Nexium 20mg/40mg

To Treat GERD

The recommended dose is one Nexium 40 mg gastro-resistant tablet once a day for 4 weeks for adults.

To treat and prevent ulcers:

• Nexium 20 mg gastro-resistant tablet twice a day for one week for adults.
• If you forget to take a dose you should take it as soon as you remember it. However, you should skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next dose.
• Do not take two doses at the same time to make up for a forgotten dose. If you do take more nexium than prescribed, you should tell your doctor or pharmacist immediately.
• The tablets can be taken with food or on an empty stomach.

You should stop taking nexium and contact a doctor immediately if you notice any of the following serious side effects:

• Wheezing suddenly
• Swollen lips, tongue and throat or body
• Rash, fainting or difficulties in swallowing (severe allergic reaction)
• Reddening of the skin with blisters or peeling
• Severe blisters and bleeding in the lips, eyes, mouth, nose and genitals. Could be a sign of ‘Stevens-Johns syndrome’ or ‘toxic epidermal necrolysis’.
• Yellow skin, dark urine and tiredness can be symptoms of liver problems.

Common Side Effects (can affect up to 1 in 10 people):

• Headache
• Diarrhoea
• Stomach pain
• Constipation
• Wind
• Nausea or vomiting
• Benign polyps in the stomach

Uncommon Side Effects (can affect up to 1 in 100 people):

• Feet and ankle swelling
• Disturbed sleep
• Feeling dizzy
• Tingling such as “pins and needles”
• Feeling tired and sleepy
• Vertigo
• Dry mouth
• Changes in liver blood test results
• Skin rash, hives and itchy skin
• Fracture of the hip, wrist or spine (if nexium is used in high doses and over long duration)

In very rare cases nexium can affect the white blood cells leading to immune deficiency. You should see your GP urgently if you have an infection with symptoms such as:

• Fever with a severely reduced general condition
• Fever with symptoms of a local infection such as pain in the neck, throat or mouth or difficulties in urinating

This is so that a lack of white blood cells (agranulocytosis) can be ruled out by a blood test.

If you’re planning on taking nexium and any of the following apply to you, speak to your doctor before taking this medicine:

• You have severe liver or kidney problems
• You’ve had a skin reaction after treatment with a medicine like nexium that reduces stomach acid
• You’re due to have a specific blood test (Chromogranin A)

Important: Nexium may hide the symptoms of other diseases. Talk to your doctor straight away if any of the following happen to you before you start taking nexium or while you are taking it:

• Weight loss for no reason and struggle to swallow
• Stomach pain or indigestion
• Vomiting food or blood
• Pass black poo

Your risk of fracture in the hip, wrist or spine can increase when taking a proton pump inhibitor, especially over one year. You must tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have osteoporosis or if you are taking corticosteroids.

You may need to stop your treatment if you get a rash on your skin, especially in areas exposed to the sun.

What Not to Take with Nexium

Nexium can affect the way some medicines work, and some medication can influence how nexium works.

You must not take nexium if you are taking medicine to treat HIV infection containing Nelfinavir.

You should talk to your doctor if you are taking any other medicines, including those bought over the counter before taking nexium. This includes:

• Atazanavir – treats HIV infection
• Clopidogrel – prevents blood clots
• Ketoconazole, itraconazole or voriconazole – treats infections caused by a fungus
• Erlotinib – treats cancer
• Citalopram, imipramine or clomipramine – treats depression
• Diazepam – treats anxiety, relaxes muscles or epilepsy
• Phenytoin – used in epilepsy
• Blood thinning medicines, such as warfarin
• Cilostazol – treats intermittent claudication caused by an insufficient blood supply
• Cisapride – treats indigestion and heartburn
• Digoxin – treats heart problems
• Methotrexate – chemotherapy medicine
• Tacrolimus – used for organ transplantation
• Rifampicin – treatment of tuberculosis
• St. John’s wort – used to treat depression

It’s important to tell your doctor about any other medicines you may be taking if you have been prescribed the antibiotics amoxicillin and clarithromycin as well as nexium to treat ulcers caused by Helicobacter pylori infection.

Can you take nexium while pregnant?

There is no evidence that taking nexium will reduce fertility, but information about its use during pregnancy is limited, so it is advised that people who are pregnant or planning to get pregnant should not use this medicine. You should speak to your GP who can advise on the best alternative treatment options for you.

You should not take nexium if you are breastfeeding because it is not known whether nexium passes into breast milk.

• https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/esomeprazole/
• https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/heartburn-and-acid-reflux/