I wasnt too consistent with it, only if i needed it. Now, here 3 weeks ago I have shortness of breath, pain in my back, lower back and radiates around. This vague feeling of something in my throat and chest sometimes. I have been having soft bowels which for the last 2 days has turned to diarrhea. The bowels seem to be same color everytime.(green). Which kind of bothers me. Even if i look down or talk i get shortness of breath. I have seen a lung specialist, cardiologist and all fine. Im really starting to wonder if this is a GI issue. I have noticed if i eat or drink something the stomach will spasm or chest feels funny and shortness of breath. I dont feel any pain or burning in stomach as before with gastritis. Though, i was feeling like my acid reflux was under control, could one experience silent reflux the whole time. I know i was belching quite frequent but no other discomfort until these past few weeks the shortness of breath, rapid heart beat, pain in back , bloating, etc.

Hi Mary

I'm not a doctor but have had many of your same problems and symptoms. All mine were from silent Reflux.  The diagnosis was hard to get as none of my doctors were Reflux docs. Finally had to go to the Voice Institute of NYC to get proper tests, diagnosis and Treatment.  My treatment included the following: 

1). Pepcid or Zantac 4 times a day ( before meals and before bed)(PPIs are worse thing you can do to

Control Reflux)

2) Gaviscon (1/2 tsp 30 after dinner and just before (from U.K. Aniseed Flavour purchased on Amazon) not the watery chalky stuff you get in US   

3) sleep with head and chest elevated to 45 degrees. You can prop pillows or I bought a thing from Amazon (Avana Kind Orthopedic support pillow comfort system

With Bamboo Cover). This is what I found that works well

For me.  

4) eating low acid diet ( read dropping Acid by Dr Jamie Koufman)

5) Drink Akaline water ( I make mine in a pitcher by Turapür but Cerra water Pitcher is same. 

6)medications dr Koufman prescribed for my esophagus. 

After treatment for a year I was much better but I also had. Deb diagnosed with. Arrests esophagus so I decided to have the Nissen Wrap surgery with a Thorcacis surgeon. My reflux is gone and am doing much better. 

Hi Andrew, thank you so much for your response. This is the first helpful forum I've found after searching fpr years on the internet. Andrew, I would assume that by pulling the stomach down into place would take pressure off the diaphragm or any other organs that the hernia is pushing on. I have just been able to find very little research on whether people's breathing problems have been cured from the Nissan fundoplication. Did you suffer from shortness of breath before your surgery?

I should also note I have a test on the way to test myself for H Pylori just to see if that's playing any part in all this.  I'm looking into IBS, as it does seem to possibly have some relevance here as some of the symptoms of IBS ring a bell.  I suppose the only way to find out is by diet.  This would mean I would have to add dairy and wheat to my elimination routine :-(.  It's worth a shot though, as I have soy milk and calcium supplements to make up for the loss.  Tomorrow I will cut dairy just to see if I have any "attacks".  

Again, I've played around with this for a couple of weeks now, and fasting always works while I'm doing it (I only fasted to see if it would resolve my problems).  Sure enough, by fasting, I'm extremely hungry but have absolutely not stomach issues, and the same goes for in the morning, no symptoms.  Then when I would start eating again, sure enough, something would cause that pressure and shortness of breath.

So far on this new diet, I'm having less "attacks" with nighttime being the worse (just before bed when lying down), as I assume their still some food lingering around in the stomach causing gas or something (it's still up for debate :-) ).  

We will solve this thing!

Yes, I'm now looking at this as a multifaceted problem myself, and I think it's like a chain reaction of problems (again, I'm not a doctor nor have any medical training).  Another problem that has been resolved for me since starting this diet: the coughing.  So, I honestly believe this whole problem contributed to all of my health problems over the last year or so (though I've had times where I had no symptoms (I suppose because I ate properly on those day)).

These are the problems I'm addressing (and I don't know EXACTLY which ones I have, but I'm directing my diet and routine changes towards them, because the shortness of breath can be caused by all of these):

Again, I haven't been diagnosed by a medical doctor for these conditions nor sure if I have them, but I have no choice but to consider each of them as a cause.

Esophagitis - Soft foods diet

Hiatal Hernia (vagus nerve) - Avoiding alcohol, fatty meats, gassy foods like beans

and now with new information:

IBS (Irritable bowel syndrome) - Cutting dairy today, but still going to eat small amounts of wheat.  If still having symptoms, will cut wheat.

So far so good this morning.  Just had a bowel of cereal with soy milk.  No shortness of breath "episodes" yet, so I'll probably post another update tomorrow morning.

I've started tapering off the Nexium today by cutting it by 25%, so I took 3/4 of the normal dose.  I'm tapering the Nexium over 4 days, so I'll be off it by Saturday.

Thanks, you too!

u might want to look into celiac

disease. There are a great deal of people who can take every treatment

in the world and it doesn't help the

hiatal hernia. If u get relief from the

diet that is good. But wheat bread is

really something that they recommend u eat to help gerd signs of gastric reflux. There is a surgery

called the wrap that some people have to have as a last resort to relieve intolerable symptoms from a hiatal hernia. Thanks

Feeling great today though, so hopefully heading in the right direction.  However, I know this thing can take a turn rather quickly, and I'll be right back where I started, so keeping fingers crossed 

Since you can't seem to keep weight on have the drs tested u for celiac

disease. It is a disease of the small intestine your body can't handle certain foods. Sometimes hpylori

is stubborn. Have they given you

pepto bismol along with the antibiotics it is also called bismuth

they usually give Flagyl and Biaxin

for helicobacter pylori (hpylori) Why would the dr get mad if u ask him

to test for it. Thay is weird especially

since u were right. Sounds like u need a new dr. Good Luck

Surgery for GERD may involve a procedure to reinforce the lower esophageal sphincter called Nissen fundoplication. In this procedure, the surgeon wraps the top of the stomach around the lower esophagus. This reinforces the lower esophageal sphincter, making it less likely that acid will back up in the esophagus.

Surgery for GERD may involve a procedure to reinforce the lower esophageal sphincter called Nissen fundoplication. In this procedure, the surgeon wraps the top of the stomach around the lower esophagus. This reinforces the lower esophageal sphincter, making it less likely that acid will back up in the esophagus. It is hard when ur limited on drs. I live in the USA so it isn't quite as hard to switch drs. Good.Luck

Maybe try getting a doctor that will listen to you, it is so important.

Hi I Girl

i have been experiencing the lump in my throat since 2011 and have been unable to swallow pills. have had multiple endoscopes and swallow series tests. They noticed the pill gets stuck in esophagus just before the stomach....they suggested an esophagus stretch so I had that done almost 2 months ago.  WHAT A MISTAKE!!  Since then have had a breathing issue and am now on Prevacid twice a day. Have had lots of tests....lung, heart.  My gastrointerologist and my family doctor think I'm crazy. Have tried the inhalers, now I'm on Antianxioty drugs. not really helping. I tried to skip a dose of the Prevacid to try to get off of it and I ended up in the emergency room with a burning stomach, nausea and vomiting. After IV and two doses of Zofran and a PPI in the it, they gave me a gi coctail with numbing stuff in it and I still left with a burning stomach. Tried to see my gastrointerologist the next day like the ear doctor said and he won't see me. Said there is nothing else he can do for me. Said he could refer me to Another doctor for a second opinion. Am very frustrated and know I am NOT crazy.  At this point I cannot imagine the "wrap".  I hope you find some answers and will be anxious to hear. 

thanks for all the information. I have been very frustrated with my symptoms and my doctors. I do know I am not crazy like they think I am.  I'm searching for a new gastrointerologist since he refused to see me after my ear visit two nights ago. 

Are you still on the diet you wrote about?  How is your breathing?  I was shocked when I read your entries on the breathing.  Have you ever lost your voice or got hoarse?  I had neck surgery, 3 fusions, and about the time scar tissue starts building (2 weeks) I have not been able to breath or talk very well, yes, I have a bad h.h. And had no clue this may be my problem?  Feels like 8 elephants are sitting on my chest and have a constant bad case of laryngitis, soooo hard to talk thru.  Was hoping balloon dilation would do the trick but after reading here, yikes, it maybe h.h.  Did your diet get you to breath?  Thanks for any help!  Allyson