Hiatus Hernia with back and arm pain

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Has anyone out there with a Hiatus Hernia experienced what feels like heartburn in your back and left arm. I have been diagnosedwith a Hiatus Hernia and take 30mg of Lansoprazoleonce a day and 10 of Motilium 3 times a day. But it doesn't seem to help the pain I have. I have had pain every single day for the past 2years and swapped between meds i.e omeprazole etc but nothing seems to work. I lot of the symptoms on research only states chest but I get it bad in my upper back around that knot thing in your kneck then it goes down my arm. Just wondered if anyone else has had this. Before I was diagnosed I thought I was dying I had seen every consultant you can imagine from heart,back brain to stomach. The docs seem to think now I know what it is I should feel less anxitey, well I don't as still feel really bad pain every day and meds not working.

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  • Posted

    It appears I am one of many following your search for relief from discomfort caused by Hiatal Hernia (HH).

    I will be anxious to hear if the acupuncture gives you any pain relief.

    Did the acupuncturist say how many sessions it usually takes to notice improvement?

    Has anyone heard of a massage therapist or chiropractor attempting to push the hearnia back where it should be?  Seems I have heard of that but I would have to wonder what would make it stay there ...

    I hope that the acupuncture helps; will check this site for any feedback you can share with us.  Take care!

    • Posted

      I have been going to a massage therapist.  He works on my psoas muscle and says that can make the hernia worse.....so he looses the psoas up.  It does give some relief, but unfortunately I have anxiety and stress and the psoas just tightens right back up  lol
  • Posted

    I will be getting an endoscopy Dec 13  Also have an MRI scheduled for thoracic spine.  Anyones pain exacerbate sometime with activity such as vacumming?  Mine seems to get worse.  Still lots of burping....ugh   Hope the accupuncture work.  After these two procdures i am heading to Chiropractor.
  • Posted

    To all, I have now had 2 accupuncter sessions and the day after each session my symptoms have been 10 times worse.  So I won't be doing this again.  Also the numbness and tingling in my Kneck seems to be getting worse.  Has anyone expericiened the tingling or an adverse reaction to accupuncture

  • Posted

    I have been diagnosed with a hiatal hernia they that is 6 in wide getting ready to have surgery I have pain in my store and any time I eat I feel like it going back into my chest I have no heart burn at all and I have not burped in 2 yrs I have the best surgeon he has done over 15,000 of these surgerys I have been told it's very painful to recover it can take up to a month and a half but I have had so much pain I can't wait I have pain in the middle of my back where the bra strap is if I eat any thing bigger than a very small apple I'm sick looking forward to this surgery

    • Posted

      I am wondering how many of us on here is woman with this problem 
  • Posted

    What are the meds intended to treat, specifically hiatal hernia?

    I was diagnosed about 10 yrs. ago with hiatal hernia but doc said it wasn't that big and doubted that it was that which was causing my discomfort on Left Side under rib cage.  But over past two yrs. the pain has radiated into my Left shoulder blade; I also have a great deal of pain in my Left shoulder (initially Phys. Therapist thought it was frozen shoulder but as I went thru the P.T., she changed her mind and didn't think it had been that1)

    What kind of doc did you see you get the dx of Hiatal Hernia and did he prescribe the meds, or just a general practictioner?  All of my discomfort is much worse at night when I lie down.  I understand the knot thing in the neck as I also have that but think it is because of C5-6, 6-7 cervical osteoarthritis diagnosis.

    P.S. I used to take omeprazole (PRILOSEC) BUT WENT off it about 6 mos. ago as I heard it was never intended to be used more than a 14-day regimen!

    Thanks for any input you can share!!

    • Posted

      It can get worse mine started just like you wrote in the left under my rib cage and my shoulder the back where my bra strap is it doesn't matter what I eat I have NO HEART BURT OR ACID REFLEX which is crazy when I eat I feel that the food is in my chest it's the worst feeling in the world my hernia is 5 in maybe 6 by now I go mon to see when my surgery will be ...I hear it's a very painful surgery 3 days in the hospital then about another 30 days to heal but I can't Waite to have this done...I was in the hospital about 3 hrs ago because I could stand the pain so they took my gallbladder out I still had the same pain and the told me it was phantom pain Wichita I never heard of so in nov I had a colonoscopy and they also. went down my throat to my stomach and the Doc said he hasn't seen 1 that large I weigh about 175 and th Doc that is doing the surgery wanted me to lose some weight he said that he has to pick up the liver to get to the hernia which I never new but how do lose weight he I can't even bend down because I can't breathe right before the size of the hernia ....I just had test on Thursday were they go in you nose down into your stomach to see if the esophagus to see if the fd is going down it was horrible the woman could only tell me that I had a tremendous amount of pressure in the stomach which I already new I can feel it I haven't burped in 2 to 3 yrs but onof the system s lots of burping I asked the dr why I don't have that system and he said because of the size of it I have 1 of the best surgeons o I'm looking forward to the outcome 

       

  • Posted

    Hi Everyone!

    I have the same thing. Pani in my chest when I sneeze or cough. Upper back pin between shoulder blades and under armpits. When I lay down at night it all seems to subside a little. Any help would be awesome. 

    • Posted

      When I lay down 'propped' up as medical opinion dictates it causes more (gas) pain but keeps acid down of that is flaring up, so it is a catch twenty two for people!

      Like you lying flat is better.

      I went to bed this morning at 7.30 after plenty mint tea and passing plenty wind both ends.

      Woke up in pain again in left shoulder and in between and slight in my lower arm, coffee/s for breakfast before food makes my bowels move and that also releases gas, 1 coffee today and pain starts shifting and then bathroom, still have trapped gas - I can feel it ever so slightly in my stomach but more my intestines so mint tea all day today then!

      Worst of the radiating excoriated pain past now after coffee, but 5 hours sleep has tensed all my muscles around these areas up some time to do some stretches to 'crack' the tension away.

      It is amazing gas can cause such immediate excruciating pain and residual muscle/joint pain due to tension placed on these areas.

      Have a great day all smile

  • Posted

    This sounds what I have suffered for 15 years...have changed my diet as I have loads of food allergens but most foods cause the chest (induces my asthma slightly) pain under the ribs, pain in my back/neck, left shoulder and lower left arm, even at left hand chest pain at my heart area all these specialists said was anxiety but was like a heart attack. I used to pass out in horrendous pain.

    It is much better as the pain used to be constant, omprozole and the likes do little, wind tablets, generally I have to take Zantac on a flare that helps settle the gas and I drink mint tea before and after meals.

    I have been up all night as pain started about 2am, tossed and turned and farted numerous times.

    Just got up and made peppermint tea, should have done that hours ago but was too tired, now I'm exhausted but feeling better I've burped and winded myself, there is more to come though I can feel it so I'll just have another mint tea after this one.

    I know none of you are exaggerating this pain, it stopped me working for years until one day I got up feeling great then had cornflakes, within 10 mins the excruciating pain and asthma had flared and my legs could not hold me up - milk! Then a allergy list longer than my arm so asthma much better as well as pains but even with the list eradicating many foods, at times after eating I throw up - mainly acid and a few debris of food and then the pain starts. My pain is so bad my back, neck shoulder and arm tense so much I need to stretch till they click/crunch. Most times there is no acid but pain - mostly even with no 'gas' symptoms. Pain is the precursor.

    Away to enjoy my mint cuppa then another, happy 4th of March everybody - indigestion (gas) day! Be well smile

    • Posted

      My dr said to stay away from peppermint...I know what your saying about trapped gas try putting your arms over your head that seems to help me 
    • Posted

      Oh I wish that relieved me! I've done every exercise I can think of lol none work, I previously ended up at A&E a few years ago almost screaming in pain, I was vocal and angry enough with pain they knew something was not right - had to give me a injection to calm the intestines 'ultrasonic' spasm after 5 days of not even able to drink even water without being sick.

      Crispy aromatic duck reaction - soy allergy, and as it turns out later also a poultry allergy (already knew of chicken) have removed all food triggers and it still flares up, any concoction of food stuff can have a dramatic gas effect. I read food can stay in your intestines for 8 hours festering and releasing gas, also sugar based is quickly broke down i.e. cranberry jelly but eat that with turkey (ok I can't anyway! Lol) and your stomach acid and then intestine enzymes from the duct can't break down the jelly as fast and the combo releases much more gas doing so - makes perfect sense, I can eat nuts (the one main allergen I don't have! Go figure!!) and be fine, if I eat a meal within 2-3 hours my gas level increases, the pains start and most often I bring up acid with wind and some nuts. Eat nuts solo even as a alternative for lunch 125g of walnuts (egg replacement for omega) and I'm fine.

      It is not just what you eat but the combinations that sit anywhere in the digestive system.

      Peppermint tea is a relaxant and also anti spasmodic, helps with cramps, spasms, gas, gerd heartburn etc in gastrointestinal, gallbladder and bile duct.

      Can't think why (other than your medication/s?) why a Dr would ask a patient not to use a natural product ?

      Glad you have a easy way out though, some of us have lives turned upside down by our disgestive systems! On and UP.

      I have slight pain in my arm and back/shoulder now in the last 20 mins all on the left, intestines rumbling, even not eating till you are starving hungry creates gas, a bad habit I used to have, I cannot eat for two hours till my system settles in the morning. I have slept in today and it's been 4 hours with no food, and the gas has started.

      Eat little and one thing when you do often - work out what reacts with what in your disgestive system.

      X

    • Posted

      To reiterate what I did not make clear above, sometimes not eating (a food you know does not make the gas worse) because you feel full, bloated etc (esp first thing in the morning) is the worse thing - it is like taking disgusting tasting medication because you have to do so, as the gas overnight or long periods between food can cause gas symptoms alone (and therefor pain starts).

      I have to wait 2 hours in the morning as it really doesn't help till then it makes me physically want to vomit. After a few coffees (which helps asthma and gas from overnight) I use the bathroom which helps cut gas more, I can then eat and should even if I don't feel like food, if I don't then the gas comes back in a empty stomach more often than not than if I do eat.

      Ironically I used to pass wind and loose stools loads eating dairy and had less intense pains as the gas would come flooding out before a major build up - I experience slight pains eating dairy but but it flares asthma badly and also dairy will flush through my digestive system very quickly in a few hours when eaten alone, eating with other things causes the severe pain and gas. Dairy also makes me scratch random places till blood vessels erupt on skin (childhood severe excema too!).

      It really is trial and error with foods/allergies. If a food group causes a migraine you stop - gas/pain from it is giving you the same warning.

      Best do a monthly food group removal/reintroduce with no snacking between meals, you soon learn things (i.e. My dairy showed slight pain, looser stools/fluid evacuation and scratching) then when you figure out gas/other symptoms from foods you eliminate, generally you are then left with gas from food reactions eaten together. It took me 3 years to do all this and figure it out, before hand my pain and asthma were horrific leaving me bed bound most days.

      Worse thing is every time I had a injection with egg in it my pain/stomach/food/asthma symptoms got worse and worse and worse.

      Peppermint tea is a quick fix, the long fix is monitoring your foods for 3 years (for me) or however long it takes, believe me if you are in so much pain as you say you will do it and perseverance is key to understanding your triggers and less pain life. Tablets for your digestive system mask symptoms not treat them.

      It's a hard slog but hey so was learning at school in new subjects - the greatest subject to learn about is your own body, it takes time but worth it.

      I used to suffer brain fog, short depression spells as the pain consistently being there brought you down and much worse asthma because the body could not cope with food groups, reactions/gas and it releases anti histimines which would trigger my asthma worse.

      Learn what is causing the gas and pain. Learn a new life. I'm after 8 years since my last 'egg' flu shot and worsening symptoms since then controlling it, not it controlling me - off to Uni this year (with peppermint tea in my folder haha :D

      Also thankfully with no allergen coating thank the gods for at least allowing me to eat chips with no side effects - my one luxury! 👍🏻

    • Posted

      I'm praying after march 24 I'm much better my surgery will be over have 1 of the best dr I'm sure I will be in a lot of pain but I have been told I will feel much better in the long run

    • Posted

      I hope so!! Good luck with the op smile

      Should have said also everyone the best thing for major excess gas is not trapped wind tablets or the like...ranitidine known as Zantac brand - it works from the liquid acid source neutralising it and the gas BUT prepare for gas expulsion both ends! Lol

      Obviously this is short term relief you can't live life taking Zantac every day, you still need to address the root issue of food.

      I have been in pain all week and took a Zantac last night and expelled a lot of gas even before bed, my shoulder, back and arm are in less pain than all week smile

      Think the very small amount of tomatoes in a meal I ate last weekend caused the imbalance.

      If you can absorb excess acid with bread do it, I can't eat grain food so plain cooked potatoes last night work just as good, not a tasty meal but tasty to remove pain and discomfort by absorbing acid, then a Zantac a hour later. Today is like spring coming out of winter all week! :D

      Still some pain but manageable for now compared to all week. Maybe paracetamol later will be needed?

      Eat well & be well everyone smile

    • Posted

      Another sleepless night, little evidence of acid coming up to my throat but it may well be just leaving the stomach and not travelling much further.

      (Had gas in the evening (intestinal pain) but drunk a 500ml bottle of water and burped it out.)

      That burning sensation at my thoracic spine and shoulder and slight left lower arm pains present, at 4am got up and took a Zantac, applied some Tiger balm to my shoulder and thoracic where I feel the pain. Burning sensation stops within 20 mins and off to sleep I go.

      It's starting to settle in general, I took paracetamol yesterday morning as my thoracic spine was sore from a week of gas, pain passed and managed to do a little Sunday cleaning.

      Slight pains this morning, coffee had me burping. On and up! Coffee no 2 of the day upcoming smile

      Pain free day everyone - hopefully here too :D

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