I had heartburn to the point I burned my esophagus... Swallowed charcoal and had X-rays and all that because I couldn't eat for a few days from the pain that came with swallowing (no homo).
I had sublingual Prevacid that worked wonders. Took this for about two years...
That was when I was over-drinking, over-eating, over-indulging as a early 20-something.
Only thing that permanently ended my acid reflux was changing my diet, exercising, drinking a ton of water, and not eating fast food before bed. Also, I had an addiction to Texas Pete... That wasn't any help at all.
I think heavy consumption of water is key, and staying away from acidic foods and beverages, especially before resting or laying down, helps a whole lot.