Hi there, I understand your problem, and it seems that the next step might be to perform further investigations to find out why the heartburn is coming back. The fact that the Tums and Prilosec both take the symptoms away confirm that it is related to acidity of some kind. Things that we need to look for are like hiatal hernias, which can make acid reflux worse, or if your symptoms are more at the stomach area, gastric ulcers or H.pylori infection will make your symptoms come back again and again. You would probably need to see a gastroenterologist so that you could have an upper endoscopy done, which would have a look around your oesophagus and stomach. This would be useful to see if there are any ulcers or hiatal hernias. They could also test for H.pylori infection at the same time, which can be easily treated with antibiotics once confirmed. In the meantime, I agree that lifestyle is important when it comes to treating heartburn and acidity. Try to aim for meals that are at about the same time each day. This allows the body to get used to the timing and secrete acid only when it is needed. Smaller, more frequent meals also help, because this means less volume and pressure in the stomach to push back up the oesophagus. Aim for dinner to be at least 4 hours before bedtime so that the stomach has time to empty before you lie down, because gravity will make it more likely for stomach contents to flow upwards. Another option is to raise the head of the bed or prop yourself up with pillows, if it bothers you at night. Things to avoid are smoking, alcohol, caffeine, carbonated drinks, sour and spicy food - these are triggers that are common to most people with acidity and heartburn. Remember that stress and illness can also be a trigger, if you are experiencing any. Hope this helps you, please let me know if you have further questions. Regards, Dr. Teh