Nexium

Generic Name: Esomeprazole
Brand Names: Nexium

What is Nexium?

Nexium (esomeprazole) belongs to a group of drugs called proton pump inhibitors. Nexium decreases the amount of acid produced in the stomach.

Nexium is used to treat symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and other conditions involving excessive stomach acid such as Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. Nexium is also used to promote healing of erosive esophagitis (damage to your esophagus caused by stomach acid).

Nexium may also be given to prevent gastric ulcer caused by infection with helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), or by the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

Nexium is not for immediate relief of heartburn symptoms.

Nexium may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Important information about Nexium

You should not take Nexium if you are allergic to esomeprazole or to any other benzimidazole medication such as albendazole (Albenza), or mebendazole (Vermox).

Before you take Nexium tell your doctor if you have severe liver disease or low levels of magnesium in your blood.

Nexium is not for immediate relief of heartburn symptoms.

Some conditions are treated with a combination of Nexium and antibiotics. Use all medications as directed by your doctor. Read the medication guide or patient instructions provided with each medication. Do not change your doses or medication schedule without your doctor's advice.

Take Nexium for the full prescribed length of time. Your symptoms may improve before the condition is fully treated.

Heartburn is often confused with the first symptoms of a heart attack. Seek emergency medical attention if you have chest pain or heavy feeling, pain spreading to the arm or shoulder, nausea, sweating, and a general ill feeling.

What should I discuss with my health care provider before taking Nexium?

You should not take Nexium if you are allergic to esomeprazole or to any other benzimidazole medication such as albendazole (Albenza), or mebendazole (Vermox).

To make sure you can safely take Nexium, tell your doctor if you have any of these other conditions:

severe liver disease; or
low levels of magnesium in your blood.

Taking a proton pump inhibitor such as Nexium may increase your risk of bone fracture in the hip, wrist, or spine. This effect has occurred mostly in people who have taken the medication long term or at high doses, and in those who are age 50 and older. It is not clear whether Nexium is the actual cause of an increased risk of fracture. Before you take this medication, tell your doctor if you have osteoporosis or osteopenia (low bone mineral density).

FDA pregnancy category B. Nexium is not expected to harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment with Nexium. It is not known whether esomeprazole passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not use Nexium without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

How should I take Nexium?

Take Nexium exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Do not take in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended. Follow the directions on your prescription label.

Nexium is usually given for 4 to 8 weeks only. Your doctor may recommend a second course of treatment if you need additional healing time.

Take each dose with a full glass (8 ounces) of water. Nexium should be taken at least one hour before a meal.

You may open the delayed-release capsule and sprinkle the medicine into a spoonful of pudding or applesauce to make swallowing easier. Swallow this mixture right away without chewing. Do not save the mixture for later use. Discard the empty capsule.

Nexium can be given through a nasogastric (NG) feeding tube. Open the capsule and sprinkle the medicine into a 60-milliliter syringe. Mix in 50 milliliters of water. Place the plunger into the syringe and shake the mixture well. Make sure there are no medicine granules stuck in the tip of the syringe. Attach the syringe to the NG tube and push the plunger down to empty the syringe into the tube. Then flush the tube with more water to wash the contents down.

Take Nexium for the full prescribed length of time. Your symptoms may improve before the condition is fully treated. Call your doctor if your symptoms do not improve or if they get worse while you are taking this medicine.

Nexium can cause unusual results with certain medical tests. Tell any doctor who treats you that you are using Nexium.

Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. Skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next scheduled dose. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.

Overdose symptoms may include confusion, headache, drowsiness, blurred vision, fast heartbeat, nausea, dry mouth, sweating, flushing, shortness of breath, tremor, loss of coordination, or seizure (convulsions).

What should I avoid while taking Nexium?

This medication can cause diarrhea, which may be a sign of a new infection. If you have diarrhea that is watery or bloody, stop taking Nexium and call your doctor. Do not use anti-diarrhea medicine unless your doctor tells you to.

Follow your doctor's instructions about any restrictions on food, beverages, or activity.

Nexium side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction to Nexium: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Stop using Nexium and call your doctor at once if you have any of these symptoms of low magnesium such as:

dizziness, confusion;
fast or uneven heart rate;
jerking muscle movements;
feeling jittery;
diarrhea that is watery or bloody;
muscle cramps, muscle weakness or limp feeling;
cough or choking feeling; or
seizure (convulsions).

Less serious Nexium side effects may include:

headache, drowsiness;
mild diarrhea;
nausea, stomach pain, gas, constipation; or
dry mouth.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

See also: Nexium side effects (in more detail)

What other drugs will affect Nexium?

Nexium should not be taken together with atazanavir (Reyataz) or nelfinavir (Viracept). Tell your doctor if you are taking either of these medications to treat HIV or AIDS.

Tell your doctor about all other medicines you use, especially:

cilostazol (Pletal);
citalopram (Celexa);
clopidogrel (Plavix);
dexamethasone (Cortastat, Dexasone, Solurex, DexPak);
diazepam (Valium);
digoxin (Lanoxin, Lanoxicaps);
methotrexate (Rheumatrex, Trexall);
rifampin (Rifadin, Rifater, Rifamate);
St. John's wort;
tacrolimus (Prograf);
voriconazole (Vfend); or
HIV/AIDS medication such as etravirine (Intelence), rilpivirine (Complera, Edurant), or saquinavir (Invirase).

This list is not complete and other drugs may interact with Nexium. Tell your doctor about all medications you use. This includes prescription, over-the-counter, vitamin, and herbal products. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor.