For the past month and a half I've been experiencing an unusual feeling in my abdomen, I'm guessing the upper portion of my stomach. At first, I was feeling a lot of pressure just under my ribcage, just constant pressure. This pressure was worse when I sat upright; standing or laying down seemed to relieve the pressure a little bit. I was also waking up with a hoarseness in my throat, and often felt the need to cough (like an itching deep in my trachea). Went to the doctor (physician's assistant is who saw me) and was prescribed nexium to try for 3 months. I had 2 weeks of samples and then a prescription, so I'm about 6 weeks in with nexium on board. The hoarseness is mostly gone, I don't feel like I have to cough anymore. But the past week or so, the pressure is back. Just sitting under the ribs in the center of the abdominal area. So my question is--is this an ulcer? I stopped all nsaids late September. Is it a hiatial hernia? I'm not supposed to go back to the doctor for another month or so but don't know if I can wait that long. Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.