I found I had acid reflux after my father went through a bad health issue and a lot of stress at work. I never had a cough but knew I had digestion issues for years. Doctor said to take generic Pepcid (famotidine) and it works reasonably well. Plus tums. Mine I can feel when it's causing problems because there is some discomfort in my upper GI tract. I do drink, but mostly beer. Your list of foods that set it off is the same for me, and really heavy spicy greasy food like pepperoni pizza, so I avoid those mostly and opt for lower fat and lower acid foods. Mine gets bad in the middle of the night when I lay down. My wife says I snore when it's happening and I sweat. It's a never ending battle that comes and goes. Some times for months I won't even know it and be fine. I know it's due to stress. I am a reasonably thin person for my age with slightly evavated blood pressure. But I do get a fair amount of exercise. I do think it's due to genetics because my mother and grandmother both had the same issues...