How and when to take esomeprazole

If you or your child have been prescribed esomeprazole, follow your doctor's instructions about how and when to take it.

If you bought esomeprazole from a pharmacy or supermarket, follow the instructions that come with the packet.

Dosage and strength

Each tablet or capsule contains 20mg or 40mg of esomeprazole. Each sachet contains 10mg.

The usual dose to treat:

• heartburn and acid reflux is 20mg a day
• gastro-oesophageal reflux disease is 20mg to 40mg a day
• stomach ulcers is 20mg a day
• Zollinger-Ellison syndrome is 80mg a day – this can increase to 160mg a day depending on how well it works for you

Doses are usually lower for children and people with liver problems.

How to take it

You'll usually take esomeprazole once a day, first thing in the morning. You can take it with or without food.

If you take esomeprazole twice a day, take 1 dose in the morning and 1 dose in the evening.

Swallow tablets and capsules whole with a drink of water (non-fizzy). Do not use any other liquids.

If you have problems swallowing capsules, you can open up esomeprazole capsules and empty the contents into a glass. Mix with some water and drink it straight away.

If you have problems swallowing tablets, you can add them to a glass of water, wait for them to dissolve and then drink it straight away.

After, add more water to your glass and drink that as well to make sure there's no medicine left at the bottom of the glass.

How to take esomeprazole granules

If your child is under 12, their doctor may prescribe esomeprazole granules which come in sachets. Empty the granules into a glass and mix with some water, leave for a few minutes until the liquid has thickened, then encourage them to drink it straight away.

Changes to your dose

Sometimes your doctor will increase your dose if it is not working well enough.

Depending on the reason you're taking esomeprazole, you may take a higher dose to begin with, usually for a month or 2. After this, your doctor may recommend that you take a lower dose.

How long to take it for

If you bought the medicine yourself from a pharmacy or supermarket, tell your doctor if you feel no better after taking esomeprazole for 2 weeks. They may want to do tests to find out what's causing your symptoms or change you to a different medicine.

If it has been prescribed for you, you may only take it for a few weeks or months, depending on your condition. Sometimes your doctor may advise you to take it for longer, even many years.

Your doctor may suggest taking esomeprazole only when you have symptoms. This means you will not have to take it every day. Once you feel better, you can stop taking it, often after a few days or weeks. Taking esomeprazole for a short time to treat symptoms is not suitable for everyone. Speak to your doctor about what's best for you.

If you forget to take it

If you usually take it:

• once a day – take the missed dose as soon as you remember, unless it's less than 12 hours until your next dose. If that happens, skip the missed dose and take the next one at the usual time
• twice a day – take the missed dose as soon as you remember, unless it's less than 4 hours until your next dose. If that happens, skip the missed dose and take the next one at the usual time

Do not take 2 doses to make up for a forgotten dose.

If you often forget doses, it may help to set an alarm to remind you. You could also ask your pharmacist for advice on other ways to remember to take your medicine.

If you take too much

It's very unlikely that taking 1 or 2 extra doses will cause any problems. But check with a doctor if you're worried.

Stopping taking esomeprazole

If you've taken esomeprazole for a long time, speak to your doctor before you stop taking it. Stopping suddenly could make your stomach produce a lot more acid, and make your symptoms come back.