Hiatal hernia diagnosis and symptoms

[Wmoejg]

If you've had a hiatal hernia - what were/are your symptoms? How were you diagnosed?
Thank you

I was referred for a gastroscopy for acid reflex and family history of stomach cancer. Gastroscopy showed sliding hiatus hernia - acid reflux currently well controlled on Lansoprazole now.

Horrendous reflux/indigestion and chest pain. Gp referred for a endoscopy, which is how it was diagnosed. Struggled with side effects of reflux meds and about to try Lansoprazole for a second time as it's getting unbearable again.

I had a chest X-ray for a cough that went on for months. On meds now and the cough has stopped.

I was diagnosed at 16 - 28 now, had bad acid reflux for years before doc referred me, never smoked, don’t drink, got an endoscopy and diagnosed same day!

In April I had nausea and stomach pain and eventually vomited blood. Was referred for urgent scan and endoscopy. The endoscopy showed gastritis and a haitus hernia.
Apparently many people have them and don't know, I suspect it wasn't the hernia that that caused my symptoms.
I was put on ppis for 4 months which I have now stopped. I really didn't want to be on omeprozole any longer than necessary, partly because I already take many drugs for other health conditions and partly because of a link with bone loss. I already have osteoporosis.

A consultant spotted mine during an endoscopy 30 years ago. I had no symptoms until the last couple of years. I now have pretty horrible regurgitation. I've been prescribed Omeprazole for acid reflux but there's no acid in what comes up - it's simply food mixed with large quantities of saliva. Yuk. I had another endoscopy recently and they found some gastritis and said my HH is relatively small. If that's the case then heaven help those with larger ones. My mother died of oesophageal cancer so I worry that for me this might be a precursor of things to come.

Has anyone found a reasonable alternative to using PPIs?

I was on them for two years and slowly tailed mine off over a few weeks and used Peptac liquid for any breakthrough reflux. Peptac is available from chemists without a prescription and is largely the same as Gaviscon advance but about a third of the price.

Agree about peptac it’s better than gaviscon though unfortunately it’s hard to get just now . I’ve found Boot’s own brand ok too.

Help required.
Yesterday got diagnosed with large hiatus hernia with fine strands and some thickening found during ct scan after x Ray showed some concerns. Waiting for ogd.
Struggling to eat or rather nibble food. On omprazole was 20mg once a day, hospital prescribed 20 mg in the morning and 20 mg later.
Can you take it on an empty stomach or with food or food after 30 minutes.??
Can you take any other antacids like food peppermint liquid or bisatol tablets.
Did any of you have surgery to put it back in place?
Have lost weight.
What foods were you able to eat
Did any of you find sucking a mint helped, if yes what type ie polo's??
Had covid in November with nausea, burning and indigestion, did any of you have covid before hiatus hernia diagnosis??
Any responses much appreciated. 👌

How is it better?

I don't think Peptac is better than Gaviscon Advance but it is about a third of the price for essentially the same ingredients

Had many years of acid reflux in the night, couldn't understand it. Not overweight, never smoked, hardly drink alcohol. I would wake up suddenly epiglottis had closed, I couldn't breathe in or out for some seconds,it was terrifying.Couldn't eat meals anything like the size of the average person..10 years ago was diagnosed with silent reflux, which is caused by food going down as opposed to acid coming up. Then I coughed in the evening and at night,lost my voice.was prescribed a months lansoprazole. About 5 years ago, everything I ate and drank gave me terrible acid, and heartburn. I bought a book by an American Gastroenterologist, basically everything you eat must be a PH over 5, field and farm, nothing processed. It worked. Chocolate and ice cream are the worst. My late father died of oesophageal cancer,he spent many years on different medication. I found gaviscon and similar made me worse. Years ago mint was recommended, not now it's very acidic. I occasionally went out for a meal around 7 pm,then would still be sitting bolt upright on the sofa at 2am, unable to go to bed, because of the heartburn. How, did I find out...by pure chance! I had been suffering various symptoms for over a year, unable to get a GP appointment, after 12 days solid abdo pain, not helped by analgesics,took myself off to the local hospital ED. Saw a lovely Dr. Who did the works including a CT, with contrast. A host of things were found, including a hiatus hernia,so now my symptoms make sense. If I get a bad flare up, I go on the PH diet for a few days..

@Wmoejg

As a child/ teenager i would quite often be car sick on long journeys,

Also had tendency to have nauseous. phylem at times and bringing up of certain foods eaten,
Also can have quite painful discomfort if eaten food that's not good for me too,

So requested if this could be explored,

I was warned it could detect potentially something as sinister as cancer too,

I had the magic eye exploratory, i recommended quite strongly being under sedation having this medical procedure,
its quite weirdly fascinating seeing how your insides stomach looks too,

When magic eye 👁 exploratory medical tool goes around around your colon god that's quite painful unpleasant,

I wanted to find out if I have the a H plgiour bacteria
not quite sure how you find out about that?🤔

The disolvable tablet water solution tastes god awful the one that ensures you are clean as whistle your insides before magic eye done

Acid reflux was the symptom.

Diagnosed with an endoscopy.

Reacted to omaprazole so was put on ranitidine and gaviscon. Now use famitodine since ranitidine withdrawn.

Raising head of bed about a foot and half using yoga blocks also really helped.

It's extremely difficult to raise the head of a divan bed by 18 inches. I had been using a V pillow which didn't help at all, when it was really bad, I had to sit bolt upright on the sofa all night.subsequently found out the pillow was useless. It makes kinks in your oesophagus,you need to use a wedge pillow. I take Rennie or shop equivalent, orange, not mint. A friend with really bad reflux,on various......oprazoles, now has osteoporosis, believed to have been caused by malabsorption of calcium, after long term usage.

@Nannyfannybanny 6 - 8 inches is recommended, 18 would be far too high I think. I've managed to raise my divan by 6 inches using elephant feet under the headboard end. Seems to help a bit.