Lack of stomach acid is one of many causes

Lack of stomach acid is one of many possible causes.

Yes, many sources say taking antacids is a bad idea. Even a relatively mainstream famous pharmacist, Suzy Cohen, who has a book and syndicated newspaper articles in mainstream newspapers, says antacids are a bad idea. She said (and I agree with this):

There is a valve above the stomach that is sensitive to acid, when the stomach has enough acid in it for the amount of food present, the valve will stay closed (other than when swallowing), therefore will prevent acid from causing reflux. When there is NOT ENOUGH acid in the stomach, the valve stays open and the person gets reflux. Taking Tums and other antacids reduces the acid to almost zero, so no reflux but also very poor digestion. The answer instead is to actually take some acid, in the form of vinegar, or as HCL capsules available from health food stores, to add a little more acid when eating, thus keeping the valve closed. Tweet