How Does It Work?
Nexium belongs to a class of drugs called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). It decreases the amount of acid in your stomach by blocking the acid production sites.
As with any medicine, side effects are associated with Nexium. However, not everyone who takes the medication will experience side effects. If side effects do occur, in most cases, they are minor, meaning they either require no treatment or are easily treated by a healthcare provider.
Common side effects include but are not limited to:
Headache (see Nexium Headaches)
Diarrhea
Nausea
Flatulence
Abdominal (stomach) pain
Constipation
Dry mouth
Emerging evidence indicates that PPI therapy, particularly with long-term and/or high-dose administration, is associated with several potential adverse effects, including enteric infections (eg, Clostridium difficile), community-acquired pneumonia, and hip fracture, all of which have received much attention recently. We review the current data on these and other potential consequences of PPI therapy. More judicious use of PPIs (eg, administering them in no more than the minimum effective dose to older adult patients) may help to further limit the impact of some of these possible adverse effects.
I have been taking nexium for the past few months due to gerd. I also wonder how it works.