Do not take Nexium:

• If you are allergic to esomeprazole or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6).
• If you are allergic to other proton pump inhibitor medicines (e.g. pantoprazole, lansoprazole, rabeprazole, omeprazole).
• If you are taking a medicine containing nelfinavir (used to treat HIV infection).

Do not take Nexium if any of the above apply to you. If you are not sure, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Nexium.

Warnings and precautions

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Nexium:

• If you have severe liver problems.
• If you have severe kidney problems.
• If you have ever had a skin reaction after treatment with a medicine similar to Nexium that reduces stomach acid.
• If you are due to have a specific blood test (Chromogranin A).

Nexium may hide the symptoms of other diseases. Therefore, if any of the following happen to you before you start taking Nexium or while you are taking it, talk to your doctor straight away:

• You lose a lot of weight for no reason and have problems swallowing.
• You get stomach pain or indigestion.
• You begin to vomit food or blood.
• You pass black stools (blood-stained faeces).

If you have been prescribed Nexium “on demand” you should contact your doctor if your symptoms continue or change in character.

Taking a proton pump inhibitor like Nexium, especially over a period of more than one year, may slightly increase your risk of fracture in the hip, wrist or spine. Tell your doctor if you have osteoporosis or if you are taking corticosteroids (which can increase the risk of osteoporosis).

Rash and skin symptoms

If you get a rash on your skin, especially in areas exposed to the sun tell your doctor as soon as you can, as you may need to stop your treatment with Nexium. Remember to also mention any other ill-effects like pain in your joints.

Serious skin rashes have occurred in patients taking esomeprazole (see also section 4). The rash can involve ulcers of the mouth, throat, nose, genitals and conjunctivitis (red and swollen eyes). These serious skin rashes often come after flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache, body ache. The rash may cover large parts of the body with blistering and peeling of the skin.

If at any time during the treatment (even after several weeks) you develop a rash or any of these skin symptoms, stop taking this medicine and contact your doctor immediately.

Children under the age of 12 years

Information on dosing for children aged 1 to 11 years is provided in Nexium sachet product information (ask your doctor or pharmacist if you require further information).

Other medicines and Nexium

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines. This includes medicines that you buy without a prescription. This is because Nexium can affect the way some medicines work and some medicines can have an effect on Nexium.

Do not take Nexium Tablets if you are taking a medicine containing nelfinavir (used to treat HIV infection).

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any of the following medicines:

• Atazanavir (used to treat HIV infection).
• Clopidogrel (used to prevent blood clots).
• Ketoconazole, itraconazole or voriconazole (used to treat infections caused by a fungus).
• Erlotinib (used to treat cancer).
• Citalopram, imipramine or clomipramine (used to treat depression).
• Diazepam (used to treat anxiety, relax muscles or in epilepsy).
• Phenytoin (used in epilepsy). If you are taking phenytoin, your doctor will need to monitor you when you start or stop taking Nexium.
• Medicines that are used to thin your blood, such as warfarin. Your doctor may need to monitor you when you start or stop taking Nexium.
• Cilostazol (used to treat intermittent claudication – a pain in your legs when you walk which is caused by an insufficient blood supply).
• Cisapride (used for indigestion and heartburn).
• Digoxin (used for heart problems).
• Methotrexate (a chemotherapy medicine used in high doses to treat cancer) – if you are taking a high dose of methotrexate, your doctor may temporarily stop your Nexium treatment.
• Tacrolimus (organ transplantation).
• Rifampicin (used for treatment of tuberculosis).
• St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) (used to treat depression).

If your doctor has prescribed the antibiotics amoxicillin and clarithromycin as well as Nexium to treat ulcers caused by Helicobacter pylori infection, it is very important that you tell your doctor about any other medicines you are taking.

Nexium with food and drink

You can take your tablets with food or on an empty stomach.

Pregnancy, breast-feeding and fertility

If you are pregnant, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking this medicine. Your doctor will decide whether you can take Nexium during this time. It is not known if Nexium passes into breast milk. Therefore, you should not take Nexium if you are breastfeeding.

Driving and using machines

Nexium is not likely to affect you being able to drive or use any tools or machines. However, side effects such as dizziness and blurred vision may uncommonly or rarely occur (see section 4). If affected, you should not drive or use machines.

Nexium contains sucrose

Nexium contains sugar spheres which contain sucrose, a type of sugar. If you have been told by your doctor that you have an intolerance to some sugars, talk to your doctor before taking this medicine.

Sodium content

Nexium contains less than 1 mmol sodium (23 mg) per tablet, that is to say essentially ‘sodium-free’.