Hiatus hernia as well: Does anyone else have a... - IBS Network

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Hiatus hernia as well

bourne62 profile image
11 Replies

Does anyone else have a hh as well as ibs. Have just been scoped and confirmed hh. Now dont know where ibs stops and hh starts. Can hh cause upper right back pain between spine and shoulder blade.

Confused drs dont seem to care

Help anyone

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bourne62 profile image
bourne62
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11 Replies
Trekkiegirl profile image
Trekkiegirl

Yes, you can. I have both. They are separate things though, so you need to try to treat them as separate things. Upper back pain with pain in shoulder blade could be gallbladder pain so you might want to have that checked out. Otherwise, is your hiatus hernia causing acid reflux? Lots of people have one and it doesn't cause any problems, but other people have acid reflux (I do). There are medications you can take for that, ask your doctor. Hope you get it sorted, good luck! :)

Jenjenny profile image
Jenjenny in reply toTrekkiegirl

Hi trekkigirl I have a hernia... But was just wondering what a hiatus hernia is?? Thank you :-) x

Trekkiegirl profile image
Trekkiegirl in reply toJenjenny

Hiatus hernia is where part of the upper stomach goes through the 'hole' in the diaphragm where the oesophagus meets the stomach. It's not supposed to sit there, it's supposed to be under the diaphragm. :)

Boogie profile image
Boogie

Hi bourne62,

Ask your Dr for a physio referral for your shoulder pain. If a physio assesses you and can't find a problem with the shoulder then it might be referred pain but shoulder and upper spine problems are common for most people and can be fixed with exercise, posture changes and massage if you have trigger points.

Before you see the physio think about what makes your shoulder pain worse - is it driving, sitting at work, does it come on at end of day or only when you are doing certain activities e.g. hanging the washing out or picking things up. (These are things a physio can look to treat)

Or is it only after a meal and if so how long after? (This could mean something referring the pain and it might be worth asking to see a GI (gastroentrologist) cons to make sure everything is working well in your GI tract.

Is it when you lie down or bend forwards for a while? (Probably your hh - but still might have a muscle or skeletal cause so just double check it with a physio).

Your Dr should not decline you a referral as its reasonable. If he/she does say no then consider looking for a new Dr. Having a good Dr that you can be honest with and trust to do the best by you is important and is worth looking round for. You might need to try a few practices before you find a team of doc's that you feel confident in and listened to. Even the best Doctors get it wrong some times but a good one will look to work with you. Good Luck.

Jenjenny profile image
Jenjenny

Hi I also have a hernia +ibs which causes double the pain... I had a big operation 3 years ago where my right ovary had grown back after having a full hysterectomy15 years ago. I had been rushed into hospital with this because I was in so much pain, and was told there was a small lump and nothing to worry about!!!! 8 months later I had major surgery to remove this as it was the size of a large Mellon and they also was unsure if it was malignant or not.... It seems to me the older you get the less they care.... Hope you feel better soon love but don't leave it keep going back until they listen to you, because it's your body and only you know when the pain you have there's something not right.. X

bourne62 profile image
bourne62

Thanks everyone for replying.

Does anyone actually get the pain I described not in or under shoulder blade but just between spine and shoulder blade. Have seen gastro ultrasound clear no probs with gall bladder. Could be muscular but severity varies does not interfere with sleep. Since the scope only showed hiatus hernia drs think that is a minor thing.

I am so down and dont know where to turn I am sure they think its in my head but the pain can be nauseating. Everything I have read says h h only causes left sided back pain.

Advice please

Huston profile image
Huston

I have both and get similar back pain between shoulder blades , nothing to do with exercise as it comes on randomly but does not effect sleep . I think it is a combination of stomach acidity reflux pain that can travel through to the back and or IBS symptoms of trapped wind esophagus stomach /gut spasms et al .As the scope found nothing else it seems logical that what you are experiencing is to do with what you have diagnosis for and that points to hiatus hernia leading to acid reflux and acid reflux is also something that IBS can kick off .They are seperate things but they are inter related one making the other worse .

bourne62 profile image
bourne62

Thank you so much Huston for replying so quickly.

One question is your back pain on the right or left as this is my main concern. Can it get real bad at times

Regards

Susiesara profile image
Susiesara

Hello bourne62

Yes, I have a Hiatus Hernia and IBS and I know of others who have both of these. You can have pain from HH in your shoulder and back, in face the pain I have has been mostly in my back and sometimes in my breasts. It's an horrendous pain and the only thing I have found to help is Co-Dryadramol, only available on prescription. If I get the acid reflux with it I drink peppermint tea. I also take one lansaprozole capsule each morning before breakfast which reduces the amount of acid I make.

As regards the IBS - mine is IBS C and I find that as long as I do not become constipated I am mostly free of it. If constipation is the problem Hiatus Hernia is made worse with straining. I find I am alright to eat plenty of bran so have All Bran every day with some fresh fruit, Mango is excellent.; Also I take 15ml of Lactulose each night at bedtime.

This probably hasn't been much help to you but knowing the agony of it all you have all my sympathy.

I might add that some doctors I have seen don't seem to understand that the contraction like pain in back and chest isn't acid reflux. It is a separate pain to A R, and caused when the stomach pushes up into Oesophagus and gets stuck.

They do liken this pain to that of a heart attack.

I hope you can get something that will give you relief.

cmh134 profile image
cmh134

Hi, I don't have a diagnosis yet but I have belching and pain right beside my right shoulder blade. Sometimes its relieved by belching but I was worrying about a heart attack so I was online searching and found this post. Just wanted to share that my pain has been on the right side.

bourne62 profile image
bourne62

Hicmh134,

Dont despair I am so much better. I saw an osteopath it took a while but she manipulated the hernia back Into place. I was very sceptical but it worked but make sure you get the right one research if they have treated digestive disorders. The back pain is gone too. I also used manuka honey and aloe vera. Takes a while but it will go.

I doubt it is your heart especially with the pain being on the right. Have an endoscopy to ease your worries and if you still worry about your heart ask your gp for chest x ray and ecg. My pain got so bad I went to a and e and they did it there. So you can see I was pretty bad, thought I was dieing.

Are you very stressed I was and think this made it all so much worse. Watch what you eat nothing too acidic or spicy. I spent hours on sites searching for an answer so u derstand how you feel.

Best wishes

Maria

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