CWB -
Heart docs and most GI docs mostly don't know much about food sensitivities.
Reflux, which I mean the heaving of the stomach that pushes food or liquid into the esophagus, or simple leaking of acid into the esophagus while you are lying down, both happen if there is the valve at the bottom of the esophagus not working properly. But the heaving/refluxing is different in that it is often caused by a food "trigger."
This "trigger" is often a sensitivity or intolerance or, as my allergist calls it, an allergy, to certain foods. If the valve is working you can get just tachycardia - rapid heartbeat. The trigger can work both ways - stomach sending signal to the heart and heart sending signal to the stomach. My personal experience is when I eat a trigger food - not just a tiny bite as in peanut allergy, but a whole sandwich or a can of soda size portion - I first get refluxing, then, usually if I've eaten a bit more, I get tachycardia that lasts a few minutes to several hours. I can usually get the tach under control with a valsalva maneuver (look it up) or a good cough. Sometimes I have to resort to a Beta blocker.
The best way to find out if you have a food trigger is to keep a food log/journal. Write down every single thing you eat or drink with the date, time and any symptoms within a couple of hours. When you have a list of meals you have to deliberately eat a portion of each item separately to find the culprit. I've posted lots on this subject - do a search.
Since you are having symptoms at night you need to do the usual GERD treatments - take a PPI at least a half hour before eating in the AM. Most don't have a "duration of action" more than half a day, so take a time-release one or take a second one in the evening. Don't eat anything 3 hours before going to bed. Prop your upper body up as much as you can tolerate.
Surgery will not cure food sensitivity/allergy. Surgery is a last resort and is not fun and is life changing. I lived just fine for 25 years with non-acid reflux, had no esophageal symptoms. Stopped my reflux by avoiding my trigger foods when I finally found out what they are. I had surgery only after an accident that shoved my stomach into my chest.
So even if you decide to have surgery because of something like a giant hernia or a swallowing problem, check yourself for food triggers first. It takes a couple of months, but it's free and non-invasive.
My trigger foods all contain sulfite.