Nexium Side Effects

Medical conditions like GERD, peptic ulcers, H. pylori, etc. have a class of medicines known as proton pump inhibitors in their treatment regimen. These are drugs which work to reduce the amount of uric acid produced in the stomach. Nexium is a kind of proton pump inhibitor. Apart from the above mentioned diseases, the drug is also prescribed for the healing of erosive esophagitis. It is common for most types of medications to have one side effect or the other from their use. And it is not different with Nexium either.

Side Effects of Long and Short Term Use of Nexium

One of the classic side effects of Nexium which a majority of people taking this drug experience is headache. But it must not be forgotten that headache may be caused by other multitude of reasons, but when it occurs after taking the medication, then one must consider taking the issue to a doctor. Also, people who are on Nexium come up with constant complaints against diarrhea. Most of the time, the diarrhea is a severe one, as it is accompanied by inflammation of the intestines. Abdominal pain and stomachache may accompany. Other than these, there are some other side effects which are although rare but may turn out to be severe. They include dry mouth, nausea, insomnia, fever, chills, sleepiness, muscle and joint pain and swelling of legs, mouth, lips, face or tongue.

The patient may also experience symptoms of allergic reactions characterized by skin rash, hives, itching, tightness in the chest, breathing difficulty and unusual hoarseness of the voice. Dizziness, hair loss, blurred vision, depression and confusion may appear as the long term side effects. Some people come up with chest pain, rapid heartbeat, sore throat, bleeding and fatigue. The skin may become red, swollen or blistered or it may even start peeling off. Risk of bone fracture in the hip, wrist or spine has been reported to be a long term side effect of this drug. This has occurred to patients who are age 50 and older. Patients who have a tendency to suffer from allergic reactions by the use of medications such as esomeprazole or to any other benzimidazole medication, must not use of this proton-pump inhibitor we are discussing. This is due to the risk of drug interaction.

In order reduce the risk of all such side effects of Nexium, there are a few simple precautions which can be followed. Before administering the drug, one must inform his health care provider if he/she has any liver disease or case of liver failure, if she is expecting a child or breastfeeding or if he/she is suffering from any kind of allergies. It is also important to inform about any kinds of medications the person is already on. These might include OTC medications, prescription medicines, vitamins and herbal supplements. As mentioned, expecting mothers must be extra careful about using this drug. Its use and its effects have not been studied on pregnant mothers. But it was studied on animals and it resulted in negative effects on unborn babies. And for nursing mothers, if they have to take these drugs, it is recommended for them to stop breastfeeding their infants.