Things like Tums and other antacids actually make the problem worse in the long run. Your body wants acid in the stomach and will keep producing it until a certain level is reached. Using antacids a lot will raise the level at which your body feels comfortable and stops producing stomach acid. So you end up having a whole lot of extra stomach acid that you don't need and that makes the occurrences of heart burn increase.

Try a glass of milk or yogurt. There are other foods that can help naturally.

Elise, I would strongly recommend you try something different. Please don't just take my word for it either. I would encourage you and anyone else who uses antacids regularly to do a little research. You'll find that there are much worse things that can happen.