I have had all the symptoms listed in this discussed thus far. I have a para esophageal hiatal hernia. Your quality of life does not have to suffer. You can get relief. Surgery is definitely the way to go. Get yourself a specialist in hiatal hernia repairs, or you'll be getting the surgery more than once. Don't settle for just a general surgeon or even just a gastro specialist. Been there, done that and am a 3 time offender. Ask the doctor what their success rate is and even ask to talk to some of their treated patients. (Hint: Ask them how many times they have been fixed for this problem.) It is a long very serious surgery, but I for one want to live my life as normal as possible and this surgery is the way to go if you are a candidate for it.

I am 69 years old and was diagnosed with a hiatal hernia many years ago. The only medication that has worked for me is Nexium, 40 mg. Recently, I have been taking the Nexium two times a day and also some antacid over-the-counter pills. On New Year's Day, I went to the emergency room because I thought that I was having a heart attack. I had eaten a very small amount of scrambled eggs and felt so bloated that I thought I would burst. I began getting a great deal of pressure in my upper abdomen, back, neck, and upper arms. I couldn't stand up straight. I took two antacid pills and continued to feel worse. I finally went to the ER and thankfully my EKG and cardiac enzymes were fine. On X-ray, the doctor saw what he thought was my esophagus being pushed to one side of my chest. Then he did an MRI and said that it was a GI problem, gave me a GI cocktail, and I immediately felt better. I can't get an appointment with a GI doctor until April.

I have been diagnosed with a hiatal hernia. I recently gained a few pounds, and that's when it got worse. I had to change my diet. No citrus, chocolate, caffeine, tomato or spicy foods. Some over-the-counter medications have caffeine in them, such as Excedrin. So I cut out some of these products and I felt better. Oh, and I do not eat or drink three hours before going to bed. I use extra pillows when sleeping.

Since I was about 20, I've had a strange feeling in my lower chest, mostly on the left side. For a long time, I thought there was something wrong with my heart, but there was really never any direct evidence, and it began to be more of a pressure and a constant discomfort under my ribs. No doctor could tell me anything other than "you're fine," and so the mystery continued. Only now at age 29 have I finally gotten an endoscopy. I apparently have a "small" hiatal hernia and "mild" gastritis. All I want is to feel a normal feeling in my body and not bloated, gassy, and on the verge of a heart attack all the time. It just seems as of it's something easy enough to fix but my doctor says there are no good surgeons in Las Vegas who can do the operation. My journey starts here, and hopefully this helps somebody else figure it out.

I was diagnosed with a hiatal hernia and gastritis about a week ago but have had this problem for two years, since I was about 17. I take omeprazole, Paxil (anxiety medication; it helps when you stress out and your heart begins to beat quickly) and Antivert for pain relief. My lower chest, both kidneys, and eyes hurt horribly. I constantly feel nauseous and have an acid taste in my throat. I've never puked, though. My stomach constantly makes noise as well.

I am 15 years old, and I have a hiatal hernia. A few months ago, I had a foreign object lodged in my esophagus and needed an endoscopy. After the procedure, my doctor told me that I had the hernia, and I might have gotten it from the scope accidently poking a hole through my diaphragm, but it might have been there already. Lately, I have been extremely nauseous and whenever I lie down, I feel acid come up from my esophagus, resulting in extreme nausea and burning. I can barely eat anymore because of the acid indigestion. I plan on going to the doctor soon to see if there's a medication to help.