I read your very interesting blog and email message about GERD. About a year ago I had a problem with my throat, it felt like a piece of dry bread stuck there. Went to throat doctor and he said it was inflamed and told me to take prilosec. He was right, it went away within 6 weeks. The reason I got it in the first place is I take Bonvia for Osteopenia. So now with these findings what is my choice, stop taking the prilosec and have the GERD come back (known side effect of boniva) or risk one of the side effects you mentioned. Or stop taking boniva? I asked my doctor before if I should stop the boniva and she said NO, take the prilosec. What do you suggest now with these findings?

I have been on Nexium for the past several years. I have had a sort of eating disorder for many years and often will not keep food down. For years I used Zantac for immediate relief until the doctor put me on Nexium. The only way to somewhat control this is to stay on a life long diet, which if I could do this, I would not have had this problem for so long.

I am the "Queen" of dieting. Name it, I've been on it, mostly all were successful at the time and then I stopped...

I suffered from "acid reflux disease" for years. It was getting so bad that I was contemplating the removal of my gall-bladder. The attacks were terrible! I stopped drinking all soda. Bingo! No more "acid reflux disease". I also will not eat any foods or drinks that contain high fructose corn syrup or crystals. Bingo! I have dropped 2 clothing sizes in less than a year, with no other change in my diet. I feel so much better & no longer have that constant "bloated" feeling. Simple changes, but huge differences!

I have been taking Omeprazole for acid reflux for a few years now. I did not realize all the side effects that could go along with it. Can I stop taking it without any effects or do I have to gradually get off it. Recently I have noticed that I would get reflux even while taking the medication.

I have always been a big diat soda drinker, in the last two weeks I have not had any. I have also eliminated processed foods. I have lost 5 pounds. Perhaps now I don't need the omeprazole anymore?

read the blogg with great interest and learned a lot. I noticed, however, there was no mention of drinking aloe as a beneficial treatment, as has been suggested to me, a long time sufferer of 'all of the above'. Is there any value to this idea?Your thoughts on this approach?

I agree completely. I am diagnosed with a hiatal hernia and have suffered from GERD. Much to my surprise, when the stresses of my job went away, so did the GERD. I follow the advice of not eating close to bedtime, and I also sleep with my head elevated. The only time I have had a recurring incedent was again when I was stressed. I have not and will not take medication.

I was diagnosed with GERD. The doctor did a scope test, second time, first one showed ulcers in 1993 and in 2001 showed GERD. I was put on Nexium which I stopped due to side effects and then went to Prevacid which I stopped due to side effects. The doctor then told me to take just Tums when necessary. I now notice my daughter who's 11 has some reflux. We both get it with tomato sauce foods and oranges. I did take DGL in the past and noticed a big help. I may have to get more as I notice the symptoms periodically.

I was diagnosed with GERD two years ago and put on Nexium. Periodically after that I would experience these severe stomach pains that would pretty much debilitate me for hours. Recently, I changed health insurance and since they wouldn't cover the Nexium, I started taking Prilosec. I also adapted a much higher fiber diet as this was the same time I was reading UltraMetabolism. The severe stomach pains began happening more and more frequently until they started happening 2-3 times a day. Eventually, I ended up at the ER with $7k worth of tests and they didn't find anything wrong with me except that my intestines and colon were completely impacted with stool. I finally figured out that the acid-reducers were making it hard for my stomach to digest insoluble fiber and it was going into my intestines in near whole form causing major discomfort and essentially intestinal blockage. I have since stopped taking the acid reducers, and I even find myself drinking citrus juice before meals high in fiber to add acid to my stomach. Since then, I have not had any stomach pains and the GERD is still manageable with simple omissions of chocolate and caffeine, and Pepto Bismol on occasion. Anyways, just wanted to share that acid-reducers really aren't always a good idea and to watch out if you find yourself trying to eat a lot of fiber while on them.

I've been diagnosed with "silent" reflux and was prescribed Nexium, which I don't take. I have no pain - just an annoying throat clearing due to what feels like phlegm. Are your suggestions for finding the causes and treatments the same as for GERD?

First of all many thanks Dr. Hyman both for
your book, Ultrametabolism, and for your
website.......you are incredible and I can
tell you care about people and their health!
I particularly loved this blog because the
Doctors have put my 6 year old granddaughter
on prilosec.....I am so concerned about the
side effects........they also have her on an
asthma inhaler......which I also worry about.
I'm trying to get her parents to seek out
help from a qualified naturopatic doctor......the doctors also put my 85 year
old mother on prilosec after a bout with
bleeding ulcers last year.....told her to
quit taking a daily aspirin.....but gave
her back her celebrex......what are they
thinking? Anyways, I am copying this blog
to give to my daughter and my mothers
doctor for suggestions......thanks so much
for all you do......wish everyone would
read your book.......it's a wealth of
information! God Bless.......Shirley

I was having bad heartburn every night and throughout the day, until I started Juicing. The recipe book I have is categorized by ailment. So I started with the recipes for indegestion. Wham, gone just like that. I must admit for the most part I no longer each fried food. And definitely do not eat passed 8pm. Some of my favorite recipes are the Ginger Hopper; 4-5 carrots, 1/2 apple, 1 inch piece of ginger root. If you don't like the taste add 1/2 lemon. Add some Spinach or Parsley. Healthy and yummy. Your kids might even like too!

I read your blog on acid reflux and IBS and found it very informative. I have been on medicine for GERD for a long time (years) and have a lot of IBS. I am going to my doctor this week and ask him to run the test you recommend to see if I actually need to continue on the omeprazole. Thanks for the information.
Billie

I seem to have heartburn if I get constipated. Does this sound like a hiatal hernia, or weak sphincter? Also definately tomatoes and spicy foods bother me

I am 84 and pretty sure I have low stomach acid. Haven't had a
Heidelberg test but bicarb test says yes and have the symptoms.
I have advanced osteoporosis and was taking 1200 mg calcium a
day. Read that calcium reduces stomach acid. Went to drinking 4
glasses of milk. See in your blog not to drink milk with GERD. I am
diagnosed with LPRD, no heartburn, had hiatic hernia repair in June,
"05. The reflux is causing hoarseness, dry cough, lump in throat.
Srarted a good diet from a dietician. It includes a lot of raw and cooked veggies with some protein and fat, and eliminating all the bad foods for reflux except milk. What should I do about calcium?
for the milk. What should I do about calcium?

I was put on 150mg of Zantac, twice a day, three years ago for my asthma. According to my pulmonary specialist, they have found that acid reflux in its mildest form, can trigger asthma attacks. I would say in combination with the other drugs I was also put on, (Advair & Singulair), there was tremendous improvement in my asthma. However, never was my weight (I am about 30 pounds overweight) or allergies ever discussed. It was determined when I was a young girl that I was allergic to wheat. I am currently doing my best to avoid any wheat products and eating primarily meat, fish and vegetables. It is my hope that after losing weight, I will possibly be free from some of these drugs, and feeling much better.

Hi!
I have been on Aciphex for the last 7 years. How do I wean myself off, as going cold turkey puts me in a terrible fix. I would much rather take your route, as I hate taking the meds, plus they cost a fortune. No one has ever been able to answer that question before.

After changing my diet only two weeks ago, (eliminating wine :(,sugar,
processed foods, all refined foods) I no longer take acid reducing drugs. What a relief! I feel so much better and my energy level has increases about 75%. What a gift.....thank you Dr. Hyman for your book and for inspiring me to make changes.

Just a comment. I have had acid reflux since my 3rd pregnancy 25 years ago. The last 8 years it became very hard to control. and I researched and tried every natural means to stop the problem to no effect. I tried many of the ones you arre recommending. I have had all the upper GI test including endoscpy twice. Nothing worked and my life was not very happy because I could not eat without acid reflux happening everyday. As a last resort, I agreed to try pepcid which worked for quite a while. Then Protonix was tried and worked very well but my insurance would not cover it. Went to Nexium and that also worked great, but I absolutely hate to keep taking these(it's been about 5 years on this stuff) because I am afraid of the consequences. However, my life is now not affected by acid reflux which is also important. I am healthy, in good shape physically(runner and weight lifting as exercise)and supplement my diet with those nutrients that you talk about as being depleted by the drugs plus some others. I am 59 and want to remain healthy and am looking for a way to get off these drugs and still feel good. Any further suggestions would be welcome.. Thanks. Cj

Thanks for the information...always. Your books are so helpful as well. I'm 41 and reached the point that one medication is needed for the problems of another etc. etc.
I had my third esophageal dilitation last year for GERD. The gastroenterologist decided to go past through the stomach and widen the base of my stomach as well to aid in "easy dumping". The dilation resulted in an acute case of IBS that began about 1 1/2 months post procedure (never had IBS before).
I have tried the Xifaxin as suggested with
temporary results. I've also tried Align which is a probiotic by Mettamucil. This works real well...but is $1/pill and not covered by insurance. Less expension probiotics cause incredible bloating/gas etc.
Any natural foods that you can recommend that introduce the probiotic for intestional wellness?

Thanks so much!
Jocelyn

I have a small hiatal hernia and severe GERD, diagnosed by endoscopy. I experience chest pressure w/o pain) and a sense of trunk imbalance seemingly associated with the chest pressure. I take Nexium, Zantac, Calfate, and Gaviscon when I am experiencing significant chest pressure. I have occasional burping. I can't associate my symptoms with any particular foods, except for large amounts of food. I have been following some of your recommendations re food for several weeks and do not notice significant improvement. Suggestions?

I often get heartburn (or acid reflux?) when I start eating beef or fried fish, so when it happens, I sip on water with apple cider vinegar in it - immediate relief.

I am 67 years old and have had GERD,(even before it was named?) for nearly the last 50 years. About 10 years ago I had strictures in my esophagus that made it very difficult to swallow. A gastroenterologist did a dilation so I could eat. (My esophagus opening was less than 5 millimeters across.) He also took a piece of tissue and it checked out positive for Barrets Esophagus, a pre-cancerous condition. I have had a total of 4 or 5 dilations. I am supposed to avoid heartburn completely since each heartburn episode pushes me further toward cancer of the esophagus, which is a nasty thing to have. I have been told that besides being somewhat incompetent in the first place, my LES has been damaged by both the GERD and the dilations. My doctor wants me to stay on acid blockers. When I try to go off the medicine the heartbuun returns big time. It seems like a rebound effect to me. I have to choose between the effects of the GERD and the effects of the acid blockers. My lifestyle is already somewhat on the order of the above described ways of eliminating GERD. Any suggestions, anyone?

First off, I wouldn't attempt to use ANY prescription drug to treat acid reflux until I tried a natural method first and foremost!
I have gone that route and discovered that as long as I was using an OTC drug, the problem just kept coming back. I did great however with probiotics and very seldom have any bother with acid reflux now. I highly recommend probiotics, although I admit I've never tried the digestive enzymes so I don't know what they contain, or if they're the same as the probiotics or not?

I have been taking various prescription anti-acid medication for about 4 years now. If I miss the medication for even one day, my GERD acts up viciously.
I went for my first endoscopy last week and they took biopsies because they suspected I had Barrett's Esophagus. Today the Doctor confirmed that is what I had. She stated I will have to remain on the Anti-acid medication permanently. So even if I refine my diet etc... does this mean I have to stay on the meds?? The info that Dr. Hyman shared kind of scares me regarding their potential health risks.
What are my risks with Barrett's Esophagus??
Thanks!

I was on Nexium for over a year. Because I still had symptoms, my doctor tried to prescribe 2 per day. The insurance company would not cover it. A friend suggested Aloe juice. I was shocked! 2 oz. in the morning, and 2 at night, and after a month or so I became symptom free, and am off the Nexium for good. It was, for me a miracle.George's (brand name) tastes like drinking spring water.

I was 246 lbs when my wife gave me your book. I have lost 32 lbs in seven months. Feel great, except GERD. Was on nexium when I started. After 3 week detox symptoms gone. Stopped Nexium. Was fine for 5 months, but came back. Had H pylori 2001, eradicated by antibiotic. 2002 endo showed irritation at area of pyloric valve. 2004 endo showed same irritation, slight change. Upper GI showed nothing. The only thing that helped was the diet. However have stuck true to the UM diet. Frustrated. I am going to try your recommendations and stop the nexium, not helping anyway. Otherwise UM diet choles 220 to 136, ldl down to 85, hdl up, trig down, liver enzymes no longer elevated.

I was diagnosed with GERD 6 years ago when I went to the hospital with really bad chest pains. I was 20 at the time, and in pretty good health, so I didn't think I was having a heart attack; even though the pains were pretty strong. I think the key there was stress. My father had passed away a few months earlier. I was in school full time and lived 500 miles away from my family, so it was a really difficult time.

6 years later I'm doing alot better. I changed my diet, started taking Protonix, and started to feel better. I still had heartburn occasionally though, usually with my trigger foods - tomatoes, chocolate, orange juice, soda, and alcohol. Last year, I tested positive for the h. pylori. The antibotics were rough (I had to switch courses b/c I had an allergic reaction) but now that I've gotten through it, I can eat spicy food again :).

Dear Dr Hyman,

I work in Family Practice and recommend your web site often. Your style of medicine is way overdue!

I would like to add to your list of things that prevent hiatal hernia/reflux:

Posture! If you notice that when slumping and not sitting up straight while eating can cause "heartburn" and eventually lead into something worse.

Also, eating fast and not chewing your food well. This is usually part of stress, which you already have listed.

And, lastly, dry foods.

Thanks so much for your hard work.

Sincerely, Kathy

This is valuable information and it describes what I experienced by taking acid blockers for indigestion. At least it started out as simple indigestion. I took over the counter products like Pepcid. I got some samples in the mail and I was hooked. It stopped the heartburn sensation if I took it every day sometimes twice a day. Went on for YEARS. My problem got worse though and turned into GERD and did progress to IBS. I think it's a given you will get these 2 diseases on these products. I stopped taking these products 2 years ago just to see what would happen. When I did, almost immediately my body began to heal itself. I won't ever consider taking them again. I'm eating only whole foods & I don't even have heartburn now much less GERD or IBS.

What are your thoughts on adding apple cider vinegar to ones diet? Your advice is right on and I did make a lot of adjustments to combat my GERD and get myself off the Nexium, but the reflux always seemed to return. A friend told me the virtues of ACV so I started taking it (2tbs mixed with green tea), and along with modifying my eating habits. I'm happy to say the GERD is gone for nearly one year now - and, best of all, no more nexium!

Ahh, a blog posting near and dear to my heart and one that I have been eagerly awaiting. I was diagnosed with GERD many years ago. I was prescribed Nexium and given the list of foods to avoid. I tried it out a while but really didn't cure my GERD. I stuck with taking Nexium for a few years but slid back into my normal eating routine....drinking coffee/tea/wine, cooking with garlic, onions, spicey additions, eating chocolate, etc. My doctor had me try Aciphex??, something like that, but that was no help. I decided to just quit taking the acid blockers all together since they didn't seem to help, whether I was was eating well or not. I will say, and this should not come as a surprise to everyone, that once I started the UltraMetabolism plan, my symptoms somewhat subsided but definitely improved. A combination of the food choices and the portions (smaller and more frequently) I believe has led to controlling the GERD. I'm not saying it's gone forever because I do enjoy a few glasses of red wine per week and I frequently pay for it but, for the most part, I believe it is more controlled when adhering to Dr. Hyman's prescription of real, whole foods, lots of grains, fresh fruit and nuts. I live by this food now (as I am currently drinking my soy Very Berry Blast!). The lessons I've learned are this; GERD is not something I had no control over getting. I have it because of my eating habits. I can control it based on what I eat. And when I do get it, it can easily be traced to what I've eaten or drank. I will add that sometimes it's always present regardless of what I eat. So, I should take some of the recommendations outlined in Dr. Hyman's blog and see if my stomach and gut need some extra treatment to clear up this problem. I will be interested in reading the responses from long-term sufferers of GERD.

Two years ago I was diagnosed with Barrett's esaphogus and a hiatal hernia in addition to my existing GERD. I was told I had to be on Nexium for the rest of my life. I have cleaned up my diet and no longer smoke. I have to have an enoscopy every other year. With the Barrett's and hiatal hernia what are my chances of getting off of medication?

Whenever I hear about people who have acid reflux, it seems they are always trying to reduce stomach acid. When I underwent biofeedback testing (qxci), I found I didn't have enought acid. I use Nature's Sunshine PDA. It is hydrochloric acid and pepsin. It supplements the body's digestive secretion.
Works great for me.

I will not use products such as tagamet. As with most allopathic medicine, you are trading one problem for another.

I found this extremely interesting; you could have been writing about me 3 years ago! I could not sleep at night unless I had a large glass of ENO before bed, EVERY night. Also, I had an upper endoscopic examination for chronic stomach pain, and a few years earlier, I had been diagnosed with a stomach uler (which was resolved). The diagnosis after the endoscopic examination was simply that I had a "common inherited condition that caused my stomach to produce too much stomach acid" according to the doctor who performed the test. That doctor then prescribed medication to reduce the production of acid (very expensive medication I might add) that I was to take for six weeks, and thereafter as needed. I did not find that there was an appreciable difference except that my wallet was lighter! Not until I made very simple changes in my diet did this chronic problem improve and become permanently resolved. (I never did finish that prescription). I have been following a "natural eating" program that is very much like what you outline in your UltraMetabolism program. I avoid refined flour, refined sugar, avoid dairy products, processed food, etc. and our diet is composed of probably 85 to 90% organic foods when possible. Your program has allowed me to recognize where I needed to make improvements and "fine tune" my habits even better with regards to proper diet and supplements, etc. I am living proof that there is a distinct correlation between eating refined foods and the return of my stomach symptoms; (among others) especially if I eat something made with refined flour andor sugar, etc. When I finally stopped eating those kinds of things, recognizing how unhealthy our so-called "healthy" diet really was, my problem seemed to resolve almost overnight! The solution is so simple it never ceases to amaze me. It is easier to stick to a "whole-istic" program because I know how much worse I do feel if deviate too much and go back to eating unhealthy, processed and nutrient-poor foods. I am thankful to my family doctor who steered me further in the right direction and recommended that I read your book. As far as I am concerned, that is the best prescription for anybody who wants to feel better and get rid of acid reflux or indigestion, etc. I know that medications still have their place, but I know now from my own experience that they are given too freely to the unsuspecting and naiive, instead of looking at the underlying problems and addressing them at the source.

Dear Dr. Hyman, I have been using Prevacid since it came out. Before that I was on Tagement and Zantac. I tried for a few days without my Prevacid and by the third day, it was awful, the burning was terrible, I had to take Pepto-Bismal and sit up for hours. I would be willing to try again. Hopefully I can stop the Prevacid. Since I just turned 70, I do not need any broken hips or bones.
Thank You, Joan Falcone
P.S. I thought Prevacid was a miracle drug like Imitrex, I waited many years for help
with migraines and reflux.

Having been on Nexium for over 3 years now, I found your blog very interesting. The most frustrating thing for me was that I never needed it or had GURD until I had an Endoscopy and biopsy in my stomach which found H-pylori. The H-pylori was treated with antibiotics and Nexium was prescribed. It all started when I went to the doctor for my first colonoscopy and the doctor talked me into allowing him to put me out and do both and endoscopy and a colonscopy! I assmed that the Nexium was only temporary but unfortunately, ever since the Endoscopy, if I go more than 2 days without Nexium I end up with GERD so bad that I must sit up to sleep until I get Nexium back into my system. I avoid eating late in the day and I sleep on a "wedge" with my head elevated. I was NEVER bothered with this until I had the Endosopy and stomach biopsy! I have been back to talk with Gastroenterologist but he basically said I should expect to be on Nexium for the rest of my life or be at a high risk for esophageal cancer and only sleep while setting up. I am convinced that something went wrong in the procedure while I was under the anesthesia. I plan to take some of your suggestions and try to be less dependent on Nexium. Any ideas or thoughts about what my others steps should be are appreciated.

Hi - I've noticed that since I've been taking Prilosec, my fingernails have become very brittle and peel easily. Turns out that this is related to the fact that Prilosec blocks the absorption of dietary B vitamins. The solution, in addition to all the comments in your post, is to take supplemental B vitamins, since they are absorbed in the intestine and are not affected by stomach acids being blocked. Biotin in particular makes a big difference in terms of strengthening the nails.

Four years ago, I began suffering from serious acid reflux and heartburn. At the same time, I had a few heart arrythmia events, which led to me having a pacemaker installed. Every doctor I spoke to told me that there was no linkage between the acid reflux and the heart problems, even though both problems arose at about the same time. After the pacemaker was installed, I felt no better with my heart and still suffered with my acid reflux. I was prescribed a few different medicines- Nexium, Acifex, Prevacid, but none of them seemed to help. As a matter of fact, they seemed to make me feel worse. I then was put on Zantac's generic- Ranitidine, which helped. I have been on Ranitidine since then- for four years. I did not like being on this medicine, and was recently able to wean myself away from it by taking probiotics 3-4 times per day. I feel better than I have in four years. A significant by-product for me, a very physically fit 62 year old man, is that my sex drive has significantly improved since getting off Ranitidine.

I have a hiatial hernia as well as acid reflux and irritable bowel so i went to my doctor with the information from this sight and asked for the antibiotic as well as the antifungal. I explained my research and had the info written down in case they wanted to look for themselves. Their response to me was that they would not prescribe either medicine and that i needed to take the prilosec and claritin and within 2 weeks my symptoms should disappear. If they did not then at that point they would refer me to a gastrointestinal doctor for another scope. I left there knowing i was going to find another doctor but very discouraged that i couldn't get a simple prescription for an antibiotic. I have tried the acid reducers many times in the past and I do not feel well on them....but i have also tried probiotics, enzymes, minerals etc. with very little help either. This leads me to believe that there is a need for the treatment with antibiotics first but can't afford to see a natural dr. so what does one do in that case?

I started your diet and within a couple of weeks I no longer had any symptoms of GERD, even though I've been treated for GERD (I've been diagnosed with Barrett's esophagus) for many years with Prevacid. But, when I stopped using your diet, guess what came back after a couple of weeks. I had only lost 15 pounds total on your diet before stopping the diet because ....(can't think of any good reason, I justed stopped.) Your life style/diet works; I need to jump back on.

I have been taking Prevacid for the last 4 years up until about 2 weeks ago. After reading all the terrible things is can do to you, I decided to stop taking it. I have cut out caffiene, alcohol, and fried foods. If I am very careful about what I eat, I don't have many symptoms. I would like more feedback on what works reagarding juicing and natural remedies. Thanks. Nancy

I had GERD for years and it was always there, sometimes better, sometimes unbearable. It fluctated from stress, weight, types of foods, etc. but was always present. I could barely control it with large doses of zantac and couldn't take the proton pump inhibitors due to a drug allergy. One great side effect of radically changing my diet to eliminate allergens has been the virtual disappearance of the GERD symptoms. Now, not only don't I need to take the zantac, but I don't even need to take antacids. I had never really considered radical diet change because I had long ago elimanted what the doctors told me the usual culprits were: caffeine, chocolate, acidic foods like tomato, etc., to no effect. The main things I eliminated were all wheat, all grains with gluten, all cane sugar and high fructose corn syrup, all dairy and all "bad" fats.

I had frequent heartburn problems. I am currently taking Zantac 150 twice a day. If I take the medicine and exercise consistently, I do not have any problems. Missing the medicine or not exercising for a few days, will definiately bring it back. In my case, it certainly could be related to being overweight. Exercising 4-5 days a week definately helps.

I suffered from terrible GERD when I weighed 223 lbs at 5'4". I was put on acid blockers twice a day. Once I changed my diet and ate smaller meals, the severity was greatly reduced and I cut back the meds to once a day. I still react to raw garlic and lemon juice the most. I avoid citrus juice, but not the fruits. If I'm going to eat a tomato based dish, I may pop an extra pill.

I've lost 55 lbs and it really helps. Since starting Ultrametabilism in Nov., however, my GERD has gotten worse. I'm starting to think it's because I cut out the dairy, including my daily yogurt. Isn't it possible that losing those good bacteria has worsened the problem?

I really want to get off the medication. What you just said makes me want to do so even more. As of last week I started adding back dairy yogurt to see if it makes a difference. (soy yogurt is just revolting. I hope it does, because I don't want to go back to two pills a day.

I have had heart burn for several years. The problem usually was when I ate late or tomato-based foods such as pizza, tacos etc. I had my gallbladder removed in 1994. This helped considerably, but I still needed to be careful of the foods I ate. I always thought it was by the foods I ate and tried to be careful in that area. I found exercise was also helpful. But I found in the past two years that the heartburn comes on even early in the morning and sometimes at night extremely painful. It seemed that when I ate bread that I would get heartburn. Only if I ate protein that the problem was not as great. One thing I noticed that when we were in Romania for a whole year, the heartburn did not occur, and we ate fresh hot bread every day. Also in 1999, 2000 we were in Mozqmbique, Africa there was no problem. In 2005 we were in Malawi for six months and I daily walked about 2-3 miles and rarely had heartburn. But when we came home and was there about 6 months the heartburn returned. In 2006 we went back to Malawi and this time I had heartburn. When we came home in July 2006 the heartburn was daily. Finally, I began to take Prilosec and for the first time I have not had heartburn. Unless I ate movie popcorn (laced with butter?) It is recommended that I take prilosec only for 3 weeks(the package recommends) and then wait 4 months to take again. But as soon as I quit taking it the heartburn came back. So now I am taking it daily, but do worry based on your information. I drink about 3 cups of coffee in the morning and have English muffin and egg. But I am not exercising and for some unknown reason am unwilling to start, even though I have signed up at a fitness club, but have not gone. I have also gained weight since coming back from Africa. Usually I lose weight when in those other countries(my home is in the US)but usually gain weight when I return. Other than that problem, I consider myself to be healthy and pretty much not a stressful personality. Of course, being overweight is not healthy. I am 66 years old and have the typical aging body.

when i started taking osteoporosis medication the heartburn was terrible when combined with any and all vitamin supplements,grapefruit, V-8 juice, etc. i have tried all the oral stuff and so this weekend i will begin daily injections--forteo--still experimental--so lets hope it works

Your symptoms sound so similar to mine that I had to share this tip.
I have a moderate hiatal hernia and associated chest pain. I also can't find a food to associate it with but small meals do make a difference. Also, I find that chewing a piece of gum for about a half hour after a meal (usually just lunch and dinner) completely eliminates the problem. My mother suggested it because it works for my father, who also has a hiatal hernia. I don't know the science behind it, but I feel so much better. It's like a miracle! Good Luck!