snowy

Second this question.

To add something to it: keep a food journal for a couple of weeks. It may help you notice patterns in your diet, and help you realize which foods cause this problem and which ones don't, because it sounds like a heartburn/acid reflux issue to me. Trigger foods for heartburn/acid reflux can vary; for example, carbonated drinks don't bother my GERD, but for a friend of mine who also has GERD, they're a major trigger. However, there are some GERD triggers that seem to be universal, like deep-fried foods.

Here are some links regarding acid reflux and diet that I have found helpful:

Safe foods: Acid Reflux Diet - Safe Foods for Heartburn Sufferers - Safe Foods for the Acid Reflux Diet
Foods to be consumed with discretion: Acid Reflux Diet - Foods Heartburn Sufferers Should Consume with Discretion - Acid Reflux Diet
Foods to be avoided: Acid Reflux Diet - Foods Heartburn Sufferers Should Avoid - Acid Reflux Diet

Also, how much do you weigh? Being overweight/obese is associated with GERD. I know that when I lost weight, my GERD became much more easily managed than it was prior to that.

Further, does this happen when you smoke? I know you've mentioned that you like to smoke a pipe. Smoking can exacerbate acid reflux.

So, after you've addressed the diet questions--and diet is honestly the easiest long-term fix for this problem based on my experience--there are OTC medications meant to help with heartburn and acid reflux. These drugs are split into four categories:

--antacids (Tums, Maalox)
--alginic acid (Gaviscon)
--H2 receptor antagonists (ranitidine[Zantac], cimetidine[Tagamet], famotidine [Pepcid])
--Proton pump inhibitors (omeprazole[Prilosec], lansoprazole[Prevacid])

If you are considering a course of proton pump inhibitors and have not ever used them before, I would urge you to see a doctor before doing so for a definitive diagnosis of GERD.

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