NEW TO THIS SITE - I THINK I MAY HAVE HIATUS HERNIA!

[sheenah]

Hello Everyone! I am new to this forum - I found you through the Thyroid Uk forum, where the people there almost literally saved my life with their knowledge and support.

I think I may have a hiatus hernia. I am 64, have recently lost 34 pounds in weight, I think mainly because I got my thyroid sorted out - weight has bugged me all my life. I haven't had an appetite for years, and three spoonsful of food and I can't eat any more, and that has been the case for several years.

I was carted off to A&E a few weeks ago with a suspected heart attack, but fortunately all was well. I keep getting this pain around my heart - I realised it was probably heartburn, took the rennies but that didn't make any difference at all - tried lemon juice, trawled the net etc. I am getting pain down both arms and at the back of my neck, and a gnawing burning sensation in my stomach and behind my breastbone, belching makes no difference. Can anyone give me any advice?

(Yes I know go and see a doctor, but that is not that easy for me to do that)

Best Wishes

Sheenah

[Hidden]

You need to see a doctor and he will put you on PPI,s to start and send you for an endoscopy to confirm if it is an HH but it sounds very likely to me

[sheenah in reply to Hidden]

Thank you for your reply! Yes I will go and see my GP if I can get an appointment. The pain down my arms seems to fit the HH symptom list.

Best Wishes

[Mary-intussuception in reply to sheenah]

You could enquire about having a Barium Swallow.

An Abdo Ultrasound scan would reveal any possible Gallstones and/or sludge and check out liver too.

[sheenah in reply to Mary-intussuception]

Thankyou for your reply. I will mention this to the Doc.

Best Wishes

[Hidden]

Did the A&E doctor come to a conclusion about what you were feeling that was not a heart attack after all? I think I might try Gaviscon Advance, especially at night to see whether that solves things. It works in a different way from antacids and PPI medication like Omeprazole in that it creates a protective raft against reflux regardless of whether it is acid or not. Try and sleep propped up at night if you can.

Have you started any new medication lately?

[sheenah in reply to Hidden]

Hello Allan, Sorry to just get back to you now, only just got your message. No the A&E Doc just said I was not having a heart attack and nothing else. Strange thing was I was in agony all day, pains down my arms into my hands, almost crying with the pain - and then slowly it went away and had gone the next day, not been back since, fingers crossed. It was certainly an acute attack of some sort. No, no new meds. Weird. Thank you for replying to me.

Sheenah

[Judley in reply to sheenah]

Sheenah, I have only just read this post and hope by now your problems are sorted. Another thing it could be is oesophagul spasms, there is a group for that on Facebook which also talk about other digestive e