Hiatal hernia and shortness of breath

I did not have bloating, but I did have shortness of breath due to inhaling stomach acid.

During the inital stages of my hernia, I would be out of breath just running up the stairs. I didn't suffer from heartburn, just terrible terrible bloating in the upper abdominal area that I felt I could hardly breathe like you were wearing a really tight corset.. The symptoms have calmed down but I still have ongoing symptoms sometimes acidic but I get gnawing pains in my stomach after eating food which disagrees with me and burning pains rather than bloating pain. I don't have typical symptoms of a HH or gerd but a different set of problems .

My doc said it will take a few months for me to feel any improvement - others here have had great success, though - in time! I know it will help me, it's just to recent.

I have constant presure pushing up and it's hard to take a deep breath feels like a rope around my stomach restricting me. Real stiff neck muscle tension and my joints are always cracking constant mucus and sinus problems and a cough anybody else? I ride my recumbent bike and out of breath in 5 minutes. Difficulty swallowing and ears plugged all the time, my gastro dosnt believe in lpr.

I had breathing problems before my Nissen. Even though I slept in an elevated position that darn hernia would slip up and nestle right in the left side of the diaphragm. My husband said my snoring was like a freight train. I had a hard time walking. My breathing was labored. After the surgery, I still had breathing problems but only because the surgeon had to close the large hole in my diaphragm. I could feel the stitches tighten up as I tried to inhale. It lasted at least 4 weeks. Then the tension started to release from the wrap. No more snoring.

It takes a while for the body to adjust. You are learning to breathe correctly. I realized after the surgery; I was sucking my stomach up in my chest. I had learned to breathe incorrectly! Hang in there.

FlaCracker

I had a hard time breathing right after the surgery. When the nurse wanted me to walk around the floor; I could only do it in short intervals. I was told the 5 wounds in the lower abdomen control the muscles for posture. I was bent over like a pretzel. It was very hard to walk. I started to breathe better around the 21st day. This sounds like a cliche but it was as if the heavens opened up and I felt absolutely no pain and had no memory of a surgery. That was the first good sign. But reality quickly set in and the swelling would come back in waves.

Did you ever see the movie "Alien Resurrection?" One of the last scenes where the survivors are on the spaceship and the guy has the alien in him. His "stomach" is moving around and he feels nauseated and keeps going "I'm Ok, I'm OK." Well, I can only describe my experience after surgery like that. That stomach has a life of its own and keeps trying to go up and down. Moving around, fighting those stitches. I am 8 weeks out and that "alien" has finally settled down. You will feel better. Breathing does get easier.

Cheers...FlaCracker

Does anybody know what activities you can do in the future after this surgery? What foods to eat. My surgery has been successful so far. The problem has been the surgeon and his staff. The information I keep getting is piecemeal. The surgeon tells me today drink as much coffee as you want yada yada yada. Go jogging, coughing, vomiting no problem...I see from other postings there is a problem.

I want this procedure to last. Any advice on what to do in the future?

FlaCracker

Terlin,

I was getting shortness of breath before surgery. Had sinus problems, nosebleeds, earaches, asthma. Coughing and nausea during the night. When the surgeon did my surgery, he closed up a hole from armpit to sternum. Asthma is gone. No coughing except after surgery. No sinus problems so far. Some nausea but not like before. My hernia went from 2 cm to 5 cm in a year.

So watch what you do. You don't want that hernia to get bigger. I was able to push my stomach down just before the surgery.

Are you having surgery? I met with 7 surgeons before I decided.

FlaCracker

Terlin,

I had a sliding hernia. When I breathed a certain way and pressed lightly at the beginning of the rib cage, I could feel the stomach move down. Actually, I had no hiatal hernia (its in my medical records) before October 2012. I had an unrelated surgery in May last year, and the surgeon pumped 10 lbs of air in my stomach. Suddenly I have a hiatal hernia. I could not exercise or lift anything over 5 lbs after that surgery so its a mystery where I got this problem.

FlaCracker

Terlin,

Yes...I had a laprascopic surgery last May. My regular doctor dropped my insurance so I went to this other surgeon who only does laprascopies. I found out later that this particular way can potentially cause hernias because of the air pumped in the stomach.

Unfortunately, I am not a doctor and my surgeon that performed my Nissen says there is no correlation between the two. Sounds odd to me.

Did you have your hernia measured? Is it sliding or paraesophageal? I had the sliding. Two people I know both had paraesophageal.

FC

Terlin,

I had the shortness of breath and the pressure near my left ribcage and sternum. That was from my hiatal hernia. The pain between the shoulder blades was bad before and after surgery. I started to have headaches too. 

I think small HH is <2 cm. I had the large 4-5 cm. I got terrible gastritis last year and it went up all in my chest and along edge of the diaphragm. I knew something was wrong. 

Keep a log on your symptoms. I got the manometry test before my surgery. I did not get the PH test as I couldn't tolerate being off of PPIs.

FC

  

Hi Terlin,

Hiatal hernias don't go away by themselves. During endoscopy the doc can only see where the stomach is at that time. If you have a slider, and not a paraesophageal, the stomach could be in its normal down position. Most people in the US are asleep, with an empty stomach, so the stomach is happily relaxed.

If I were having all this pain I'd request a barium swallow. This procedure shows the stomach in relation to the diaphragm while you are in various positions and while you are swallowing. It also shows how high refluxate goes into the esophagus.