Of course you're worried. That's miserable. Are you standing or sitting upright? And has your doctor told you milk is beneficial? Because mine said it's not at all helpful. You could try some chewable Maalox or something calcium-carbonate-like to help absorb some of the acid till your Zantac kicks in.

When I was younger and had terrible GERD, one of the things that helped before the proton pump inhibitor medicine kicked in, besides sitting upright or standing, was to suck on pieces of ice. Also, I trust you're taking your Protonix daily as a preventative and not just when the symptoms have already begun. And are you watching what you eat (meats, fried foods, greasy stuff, late-at-night eating)? And did you know smoking--yes, cannabis, too--can be an esophageal irritant?

Hope you feel better soon, babe. I know that's agonizing.