GERD & Heartburn Support Group
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) is defined as chronic symptoms or mucosal damage produced by the abnormal reflux of gastric contents into the esophagus. This is commonly due to transient or permanent changes in the barrier between the esophagus and the stomach. If you are afflicted with GERD or heartburn, join the group and find support.
Most people that have Gerd also have HH ....and Drs. say it is not a big deal...I say bull chjps.....With all the modern technology the medical community has....Why cant they just fix the darn HH and thus cure us all from Gerd?????Because the doctors and drug companys make billions of dollars pushing acid reducing pills on us ......I have argued to have my large HH fixed and Drs.tell me they wont do it unless it becomes twisted.If I was a millionaire I bet it would be fixed before it becomes twisted...HH is the cause of almost all acid reflux cases....Do any of you in here have Hiatal Hernias??What say you.
I hear your frustration and a large HH is a terrible thing to have.
I have a very small sliding HH and yes it is the source of my heartburn for sure. Although my heartburn is more easily managed with a small one I think. I can go long periods of time without any symptoms and can even treat myself and not get heartburn but it has taken a ton of discipline to get to this point..
I do feel for you having a large one. It definitely has a much larger impact on your well being. You cant avoid heartburn at all with a large one and it comes with other problems too.
I do agree about the meds issue. Doctors love to prescribe PPI's and they do tend to avoid the surgery.
Check out the HH site there are some that have had the surgery and it has gone well and there are some that have had the surgery and they wish they didnt have it.
There are I think more people on this GERD site that dont have an HH but there is no doubt that medium to large ones are impossible to manage with diet alone, can be uncomfortable and cause other issues.
Maybe you could get a second opinion if you really wanted to have the surgery.
Hang in there!
mchughrene, HH is not the only cause of GERD, I do not even know if it is the major reason for GERD. My wife, for example, has had GERD for sometime now and she does not have a HH. Her downward spiral started with H. pylori, which is a very common cause of many stomach problems.
I do have a small HH, but I think it actually came after my worst problems with GERD had passed. Making lifestyle changes really tamed my GERD problems.
Our next door neighbors both have GERD and he had surgery to fix his problem (I do not know if HH caused his problem or not), but the surgery did not do him any good at all (and they do have millions BTW - LOL). Both of them found their solution in a bottle, a bottle of aloe vera juice.
I would not be to quick to jump onto the surgeron's table; many risks everytime a person sets foot in a hospital. My be second opinion time??
I did a friend request to you! lol!! I hope your GERD is still good. I have been really good, in fact I got even better after I went to a chiropractor. I hope your wife is better too . This GERD thing is challenging for many! Canada is actually hot right now..well in Toronto anyway! I cant remember where you are but... are you in one of those pretty warm states? If so, lucky you.
mchugh... I agree with Steve.. try the DGL but there is also gastromed and pepcin GI.. It is more for gastritis but there are people on that site who feel it greatly helped the heartburn issue. It is worth a try.. Also can you take the Zantac type products or no?
I hope you get some results somewhere. This is a very frustrating issue
I agree my HH is the underlying cause of my gerd. My hernia slides up and causes shortness of breath, and sometimes my reflux causes that as well. Docs just look at me like an alien and either up my PPI, give me a new kind, and almost always blame anxiety.
I think most of us know more about this subject than any of the docs. Very frustrating.
I have discovered that Benadryl often settles everything down. I read another post here by someone who noticed the same, and wonders if our tummy problems like Gerd, HH, and gastritis have some type of allergic component.
Bet we could never get a doc to agree with that.