1. < Digestive Health

Hiatal Hernia. What helps?

Posted by betterb4 @betterb4, Feb 13, 2017

I was just diagnosed with a small hiatal hernia but I'm feeling pretty miserable. I was a perfectly healthy person and this all started a couple months ago. It started with a feeling of a "lump" at the bottom of my esophagus (or top of my stomach). Sometimes I had a burning feeling in my esophagus. I mentioned it with my gastroenterologist before a routine colonoscopy; she pretty much dismissed it but immediately put me on Prilosec in the morning and Zantac.It really doesn't help very much. before bed. I had and EGD and she diagnosed and irritated esophagus and stomach and a small hiatal hernia.
I have now given up coffee, wine, chocolate, beef, tomatoes and eating after dinner (everyday the list grows.) We have propped our bed at an angle. I am afraid to eat. She insists that the hernia is not causing this, but it must be. I'm in my 50's, perfect weight and have never even had heartburn. If this doesn't improve soon, I am thinking of going to Mayo for a full evaluation. I can't live this way and I DO NOT want to be on medicine the rest of my life.

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Bluegrass Gal | @cindychesler | Mar 5, 2020

My doctor put me on zegerid (now it’s over the counter) for about a year. Now I just take it if I have a flare up.

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catt8722 | @catt8722 | Mar 13, 2020
In reply to @koryn "Hi, I have been experiencing severe left sided pain, pressure under and around the rib area..." + (show)
@koryn

Hi, I have been experiencing severe left sided pain, pressure under and around the rib area with chronic constipation for two years now with no concrete answers. I have had every test you can think of and the only definite findings are a non alcoholic fatty liver and a hiatal hernia which has gotten bigger in the past year. I have had 2 endoscopes with show constant inflammation in the stomach but test neg for the H pylori. I also have a great deal of pressure in the diaphragm and my throat always feels irritated.  so was wondering if anyone else has had similar symptoms as I have been told some of mine are A typical for a HH, but I can't live like this anymore. I get a terrible tightening or spasm type feelings in the upper abdomen. Also if I lay on my right side I feel a pulling sensation_ Any input would be greatly appreciated*

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Hi , I have had the same symptoms for years. I was admitted to the hospital in 2013 . The pain in my left side was 10. They said it was diverticulitis. I eat a lot of nuts. At that time I was eating them by the pounds. I did not realize what I was doing to my digestive system.

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1 reply
koryn | @koryn | Mar 13, 2020
In reply to @catt8722 "Hi , I have had the same symptoms for years. I was admitted to the hospital..." + (show)
@catt8722

Hi , I have had the same symptoms for years. I was admitted to the hospital in 2013 . The pain in my left side was 10. They said it was diverticulitis. I eat a lot of nuts. At that time I was eating them by the pounds. I did not realize what I was doing to my digestive system.

Jump to this post

I had a colonoscopy and they ruled that out 🙁 , my pain and pressure are higher, upper chest area and under left rib. Thank you and I hope all is well for you now.

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cim37343 | @cim37343 | Mar 13, 2020
In reply to @koryn "Hi, I have been experiencing severe left sided pain, pressure under and around the rib area..." + (show)
@koryn

Hi, I have been experiencing severe left sided pain, pressure under and around the rib area with chronic constipation for two years now with no concrete answers. I have had every test you can think of and the only definite findings are a non alcoholic fatty liver and a hiatal hernia which has gotten bigger in the past year. I have had 2 endoscopes with show constant inflammation in the stomach but test neg for the H pylori. I also have a great deal of pressure in the diaphragm and my throat always feels irritated.  so was wondering if anyone else has had similar symptoms as I have been told some of mine are A typical for a HH, but I can't live like this anymore. I get a terrible tightening or spasm type feelings in the upper abdomen. Also if I lay on my right side I feel a pulling sensation_ Any input would be greatly appreciated*

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What about esophagus spasms?

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1 reply
koryn | @koryn | Mar 13, 2020
In reply to @cim37343 "What about esophagus spasms?" + (show)
@cim37343

What about esophagus spasms?

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I'm not sure as I will have to look that up but I do get horrible upper abdominal spasms that almost feel like a charlie horse there. I have minimal gerd but I at times feel like liquid and food are going down on the left side and not where they should 🙁 . Thank you for the suggestion I am going to google esophagus spasms now.

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koryn | @koryn | Mar 13, 2020

Hi, I have been experiencing severe left sided pain, pressure under and around the rib area with chronic constipation for two years now with no concrete answers. I have had every test you can think of and the only definite findings are a non alcoholic fatty liver and a hiatal hernia which has gotten bigger in the past year. I have had 2 endoscopes with show constant inflammation in the stomach but test neg for the H pylori. I also have a great deal of pressure in the diaphragm and my throat always feels irritated.  so was wondering if anyone else has had similar symptoms as I have been told some of mine are A typical for a HH, but I can't live like this anymore. I get a terrible tightening or spasm type feelings in the upper abdomen. Also if I lay on my right side I feel a pulling sensation_ Any input would be greatly appreciated*

REPLY
2 replies
drpepper | @drpepper | May 28, 2020

Anyone had to have hiatal hernia surgery because so much gas produced by hernia?

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1 reply
Mentor
John, Volunteer Mentor | @johnbishop | May 28, 2020
In reply to @drpepper "Anyone had to have hiatal hernia surgery because so much gas produced by hernia?" + (show)
@drpepper

Anyone had to have hiatal hernia surgery because so much gas produced by hernia?

Jump to this post

Hello @drpepper, You'll notice that we moved your post to an existing discussion where you can meet members with similar symptoms and learn what they have shared. While we wait for other members to respond, you may want to read the following article to see if it helps answer your questions.

Mayo Clinic Q and A: Surgery for hiatal hernias:
-- https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-q-and-a-surgery-for-hiatal-hernias/

Have you been diagnosed with a hiatal hernia?

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woogie | @woogie | May 29, 2020
In reply to @kdubois "Having been through this, I would get a second opinion from a different GI doctor. Mayo..." + (show)
@kdubois

Having been through this, I would get a second opinion from a different GI doctor. Mayo told me to sleep upright, stop eating for the day at least three hours before bedtime, and to avoid certain foods: greasy foods, spicy foods, peppermint, and more.

Your inclination to avoid meds long-term is spot-on! I had a 4 cm hiatal hernia and GERD issues for years, and the sphincter between my stomach and esophagus was failing. My home doctors treated me with Nexium and it's generic equivalents for years. Twelve years later, and getting sicker and sicker, in September 2015 I took myself to Mayo and they figured out that I genetically don't properly metabolize these medications, which is the reason why I was getting sicker and sicker. Thing is, even if you do properly-metabolize these meds, these meds themselves inhibit the enzyme system that metabolizes these medications, which means that people on these meds long-term will slowly develop symptoms to the medication inhibition. (Both Prilosec and Zantac are also inhibitors.) Unfortunately, the majority of doctors don't know about it.

So solve this problem for me, last October Mayo performed a Nissen Fundoplication surgery on me to fix the hernia and GERD issue. No more meds for me!

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I, too, had a Nissen Fundoplication performed on me several years ago. I now have gerd, a hiatal hernia, the operation has come undone. When I eat a lot, I can feel my hernia protruding and feeling hard and causing a lot of pain. I also have trouble with constipation. I have had bowel problems since I was very young. I was told not to eat four hours before going to bed. When I do, I suffer from horrible burning coming up into my throat. I just asked my doctor to change my pills from Amitiza to Lizness. Today is my first day of Lizness. Has anyone had any experience with either of these ?

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1 reply
tempiej | @tempiej | Sep 13, 2021

Is it possible to survive this when no one will do a second surgery. Can it be cured when surgery isn’t an option?

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