Hi,
What you suffer from is GERD with nocturnal breakthrough pain.And hiatal hernia is a risk factor for GERD.
The treatment consist of PPI + nighttime zantac.
You can continue taking omeprazole twice a day ( before breakfast and before dinner) and a zantac at bedtime.
The treatemnt is not complete without lifestyle modifications -
Lifestyle modifications -
1. Head elevation while sleeping
2. Small frequent meals
3. Going to bed 2- 3 hours after food
4. Avoiding bed time snacks
5. Avoiding smoking and alcohol
6. Avoiding tight fitting clothes
7. Avoiding cola, citrus drinks, carbonated drinks, tea, coffee, spicy food
8. Weight reduction
If you can see the lifestyle modifications- avoid tight fitting clothes is one of them.
Anything that increases the abdominal pressure worsens GERD.
So you may have to avoid abdominal exercises which may increase the abdominal pressure.
Reflux can be either acid reflux or bile reflux.
Thanks for the advice regarding Zantac. I will try that.
Another question I have concerns exercise.
I do resistance training, walking, and some aerobics 5 times/week.
I wonder if I should continue to do crunches and other abdominal exercises.
I am 5'4 and weigh about 120.
Unfortunately for me, there are no lifestyle mods for me to try, because I don't do any of them anyway.
I did buy a wedge pillow, though.
Also, I have read that sometimes the problem is not too much acid, but too little.
How can I tell?
I forgot to add that I have some inflamation of the larynx.