I have been diagnosed with a sliding HH roughly 2cm the pain I have got in my stomach region is unbearable and still get heartburn on PPI tablets, they have changed the tablets 3 times and today I had enough an demanded surgery! I said I don't want to take tablets for the rest of my life and I don't want to put up with the pain anymore, she point blank said no the operation is for severe big hernias yours is small and does not require an operation! Any help feeling lost 
lost my job and ruined my life
Hang in there but it's true what she said. The surgery can make it worse. I've read so many times where people had the surgery 2 or 3 times and still no relief. There are things you can do that does help. Like take a deep breath and tighten your stomach muscles when exhaling...it will strengthen your muscles. Stress makes it worse. I was diagnosed with one in 2014. I have my good days and bad days. Hope you get relief.
Find another DR.
Hi Stacey thanks for the reply, I think surgery is the best option for me, I'm young was active until my hernia came about. My sleep has suffered my digestion is now terrible! If my hernia is small wouldn't that make the op easier. My basic thinking is my stomach is in a stressful state out of its natural position maybe I am being extreme but think the tablets are just masking the real issue of the diaphragm tear resulting in an organ being dislodged.
Hi James, sorry to hear of your troubles with HH. You would think there would be a fix for these in this era of technology, so many of us are told we have to learn to live with it. I too have a small HH and coupled with gallstones and some other digestive ailments. I've had pain and trouble eating now for nearly 7 months, all they have said is I can have the gb out to see if that helps as "HH should not cause pain, only reflux" Huh, so many ppl would beg to differ on that but since the op is not the most successful for all, they don't want to do them. They keep cancelling my gb anyway. I was made redundant and cannot find a new job in my current state of health, so I can guess what you are going through, life just gets put on hold. Some people have had some success with chropractic help, but this works out expensive if you have your income cut, I had some initial success with it then the pain on my left side got really bad after a treatment, that I have stopped going. There are a few you tube videos showing how to manipulate the abdomen to help HH if you have not seen them already. Beyond that there seems to be only diet and lifestyle changes, drs give us antacids etc.
Myabe you could try another dr, although they all seem to say the same unless your hernia gets bigger Take care..
Go to a GI specialist and talk with him,
Have an endoscopy done and tell him or her everything. Don't give up. You can find a different Doctor. It took me a year to get to the best Doctors. God Blessings to you
Ok..whatever you think but I feel you need to research some more before making a decision. If you think about it, a hernia is a bulge in the wall allowing your stomach to come through but when you start cutting it will make it weaker. The mesh they use is not strong enough. Hope all goes well with you and will say a prayer.
I can relate to your situation . I was diagnosed in May 2015 with a 6cm sliding HH - undoubtedly caused by years of heavy lifting at work . Had previously been fit and healthy . In my case I was referred to the surgeon by the endoscopy consultant as he believed it was mixed paraesophageal hernia . Even then my GP tried to advise against it . It's the default opinion for GPs , even in apparently the more serious cases . Waiting for tests and results are a slow process - barium swallow/meal , oesophageal manometry and 24 hr ph study . You must have confirmed symptomatic reflux which doesn't respond to PPI , and no oesophageal dysmotility to be considered a good candidate for surgery . The actual size of a sliding HH is not the determining factor . However , it seems the NHS will only consider surgery in serious cases or they wait until you've had HH for decades , and have a bunch of additional conditions !
Don't know why some are in favor of doing surgery and others are not. I didn't have much choice about having my surgery, as my hernia was the size of a volly ball. Without the surgery, I probably would have strangled because of the size of it. As of now, I have no regrets- although I do wish that I could eat the way that I used to eat. I don't eat any sandwiches- mostly live on soups, ice cream, jello, etc.
Thanks Stacy, I hope yours gets better soon an you dont have many flare ups xx
Thanks and same to you
YES; find another GP!
Jazztrain
Im sorry to hear about your situation i too lost my job recently through ill health and the feeling of being lost is a common feeling i guess. I take it a sliding HH is a hiatus hernia? i know through a family member who has this and there doctor also recommended no surgery due to how complicated this type of hernia repair is and depends on size of hernia, however there condition is managed with PPI tablets. If you eat spicey foods etc they are known to aggrevate your symptoms. I hope you get better soon and keep on at your doctor for advice or possible referral to a specialist.
Thank you everyone for your lovely replies, had another week or so of pain doctors not budging but is sending me to a specialist. If the specialist refuses surgery then I will be going private! I am mid 20's lost my job, girlfriend, sleep and digestion to this hernia. An for me all I can do is gamble with the surgery. Well I say gamble as you read a lot of posts where this has gone wrong or not worked but my thinking is it if did work there would be no need to post on here. Decision is made, let's hope the NHS do the decent thing when I see the specialist as diet and lifestyle changes have not worked! I have sat up all night with heartburn burping and passing wind for 5 hours straight enough is enough!
Are you in the UK? If so, your situation with doctors/insurance may be different. I just met with my GI surgeon again and they are ordering tests that must be done before surgery. So far he is talking surgery even though mine is not too large. He says he prefers getting to them early instead of waiting until he has to pull all the stomach back down from the chest. Plus, many things can happen when HH gets to big. Collapsed lung, twisted stomach and it can even push your heart out of place not letting it function properely.
Yeah I am from the UK, you? That's my thinking surely the smaller the hernia the less trauma imposed on the stomach and surrounding tissues and organs, hence making it more likely to be a success! Sometimes I wish we had an American type insurance system as the NHS have too much control of what route you can take for treatment. I have a long relationship with my GP but we disagree on surgery. My questions for the GI specialist will be how successful is the surgery and why isn't it offered as first option when diagnosed. If meds don't make you feel OK and be able to eat and drink normally without pain and discomfort then surgery should be offered as standard not to be fought for! Unless the operation has a low success rate in which it wouldn't be feasibile.
I am from America. Our insurance system has had a major overhaul and is on the verge of going under. We'll see how it all works out under our new POTUS this next year. However, I agree with you 100% on the treatment options for HH. The meds they give to control acid is now linked to kidney disease and memory loss. I don't take it unless I absolutely have to. Kepp us posted on your progress. I plan to have the surgery this fall. I will let you know how it goes.
Good luck! Really hope it goes well for you, please let us know how it goes.
This is one of the most horrific things to happen to me. I went for over a year going to doctors getting all kinds of medication to help me. I went to the er at least 5 times, vomiting, chest and shoulder pain, etc. All the doctors, and er said I had a SMALL hernia and always sent me home sick. I know a whole lot of it was because I had Medicare, but also a supplement, Humans. The Dr's,
Nursing staff, even the receptions all tested me like I was a street person. I always paid my deductibles, and alone and in my 60's, I could not afford to eat correctly if I bought medication. I left a lot of Dr's offices in tears because the just wanted me to go away
Because they knew they would not get all the money they should.Finally one day I confronted Mr Dr and too him I felt like I was dying and please do something, as I had lost 40 lbs from throwing
Up daily for a year and in tremendous pain. I am no a person tat goes to the dr all the time. I was ready to commit suicide. In his lazy, biggity way he ordered another test. I hollered NO. Just fix this which he did. I feel better, I had surgery where he pushed the hernia back and used mesh to hold it. I am sure it was on sale. Honest to God these Dr's. Nurses anything medically related will not give Medicare or Medicaid patients the same care. God made everyone equal, but I do believe the think their God. Shame on them, and the hospitals, all the nurses do is stand around flirting with Dr's or cracking jokes, you have to beg them for help. What a mess! Why can't we fix this?