PLEASE..Tell Me About A Hiatal Hernia

PLEASE.....tell me what you know about a hiatal hernia.
I thought I was going to die last night.  
I TRY to eat, but it hurts so bad sometimes, what is the point????  Liquids are so much easier, so that is what I am doing today....again.   I tried some lettuce and would rather have been SHOT!!  OMGGGG it has horrible!  I was awake in pain til 4 am and still hurt somewhat.  I am on Reglan and Nexium.

What else can I do? What is really going on?
HELP ME. PLEASE

Are you positive you don't have adhesions too?  This is what I sounded like when I had that hernia last year.  When they got in there they found not 1 but 2 hernias AND lots of adhesions.  Sounds very familiar to me.  Just my thought!!

The only test/x-ray was a barium swallow. Can they tell from that? 

There is a great deal of pain when I eat from my chest down past by navel.   Yes, where I had adhesions before. ( I know I am not twisted or kinking again though.) But, have thought there was side & belly pain at times.

I've never had a barium swallow before.  I know they found the adhesions when they went in to find the hernia.

lol  In 2005, when Dr. Freeman went in to fix my twists & adhesions, he fixed a small hernia, lol.

I had a barium swallow the morning after my GBS.
And then this one for the GI dr. to see what was going on with me now and that's when he saw the small HH & put me on the meds. He thought I would be ok, but I do think there is something going on. This stinks. I can't eat lettuce!!  Ugh!

He is a general surgeon and he has done GBS too.

As you know I haven't expericened any of this.. yet and pray that I don't.. but please go get check out ASAP. I hope you get better soon doll and keep us updated.

I am under a dr's care now. I had the BS done about 2 wks ago. He put me on the meds. I go back to him on Aug.4, but I am going to call Monday & tell them what happened this wknd.

I was hoping that someone would see this & could tell me something about the hernia.

TY Jennifer!!
Love ya,
Lindy

Lindy,

I hope you are feeling better soon.  I am attaching a link about hiatal hernia from webmd.  It has a mound of information there. 

www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/tc/hiatal-hernia-topic-ove rview

Hope this helps

Beth

Thank you Beth!!


Hugs,
Lindy

Sweet Lindy, I suffered with a hiatal hernia for almost 30 years.  It started during my first pregnancy.  George used to say if he'd bought stock in Rolaids he'd be rich.  I had a bottle of Rolaids in the kitchen, the bedroom, the car, and in my desk at work.  I've chewed maybe to Rolaids since RNY!  Mine was diagnosed by a barium swallow.  Anything and everything bothered it - spaghetti sauce, pizza, OMG, anything fried or spicy, sometimes even bland foods would aggrevate it.

Dr. Martin fixed my HH when he did my RNY. 

Here ya go!  HTH Mommy

Hiatal Hernia

The diaphragm separates the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity. Normally, the esophagus passes through a hole in the diaphragm called the diaphragmatic hiatus before it joins the stomach.

The connection of the stomach and the esophagus is called the gastroesophageal junction. This is usually just below the diaphragm in the abdominal cavity. For about 15% of adult Americans, the junction and part of the stomach is located above the diaphragm. This is called a hiatal hernia.

The condition is common in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease. Patients with a hiatal hernia have a weak muscle at the gastroesophageal junction, making the gastroesophageal reflux worse.

 

Symptoms

The symptoms of hiatal hernia are usually the same as those for gastroesophageal reflux disease. These include:

• Heartburn
• Undigested food that comes back up
• Belching up a sour substance
• Nausea, especially in the morning
• The sensation of something in the throat
• Severe chest pain after eating. This is often the case when there is a large hiatal hernia with all or most of the stomach located above the diaphragm. This symptom suggests that the stomach is twisting. Twisting causes the blood flow to the stomach to be too low. This is a dangerous situation that needs prompt attention.
  

 

Treatment

Hiatal hernia associated with heartburn is treated the same way as gastroesophageal reflux disease - with lifestyle changes and medical treatments.

 

Lifestyle changes

• Raising the head of the bed four to six inches
• Avoiding alcohol, chocolate and caffeine
• Avoiding overeating
• Eating or drinking nothing two to three hours before bed
• Avoiding greasy, fatty foods
• Losing weight

 

Medical treatments

These include:

• Antacids that offset having too much stomach acid
• Drugs that lower acid production by the stomach. Two types of drugs do this: histamine 2 receptor blockers and proton pump inhibitors.
  
• Surgery to tighten the junction between the stomach and esophagus. The most common surgery is done by pulling the stomach back below the diaphragm and wrapping the top of the stomach around the junction between the stomach and esophagus. The stomach is then sewn in place. Surgery is the only way to treat a hiatal hernia that is causing severe symptoms.