Breathing Issues, Pain explosions?

I've had GERD for about 4 years now and it's absolutely terrible. I'm curious if anyone else can relate to my symptoms. I have pain in my chest, but it's not like all the time, it's only when I eat certain foods, and even then it comes in little "explosions" as I like to call it. It's like someone releases pressure inside my chest and it spreads around like a firework into other portions of the chest, sometimes in the arms. Usually always near the heart, but this isn't heart related as far as I know. I've had multiple EKG's, a halter monitor and a CT scan to make sure everything was okay and it's all up and up. I haven't had any GI work done, but they did say I had GERD/Acid Reflux. I've tried treating it with Prilosec, but it didn't work.

I was on Prevacid for a month but it didn't really work either.


The only thing that seems to work for me is typical stomach coating medicine like Maalox Extra Strength which I have to drink literally every night and sometimes in the daytime just to sleep at night or to convince myself not to call 911 because of heart attack fears (panic/anxiety issues that I have make my GERD even worse).

Often, it will seem like I can catch my breath, and when I eat, my heart will race and my whole chest will feel tight, and I will feel sweaty, dizzy, and just generally unwell.

I really don't know what to do at this point beyond just keep using the temporary band-aid that is Maalox every night and day.

This is really miserable.