# Hiatal Hernia? Any have this and found cycling exacerbates it?



## rockcrusher (Aug 28, 2003)

I have been fighting a bunch of what I thought was random symptoms that have been plaguing me off and on for around 12 years now. I think at this point it might be symptoms of hiatal hernia. 

I have been bike commuting for the last year or so in Seattle and up until around 6 weeks ago was having no issues. Then I started to notice an arrhythmia at a stopping point on a long hill I ride up each day. If I didn't stop at that light I didn't have the issue but when i did it would have a few erratic heart beats until I started riding after the light changed and then I was fine on the way home. 

It was starting to bother me, scary wise, so I went to the doctor, they ran an ECG scan and found an irregularity. I went to see a cardiologist for a stress echo and scan and everything was ok. I now attribute this to my starting to take antacids as I was feeling like this was perhaps heartburn related. My cardiologist came up with nothing to stop me from exercising, my blood work showed i was as healthy as a cyclist could be and there shouldn't be any issue with any exercise. 

Given the ok to start riding again I went for a commute and felt fine but the heartburn began immediately and cripplingly. I did some research and found out that GERD could provoke arrhythmias and went down the path of treating my heart burn. Finally i got a doctor to prescribe prescription strength proton pump inhibitor and combined with other antacids I have been able to keep the pain in check. 

However I think that as soon as I am back cycling this will relapse. I ride with my kids and it is ok but we only log a 5-6 miles and at a leisurely pace. My commute is 10+ miles with lots of hills. 

I did a little more research and think that i might have a hiatal hernia and the exertion of riding, a pumping diaphragm and perhaps not managing my food intake well enough made it worse over the 13 months of every day 22 mile commuting. 

Has anyone had this and had exercise make it worse? Or better or anything? Getting seriously depressed being off my bike, I have mostly missed the Seattle summer for commuting, which is depressing. 

Thanks.


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