Esomeprazole

Esomeprazole, sold under the brand names Nexium among others, is a medication which reduces stomach acid. It is used to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease, peptic ulcer disease, and Zollinger–Ellison syndrome. Effectiveness is similar to other proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). It is taken by mouth or injection into a vein. Common side effects include headache, constipation, dry mouth, and abdominal pain. Serious side effects may include angioedema, Clostridium difficile infection, and pneumonia. Use in pregnancy appear to be safe while safety during breastfeeding is unclear. Esomeprazole is the (S)-(−)-isomer of omeprazole. It works by blocking H+/K+-ATPase in the parietal cells of the stomach. It was patented in 1993 and approved for medical use in 2000. It is available as a generic medication and sold over the counter in a number of countries. A month supply in the United Kingdom costs the NHS about £3 per month as of 2019. In the United States the wholesale cost of this amount is about 10 USD. In 2016 it was the 69th most prescribed medication in the United States with more than 11 million prescriptions. The primary uses of esomeprazole are gastroesophageal reflux disease, treatment and maintenance of erosive esophagitis, treatment of duodenal ulcers caused by H. pylori, prevention of gastric ulcers in those on chronic NSAID therapy, and treatment of gastrointestinal ulcers associated with Crohn's disease. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a condition in which the digestive acid in the stomach comes in contact with the esophagus. The irritation caused by this disorder is known as heartburn. Long-term contact between gastric acids and the esophagus can cause permanent damage to the esophagus. Esomeprazole reduces the production of digestive acids, thus minimizing their effect on the esophagus. Esomeprazole is combined with the antibiotics clarithromycin and amoxicillin (or metronidazole instead of amoxicillin in penicillin-hypersensitive patients) in a 10-day eradication triple therapy for Helicobacter pylori. Infection by H. pylori is a causative factor in the majority of peptic and duodenal ulcers. A 2006 meta analysis concluded that compared to other proton pump inhibitors, esomeprazole confers a modest overall benefit in esophageal healing and symptom relief. When broken down by disease severity, the benefit of esomeprazole relative to other proton pump inhibitors was negligible in people with mild disease (number needed to treat 50), but appeared more in those with severe disease (number needed to treat 8). A second meta analysis also found increases in erosive esophageal healing (>95% healing rate) when compared to standardized doses in broadly selected patient populations. A 2017 study found esomeprazole to be among a number of effective doses of PPIs. Common side effects include headache, diarrhea, nausea, flatulence, decreased appetite, constipation, dry mouth, and abdominal pain. More severe side effects are severe allergic reactions, chest pain, dark urine, fast heartbeat, fever, paresthesia, persistent sore throat, severe stomach pain, unusual bruising or bleeding, unusual tiredness, and yellowing of the eyes or skin.