Posted 2/27/2014 3:28 PM (GMT 0)
The trick is to find out WHY we are having heartburn.
My case was a very bad valve, the LES. While antacids, later Zantac, and finally PPIs, stopped the acid, the refluxing I had was a chemical sensitivity, which stopped when I stopped eating my trigger foods.
It takes testing to find the problem. For me, a barium swallow showed the reflux, and interestingly, it took a while for the stomach heaving to happen and only happened at all because some of my triggers are the flavoring and artificial sweeteners in the barium concoction.
Then there's the problem of what to do with the findings. I was fine with non-acid (keeping on PPIs) stomach contents leaking up when I was lying down, after I got rid of my triggers. Eventually I was in a wreck that pushed my stomach into my chest and I had to have surgery, and it's much better not to have to take the meds. But surgery isn't the answer for everyone and I was happy enough taking the PPIs for 20 years or so after I got rid of the stomach heaving pain which stopped when the cause was eliminated.