Esoméprazole pour réduire l'acidité de l'estomac

About esomeprazole

Acid is produced naturally in your stomach to help you digest food and to kill germs (bacteria). This acid is irritant so your body produces a natural mucous barrier which protects the lining of your stomach. In people who take painkillers called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), this barrier can break down, allowing the acid to damage the stomach, causing inflammation, ulcers and other conditions. Other people can have a problem with the muscular band at the top of the stomach that keeps the stomach tightly closed. This may allow the acid to escape and irritate the oesophagus, causing heartburn. This is often referred to as 'acid reflux'.

Proton pump inhibitors such as esomeprazole stop cells in the lining of the stomach from producing too much acid. This helps to prevent ulcers from forming, or assists the healing process where damage has already occurred. By decreasing the amount of acid, they can also help to reduce the symptoms of acid reflux disease, such as heartburn.

Esomeprazole is available on prescription and can be bought from pharmacies and other retail outlets for the relief of reflux symptoms.

Esomeprazole is also used as one part of a treatment to get rid of Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium found in the stomach, which can cause ulcers.

Before taking esomeprazole

Some medicines are not suitable for people with certain conditions, and sometimes a medicine may only be used if extra care is taken. For these reasons, before you start taking esomeprazole it is important that your doctor or pharmacist knows:

• Si vous êtes enceinte, si vous essayez d'avoir un enfant ou si vous allaitez.

• Si vous avez des problèmes de fonctionnement du foie ou des reins.

• If you have any of the following symptoms: difficulty swallowing, loss of blood, weight loss, or if you are being sick (vomiting).

• Si vous avez déjà eu une réaction allergique à un médicament.

• Si vous prenez d'autres médicaments. Cela inclut tous les médicaments que vous prenez et qui sont disponibles sans ordonnance, ainsi que les médicaments à base de plantes et les médicaments complémentaires.

How to take esomeprazole

• Before you start this treatment, read the manufacturer's printed information leaflet from inside the pack. It will give you more information about esomeprazole and will provide you with a full list of the side-effects which you may experience from taking it.

• Take esomeprazole exactly as your doctor tells you to. There are different strengths of tablets and capsules available so your doctor will tell you which is right for you. It is common to take just one dose a day, although if you are taking it for either Helicobacter pylori eradication or for Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, you will be asked to take two doses a day. Your doctor will tell you which dose is right for you and the directions will also be on the label of the pack to remind you.

• It is important that you don't chew esomeprazole before you swallow. The tablets, capsules and granules (in the sachets) are all manufactured with a special coating which must not be crushed. If you have difficulties swallowing, you can stir the tablets into a glass of water to make swallowing easier. The capsules likewise can be opened up and the contents mixed into water to make swallowing easier. If you make up your doses in this way, make sure that you drink the mixture within 30 minutes of making it. If you have been given sachets, pour the contents of each sachet into 15 ml of water. Stir the liquid and then leave it to thicken for a minute or so before stirring it again. Then swallow the liquid, rinse out the glass with a little more water, and then swallow this water too.

• You can take esomeprazole before or after food.

• Si vous oubliez de prendre une dose à l'heure habituelle, vous pouvez la prendre lorsque vous vous en rendez compte (sauf s'il est presque temps de prendre la dose suivante, auquel cas ne prenez pas la dose oubliée). Ne prenez pas deux doses en même temps pour compenser une dose oubliée.

Tirer le meilleur parti de votre traitement

• Try to keep your regular appointments with your doctor. This is so your progress can be checked. If you are taking esomeprazole on a long-term basis your doctor will want to review your treatment at least once a year to make sure it is still right for you.

• Certains aliments peuvent aggraver vos symptômes. Les aliments et les boissons qui ont été suspectés de le faire comprennent la menthe poivrée, les tomates, le chocolat, les aliments épicés, les boissons chaudes, le café et les boissons alcoolisées. Si un aliment semble aggraver vos symptômes, essayez de l'éviter pendant un certain temps pour voir si vos symptômes s'améliorent. Essayez également d'éviter les repas trop copieux, car ils peuvent également aggraver vos symptômes.

• Si vous êtes en surpoids, vous exercez une pression supplémentaire sur votre estomac et vous favorisez les symptômes du reflux acide. Perdre du poids et adopter un régime alimentaire sain et équilibré peut vous aider.

• Le tabagisme augmente la quantité d'acide produite par l'estomac et peut aggraver vos symptômes. Si vous êtes fumeur, demandez à votre médecin ou à votre pharmacien comment arrêter de fumer.

• Recent studies suggest that there may be a slight increase in the risk of bone fractures when proton pump inhibitors like esomeprazole are taken for longer than a year. If this affects you, your doctor will check that you are taking enough vitamin D and calcium to reduce this risk.

• Si vous achetez des médicaments en vente libre, vérifiez toujours auprès d'un pharmacien qu'ils peuvent être pris en même temps que vos autres médicaments.

Can esomeprazole cause problems?

Along with their useful effects, most medicines can cause unwanted side-effects although not everyone experiences them. The table below contains some of the most common ones associated with esomeprazole. You will find a full list in the manufacturer's information leaflet supplied with your medicine. The unwanted effects often improve as your body adjusts to the new medicine, but speak with your doctor or pharmacist if any of the following continue or become troublesome.

Important: long-term use of esomeprazole (for at least three months) may lead to low levels of magnesium in your blood. Initial signs this might be happening include feeling tired, dizzy or confused and an irregular heartbeat (palpitations). Let your doctor know if you think this applies to you

Si vous ressentez d'autres symptômes qui pourraient être dus au médicament, demandez conseil à votre médecin ou à votre pharmacien.

How to store esomeprazole

• Conservez tous les médicaments hors de la portée et de la vue des enfants.

• Conserver dans un endroit frais et sec, à l'abri de la chaleur et de la lumière directes.
  

Informations importantes sur tous les médicaments