carisa
09-30-2006, 06:34 PM
I was just diagnosed with a hiatal hernia and I was wondering if anyone on here has one and what they have done to relieve the symptoms. Right now I am on prilosec otc 20mg three times a day before each meal. It's working ok, but I feel like I could find something that works better. Also, what are your symptoms from the hiatal hernia. Mine is mainly just a stomach ache.
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confused32
10-01-2006, 09:48 AM
I was just told i have a hiatal hernia by my cardiologist. I have been having alot of anxiety and stress over the last 6 months so i dont know if this caused it or if stress can cause one. I have been having several stomache problems. Excess gas, bloating and belching. It seems i have to be very careful on what i eat due to it making me have horrible stomache pains. I dont know if the hernia is causing that or not. I am not taking anything for it as of right now, just tums when the problems kick in.
Canyondweller
10-01-2006, 11:26 PM
Hiatal's are very common but don't always bother people. If everyone was checked for them probably most people would show they have them. The main thing is to eat smaller meals and keep a record of what you eat to see what bothers you the most. It is different for everyone but fresh fruits and veggies are hard to digest. I know they are good for you but keep away from the skins on grapes, apples, etc. and cook the veggies. Try to do without dairy for a while and see if it helps.
carisa
10-02-2006, 04:47 PM
I didn't realize they were so common, that makes me feel a little better. Thank you.:wave:
jenkay
10-02-2006, 05:39 PM
I have one too!
For about a week I had severe pain (felt like I was hungry but I wasn't) but it eventually went away. Tums helped.
For about a week I had severe pain (felt like I was hungry but I wasn't) but it eventually went away. Tums helped.
grandkidsrg8
10-03-2006, 02:46 PM
hi everyone. i was also recently diagnosed with an hiatal hernia. there are two typre- a paraesophageal and a sliding. the sliding i was told they usually just treat with meds-prilosec, aciphex and so on. the para is apparently possibly dangerous as it could twist on the esophogas and g-d forbid be fatal. of course mine presented both ways!;) also the gi and the radiologist who did the upper barium swallow and the esophogeal expert were going crazy over the size-9 cm. does anyone else out there have anything that big? any one else with a para? anyone else going to have or had surgery? thanks for listening:wave:
carisa
10-08-2006, 10:11 PM
I don't know the details of mine yet. Now I'm not even sure that I have one. I am now told that my lower esophaegal sphincter just does not close, so acid can come right up into my lower esophageas easily. Is that a hiatal hernia when it just stays open? I'm getting mixed diagnoses. I have two second opinions coming up here.
Canyondweller
10-09-2006, 12:00 AM
That is not a hiatal hernia that is a relaxation of the LES valve that goes into the stomach. When it relaxes it lets the acid that the stomach produces back up into the esphagous. Certain foods relax it more. Chocolate, alcohol and mint are the 3 worst plus some medications. Most hernia's are in the esophagous itself and are sort of a pocket that pushes out. If you want to really learn more about hiatal hernia's just use a search engine and look it up and you will get a better explanation. Better yet, ask your Dr. for an explanation as he can explain it better and show you on a diagram. You can have the LES valve tightened surgically if necessary. They don't do surgery very often anymore for hiatals unless they are really bad. They are very common and not usually life threatening. Neither is the acid problem but it can cause problems with erosion of the esophagous and that can be if not kept under control. They are two entirely different things.
carisa
10-09-2006, 02:51 PM
So, are you saying that my problem shouldn't be too dangerous either as long as I keep the acid under control? I'm just so worried I am going to need surgery. I would rather control it with meds if I can find a really good one. I am staying away from chocolate and caffiene. I used to drink LOTS of caffeine for years. I wonder if that would cause my stomach to do this?