What Is Nexium Medication?

Nexium is a brand name for the prescription medication esomeprazole. Doctors typically prescribe Nexium to treat medical conditions caused by excessive amounts of acid in your stomach.

Function

• Nexium functions by affecting the cells that line your stomach, which are responsible for producing the acid used to digest your food. Nexiums's actions disrupt the final stage of acid production, resulting in decreased acid being present in your stomach.

Types of Uses

• Doctors prescribe Nexium for the treatment of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), inflammation of your esophagus, gastric and duodenal ulcers and Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome, a disease that causes excessive stomach acid production.

Time Frame

• To reduce symptoms of an acid-related condition, doctors usually prescribe Nexium for four to eight weeks, while the drug may be used for up to six months to help treat irritation once initial symptoms have stopped, reports RxList. Patients with Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome often take Nexium for years.

Risks

• Common side effects of Nexium include sour stomach, belching, heartburn, indigestion and stomach aches. When combined with antibiotic medications, Nexium has the potential to cause severe allergic reactions and also increases your risk of developing pseudomembranous colitis, a life-threatening inflammation of your colon.

Considerations

• Because Nexium is known to cause toxic effects upon fetal development in laboratory animals, doctors restrict use of the drug in pregnant women to instances when there is no safe alternative to treatment. If you have a history of liver disease, it may not be safe for you to take Nexium.