HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - Hiatal hernia

JustwannaBE · 11-20-2008, 08:45 PM

Hi StephN: I have had a small hiatal hernia for the last 20 years. My gyno is the one who found it back then as I thought I was swallowing my tongue when I would sleep on my right side and start vomiting and it would burn my throat, so he ordered an upper GI and found it. Back then, Zantac was only by prescription so I would pop one when I felt it coming on. He told me being overweight, chocolate, alcohol and eating at least 2 hours before going to bed can make the acid reflux happen. I don't have problems with it much, but when I do, I pop a zantac (over the counter now - 150's). I also noticed that when I was on chemo, it really flared up, but off chemo, no problems. I noted that I went for about 3 months without taking any zantac and thought, wow, this is great. I eat anything I want, I just don't eat after 7:30 at night, and if I do, I watch how much and what it is and then, if I feel I need to, pop a zantac before going to bed. Every scan that I get shows it, and it is nothing for me to worry about. Before breast cancer, I used to drink alot, and that would bother it, and I would take a zantac before going to bed if I drank. Since breast cancer, I quit drinking and have lost 20 pounds and I attribute that not having minimal problems with it. Good luck, and don't worry to much about it. Mine hasn't grown any in over 20 years. Just take a prescription if your dr gives you one, or try either pepcid or zantac (either 75's or 150's) to stop the acid reflux from happening. To me, pepcid took too long to work, zantac works much faster for me (usually within an hour). And boy, make sure you have whatever you are going to take always on hand, because the only way to make it stop happening, once it starts, is to sleep sitting up (and I have done that on many occasions because I was out of it). Cheers and take care.

11-20-2008, 08:45 PM	#9
JustwannaBE Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 16	Hi StephN: I have had a small hiatal hernia for the last 20 years. My gyno is the one who found it back then as I thought I was swallowing my tongue when I would sleep on my right side and start vomiting and it would burn my throat, so he ordered an upper GI and found it. Back then, Zantac was only by prescription so I would pop one when I felt it coming on. He told me being overweight, chocolate, alcohol and eating at least 2 hours before going to bed can make the acid reflux happen. I don't have problems with it much, but when I do, I pop a zantac (over the counter now - 150's). I also noticed that when I was on chemo, it really flared up, but off chemo, no problems. I noted that I went for about 3 months without taking any zantac and thought, wow, this is great. I eat anything I want, I just don't eat after 7:30 at night, and if I do, I watch how much and what it is and then, if I feel I need to, pop a zantac before going to bed. Every scan that I get shows it, and it is nothing for me to worry about. Before breast cancer, I used to drink alot, and that would bother it, and I would take a zantac before going to bed if I drank. Since breast cancer, I quit drinking and have lost 20 pounds and I attribute that not having minimal problems with it. Good luck, and don't worry to much about it. Mine hasn't grown any in over 20 years. Just take a prescription if your dr gives you one, or try either pepcid or zantac (either 75's or 150's) to stop the acid reflux from happening. To me, pepcid took too long to work, zantac works much faster for me (usually within an hour). And boy, make sure you have whatever you are going to take always on hand, because the only way to make it stop happening, once it starts, is to sleep sitting up (and I have done that on many occasions because I was out of it). Cheers and take care.