I preface all this by saying that I am not a GI doctor, nor a stomach surgeon.

You have sort of answered your own question. You have a hiatal hernia, which means that stomach contents, acidic or not, can come up out of the stomach and burn your esophagus. The reason to NOT ignore this is that it can be a precursor to eso****eal cancer. The stomach has a protective mechanism to tolerate extremely low pHs, while the esophagus (and tissues higher up) do not.

Dexilant only decreases the acidity of your stomach contents, it does nothing to change whether or not you reflux. I would try alkaline water and adherence to the Mediterranean diet as well as you can. Additionally, you might be served well by trying alginate therapy - taking Gaviscon Advance (ordered overseas) after every meal and at bedtime. It forms a "seal" or a physical barrier to keep stomach contents down. Also, let gravity be your friend as much as you can, even though it's possible to reflux upright as well. Make your last meal, especially, as early, light, nonfatty, nnonspicy, and easily digestible as you can. If you need to, sleep on a wedge or whatever you need to do to keep your head higher than your stomach. You obviously have come to discover the effects alcohol has on your stomach. If your hiatal hernia is severe and you are uncontrolled otherwise, there are surgical options for taking care of that.

Earlier this year, I underwent a colonoscopy and an endoscopy and was diagnosed with Barretts esophagus (BE). I suffered from GERD for many years which resulted in the BE and know what causes the big flareups in GERD. Sweets, caffeine, alcohol, fried foods, and spicy foods are the main culprits! Being overweight is one of the biggest contributors to GERD but I'm on a diet and exercise schedule to drop a bunch of lbs this Summer and the rest of the year.

I lost my oldest brother to eso****eal cancer last year and he previously had all of the GERD symptoms that I have. It was an eye opener for me which prompted me to schedule the endoscopy. I'll be 61 years old this year and started making a lot of life altering habit changes to live a longer, productive, and happier life.

Jeremiah Johnson, I know you're a big hunter, as am I, and if you want to continue chasing critters the rest of your life, start making adjustments to your lifestyle now. Your welcome at my campfire anytime, Pilgrim!