Hello,

I have been diagnosed with a hiatal hernia, GERD, gastritis, and esophagitis. I am on Nexium 40mg qd. I was diagnosed with GERD a couple of years ago and the hernia about 2 months ago when I had an EGD and switched to Nexium. I am male, 32-years old, overweight, and a smoker. As of 5 years ago my cholesterol was on the high end of WNL. I also have asymptomatic (or being that its congenital as far as I know asymptomatic) MVP.

For the past week I have been having symptoms consistent with what has been attributed to the hiatal hernia/gastritis in the past (fullness, bloated, epigastric pain and tenderness, difficulty taking very deep breaths, and diffuse what feels like musculoskeletal pain over the rips). However, during this time a new troubling symptom has arose that being a flutter feeling that lasts about a second or 2 in my epigastric and just above that area over the sternum but towards the bottom end of the sternum. It feels like something inside is slightly spasming and causes no pain but it is a little concerning. There are no lingering effects after it ends.

I have been taking a swig of Pepto before meals and that has gone a long way to alleviating the pain but the fullness, bloating, and fluttering still remain. Activity has no effect on symptoms although eating does.

I guess the question I have is regarding the fluttering. The fulness etc is somewhat worse that it was in the past but the feeling is consistent with the past but the fluttering is new.

Thanks for any help you can provide.
Ben

how long have u had the shortness of breaTH? im going to the docs to get checked for all of that because i have been having breathing problems for 4 years now and i notice if i stand to long or clean my house ect.. my stomach starts to get real tight in the upper part and it makes it real hard for me to breathe unless i lay flat on my back. does this sound like a hernia?

I don't get short of breath, it is just difficult to take a deep breath. Its hard to describe other than that I breathe normally but if I try to breath all the way in I can't. I think that is caused by the hernia going through the diaphragm or the stomach taking up part of that space.

thats how i feel. it sux

How long have you had this? I've been battling a similar breathing problem for 5 years. I've seen all sorts of docs. The best I can gather is that my vocal cords are possibly being affected by reflux. One pulmonologist has diagnosed vocal cord dysfunction (VCD), but my ENT is still not sure. VCD is basically when the vocal cords contract when you breathe in, creating the awful feeling that you have described. Just wanted to make you aware of this possibility if you weren't already.

does a hiatal hernia ever go away?

Hello,

I have been diagnosed with a hiatal hernia, GERD, gastritis, and esophagitis. I am on Nexium 40mg qd. I was diagnosed with GERD a couple of years ago and the hernia about 2 months ago when I had an EGD and switched to Nexium. I am male, 32-years old, overweight, and a smoker. As of 5 years ago my cholesterol was on the high end of WNL. I also have asymptomatic (or being that its congenital as far as I know asymptomatic) MVP.

For the past week I have been having symptoms consistent with what has been attributed to the hiatal hernia/gastritis in the past (fullness, bloated, epigastric pain and tenderness, difficulty taking very deep breaths, and diffuse what feels like musculoskeletal pain over the rips). However, during this time a new troubling symptom has arose that being a flutter feeling that lasts about a second or 2 in my epigastric and just above that area over the sternum but towards the bottom end of the sternum. It feels like something inside is slightly spasming and causes no pain but it is a little concerning. There are no lingering effects after it ends.

I have been taking a swig of Pepto before meals and that has gone a long way to alleviating the pain but the fullness, bloating, and fluttering still remain. Activity has no effect on symptoms although eating does.

I guess the question I have is regarding the fluttering. The fulness etc is somewhat worse that it was in the past but the feeling is consistent with the past but the fluttering is new.

Thanks for any help you can provide.
Ben

The flutter you are describing is common. I had it. I am not sure if the other GI issues I had at the time made me hypersensitive so I noticed it, or if the stomach actually developed a little spasm but it is nothing.
One thing to try is increase your water intake. Too much antacid along with stomach RXs can play a bit of havoc with how your body processes food. Water is a natural mild antacid and many people find their stomach problems are measurably worse on days when their water intake is less than normal. I used to take antacids all day long but now I rely only on water most days.

I wonder if the "fluttering" could be a spasm caused by a magnesium deficiency. With the current food and water supplies many people have deficient intakes of magnesium. In addition the absorbtion of magnesium is reduced when stomach acid is low. So people who require anti acids or acid lowering meds are kinda hit with a double whammy. Take a look at the sticky post "GERD Sufferers..I feel good...let me tell you why" on the digestive disorders board. You might also consider the SCD diet if you are having problems with gas and bloating along with your other symtoms. If interested take a look at the post "Cured my reflux... After 12 months of trying everything." on this board. I hope you are able to find something that helps. Take care.........Red