Hiatus Hernia things you might no know

I have had a hiatus hernia for 14 years probably longer, it kept happening with flare ups until I had to take medication for it. I have had all the tests to see about surgery which they refused to do! I have had gaviscon, nexium, lansprozale, omeprozal and ranitidine. the most effective being the gaviscon (i was taking it by the bucket load) but it reacts with garlic resulting in a lot of wind most of the others did nothing and here is what the doctors don't tell you. All the tablets I mentioned apart from gaviscon are pp inhibitors they stop the stomach producing acid, so how do you then digest your food? they reduce digestive enzymes that then result in constipation which then makes the reflux worse. when the food isn't digested properly your gut can't absorb the nutrients from it (as a result my iron levels are very low, but can't take iron supplements as they cause consipation). Vicious circle. but it gets worse the food lying your gut then can start to ferment instead of digest and this causes more wind (like you need any more) and this puts more pressure on the hernia causing more reflux despite taking meds, this can then go up your gullet causing breathing difficulties because the acid is getting into your lungs and causing sore throat, sinusitis, ear pain and lots of catarrah, the catarrah then goes down to your stomach causing more digestive problems as your stomach isn't supposed digest that.

Women who think it gets worse around that time of the month are right, the hormone change that happens every month, slow your bowel down, cause some degree of anxietyand stress which increase stomach acid causing more of the same problems. Hormones control every function in your body, stress and poor nutrition can change the way they operate.

I have researched extensively, using a guinea pig for my theories (ME!) and found that trying cut out all processed food (especially sugars), reducing bread and carbs down to a minimum and eating easily digestible foods ie fruit and veg really helps, as well as eating a natural yoghurt everyday (unless your lactose intolerant) really helps but it doesn't get rid of it completely.

I have had nearly every symptom that I have seen listed on this forum. I would advise anybody who has this condition to keep a food & symptoms diary to try and help yourself as much as possible. It very possible that symptoms of IBS will make the reflux worse, this has been my worst year yet back in feb I couldn't eat anything cos I kept feeling like I was choking it took a few weeks to get back to normal food but something still isn't right I have lost over 2.5 stone, I have no energy and I find the doctors worse than useless. That is why I started researching, I was fed up of being treated like a mushroom by them.

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