Have all symptoms of gerd plus some tried several meds, all made stomach worse. asked dr about possibility of hiatal hernia, was told those don't cause symptoms unless a bad one and i'm not in enough pain. wondering if this is true or worth pursuing?

Hiatal hernia is a strong risk factor for developing GastroEsophageal Reflux Disease. I think there is a miscommunication or misunderstanding between you and your doctor. Most often pain due to GERD can be controlled with medication(s) but other symptoms caused by regurgitated stomach content persist if the hiatal hernia is big. You should have imaging test or EGD to confirm/rule out hiatal hernia