GERD management?

LO is 5 weeks now, has been spitting up since birth every single feed non stop. Yes yes I know it’s all normal and it’ll go away. But I can tell when he is in pain, he isn’t much of a crier (God bless) but when he is in pain he gets red and angry looking and scrunches up and whimpers in pain from gas. That has reduced since I cut out dairy.

However the spit up is non stop, at night he will often wake up in a pool of his spit up. Again, not much of a crier so I will wake up hearing his gurgling sounds and congested nose and him moving around trying to get comfortable and that is when I will seat him up. I try to use a bulb syringe but nothing comes out, he just sounds very raspy and congested. It makes me feel HORRIBLE for him. He doesn’t get good sleep because of it.

I’ve been combo feeding with breastmilk and peptacid formula as I also suspect a cow milk intolerance but not sure. The consistency of the spit up is always thin, white and watery? I’m wondering if anyone tried to thicken their feeds? We have an appt with the gastro tomorrow and have heard Pepcid is usually the goto for prescribing anything for GERD. Wanted to know people’s experience or if there’s anything else you would recommend? Honestly any advice at all 😭