SLIDING HIATUS HERNIA SYMPTOMS AND QUESTIONS

Hi Eddy,had had vague health problems for several years until I was admitted to hospital with what I thought to be a heart attack, I had been given conflicting diagnosis for several months,(I do have a slightly enlarged heart which has confused the issue?) my heart attack was the famous oesophagos flux, I to have  had sliding hiatus hernia diagnosed with all the same depressing symtoms you describe its really quite disabling and its effects underestimated  by GP,s. I take both Loranzorpozole and Ranitidine, my GP says to "keep taking the tablets". I have had to almost give up alcohol and stick top a plain diet, where possible, but nothing seems to make a noticable difference, virtually told it was my fault for being overweigh for my heightt(not fat), 2 gastroscopies... I will be going to see a herbalist who has been recommended, cant help with a magic solution but feel better that we are not alone!

I've had my probs for about 10 years. My 2 cm hernia gives me constant non stop pain. I can only remember about a 1 1/2 month period without pain. I have the clamping in my chest , the pressure feeling like someone is standing on your chest, the pain, the neck and shoulderblade pain etc etc. I also have breathing probs because the hernia irritates my diaphram. Acid reducers don't seem to work, I have the hernia and reflux ibs ( which seems to be the norm with this from the posts I have read ) general digestive probs. With me all of this crap hit me all at once about 10 years ago. The problem with operations on the hernia is I was told that it is a slim chance of making it off of the operating table alive and even if successful it would most likely be back within 5 years. Be very very careful about getting a operation dieing on the operating table is a 90% chance , I went to many dif docs and they all said the same thing risk wise and told me not to get it done. These problems are genetic as my mother has the exact same thing. For her acid reducer medication works for me it doesn't do a damn thing. I use a table spoon of baking soda in a cup of water. tastes like crap but it works better then anything and is the fastest of anything. raising the head of my bed works well also. Raise it 6 inches. A Huge dif almost night and day. With the hernia the muscle relaxes causing stomach acid to leak into your esophogus and lungs. This causes erosion and eventually lung disease as your stomache acid is hydrochloric acid. this can also cause erosion of the lining in your esophigus and if it erodes into the artery behing there you can bleed to death internally. I also had bloating, sour stomache, excessive gas ( burping ) and what i call extreme hot flashes and or some sweating from it when the reflux acts up big time and my heart rate increases also .This isn't to scare anyone just to point out the serriousness of stomache acid problems. Raising the head of your bed stops the acid from leaving your stomache and leaking back into your esophogus and lungs. It is natural for the pressure feeling on your chest to make you feel/think as though you are dieing and is very common symptom. It did for me it's the psychological effect of it. If you havent had a stomache scope I highly suggest you get one just to be sure of what it is. I found that gaviscon is complete crap for me not to mention a huge rip off price wise and doesn't really do anything medically. it supossidly creates a barrier where as baking soda and water is the only sure thing as it neutralizes the hydrochloric acid completely and turns it into water. Watching what you eat is also key. Through baking soda my probs have actually decreased 10 fold in severity. I use to be awake for days from the pain and could only sleep from passing out from exhaustion , it was that bad. If you have hypertension talk to a doctor about using baking soda and fyi most antacids use baking soda but charge you a hell of a lot more then buying a big box for $1 or $1.50 that lasts months compared to a bottle of gaviscons that last a week and costs $14.00.

I should have noted that the pain though constant is manageable and I can function/work/eat pretty much what I want as long as it's not too spicy. I'm currently working on reducing it further hopefully to almost nothing soon and still 100% prescription free.

Hi Eddie10 , it is not smoking, I have noticed with red wine I get even worse.  I have had the same problem for the last seven years, they told me recently I have Rhomathoid arthritis,  I doubt it . because when I sleep on bed and push the spot below my ribs in the middle then my lungs and diaphragm can have their normal movements and I have breath of relief. I feel there might be something wrong with my intestine or with diaphragm or something which makes the abdominal pressure not being in proper ratio with the chest pressure, because when I am relieved after this pressing thumbs on my belly, I start sneezing and the pressure somewhere up or down I don't know gets normal. At the same time i have pinched nerve in my neck which has created stiff shoulder as well, partly my tortured breathing is because of the cervical and thoracic areas as well. See which of my symptoms may apply to you?  if you also find something a good doctor or any clue please let me know.

I read a lot of these posts about hiatal hernias.  I've had one for 10 years.  I never felt it when it happened, but most of my stomach is in my chest.  I'm finally going to get an operation on it.  I've had acid reflux for 10 years and air gets caught in my stomach when I eat.  I'm surprised people talk about how painful it is, but I guess I have had pain in my back and just wrote it off as being caused by typing.  I sure am looking forward to getting it fixed and hopefully having a normal stomach and digestive system again.  I might even be able to lay down flat.  Wow.  It's caused me to be anemic for 10 years, too.  It's really ruined my life. I'm not sure why the medical community choose to ignore this for so long. 

good luck with your op,which actual op are you having I,ve heard there are 2 or 3 different ones,let us know how you get on.

I'm going to be going back to my doctor, yet again about all of my on going health problems. I've had over 160 doctor visits with an assortment of doctors. I'm having surgery for my gallstone, I'm in a lot of pain and swelling in the rib cage area. With everyone writing about their sliding hernias, has anyone ever have strange tastes and smells? I repeatedly have this.  Does the sliding hernia also cause your sinuses to become blocked? These are my on going health issues, sinusitis that does not clear up, feels like I've got a big painful ball of mucous stuck in my chest, sliding hernia -no one has told me how big it is. Gall stone that is almost 1inch. My right shoulder is always sore and throbbing, I have a cyst in my armpit.    Lost feeling on the right side of my face.  I just had some major surgery. Had to have a hysterectomy.  Specialist found so many problems in this area.  I no longer have severe back aches nor are my hips grinding when I walk ( I was a mess), I can now lay on my back and cross my legs. I'm hoping my new doctor will send me to see a specialist in this area

Hello Eddie,

I was 25 years on Losec and 15 years on Ranitidine and I became so unwell I was unable to work.

I found a fix on Newsmax Health, an American website and it was; eat half an apple after every meal and before going to bed (2 apples a day).

It transformed my life and I'm back at work, without pain.

Just had a laproscope today and have grade 2 oesophagitis and a 3 to 4 cm sliding hiatus hernia... but no pain because of the apple regime.

I hope it works for you: it certainly does for me!

All the best,

NZmike

I'm off everything and after 6 months, rarely need an apple! But I make sure there is always at least one in the fridge.

Coming off the Losec and Renatidine was the most horrible experience and my tummy was on a full rolling boil day and night. I'd had diarohea for nearly 40 years and I was altogether over it!

I did a Penn overland London to Capetown road trip in my 20's and had the sh*ts more or less constantly... from Istanbull onwards... I think.

I read that dairohea was a side effect of PPI's and the next next step was that the constant diarohea might become forever and uncureable and

Dear Eddie, I really sympathise. I know how frightening the pain can be especially alone at night. I can only speak from personal experience but the smoking and drinking (any alcohol) has to go. Completely. I  find I can drink coffee fine. But cream including cultured cream is a real no-no for me. horrible acid. The PPIs have nasty side effects. I find zantac 150mg twice a day for a week and then one a night only for the following week is good enough to knock an attack on the head. I would never want to use acid blockers long term as it can become counterproductive. I find this regime several times a year keeps everything managable.

I hate to say it but sweets- all sweets, deserts and confectionary I have found have to go, too. but for me no drinking or smoking or sugar works and you can live far better without all those. If it takes a HH to make a person give them up, its probably a blessing. I don't say that lightly as I would not wish the pain on my worst enemy. Very best of luck.