hiatal hernia

Hi Toots816,

I viewed your topic a few days ago and seeing that no one had anything to say, thought i might as well say a few things that i know of.

Not everyone with HH has gerd.

If you have gerd, there is alot you need to do before going on medication. It needs a lifestyle change.

If you are overweight, you need to lose weight.

Small meals cutting out tomato, coffee, carbonated drinks. ( you will have to figure this out as you go along).
Last meal of the day should be at least 4 ~6 hours before bedtime.

Sleeping on a elevated position.

Please read up on PPI medication posted here by acouple of regular posters. it gives you a clear picture on what to expect from these medication.

BTW, i have a HH but so far no gerd ( keepiing fingers crossed here).

I'm sure others will be here shortly to give their suggestions / advice .

Hi, I was just diagnosed with a hiatal hernia.  It is very painful indeed. I am taking one medication 4 times a day and another one (ppi) 2 times a day.

The one thing I have to say is "get another doc" or make the one you have do his/her job.

You do need to take a lot of life style changes and get a special pillow called a bed wedge (sold at Bath and Body) type stores.

Please become informed because a lot is left up to us. Go to the library and get some books on the subject. There's lots of information on the net too but a book will give you a more comprehensive outlook.

Flares-ups are horrible. Take care 

I was DX'd with a Hiatal Hernia 18 years ago. There are two kinds of HH. Sliding is the most common and the other usually will require surgery at some point. There is a weatlh of information on the net about both. As long as you take your Nexium or Prolesc, you will be pretty comfortable. GERD is a factor, but it can be a factor without HH. Every now and then if I have eaten to much of something I know causes acid, and I lay flat at night, I can get a mouth or thought of Bile. It burns badly and even though it is gone, the after effects linger for hours. The other problem that can happen is pain in your chest. I have had two major episodes of pain that was so bad, that I ended up in the hospital getting checked for a heart attack. Not a pleasent experience. However, since I have heart problems in my family, I don't mess around with it, even if I feel foolish when they tell me it was just my HH acting up. One last comment. I do, every now and then, swallow and it feels like I have the item stuck in my throat. It is very uncomfortable and hurts like the ****ens. But with a bit of liquid and grit of teeth...it goes away. Doctor says there is nothing I can do about it. Its not the size of the item or anything like that. Just happens. Diet will make a huge difference as was mentioned, as will your sleeping habits. Pizza loaded with everthing gave me terrible heartburn before I was DX'd with HH......therefore, I know that even with my nexium I risk heartburn and perhaps bile and even diarriha. With that knowledge, I may have 1 or at the most 2 pieces of plain chees pizza. Usually I am fine. There are a ton of personal food stories, but the point is that diet did and still does play a role in your hearburn and now your HH. Even with meds, I still have a bottle of anti-acids in my car and at home and at the office. Just in case. And I sleep on two pillows at night. The worst thing you can do, is sleep flat or on a single pillow(unless its a big monster). You can imagine your mouth, a long tube hooked to it ( Esophagus)that is hooked on the other end to battery acid and you have no way to stop it from coming down that tube if your head is lower than your stomach. Most of the time it is manageable and life goes on, providing you use your head and have it looked at, everytime you have a physical. They can get worse as you grow older, but for the most part of the years I have had mine, it has been a releive to get rid of most of the heartburn and even with the few stressful things that have happened because of it, live a pretty normal life.

Joan,
Can you slowly come off the caffeine? It's really hard to just give it up all of a sudden! It can lead to headaches too.
I think I would rather have an ulcer. I think there's more you can do for an ulcer nonsurgically, than you can a hiatal hernia. Just be sure they test you for h.pylorii too.
I hope you feel better soon Joan!

Hi Cathy A: yes I had a scope without a sedative since I did not have a ride home. It was horrible. Felt like the doc drove a truck in my throat. I do not have hypori whateveritis.  Looked at my own records...dangerous female that I am!

It is very difficult to give up java cold turkey. I got up one day at 15 to 7 am and was fast asleep by 8:30 am. Not getting much done, eh?????? Now I use half and half (decaf and reg)  and also use only two cups instead of three in the morning.

Hi Toots there is an excellent site on Google...Jackson Gastroenterology. They cover the whole thing. Take care of yourselves all.

 

Post Edited (Joan Mack) : 5/28/2006 4:02:27 PM (GMT-6)