Kate171

Hi I have been diagnosed with a small hiatal hernia after I had an endoscope and xray.
My problems started back in October after returning from a trip to Ireland. I couldn't hold food down and I had a lump and sharp pain in my throat all the time. During the scope the doctor took a biopsy which showed I didn't have cancer but I did have h pilori a bad bacteria that grows in your stomach. He said most of the population have this but don't know it. You can have it in your stomach laying dormant for years. I still don't know what activates it, but mine was really activated I guess. I was put on a strong reflux medicine and on 2 different antibiotics. I took the antibiotics for 2 weeks and I started feeling better for a while. I was on a very strickt diet and I lost 22 lbs in 3 weeks. I was happy about the weight loss, but not knowing what was going to activate my reflux was a pain litterally! I would try to add something new to my diet and I would get the lump back again.
I had stopped taking the reflux to see what would happen but within a couple of weeks the lump was back and I was coughing all night. My doctor put me on Nexium and told me to take it before my largest meal, which is dinner for me. This has worked out quite well and has stopped the coughing I was doing at night and also the lump has eased up but does come back if I overdue my drinking and eating. Sometimes I think I have eaten OK and then I feel the lump.
I drink a lot of decafinated green tea and Throat tea. I eat small meals every 3 hours and most of the time I am OK.
I do notice when I am standing in the same position like washing dishes or just drying my hair, I get a soreness just under my left breast. As soon as I sit down it goes away. Has anyone had this happen from their hernia?
I joined this site hoping I could compare my hernia problem with others. I don't really have anyone to talk to about it and was hoping someone might have found some solutions to their hernia problems that I could try.
It really isn't anywhere as bad as it was in October, but I keep hoping I could get it under control if I am going to have to live with it. The doctor didn't seem to think I needed surgery.
If you have similar problems or know someone who does I would love to hear from you. I am interested in trying anything within reason of course.
Hope we can help each other.
Thanks for listening.
Kate