Nexium ( esomeprazole ) benefit by Ray Sahelian, M.D. Nexium side effects

Nexium is in a class of drugs called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) which block the production of acid by the stomach. Other drugs in the same class include omeprazole (Prilosec), lansoprazole (Prevacid), rabeprazole (Aciphex) and pantoprazole (Protonix). Chemically, Nexium is very similar to omeprazole. Proton pump inhibitors are used for the treatment of conditions such as stomach and duodenal ulcers, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and the Zollinger-Ellison syndrome which all are caused by stomach acid. Nexium, like other proton-pump inhibitors, blocks the enzyme in the wall of the stomach that produces acid. By blocking the enzyme, the production of acid is decreased, and this allows the stomach and esophagus to heal. Nexium was approved by the FDA in 2001.
   Recently research had determined that long term use of Nexium and other PPIs increases the risk for diarrhea and osteoporosis.

 

What conditions is Nexium helpful for?
Nexium is used to treat ulcers, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD or heartburn), erosive esophagitis, and other conditions involving excessive stomach acid production.

Who should not take Nexium?
Before taking Nexium, tell your doctor if you have ever had any type of liver disease. You may not be able to take Nexium, or you may require a dosage adjustment or special monitoring.

 

Nexium, Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
Nexium is in the FDA pregnancy category B. This means that it is unlikely to harm an unborn baby, however sometimes information comes our years later that a particular drug is more harmful than initially thought.  Doctors are not sure whether Nexium passes into breast milk. Do not take Nexium without first talking to your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

How to take Nexium
It is recommended to take each Nexium dosage with a full glass of water. Nexium should be taken at least one hour before a meal. Do not break or chew the Nexium capsules since they are formulated to release slowly in the body. There are no restrictions on food, beverages, or activities while taking Nexium.
     Recommended adult Nexium dosage for treatment of esophagitis is Nexium 20 mg or Nexium 40 mg one capsule daily 4 to 8 weeks (unless otherwise directed by your doctor).

What happens if a person misses a Nexium dosage?
This is not a crucial problem, just skip the missed Nexium dosage and take only your next regularly scheduled Nexium dosage. Do not take a double Nexium dosage.

What are the symptoms of Nexium overdose?
Symptoms of an Nexium overdose include drowsiness, shortness of breath, tremor and loss of coordination.

Side effects of Nexium
Nexium began to be used in 2001. It takes many years to find out the full range of side effects of Nexium or other drugs. Serious Nexium side effects could be an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closing of your throat; swelling of your lips, tongue, or face; or hives). Other Nexium side effects reported include headache, diarrhea, nausea, flatulence, abdominal pain, or constipation; or dry mouth. Some studies indicate a common Nexium side effect is headache. The most common Nexium side effects appear to be gastrointestinal. An additional Nexium side effect is that it can interfere with the absorption of certain drugs. By preventing high acidity in the stomach, it is theoretically possible that chronic use of this drug may lead to the Nexium side effect of a higher rate of gastrointestinal infections since not enough acid is available to kill germs in the stomach.

 

Nexium medication not safe -- more side effects of Nexium - diarrhea and bone fracture
 Nexium use may increase the risk of diarrhea. Taking a heartburn medication such as AstraZeneca's Nexium increases the risk of diarrhea blamed on the Clostridium difficile bacteria. Nexium reduces gastric acid, allowing for bacteria to multiply in the digestive system. Clostridium is the third-most common type of infectious diarrhea in patients aged 75 and older. Exposure to Clostridium difficile bacteria, which causes infection and inflammation of the intestine, previously occurred mostly during hospital stays, but cases have increasingly been contracted in community settings. While antibiotics formerly blamed for outbreaks of the illness have declined in use, the acid-blocking drugs have become steadily more popular to treat ulcers and conditions such as gastric reflux disease.
   Nexium and other PPIs may now also be associated with bone fracture. Prolonged use of proton pump inhibitors such as Nexium, particulary at high doses, is linked to increased risk of hip fracture in the elderly.

Nexium and drug interactions
It is possible that Nexium may interfere with digoxin (Lanoxin, Lanoxicaps); itraconazole (Sporanox) or ketoconazole (Nizoral); or iron (Feosol, Mol-Iron, Fergon, Femiron, others).

 

Can I stop using Nexium if I feel better?
Since most drugs have side effects in the long run, if your symptoms were not serious and you feel better, it may be a good idea to stop the Nexium if your doctor thinks your condition is fully treated. Sometimes doctors put patients on medicines and do not reevaluate often enough whether the patient still needs the medicines.

 

How is Nexium available?
 Nexium is available is 20 mg and Nexium 40 mg dosage, delayed release. Nexium (esomeprazole magnesium, AstraZeneca) delayed-release capsules were approved in 2006 for use in children ages 12 to 17 for the short-term treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

 

Nexium for children
In Feb 2008,  Nexium drug was approved by the FDA for treating excess stomach acid in children aged 1 to 11 years.
The FDA approved Nexium, Astra's top seller and the world's second-biggest prescription medicine, in two forms -- a delayed response capsule and a liquid. Nexium was approved in a dose of 10 milligrams, or 20 milligrams daily, for children aged between 1 and 11 -- half the dosage for patients aged 12 to 17.
   Comments: Long term safety of Nexium in children is not clearly understood.

 

Nexium Advertising

Nexium ads on TV claim that Nexium relieves heartburn and esophagitis. The ads mention that headache, diarrhea, and abdominal pain are Nexium side effects. The phone number is listed as 800-purplepill. The website is purple pill dot com.

 

Nexium Emails
Q. Are there natural alternatives to Nexium?
   A. I am not aware of a natural source of a proton pump inhibitor, but there are some supplements used for ulcer that are worth a try.

Q. My fiance was diagnosed with Barretts Esophagus in June 2006. Since then his specialist has prescribed him with 80mg of Nexium a day. Recently my fiance has been feeling very ill with Nexium side effects. Major headaches, diarrhea, nausea, dizziness and tightness in his throat, making it difficult to swallow. Then we went to visit the specialist last week for an Upper GI to see what the problem was. Thankfully his Barretts is gone, but the doctor said to keep taking the same dosage of Nexium. My fiance still could not function normally, so he on his own stopped taking the Nexium and started to eat foods with low levels of acid and started to feel much better. His father died of cancer in the esophagus.

   A. Thanks for sharing this Nexium side effect experience with us. We are surprised about Barrett's esophagus syndrome being gone, we wonder if the initial diagnosis was correct.

Q. What was it you said about the unwanted side effects of Nexium? That it take years to know what all of these side effects will be? Well, now were paying the bill for that asinine method of determining the safety of a drug. I'm referring to the article in The New York Times, December 27, 2006 "Study Finds a Link Between Some Heartburn Drugs and Hip Injuries in People Over 50". You Medicos should know that about the human system. You can't take from one part of the human system without paying back to another. Were you getting paid from Astra Zenica pharma that makes Nexium for touting the benefits of Nexium?
   A. Many times in my life I have made a quick judgment about someone without first understanding them in a fuller way. You may wish to spend more time on my website reading a number of different pages and you will realize your last statement in your email was quite off the mark.

 

Q. I believe I suffered an overdose of Nexium medication. I have been diagnosed with oscillopsia, ataxia, severe difficulty swallowing, I have a swollen membrane in the inner ear, frequent headaches and my blood platelet count is now 88. My doctor has said this was all caused by a virus of unknown origin, yet, when my blood was tested, I showed no signs of a virus or a bacterial infection. He then diagnosed opsoclonus myoclonus ataxia, had me COMPLETELY tested for that, and according to the tests, I'm fine. I have no brain issues (CT scan and MRI), I have no genetic disorders, no cancers, I am a perfectly healthy 44 year old woman other than the obvious issues. Is there any type of test or testing that would prove Nexium is what has caused this? If so, do you know if there is any way to fix me?
   A. Sorry, this is outside of my range of knowledge.

 

Q. I read your page regarding Nexium usage, but something I haven't been able to find information on is long term Nexium use. I've been taking Nexium everyday for the past 3 years, since I was diagnosed with a hiatal hernia. If I go off it for a week, my stomach hurts, I have diarrhea, and can eat hardly anything, but I am afraid to keep taking the drug indefinitely. My father died of stomach and esophageal cancer, so the whole issue scares me. Do you have any information regarding my concern about long term safety or side effects of Nexium medication use?
   A. Not enough long term human research with Nexium is available to know the full extent of Nexium side effects. Until we learn more, the best option is to take occasional breaks as tolerated and to use the lowest dosage that works. Taking occasional breaks may reduce potential long term Nexium side effects.