Positive post re Hiatal Hernia

Digestive health
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I'm a female, 37 years old and have been on 30mg lansoprazole for about 10 years due to gastritis although I would like to add that I had never had heartburn and I'm not over weight.

A year ago, I was going through a very, very stressful time and started experiencing acid reflux. I also had a pain in between my shoulder blades and a pain under my right rib. After seeing many doctors and eventually a gastronentologist, who performed an endoscopy I was diagnosed with a 4 cm hiatus hernia. The gastroentologist said that when we are stressed out, our stomach produces more acid, which was why I was having acid reflux. My hernia had apparently been there a while and I had not shown any symptoms until now. 

Ok, so what do I do to fix it? Straight away the gastroentologist put me on 40mg nexium instead of lansoprazole and told me what to eat for the next 14 days. She said that as soon as the stress stopped, my symptoms would stop. The amount of pain I was in and discomfort made this very hard to believe as I wanted it gone there and then. I went back 2 weeks later and nothing had improved. She suggested surgery! I said I would think about it and get back to her. I did some research and the surgery really scared me and I started to feel depressed as I felt this was my only option. That's when I found this forum. Yes it helped for research and I would check the forums everyday and end up feeling worse! I went to my gp for antidepressants who couldn't give them to me as there is a link between them and hernias! His words to me were, Nancy don't have the surgery, I wouldn't!

Thats when something switched inside me. I was the only one who get better. This was part of my life forever now. I went straight to holland and Barrett. I bought varies treatments from aloe Vera juice to DGL licorice. My gastritis was gone in 5 days but I was still experience slight heartburn. Every morning I would pull my hernia down through massage. I invested in a wedge pillow and only stuck to foods that I knew were alkaline. 

It was probably about a month later when I couldn't remember the last time I had heart burn! I never felt so great. I'd lost weight because of my diet. I was eating so much but because it was all good stuff I wasn't putting on weight. My skin was amazing!

I started to introduce acidic foods very slowly. I'm sorry but I love my takeaways. If the kids had a mac Donald's I would try a couple of fries and guess what, no acid. So I just tried little bits of food to see what I could and couldn't tolerate and I'm still learning now. 

A year on I can basically eat what I want. Chocolate is ok. Chocolate digestives are a big no and so are peanuts. I can eat Chinese and even a couple of slices of pizza. I don't feel down about my hernia any more. I believe I had to lower the level of acid produced in the stomach and let it heal and that's what did the trick. 

I would say say to anyone that has just been diagnosed with a hiatus hernia, to give it time. I remember the doctor said it was stress which was causing the acid, so in my mind I did everything to avoid stress, I kept busy doing what I wanted to do. My husband supported me and even he can't believe the difference as he thought surgery was the only way forward. Not a lot of people post positive posts as most people on forums are seeking help and answers. That's why I have posted this a year on. Apparently hiatus hernias are very common and people don't know they have them. It's only when something happens in their lives like it did with mine that they show symptoms. 

Anyway goodluck to any one reading this. You may be feeling down.... you can make it better but it will take time. 

Also one of the best things I did when I decided  what I had to do was turn off all notifications for this forum. I stopped the research, stopped receiving emails as it only bought me down. Only positive thoughts from now on!

My diet to reduce acid while it healed included 

Salmon

vegetables

small portions of rice, potatoes, low fat bread and pasta (as I'm hypoglycaemic and need the carbohydrates)

chicken

salad (no onion or tomatoes)

almond milk

plain porridge

certain fruits

Medication

30mg lansoprazole (my doctor wouldn't give me Nexium)

vitamin b12

probiotic tablets high does

DGL licorice 20 minutes before lunch and dinner

aloe vera juice 3 times a day

I also tried 

manuka honey

slippery elm

ginger root tablets

but I found they were not as good as the other treatments and I can't stand honey!

Hernia massage

Ilooked on you tube. It is a strange feeling at first but you quickly get used to it. I would do it everyday until I had no symptoms and then only if I had some heartburn. The trick is to push down as hard as you feel comfortable, right under the right rib. Try not to pull down on the skin but rather push in and down taking the skin with you. You may find that when you do this you get some acid in your throat which is going to happen as you are pushing on your stomach but this is so worth it as it would get rid of the rib pain and constant reflux.

Any questions I will be happy to answer. Enjoy your day people 🤗

 

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Can't edit post! Hernia massage is on the LEFT side not the right

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Hi Nancy

Brilliant to read "Positive" comments as you are correct in saying that most post are on the negative side as we are all displaying our problems and feelings. I hope you continue to live a healthy life (and keep your hernia at bay). My problem is with the "Bad Throat Pain" but like you hardly any actual heartburn, I am on Nexiam and try to eat/drink properly but the pain is constantly with me, after reading your post maybe it will give me the confidence that I need to fight this once and for all.

all the best

Robin

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Are you still on medication?

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Hi really good to hear a successful story I wish I could heal my I flamed thrust and gullit I get heartburn on a daily basis and like you make to much acid because of stress I can get rid of the stress in my life because I'm a career for my adult daughter she as severe Epilepsy every day is a stress for me and my daughter in on the same meds as you but I mite try the aloe Vera dose this sting when you drink it ? And the licorice is this ok with soreness ?

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Throat

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Hi Robin

Sorry to hear you have throat pain. Thinking about it, I have what feels like a sore throat most days but it is not bad, it's like I have a slight cough. What have the doctors said? One thing I try not to do, is Google things. That way I don't get myself worked up and worried. I really hope you can get some relief from the pain. When we have pains, it almost feels like it is the worst pain ever!

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Hi, yes I'm still on medication. As far as I know, I will be for the rest of my life. I take 30 mgs every morning. I did try 15mgs but it didn't do the job. I know I could stop the medication if I am strict on my diet but I want to enjoy my life.

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Hi Gillingham, so sorry you are not feeling great at the moment. Sounds like you have alot going on. I know it's easy for people to say stop getting stressed out but as you say sometimes it is part of our life.

The first thing I would do when I was experiencing heartburn everyday would be to massage my hernia down and would do this everyday until my throat had healed itself. I would also only eat alkaline foods, take gaviscon and only drink water. It would normally take a few days to heal but then I could slowly introduce foods. That was when I learnt that I could eat a burger and not get any acid but give me 1 chocolate digestive and I would be in agony! Also I have now excepted that I will never be able to sleep completely flat and invested in a wedge pillow which is great for keeping acid down. I really hope it eases off for you. The aloe vera juice didn't sting me. It's great for inflammation. They do a watermelon flavour which is nice. The dgl licorice tablets were really nice. They are big tablets which you chew. You only swallow when they have mixed with your saliva. 20 minutes before food. They are great for heart burn. Hope you can get some acid relief so you get a chance to heal.

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Thank you for your reply I will definitely be trying aloe Vera and the licorice tables I hope to on day be free from symptoms and be able to stop taking PPI medication

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Can you give me a daily schedule of meds you followed for the PPI , DGL, and Aloe Vera. I also have a hiatal hernia that’s been flared up since the end of December. It got worse after they did the edoscopy. I’m currently taking 30mg of lansoprazole before dinner and 2oz of aloe vera juice in the morning before breakfast.

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Hi Sharty, sorry to hear you are not feeling great at the moment. I had a really bad flare up of gastritis after my endoscopy. I’m wondering if it’s the gel they use on the tube or something or could be all the poking and prodding they do.

I took and still do take 30mg lansoprazole in the morning with a glass of water. I dont lie down for 30 minutes after taking. I dont eat anything for 30 minutes to an hour after I take it which is sometimes annoying as I’m hungry. 20 minutes before lunch and dinner I would chew a DGL tablet and I believe the Aloe Vera juice was 3 times a day. I cant remember now as its 4 years ago. I also can’t remember if you could take it with food or not but it should be on their instructions. Gaviscon if needed. I sometimes found that Gaviscon gave me heartburn! Even now if I’m having a flare up of heartburn or gastritis, I go back to basics. Plain chicken (no seasoning or sauces) plain rice or pasta, salmon. Really bland foods. If its really bad I will have porridge with water! and no sugar! Now if I have a flare up, it’s under control within a couple of days. You get to know what works for you. What you can and can’t eat when having a flare up. Good luck and also remember stress can contribute to excess acid in the stomach

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Hi, I am 32 year old male. I am so relieved after reading your post. I have recently been diagnosed with 3 cm hiatus hernia(sliding) and I was in dilemma whether to opt for surgery or not. currently I am on medication and my endoscopy review is due in next 7 days. Hoping for better results. This diagnosis has almost derailed me, I was and am under tremendous stress thinking why me as I am not obese and I don’t lift weights. Since you are managing it from almost a decade, how hard is it to live with it? I am definitely not opting for surgery now. Another question is, did you have any difficulty in swallowing food as well? If yes, does it go away with time?

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Hi Yuvraj,

when I was told about my hernia, it was so scary. My doctor offered me the operation straight away. I believe that this happened because I paid to go private (im in the UK). I think if I went through the NHS, this wouldn’t have been an option. I spent days doing research and scared my self so much. It was actually reading on this website and talking to people with the same problem that I came to my decision. I hardly have acid reflux although I’m on 30 mgs lansoprazole. I do however suffer from gastritis. I can’t remember the last time I had issues with my hernia. I eat alot but I’m not over weight. I would say that I eat quite healthy meals but I between ill eat what I want, chocolate biscuits, chocolate bars, pastry, sweets. I eat takeaways but I avoid spicy food. As long as I’m not having fatty takeaways everyday I’m fine. I must add, I don’t drink and I don’t drink coffee. I probably have 2 cups of tea a day and at the moment I’m drinking probably 3 litres of water a day. It’s all about finding your limits. I know its scary but take your time. Do not feel pressured into having surgery. Don’t get me wrong, if I was in excruciating pain that wouldn’t go away then I would probably have the surgery but I’m doing just fine. What makes it scary, is when it’s all new. It’s a new diagnosis and it’s scary. Give it time to settle down and in a couple of weeks you will be worrying about something else! Good luck and hope things settle down

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sometimes if I’m eating rice, I feel like it takes its time to go down which is not nice. It doesn’t happen with other food. I know some people get this quite alot but at the moment I’m not experiencing this.