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Hiatus hernia problems

Posted , 13 users are following.

andy2710
andy2710

Im a 29 year old male diagnosed with a 4cm sliding hiatus hernia over 8 years ago. Recently i have been suffering really bad with it and have been back to the doctors and they have refered me to see a surgen. Im am currently on 2 omeprazole 20mg and 1 ranitidine 300mg a day. Over the past few days i have been getting sharp pains in my chest and back mainly when swallowing food or drinking. Does anybody suffer this problem aswell as the pain is quite bad .

0 likes, 35 replies

35 Replies

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  • clareybear
    clareybear andy2710

    Posted

    Hiya Andy,

    Yes I have exactly the same as you with reflux. I'm 37 and been suffering for about three years. Been referred to the surgeons but they won't give me an operation. On the same drugs as you and strong painkillers. I have pains alot of the time and it hurts whatever I eat.

    I am been referred to another hospital so hopefully they will do something. I feel am getting depressed over this. My appointment is on 30th of march.

    I hope the surgeons sort you out Andy.

    Kind regards

    Clare

  • andy2710
    andy2710

    Posted

    I hope so too iv got an appointment on 18th february. Im also on strong pain killers but had to come out of work today due to the pains in my chest and back when i swallow. I was thinking of going to the hospital tomorrow if it dosnt settle down as i cant eat with it. It not reflux thats causing the pain so i dont know what it is.

    Hope eveything goes well for you

    Andy

    • clareybear
      clareybear andy2710

      Posted

      Thanks Andy.

      I'm on co-codamol and tramadol. What painkillers are you on?

      Clare

  • andy2710
    andy2710

    Posted

    I am on co-codamal 30/500 and amitriptyline. I was in tramadol but i had bad side effects from it. Im hoping i dont get fobbed off on my pre op now if you did.

    Andy

    • keith74
      keith74 andy2710

      Posted

      I am having a problem that could be Tramadol what were the bad effects you had?
  • keith74
    keith74 andy2710

    Posted

    I have similar problem., if I sit for a while pain/burning gradually goes. If not Tramadol and a hot water bottle does the trick. Amitripyline is awaste of space, even as its primary use depression and side affects are bad. Your experience with Tramadol may have been the omeprazole. Get off acid suppressents, read up on them and you also may have bile reflux

    • andy2710
      andy2710 keith74

      Posted

      I was on the tramadol before i was on the omeprazole so i know it wasnt them and the pain seems to be constant
  • lee52785
    lee52785 andy2710

    Posted

    Hi Andy.

    I suffered with a sliding hiatus hernia for years. I didn't have pain or trouble swallowing as you do, but I twice became dangerously anemic from slow bleeding over time. I also have been taking omeprazole for years. One night when I got into bed, I felt so horrible -- my stomach hurt a lot and I could hardly breathe. I went to the doctor and had x-rays and other images taken. They showed that my stomach has moved up into my chest cavity by more than 50%! I saw the images on the computer screen and couldn't believe my eyes. I am bloated, I have trouble breathing, and also digesting.

    I'm now scheduled for corrective surgery, which they can now do without opening you up. The doctor said that the symptoms would go away afterwards, although it takes six weeks for full recuperation. It's scary to have trouble swallowing and to live with bad pain. I hope you can get to the bottom of your problem and get some relief.

    • andy2710
      andy2710 lee52785

      Posted

      That sounds horrible Lee. My doctor was telling me about the surgery for it. He said it is now done by keyhole and they make 5 small cuts.

      I think ill go hospital in the morning to be on the safe side after hearing that, hope everything goes well for you

    • lee52785
      lee52785 andy2710

      Posted

      Andy, good luck. Checking it out can only be a good thing.

      My surgeon does it by keyhole (we call it "laparoscopic" over here) and has done many successfully. I'm not waiting, because my overall health is good, so it seems now would be the best time before something else happens to me (aargh!). Best wishes for your health and well-being.

    • andy2710
      andy2710 lee52785

      Posted

      All the best for you operation im sure it will be worth it when you fully recover. Its a slippery slope getting older its always one thing after another
    • avy1971
      avy1971 lee52785

      Posted

      Hi Lee,

      Just looking through the posts here. I'm quiet new so just getting to grips with whats what! I read your comment with interest. Can I ask if the omeprazole has helped over the years with the breathing ? Also, when do you mainly get these shortness of breath symptoms ? Would you say you eat an average meal for a man of your size or would you say you have a tendancy to over eat ?

      I finally plucked up the courage to see the quacks this morning and I went with a determination to get my breathing issue sorted. I mentioned this forum and that in my opinion I have Hiatus hernia. She gave me the standard and predicted response which was one month of omeprazole, 20mg in the morning and lets see how we get on.

      Fingers crossed, my first ever dose tomorrow morning!!

      Avy

       

    • lee52785
      lee52785 avy1971

      Posted

      Hi Avy. I'm not a doctor, but I'm learning as I go. I just sent another note to Andy, which appears in the thread. Omeprazole is an acid blocker... it lowers the level of acid that your stomach normally produces to help digest food. It can also block absorption of nutrients.

      That said, the doctor told me that many people use it for years without ill effect. It helps with heartburn and acid reflux, which can be a great relief and also a source of other problems. However, if you have a hiatus hernia that slides up through the diaphragm into your chest (a paraesophageal hiatus hernia), only a surgical procedure will correct it. There's no medical cure, as my surgeon told me.

    • linda63382
      linda63382 lee52785

      Posted

      Hi Lee, I just found this forum. My GI doc says that over 1/3 of my stomach is sitting in my chest cavity (discovered during an upper GI endoscopy). From reading these posts, it seems you should have had surgery by now for your hiatal hernia. I am wondering how the surgery went, how long was your recovery, and have you had any more problems. I have read of several occasions when the repair came undone, or has to be repeated after a few years, regardless. I hope yours was successful but I would love to hear from you. 
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