Chest Pains....may be a Hiatus Hernia

[bad14u]

Ever since Thursday evening I have had a pain in my upper body, right below the sternum and right above the stomach. I thought it may be heartburn at first but after trying Tums, Rolaids,and Pepto it has only gotten worse. I cannot take deep breaths without a sharp pain in that area. I can't even get a good stretch in the mornings because of the pain. If you press on the area it hurts. I can only sleep on my side while holding a pillow. I can't sleep on my back or stomach because of the pain. My breathing has become some what labored too. There has been no diziness or pains shooting down the arms like with a heart attack. Doing some research on the net this morning I found some info on a "Hiatus Hernia". This is when part of the stomach slips up past the diaphram and slides back and forth or gets stuck. The list of symptoms and whatnot seem to be dead on with what I am experiencing.

Has anyone had this problem or know anyone who has had it and what did they do for it after going to the doctor? I am going to the doc after the carpet cleaners get done....which won't be soon enough for me.

[shortz]

I am not a doc, but lemme just give you my opinion. Because I work prehospital emergency, I always think of the worse case scenerio unless I can prove otherwise. So,...

You describe your pain as sharp and increases with movement and palpation, so this can pretty much rule out cardiac. What I am looking for is not only what makes it worse, but if anything makes it feel better. Antacids semed to make it worse, so this does not rule out acid reflux. reason being is that antacids lower the acidity of stomach acids, but the stomach can try and reverse this and create more stomach acids, making the pain worse. This is why they make PPI (proton pump inhibitors), which actually slow the production of acids.

Next, Stretching does seem to indicate a hiatal hernia, but was wondering if you remember actually getting the pain and what you were doing when you got it. This does not rule it out if you don't remember, but it can help in the diagnosis.

Def see a doc though. No way ot tell what it is from a simple exam over the net, not to mention, like I said above, I ain't a doc, so I don't feel comfortable giving you medical advice, just my opinion.

Let us know how you make out. I am curious as to what you are experiencing.

[Puddles]

Hope you're ok. Haven't seen you online since yesterday morning.

I went to the doc about a week ago with similar complaints but I knew it wasn't a hernia although I spent 3 days looking stuff up on the net self diagnosing. The nausia and upper abdominal bloating was really bad for a few days and if I ate anything it got worse. Gastritis was what I figured and it was the diagnosis the doctor came up with so he gave me some Prevacid which has helped a lot.

Let us know how you're doing.

[bad14u]

Thanks Puddles and Shortz. I spent 5 hours in ER on the 29th just to find out shit. I swear I hate hospitals and the staff at times and this was one of them. Soon as I got to the ER and said "chest pains" they took me right back and hooked me up to an EKG. Soon as the heart problem was taken out of the picture , so was I. I sat there in pain for 2 and a half hours before this so called "doctor" saw me. He wasn't an M.D. he was a D.O., I think they are more holistic than regular doc. Anyway.....we talked and I described how I felt so he sent me to x-ray. Nothing showed up of course. He ordered a G.I. cocktail because he swore it was acid reflux. He said the cocktail would have me feeling better in about 20-30 minutes. Well, guess what? It didn't do squat for me. I was still in pain and they were booting me out of my room. Said they had more important cases to work on. The "dr" said to get some Prilosec and take twice the normal dose and follow up with my doc. I left there wanting to kill someone. When I got home the pain got worse. I had 3 oxycodone pills left over from my bout with kidney stones so I took all three. My gf was pissed after I did that but I honestly felt I would have to die to feel better. I took them and went to bed and passed out. Woke up the next day feeling somewhat better but still not quite up to snuff. After a couple of days I was able to get in and see my doc and tell him what was going on. I thought he would have reviewed my chart from the ER by now but those shitbags wouldn't send them over without a signed consent form. WTF??? I signed that shit at the ER! God bless, when I found that out I wanted to go shoot those dumbasses at that hospital. Anyway.... he prescribed some Protonix and taking it easy and wants to do an endoscope in a week or two. He believes I may have a week sphincter muscle which allowed some stomach bile to get into the esophagus and damage it. So...as of now I feel better but just don't feel like my old self.

[Puddles]

Glad to see you, Sphincter Boy. ;)


Hope you feel better soon.

[bad14u]

Glad to see you, Sphincter Boy. ;)


Hope you feel better soon.

Glad to see you too! :smooch:
:spank:No new nicknames.....please! :P