Esomeprazole is a medicine that reduces the amount of acid your stomach makes.
It's used to:
- treat indigestion, heartburn and acid reflux, and gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) – a condition which means you keep getting acid reflux
- prevent and treat stomach ulcers
Sometimes, esomeprazole is given to treat Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. This is a rare condition caused by a tumour in the pancreas or gut.
Esomeprazole comes as capsules, tablets, and granules to make a liquid that you swallow.
Esomeprazole is available on prescription, or you can buy the lowest-strength tablets and capsules from pharmacies or shops.
Key facts
- Esomeprazole starts working within 2 to 3 days, but may take up to 4 weeks to work fully
- Common side effects include headache, diarrhoea and stomach pain.
- Esomeprazole can sometimes make you feel dizzy, sleepy, or cause blurred vision. Do not drive, cycle or use machinery or tools until you feel better if this happens.
- If you buy esomeprazole without a prescription and your symptoms do not improve after 2 weeks, see a doctor before taking any more.
- You can drink while taking esomeprazole but alcohol can make your stomach produce more acid than normal. This can irritate your stomach lining and make your symptoms worse.
- If you're due to have an endoscopy soon, tell your doctor before you start taking esomeprazole. This is because esomeprazole can hide some of the problems shown by an endoscopy, and affect your results.