Hello, alisonvfaulkner, I am glad that your gallbladder problem is behind you. Your symtoms do suggest that you have GERD. Significant number of patients with gallbladder problem also have hiatus hernia . In your case it is possible that this may be true. Although presence of hiatus hernia is not a requisite for GERD. If the sphincter muscle at the junction of the esphagus and stomach is week , this makes the acid from the stomach to back up into the esophagus giving chest pain, heartburn etc. If the reflux goes on untreated for a number of months , you could develop ulcers (Erosions) in the esophagus and complications from that including bleeding, scarring and blockage and after several years evn cancer (Barrett s esophagus). It is very important to find out how bad the damage from the acid is. I suggest , first you get an upper GI x-ray series and if it shows problems, you need endoscopy to look in and perhaps biopsy if needed. Avoid aspirin, other NSAIDs such as Ibuprofen, Naproxen etc. Avoid alcohol, excess caffeine, fatty foods and limit dairy products. Omeprazole is a good drug. There are others also. You need to take it about an hour to hour and a half before meals in the morning and night to be effective. I wish you the very best.