Trying to get off Nexium

I got off my ppi(pantoprazol) by taking lower dosage pills(20mg) every day in the morning. Then when I was confortable with them I moved to zantac 75mg. Then I started chopping up the zantac, would take 1/2 in the morning and 1/4 at night before going to sleep. Then kept reducing over a month till I just stoped taking them. Still have disconfort and pain when I eat too much for someone with a busted LES that is.

I eat at the exact same times every day as well in 3,2,3,2,3,2 . I eat breakfast as soon as I wake up , bowl of cereal or 3 peices of toast. 3 hours later I have a snake , fruits , chocolate, snacks, etc. 2 hours after that I eat lunch(protien). 3 hours I eat another snack.2 hours I eat dinner(protein or carbs), 3 hours I eat snack (2-2.5 hours before sleep). Like I said there is discomfort still but I'm off pills.

Everyone is different but that is my story.

I'm not giving up with trying to figure this out. My only fear is that those people that are in the NERD category (non-erosive) are people with not too much acid, but not enough. If I'm taking acid blockers, wouldn't that make my problem 20 times worse? I did a test this morning with it (read it online). You take a cup of baking soda & water in the morning on an empty stomach. If you have acid in there, you're supposed to burp (supposedly the acid and baking soda produce a by-product CO2). I didn't burp. I ordered some HCL tablets and I'm going to try taking them with my meals.

The theory is that for those of us that don't have as much acidity in our stomach, the PH is closer to 7 (less than 7 is acidic). Since the LES valve is not recognizing the acidic atmosphere anymore, the valve is opening when it shouldn't. When more acid is introduced, the PH starts to lower and makes the valve start to clench shut (to protect the esophagus). This is just a theory, but I'm going to try it out.

I'm not on any medication and I wouldn't normally try it, but apple cider vinegar has been helping with my heartburn. Plus, after I eat, my stomach feels bloated and cramped for hours! It's like the stomach is not knowing what to do with it. This in turn is causing my stomach to heave and convulse, leading to my hiccup burps. I'm hoping that this will help solve my issue. Fingers crossed!