Hiatus hernia experiences?

How do you actually live with this?

I’ve been fighting this monster for eight months now, so I figured I’d start this thread to swap stories with anyone else stuck in the same boat.

After a gastroscopy—following a long run of wandering from doctor to doctor through endless systemic tests and other nonsense—they diagnosed me with GERD and a hiatal hernia. My reaction was basically, "Well, yeah." I'm an ex-smoker, I'm 220 lbs, and I sit at a desk all day. It wasn't exactly a mystery. But I had no idea it was this impossible to get rid of. 🙄

The thing is, while the Nexium 40mg keeps the actual pain away, man, the other side effects are something else.

There's this tightness in my throat (running from the base of my tongue down past my Adam's apple), then dry mouth, then dizziness, and this weird, lightheaded feeling. I get this pressure in my head too, though not like high blood pressure. The worst part is the brain fog; I can't concentrate, I forget things almost immediately, and I just feel disoriented. At 29, having my work capacity tank like this is a tough pill to swallow.

For three months, I was strictly disciplined. I dropped about 40 lbs, cut out alcohol completely, zero sugar, no soda, nothing greasy. Just probiotics, whole grains, veggies, etc., etc., etc.

But then I slipped. And when the symptoms hit, it's overwhelming. I get teary-eyed, my motivation just vanishes, and there's this constant fear of choking.

Then I loosened up a bit, started hitting social gatherings more and eating better than I should have, and honestly, I can't tell if anything changed because I feel just as bad.

Anyway, I don't want to just ramble on about my own struggles and weaknesses. Does anyone here have actual experience with what definitively helps a hiatal hernia?

p.s. I'll be updating this thread with everything I learn and experience so we can hopefully figure some things out together.

It’s been the exact same story for me for three years now... surgery is the only real way out... but man, I am terrified... honestly, it's hitting me hard right now and I can feel the anxiety creeping in😢

Look, I’ve got a minor hiatal hernia along with my GERD. It’s nothing major—just some occasional pain or a tight feeling in my throat from time to time... so I honestly don't get how you're dealing with such massive headaches.
Frankly, you're being completely irresponsible here. Just lose some weight and get walking more. Stop sitting around in those cramped positions all day...
I carry a little extra weight myself, but I don't drink or smoke. I have a coffee now and then and feel some symptoms occasionally. The bottom line is this: if you want to fix this, start by actually taking care of your lifestyle.🤷

Hey, haven't seen any recent threads—hope I'm not too late to the party here. If not, I'm just trying to get some answers. I've been dealing with a hernia for a few years now—Nexium 40mg helps every 5 or 6 months if I do a quick course, and things usually settle down. I've lost weight—maybe too much, actually—dropping from about 200 to 180 lbs (6'1"). I don't eat after 8 PM, and even then, it’s basically a kid's portion. Rarely drink, maybe an occasional beer, one coffee in the morning, and I try to eat as healthy as possible. Can't kick the smoking habit yet, though I've cut back to half a pack a day. I take half an effervescent Ranitidine tablet before bed, so I haven't had heartburn in a long time, but there's this other issue. I get this pain in my right chest area—somewhere near the right breast. It's always the same spot—sharp, not super intense, just a short burst that pops up out of nowhere. Often happens when I eat, but sometimes it hits even when my stomach is empty. It shows up for 10-15 days and then disappears for a few months. Is this a sign the hernia is getting worse, or is it something else entirely?

Has anyone actually had surgery for this?
Have any of you tried seeing a chiropractor?
What about stomach resetting?
It’s clearly a mechanical issue, so a manual fix seems to be the only way out.