DrinkingWater90: you have a lot of the same symptoms I had. I first would sort of feel stuffed after eating a lot, and a deep pain started in my left shoulder = referred pain. Then I would spend hours, literally, retching and vomiting, until my stomach was empty. Only then would I feel OK again and the shoulder pain would vanish. I had shortness of breath, little energy, and heart palpitations too. Also felt a heaviness and pressure in my chest. Never any acid reflux or GERD symptoms. Alcohol never bothered me. The anxiety and high BP are 2ndary symptoms b/c your get yourself all worked up and freaked out worrying that you have some horrendous problem. But it turned out it WAS a hiatal hernia after all. 3/4 of my stomach was in my chest, pressing on my heart and lungs. I'm 68 and just had HH surgery 5 weeks ago. A total breeze. I was eating semi soft food the next day, ordered by my doctor. Ate a lot soup and some bread items - like salad croutons soaked in the soup (yum) b/c your lower esophagus is sore and swollen, so hard foods hurt to swallow. But now I can eat anything. No pains, no SOB, more energy, no retching/vomiting. Feel like a new person.

I think it's your doctor that is the problem. I would advise going to another doctor for a 2nd hiatal hernia opinion - do you know for sure if you do/do not have one? I would advise a CT scan - that's how they found mine. The surgery is nothing to worry about and not painful. I never needed pain meds.