Esomeprazole Dosing: An Introduction
The dose of
esomeprazole (marketed under the brand name
Nexium®) prescribed by your healthcare provider will vary depending on a number of factors, such as:
- The medical condition you are being treated for
- Other medical conditions you may have
- Other medications you may be currently taking.
As is always the case, do not adjust your dose unless specifically instructed by your healthcare provider to do so.
Recommended Dose of Esomeprazole for Stomach Ulcer Prevention
The recommended starting dose of esomeprazole to reduce the risk of a stomach ulcer (gastric ulcer) associated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (
NSAIDs) is 20 mg or 40 mg once a day for up to six months.
Esomeprazole Dosing to Treat Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) and Erosive Esophagitis
For people with
gastroesophageal reflux disease (
GERD) symptoms, the recommended esomeprazole dosage is esomeprazole 20 mg once a day for four to eight 8 weeks. If your GERD is severe enough to cause esophageal erosions (known as erosive esophagitis), the recommended dose is esomeprazole 20 to 40 mg once daily for four to eight weeks, followed by 20 mg once daily (to prevent the return of erosive esophagitis after healing has occurred)
For GERD in children ages 12 to 17, the recommended esomeprazole dose is 20 mg to 40 mg once a day for up to eight weeks.
For GERD in children age 1 to 11 years old, the recommended esomeprazole dose is 10 mg once daily for up to eight weeks. For erosive esophagitis in children of this age, the dose is the same (10 mg once daily), unless the child weighs 44 pounds or more, in which case the dose is 20 mg daily.
