Feeling scared and unwell

It’s worry that’s doing that to you. Bit basic but have you tried drinking hot’ish water? I’ve started drinking it last thing at night and first thing in the morning because I get a lot of indigestion these days. Would probiotics help?? I sometimes think our digestive systems are just out to get us. If I’m worried about anything it goes straight to my gut. x

I also have occasional digestive problems and find daily Probiotics help a lot. I hope you get some answers soon.

Have you tried sleeping propped up ? My mother had a hiatus hernia and always slep like that and it helped . She coped with it very well but had to be careful about what she ate.
Sorry you are going through this .

I’m in the same position, hiatus hernia after emergency adhesion surgery and IBS.
Went to A&E on Tuesday as doubled up in pain. Given tablets and doctors appointments in the morning.
This situation can ruin your life, I have to cancel things or struggle through feeling I’ll so my sympathy goes out to you.
I’m on Omeprazole, but it doesn’t do the trick.
It’s frustrating not knowing what can trigger off an attack.
I’ll follow this thread and send a hug.

I take omeprazole for a sliding hiatus hernia.

How long have you been taking them, because they can take a while (weeks) to work.

Health anxiety is a horrible thing. I know this.
Your mind spins and spirals over the ‘what ifs’. Common sense leaves the building.
It’s exhausting and debilitating.
I do hope you feel better soon (you most likely will, trust me). Remember, 9 times out of 10 our worst fears never happen.
Just right now you’re agitated. Xx

Hi, I read but very rarely post, I have a Hernia and PPIs are useless I was prescribed Famotidine by my Consultant Gastroenterologist. Works much better, gp was reluctant to prescribe it as more expensive but Consultant said he outranked the gp and would tell him I had to have the drug.
Gaviston is also good.

I have a troublesome hiatal hernia. Drinking lukewarm boiled water helps me. I sleep propped up because I sometimes vomit small amounts of acid, which can be dangerous if you are asleep and lying flat. When mine is giving a lot of hassle I get a liquid on prescription to take at bedtime, as lack of sleep makes me feel even worse. The best ‘first aid’ for me are chewable Tums taken when an attack starts. These help, but are only a temporary solution, you really need to speak to a doctor to find out what’s causing it. It’s horrible and you have my sympathy x

I take Rennies, too, if I need something to work quickly.
That really is if I've eaten too much rich food, though.

Thank you for your messages. After I stopped taking Omperozole I began to feel better. I had a rather brutal endoscopy and was feeling dreadful but began to feel normal again. However this has changed again and I'm certainly not feeling normal anymore. I tried famotidine but that made no difference either and I thought I might improve without them. I have a horrid hollow feeling in my tummy and as I said it's so noisy. My appetite is awful and that's not me at all. I was relieved by my results but I wonder now if they have missed something.

It could be a sliding hernia, which can produce symptoms like those. I’m only guessing though and my only experience is through being a patient. Hope you can get some relief. You could try a heat pad and gently massaging your abdomen.

It's only a suggestion, but do you think it's possible that the omeprazole might have begun to work just as you stopped them?
Then, coupled with the endoscopy it has flared up again?

Sending you a big hug.. I hope you feel better soon. It's so easy to get terrified by health issues but I think once you are more fully informed from the blood tests you'll hopefully feel less shaken up and calmer.

I get occasional gastric "episodes" which are also similar to panic attacks and I can't breathe. I've ended up in A&E before now because the symptoms seemed to mimic a heart attack- but of course they're not.
I used to keep a supply of Ranitidine
which was effective but find it has been withdrawn due to safety concerns! Gaviscon doesn't quite do it for me (unless I neck the best part of a bottle) and Omeprazole etc may help to prevent the attacks but does not hit the symptoms.
It's not very reassuring!

I have a rolling hiatus hernia, GORD (Gastro oesophageal reflux disease) umbilical hernia and health anxiety ? It took a while but I can control the symptoms quite well now. I take Lansoprazole morning & night, also Gaviscon and I’ve recently discovered Gaviscon Advance which I get on prescription. Keep coffee to a minimum and eat little and often rather than big meals. Hot water is good. Agree that lying flat is not advisable- raise the head of the bed if you can but an extra pillow helps. My health anxiety causes gastric problems which are less easy to manage - I’ve heard the gut referred to as the second brain. I wish you well ?

My stomach is noisy, too.
Far more tuneful than I've ever managed to be.

I found Andrew's (the drink!) quite good for instant relief, plus I love the taste.

I too have a sliding hernia and take Famotidine, I can’t take a PPI. Our bed is raised on a block at the head end and I have gaviscon advance on prescription to take at bedtime.
It can take some time for the drugs to work, weeks rather than days, the period of my diagnosis was quite traumatic and I was prescribed Propranolol, a non addictive beta blocker that calms you. I hope this helps and you feel more settled soon.

It's like the who's who of hernias in here!
Sliders, rollers, you name 'em, we've got 'em!

Alypoole, I'd be a nervous wreck too - just from the various appointments and tests. I don't have a hernia but used to have a noisy tummy and frequent indigestion. Since I became vegan I've been absolutely fine. As a former vegetarian, I believe that dairy upset my system. Several small meals are easier than large ones too. A friend feels much better since she began taking Kefir daily, so maybe try that first?

You made me smile then! I've Gaviscon Advance on prescription for the indigestion and it does help. I don't seem to be affected by any particular foods apart from spicy ones. All the symptoms you mention have not been a great problem for me really. I first noticed my loss of appetite and fairly persistent indigestion. The doctors moved very quickly and within a number of weeks I had had the tests I've mentioned. It was a relief that they found nothing sinister and I felt well for a while but there's something that's not right. Of course I can only think of horrible things........
I'm a young 69 BTW 3months from the big one!

Well, we may joke, but a hernia is something that isn't right.
I can have terrible, terrible pain with mine, to the extent that I have thought I may need an ambulance.

Then I remember they will probably ask what I've eaten, and I will have to be truthful.
It's all about a whole body approach to managing the symptoms, which I am useless at.

I rarely have pain. A hollow feeling, burping but at the moment feel so weak and shaky. Don't think it's anything to do with the hernia but if I'm anaemic the big question is why?

I take lansoprazole for my hiatus hernia, have done so for coming up to three years and so far so good.