Esomeprazole and Headaches: What Users Say

• HWa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 2, 2021

Nexium (esomeprazole) for GERD "Thank you, thank you!! I thought I was going crazy!!!!! Massive anxiety attacks, high blood pressure, heart palpitations, massive headaches, worst cramps ever... so many ED visits, so many doctors' visits, ultrasounds, stress tests! My doctors thought I was a hypochondriac, that I was faking it... they put me on so many prescriptions! So I decided to go off all my medications. I have felt the best for the last few weeks until yesterday when I got heartburn, so I took my Nexium tablet... within 30-40 mins I was laying in bed so bloody sick! Blood pressure was up, headaches kicked back in, massive fatigue. So I googled and found this review pages! I have now chucked out my tablets and I'll find something else to stop the heartburn! Thank you, thank you!!"

• Hor...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 16, 2021

Nexium (esomeprazole) for GERD "I have been taking this medication for the past 4 months, 20 mg but recently up to 40 mg. I wanted to stop taking it a while ago as I felt it wasn’t working, but the specialist insists on taking it. Since taking 40 mg, I have felt so nauseous, have headaches, and feel so dizzy. Since reading these reviews, I have only just put 2 and 2 together. This drug is the cause of all the weird symptoms I’ve been experiencing for the past few months. I’ve had multiple doctor visits due to having bad palpitations, chest tightness, and breathlessness very regularly for the past few months. Had heart ultrasound and multiple ECGs, doctors have said my heart is fine and it’s my anxiety, yet it has nothing to do with my anxiety. This is the best I have ever felt mentally. These symptoms just hit me randomly. Before this drug, I didn’t feel like this. It’s truly scary thinking about all the symptoms these drugs cause and doctors insist it’s fine. I’m going to stop taking this ASAP. NEVER AGAIN!"

• Gri...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 15, 2018

Nexium (esomeprazole) for GERD "I took Nexium for 14 days for GERD problems...first week noticed a difference in my GERD symptoms. The only side effect in my first week with Nexium was diarrhea. In the second week, my side effects got bad...every day headache day and night, feeling tired all day, muscle pain in my back, my shoulders, my neck, and my cheekbones, trouble falling asleep at night...hope all these bad side effects go away soon."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 6, 2012

Nexium (esomeprazole) for GERD "Little to no heartburn after taking Nexium for 3 days now, but high blood pressure, tingly cramps in my stomach that bring me to the verge of throwing up, light headache, difficulty sleeping, throat's constrictive. Not sure if I can keep taking Nexium."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 23, 2015

Nexium (esomeprazole) for GERD "Although it seems to work for my mother, for me, I had weird symptoms. I was only on the generic brand for 5 days before I had to stop taking the pills. I did not notice any difference in my actual reflux, but apparently, it heals your esophagus and reduces the amount of acid. My symptoms included: complete exhaustion even though I was getting the same amount of sleep and doing the same things during the day as before, I constantly had a dull ache in my stomach, I had a muscle spasm in my left arm for 2 days straight, constipation, feeling sick and completely unmotivated to do anything, I lost my appetite and hardly ate at all, I was easily hurting myself from barely moving (mostly in my back), extremely weak, headache, and swollen lips."

• Pin...
• September 13, 2019

Nexium (esomeprazole) for GERD "In 2014, I was diagnosed with H. Pylori, which was eradicated successfully. In 2019, diagnosed with chronic gastritis, I was prescribed Nexium 40 mg for the first month and 20 mg for five months. It worked so well that I started eating things I was not able to eat before. I was so happy until I developed side effects that I never thought were from Nexium. They were stomach ache, diarrhea, constant nausea feeling, pain in my back and between shoulder blades, headache that would come on from little sound, like someone coughing, and extreme fatigue. When my periods started, I had nightmare cramping, I was vomiting, runny tummy all day, and excruciating pain. I couldn't sit, lie down, or walk. I was literally rolling on the floor with pain, and I never suffered from period pains before. I decided to go off it. I am on my first day. The stomach pain and the shoulder pain subsided, the fatigue almost completely gone. I had little diarrhea and tummy ache. I am hoping all this will be gone and will go back to normal. PPIs are a bittersweet pill."

• Che...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 21, 2016

Nexium (esomeprazole) for GERD "I took Nexium for all of three days. In that time, I found it to be extremely effective in managing my reflux/stomach symptoms. However, within a day, I noticed severe anxiety surfacing. I take Aropax (paroxetine) for depression, and this is not on the list of medications that are counterindicative. I do note that being magnesium deficient is, but my doctor would not care enough to know that I have always had this deficiency. I do not normally suffer from headaches but began to have gentle pains in my head, getting worse over time. The head pain and anxiety lasted as long as the effect on my stomach, which was a number of days after I stopped taking the medication."

• Anonymous
• June 18, 2009

Nexium (esomeprazole) for GERD "Nexium seemed to be the answer for the first 3 years, but lately it has fallen short, and all the pain has returned with vengeance. There always were the side effects of headaches, gas, and elevated blood pressure."

• Nik...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 3, 2022

For Gastritis/Duodenitis "I have an anxiety disorder and was prescribed this a few days ago for acid reflux. I feel like my anxiety has gone through the roof, I feel terrible, and I'm wondering if it is this drug now that I read all of your comments! I will stop it immediately. I have a fast heartbeat, shaking, and my hands are hot, and a headache. :("

• Anonymous
• May 29, 2008

Nexium (esomeprazole) for GERD "I have very severe acid reflux with esophageal ulcers. I have tried tons of other medications, and this is the only one that has given me relief without needing to supplement with antacids! I do experience headaches as a side effect, but they are mild and worth the relief."

• Anonymous
• November 9, 2020

For GERD "I was prescribed esomeprazole for acid reflux. I've taken 1, and my stomach feels as if it's being pulled out. Burning and aching all night. Headache and just feeling really rough. Worst drug I've ever taken. Will never take it again, I'd sooner have reflux than the pain and discomfort of that drug."

• Gin...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 28, 2021

Nexium (esomeprazole) for GERD "That Nexium needs to be off the shelf. That Nexium 40 mg. I took it for four days and it gave terrible headaches and my body feels sick. I will never take another PPI again. I started it four days ago today. Who made that awful drug?"

• Kir...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 11, 2020

For GERD "I started taking this drug for what I think is GERD, as I could not get a doctor's appointment to get my prescription for omeprazole. After 3 days, I decided never again would I take the drug. Terrible constipation, stomach pain, chest pain, headaches, and feeling tired all the time. Morale of the story, wait to get an appointment..."

• Bea...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 16, 2021

Nexium (esomeprazole) for Helicobacter Pylori Infection "I hadn't realized that Nexium caused terrible headaches until I did a bit of research. The headaches started when I was being treated for HP and also on the days I took Nexium for stomach acid. The deal breaker was having to spend an entire day in bed (and a day off work) with such a painful headache I couldn't function. No over-the-counter pain relief helped with the pain, just sleeping it off. I threw it in the bin and let my GP know how I reacted!"

• nev...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 13, 2021

Nexium (esomeprazole) for GERD "I have been on Nexium for years. Have tried to get off it with no success. Last spring, summer 2020, symptoms warranted a complete workup - lab, CT, upper endo - increased my Nexium to 80 mg a day. I started (in hindsight) getting almost daily headaches, more depressed and irritable, then out of control anger. I thought I was going crazy. I stopped Nexium 3 days ago. No more headaches, feel great, no irritability. I am now on 40 mg 2x a day. This is a horrible drug. Stay away at all costs. Plus, very expensive - interestingly, 3x as much with insurance, so I bought OTC. I think there needs to be a class action suit against this drug - it is addictive and changes your body's ability to deal with reflux (proven in studies of people without GERD)."

• Roo...
• March 30, 2021

Nexium (esomeprazole) for GERD "Doctor told me to take Nexium for heartburn. Within a day, made me feel bloated, headache, tired, stomach cramps, serious constipation for 3 weeks, and low mood. I took this for 3 weeks on and off. Had no idea it was Nexium that was making me feel awful, thought it was my body, which made me worry a lot. It worked well for heartburn, but the side effects were awful. Would never take it again."

• Sic...
• January 6, 2021

Nexium (esomeprazole) for GERD "I'm 60 years old, 8 stone, and really careful what I eat, but for weeks on end, I'll get GERD. It takes its toll and gets me down. I've tried lots of meds, including nearly all the PPIs available. They all have side effects for me, but Nexium was clearly the worst. It's a drug that actually worked well, cured the GERD, but I've given up with it as I get headaches, dry mouth, tinnitus, twice as bad as normal, and a fatigue like I have flu. The best of the worst for me is Rabeprazole. It's a debilitating illness that, when you're doing nothing to aggravate it, flares up. I'd have an operation if there was one available, but the doctors never give this as an option, just keep prescribing these strange drugs that make you feel dreadful."

• Cau...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 1, 2022

Nexium (esomeprazole) for GERD "Was given Nexium 40 mg for GERD. First week was great. Felt relief after 3 days. Second week it stopped working as well and nasty side effects. The worst being anxiety (crying all day), painful muscle cramps, and it made my chronic pain (fibromyalgia) worse! But also insomnia, stomach pain, headaches, trembling, watery diarrhea, nausea, insomnia, weakness, and fatigue. I'm asking the doctor tomorrow for something else. Never taking this again."

• Bec...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 20, 2019

For GERD "I thought Nexium was my cure-all. So, to treat ulcers, my doctor moved me to a prescription strength. One week after taking it, I had severe abdominal pains, back and neck pain, headache, tender scalp, and painful feet. Not to mention muscle spasms throughout my body. I just had my blood work done, and after this reaction, we did the blood work again. My C-reactive protein was 31 (always under 1). Yikes! I described the pain in my stomach as a pain jumping from organ to organ, like being kicked and stepped on, and every now and then stabbed with a jolt of voltage. It scared the hell out of me. Even if you don't have a reaction, I wouldn't stay on this long."

• Jam...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 16, 2021

For GERD "I have had a hiatus hernia for many years, but it hasn't caused that many problems until about two years ago. The doc prescribed me everything under the sun, including Omi, Panto, Lanso, and Esomeprazole. By far, the worst of these was Esomeprazole, I experienced all of the bad stuff that people have given reviews about. I stopped taking Esom for a while, but the heartburn kept coming back, so I went back on it yesterday. Big mistake! After two hours, I had delusions, lower right side back pain, bloating, shakes, headache, chest pain, diarrhea, dizziness, I felt like a heart attack was going to happen (anxiety). Believe me when I say this medicine is an absolute nightmare! It may be alright for a few people to cure their acid reflux, but you get a whole new set of problems with it, which is far worse. A lot of people are on this for more than 14 days via docs' prescriptions, that's like a death sentence! It is still being sold as a wonder drug online and in chemists and supermarkets as well! Steer clear!"

• Dud...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 29, 2021

Nexium (esomeprazole) for GERD "I’m from England. I thought I was losing my mind, but I have had health issues with this acid reflux, belching all the time, so I tried all these medications. I started to get upset all the time, have bad nervousness. My stomach has issues, sleeping issues, bad shakes, headaches. I tried to talk to someone, and all they do is look at you like you’re losing your mind. Then, on top of that, I had unexplained seizures. The last time I had one was two years ago, and I was better. I thought great, I can go for my car license back, but I started to have issues again with belching. I was then given Nexium, I was on it for a day, then back to two seizures, then a rash on the side of my face, then I passed out at work. They did my blood pressure, and that was so high that I thought I was going to have a heart attack, so they kept me in over Christmas. I knew I was not losing my mind. People, be careful."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 9, 2024

Nexium (esomeprazole) for Erosive Esophagitis "I was vomiting blood and pieces of my esophagus. Eight days in the hospital. Am taking Nexium. Massive headaches. Exhausted and bland diet. Will take for eight weeks, then stop. I drink tons of water. No alcohol or spicy food. I could sleep all day! Can’t wait to stop medium!"

• Bur...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 13, 2014

Nexium (esomeprazole) for GERD "The medicine works great but gives me headache, diarrhea, and nausea upon waking."

• ND1...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 28, 2020

Nexium (esomeprazole) for GERD "Gave me a terrible headache every day and leg cramps. So glad my doctor took me off of it."

• qqi...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 18, 2023

For Gastritis/Duodenitis "These pills give me stomach ache, bloating, headache, anxiety, and depression. But worst of all is the difficult breathing. Was really horrible."