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Hiatal Hernia and GI problems

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My girlfriend has been having problems with her GI tract for a while. Started in November with vomiting for a few days. After going to the hospital and setting up an appoint to have a endoscopy, it was revealed that she had a hiatal hernia as well as a tight pylorus. The pylorus was opened a little bit during the procedure and that was it. Some time went by before anymore bouts, but they started up again.

Usually it starts with a "stuck" feeling in her chest, under her sternum. She can take a shower, use a heating pad, or walk around, and typically the feeling will go away. However, if the feeling doesn't go away, it's always accompanied by vomiting for the rest of the day, typically about once an hour. We're not 100% sure if the vomiting is based on a reflex, or her stomach having contents in it, as we typically have her drinking water and that is what comes up in the emesis.

It is now mid-January and she's had three attacks, all within the past month. Prior to us leaving for vacation Dec.26-Jan-6, once while we were on vacation (on the fifth), and yesterday the 15th.

The last few times we've had reason to believe that the onset of the problems happened because of various reasons. For instance, while on vacation, we had some shitty quality frozen meatballs, then went out and ate some fast food, went to a department store where she started to develop a migraine. After the migraine we headed home, and she went to sleep for 4-5 hours. After waking up was when the nausea started, and we believe it was because of nasal drainage (that she was reporting previously that day) as well as sleeping with all that greasy food in her stomach (she's prone to heartburn and the like). When she was puking there were large amounts of frothy, nasal-drainage looking substance.

Also, this most recent time, we think it may be due to the fact that she hadn't ate in a while (since the previous night's dinner). We had eaten around 6-7pm, went to bed around 11:30-12:30, she woke up around 9:30 and didn't get the nausea and vomiting until around 2:30 (figured that was quite a bit of time to go without food, as well as coincidentally I had a sharp hunger pain that day that made me feel sick to my stomach).

I just spoke with her and there seems to be a little update in the symptoms. She reports a feeling like something is stuck in her throat, abut mid way down, as well as the tightness and ache in the mid chest region.

Diagnosis and treatment: after having the endoscopy she was prescribed a few different medications, promethazine suppositories being the only one I can remember, but they found out that Reglan 10mg worked the best (which she is now on). However, the Reglan is too inconsistent; we're not sure that even when taking the Reglan, that it works. The only procedures she's had done is an endscopy and an X-ray to check for blockages, so there are some other options, but nothing looks promising, as the problem appears to be physical and not a chemical sickness or problem. Is it posssible that her hiatal hernia is putting pressure on a nerve? I also recall, on some sword swallowing show, that the sword swallower said something about the human body having three gag reflexes, one that was chest level. Is it possible that this is being pressure/irritated?

Any advice would be welcomed, as we're at a complete loss as to where to go or who to talk to!
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replied January 30th, 2011
I had a laproscopic hiatal hernia repair, about 1 year ago. About one month after the repair, a piece of meat got stuck in my throat, they did an upper endoscopy, and pushed it on through. As I said its been 1year since my surgery,and I suffer from constant bloating, and diarreha,and abdominal cramps. they tell me my symptoms are very common,like that helps me alot. so far they haven't given me a solution to the problem. I guess the repair was a success, I am not vomiting infact I can't vomit or even burp, I don't have constant heart burn, or pressure in my chest before the surgery I went to the hospital several times thinking I was having a heart attack. I guess its just a matter of trading one set of symptoms for another. Which is worse, I don't know.......
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