Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor or pharmacist has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.
If you are taking this medicine for a long time, your doctor will want to monitor you (particularly if you are taking it for more than a year).
If your doctor has told you to take this medicine as and when you need it, tell your doctor if your symptoms change.
How much to take
Your doctor will tell you how many tablets to take and how long to take them for. This will depend on your condition, how old you are and how well your liver works.
The recommended doses are given below.
Use in adults aged 18 and above
To treat heartburn caused by gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD):
If your doctor has found that your food pipe (gullet) has been slightly damaged, the recommended dose is one Nexium 40 mg gastro-resistant tablet once a day for 4 weeks. Your doctor may tell you to take the same dose for a further 4 weeks if your gullet has not yet healed.
The recommended dose once the gullet has healed is one Nexium 20 mg gastro-resistant tablet once a day
If your gullet has not been damaged, the recommended dose is one Nexium 20 mg gastro-resistant tablet each day. Once the condition has been controlled, your doctor may tell you to take your medicine as and when you need it, up to a maximum of one Nexium 20 mg gastro-resistant tablet each day.
If you have severe liver problems, your doctor may give you a lower dose.
To treat ulcers caused by Helicobacter pylori infection and to stop them coming back:
The recommended dose is one Nexium 20 mg gastro-resistant tablet twice a day for one week.
Your doctor will also tell you to take antibiotics for example amoxicillin and clarithromycin.
To treat stomach ulcers caused by NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs):
The recommended dose is one Nexium 20 mg gastro-resistant tablet once a day for 4 to 8 weeks.
To prevent stomach ulcers if you are taking NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs):
The recommended dose is one Nexium 20 mg gastro-resistant tablet once a day.
To treat too much acid in the stomach caused by a growth in the pancreas (Zollinger-Ellison syndrome):
The recommended dose is Nexium 40 mg twice a day.
Your doctor will adjust the dose depending on your needs and will also decide how long you need to take the medicine for. The maximum dose is 80 mg twice a day.
Prolonged treatment after prevention of rebleeding of ulcers with intravenous Nexium:
The recommended dose is one Nexium 40 mg tablet once a day for 4 weeks.
Use in adolescents aged 12 or above
To treat heartburn caused by gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD):
If your doctor has found that your food pipe (gullet) has been slightly damaged, the recommended dose is one Nexium 40 mg gastro-resistant tablet once a day for 4 weeks. Your doctor may tell you to take the same dose for a further 4 weeks if your gullet has not yet healed.
The recommended dose once the gullet has healed is one Nexium 20 mg gastro-resistant tablet once a day.
If your gullet has not been damaged, the recommended dose is one Nexium 20 mg gastro-resistant tablet each day.
If you have severe liver problems, your doctor may give you a lower dose.
To treat ulcers caused by Helicobacter pylori infection and to stop them coming back:
The recommended dose is one Nexium 20 mg gastro-resistant tablet twice a day for one week.
Your doctor will also tell you to take antibiotics for example amoxicillin and clarithromycin.
Taking this medicine
You can take your tablets at any time of the day.
You can take your tablets with food or on an empty stomach.
Swallow your tablets whole with a drink of water. Do not chew or crush the tablets. This is because the tablets contain coated pellets which stop the medicine from being broken down by the acid in your stomach. It is important not to damage the pellets.
What to do if you have trouble swallowing the tablets
If you have trouble swallowing the tablets:
Put them into a glass of still (non-fizzy) water. Do not use any other liquids.
Stir until the tablets break up (the mixture will not be clear). Then drink the mixture straight away or within 30 minutes. Always stir the mixture just before drinking it.
To make sure that you have drunk all of the medicine, rinse the glass very well with half a glass of water and drink it. The solid pieces contain the medicine - do not chew or crush them.
If you cannot swallow at all, the tablet can be mixed with some water and put into a syringe. It can then be given to you through a tube directly into your stomach (‘gastric tube’).