Hi, I am new to this forum site. I had a sliding hiatal hernia, valve repaired, due to severe GERD, and the acid reflux medication caused me to have high blood pressure and loss of hair. I also had constant 24/7 mucus. I went to lung Dr and no lung problems, so could not, to this day, find a Dr to explain why the mucus. Does anyone know why mucus would be involved with acid reflux? The acid was so bad, it caused my esphosigus to be inflamed. I know the stomach produces about 2 quarts a day of mucus, so I am thinking maybe that what caused the spitting up mucus thing. Now that I have had surgery I am still experiencing some spitting up, but about 90% improvement. Will it ever just go completely away?
Hi I to have a sliding hernia & av had for 2 years now I av never smoked (but cough plemgn up like a old man whose smoked all his life ) drives me crazy been to a consultant who has nt a clue how to stop it , I take Gavascon before I go to bed , the bed is raised & sometimes I think if I had silk sheet on the bed I would slip off it's so high ! Thankfully I sleep all night , but start coughing as soon as my feet touch the floor , the only thing that stops is chewing gum for some reason the consultant thought chewing causes saliva & that waters the mucus down ? No idea , & I won't have helped you at all apart from you knowing there's fellow sufferers out there to , be interested to know if anyone comes up with any other idea ,
The hiatus hernia means your lower oesophageal sphincter is ineffective. Stomach contents may reflux into the oesophagus (Gastro-oesophageal reflux).
If the refluxate travels full column, it may breach the upper oesophageal sphincter. This extra-oesophageal reflux (also known as LPR) may be aspirated into the respiratory system. The irritation to the airways produces excess mucous, cough etc.
Visit the free book / website www DownWithAcid org uk and finf the chapter on extra-oesophageal reflux for more information and other symptoms you may not have associated with reflux.
Medication will reduce the acidity so the refluxate is less damaging but may not reduce the reflux. Drugs are good at tackling bio-chemical problems but not bio-mechanical ones.
If your surgery was a fundoplication, it should have reduced your reflux.
Hi clarice34348
To be honest I don't know? I also suffer a sliding Hiatus Hernia but have a lung condition also of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis and a drug called Pirfenidone works wonders for me.
Yet from what you say and I believe it to be correct the mucous comes from the sliding Hiatus Hernia and not from the IPF!
Mine is quite bad also and I suck a couple of lozengers called 'Fisherman's Friend's (the menthol and eucalyptus flavour) and these help me quite a lot. I agree it is most annoying but during the day it goes.
You can contact me anytime.
Kind regards
Jazztrain
Me too. I had the surgery but still get a lot of mucus. Also stomach problems, nausea diarrhea. Like you I'm hoping it will clear up in time. I had my surgery 5 months ago. I've been told it can take up to a year for all these side effects to completely clear up. Let's hope so.
val
Hello Clarice
I had the surgery February 16th and mucus can be a problem, liquid mucnex gets rid of it, recommend by my doctor. I am doing fine except for breathing problems, may be caused from the diaphragm repair. I am on liquid diet except for a few solids that were added after my 2 week follow up. I walk daily but still a bit weak. I can still feel the tightness in the chest. When was your surgery done?
Hi Valerie, I was given ondansetron for nausea from the start and sent home with it
Works great, but expensive, have under the tong and a pill to crush and it is cheeper, can go on line and get an RX discount card that saves much money. Diarrhea, I don't know but something the doctor should know, I am still on mostly liquid diet.
So glad to read your post. Can't help you, but you have helped me. After an 8 month wait, I see a specialist about my hernia later this month. Since it was diagnosed last summer and was put on antacid prescription I lost a lot of hair and more scary, my bp has soared. Last summer was taking 1/2 pill for bp and was fine, then went to 1, recently, after told to take two pills a day for GERD, my doctor doubled my bp meds also. 180/78 then later in day 138/75, making no sense. I asked if we could not figure out the cause rather than push the meds but was told it's just my age. Now I have something to go on. Will try skipping pill and using Gavuscin for a week to see any difference. Thank you again. Hair loss from this medication never occurred to me. I also have wretched mucus and cough. But specially when talking or drinking cold drinks. We all seem to be getting through hernia woes with no input from doctors at all.
I'm on Ondansetron too. Luckily I can get it on prescription. I'm trying to only take it when the nausea gets bad as I don't like taking all this medication. I also take Immodium for diarrhea. Be glad when all these side effects clear up.
Thanks Valerie,
I don't have nausea. Very thankful for that. However, I did right after surgery. The blood work showed low sodium in my kidneys ( safe range of sodium is between 135-145).
My sodium dropped to 126, which causes nausea and chills. Just to inform anyone if your sodium level drops below 120, seizures will happen. Only blood work can show these levels. Dr's said surgery can sometimes cause levels to change.
Hi Cass
I was told by the doctor on my 2 week check up that cold will just paralyze the diaphragm, I was getting pain when drinking cold, now this is after surgery in February this year so I stay away from cold things until my diaphragm is healed.
Just to inform you, be careful taking everything the doctors say are good for you or something. I was told the same thing about mucnex, and it actually made the mucus worse. I did some research and discovered that one of the side effects is making mucus worse. But thank you for your response.
Hi Valerie
The doctor told me to take the ondansetron to get it under control, this will get rid of it. I do understand about taking meds, I don't usually do well but I did everything he told me to do and it is working for the most part.
When I just get a tiny bit I take the med and gets stopped before it starts. I haven't had any for weeks. Hope this helps.
I started reading side effects of taking RX for acid reflux. In women the changes are higher than in men( female hormones), of getting high blood pressure. Mine went to 190/90.
I stopped all the coverup meds and realized that no matter what I ate or did not eat, I still had the acid reflux.
Ask your GI or surgeon about Hiatal Hernia and the valve repair surgery.
The RX meds for acid reflux did not work for me and still had inflamed esphogas because the valve would not close and allow the acid to keep coming up into my throat. Good luck
I have been "around the block and back" many times while trying to find the best GI and best SURGEON. dealing with horrible HMO's, etc.
But I got the best of Doctors, after I knew what to do. (I went thru some really horrible ones while searching).
Thanks that is encouraging. I've just eaten and feel slightly nauseated. I will take a pill before it gets any worse. Hope it does clear up in time.
Clarice,
I am sorry the mucnex didn't work for you and yes not everything the doctor recommends works. We are all so different and some mess work for some and not others, I get off mess as soon as I can, this surgery is a very different one so I took everything except one med because I reacted to the first pill of it I took and I agree we are to be careful with medications.
Hi Clarice
I hear what you say but I have the best consultant in Dr. Parfrey at Papworth Hospital and my lung condition is holding up extremely well taking Pirfenidone and I would not be alive now if it were not prescribed me.
The mucous in the throat while annoying I can live with and take 15mg of Lansoprazole daily yet I have no desire to have an operation.
Kind regards
Jaztrain
Hi do you have to go to the dr to get mucnex ? Went to my chemist & they had nt heard of it ?
Try asking for Robitussin instead in UK, it's also guaifenesin.
Hi
Mucinex was recalled by the manufacturers in April 2015 as the fact sheet accompanying the medication was incorrect!
Kind regards
Jazztrain