How Long Does Nexium 24HR Stay in Your System?

Taking Nexium 24HR and How Long a Dose Lasts

The active ingredient in Nexium 24HR is esomeprazole. As a PPI, it works by decreasing the amount of acid that the stomach produces, targeting cells that pump digestive acids.² To treat frequent heartburn, one dose of Nexium 24HR should be taken once daily, or every 24 hours, for 14 days¹ and may take one to four days to be fully effective.

What does “delayed release” mean?

Nexium 24HR medication is delayed release, which means, once you ingest a dose, it’s designed to release medication in a controlled manner at a specific rate.⁷ Delayed release drugs discharge their medication in your intestines to prevent stomach acid from breaking them down prematurely.² When you swallow a dose of Nexium 24HR on an empty stomach, the medication reaches peak concentrations in your body within 1.5 to 2.3 hours.⁵

What is a half-life for medication?

The amount of time it takes a medicine to disperse half of its starting dose within the body is called its half-life.⁶ Nexium 24HR has a half-life of 1.2 to 1.5 hours.⁵. And because Nexium 24HR is delayed release, the rate of the release of medication continues to be measured by half-life. That is, the initial release disperses 50% of the medicine in 1.5 hours, and 50% of the medicine that remains is released in the next hour. 50% of the medicine that then still remains is released in the next hour.  And so on.

Every subsequent hour releases half the remaining medicine until the dose is entirely delivered. So that initial release from a Nexium 24HR dose would have less than 10% of its dosage remaining after six hours.

Why Should You Only Take One Nexium 24HR Dose per Day?

Because the drug has a delayed release, concentration of the drug rises slowly from the time of ingestion. The concentration levels follow a broad curve over time, rather than a sharp peak and a quick drop off.⁷ This allows the user to only need a single dose in a day.

When you take Nexium 24HR as directed at the same time every day for a 14-day period, the rate of drug absorption should equal the rate of drug elimination.⁷ Simply put: by the time that a full dose of the medicine has worn off and is out of your system, you should be ready for another dose.

An individual should not take more than one dose of Nexium 24HR in a 24-hour period and should take that day’s dose with a glass of water before eating in the morning.¹

Are There Any Esomeprazole Side Effects?

We’ll say that again: It’s important to follow the directions and only take one dose of Nexium 24HR in a 24-hour period.

Esomeprazole, which is also available at higher dose by prescription and under a doctor’s care, is an effective medication when used correctly, but some people have reported side effects such as²:

• Nausea
• Drowsiness
• Headache
• Hives
• Lightheadedness
• Diarrhea
• Swelling of the face, hands and feet

Talk to your healthcare provider if you experience side effects while taking Nexium 24HR.

Should You Take Antacids?

Nexium 24HR provides effective relief for frequent heartburn but shouldn’t be used to treat heartburn that occurs infrequently.

If you experience heartburn less than two days per week, consider heartburn medications that provide immediate relief, such as antacids, like TUMS.

Antacids work differently than PPIs and they’re recommended for occasional heartburn rather than frequent heartburn.⁴ TUMS has the active ingredient calcium carbonate to relieve heartburn, acid indigestion, sour stomach, and an upset stomach associated with these symptoms.

It’s recommended to take an antacid like TUMS as symptoms occur, which can often be after eating.^3,4 TUMS goes to work in seconds to provide fast relief by neutralizing the stomach acid that causes heartburn.

You should not take TUMS and Nexium 24HR at the same time.

Treating Heartburn Symptoms

If you suffer from heartburn, you know how important it is to manage the symptoms so that they don’t interfere with your day. Consider how heartburn affects you so that you can choose the right medication to alleviate that burning sensation.

If you experience frequent heartburn and want to find relief, Nexium 24HR products can help. Find out more about frequent heartburn causes and heartburn at night and learn how you can relieve frequent heartburn.