sanchopanza: Your doctor is correct; you need to see a GI doctor, a gastroenterologist. It sounds like you may need an upper endoscopy to sort this out. I put it off for a long time and finally did it -- very easy procedure but do make sure to be totally 'out' for it, i.e., general anesthesia. It's an out-patient deal, painless, and only takes a few minutes. You will need a ride home, however, because they don't want liability of someone driving right after anesthesia.

I had been taking Tums myself for years on occasion but within past year it was nightly. There are so many symptoms associated with indigestion and sometimes people have 'silent' GERD as well so they don't really know anything is wrong.

I am over 65 as well and life catches up with us. My GI doc wanted endoscopy plus abdominal CT scan. The scan was fine except it found several small kidney stones in one kidney. Totally surprised by that and have to deal with it now, too.

The endoscopy was not expected to show much but doc found Barrett's Esophagus tissue in lower portion (you may need to research that); a growing problem around the world and can in some cases turn to adenocarcinoma of esophagus . Chances of having this happen are small but it's good to get the upper endoscopy to check, especially after age 50. These days, though, this problem is being found in people in their twenties and thirties, too.

I would go see a GI doc and get the endoscopy if it is recommended. My best to you.