Nexium - can you take it on an empty stomach?

17 Jan 2012

It is recommended to take Nexium one hour before a meal.

Take care, best wishes!

25 Feb 2012

My gastro-enterologist explained to me that Nexium actually needs food to work properly. Apparently the requirement that you need to take it for 1 hour before a meal is because of this: The Nexium first needs to prepare certain conditions in your stomach, which it takes a little while to do. It then reacts to the food that you eat later and starts working. Somehow its the medication's reaction to the food that makes it work properly, but it needs at least 20-30 minutes to prepare to have the reaction.

I don't have an entire hour in the morning to take the pill, then have breakfast. For a while I was taking the medication at night since I understood the instructions to mean "at least an hour". A few weeks later I mentioned this to my GI and he said no, that pretty much renders the medication useless. He said that since Nexium needs a stimulus, aka something to react to, it's actually better to take it in the morning before I eat, even if I can't wait a full hour to eat after taking it.

I hope this helps! Good luck and feel better!

26 Feb 2012

Hi Kozykat,

My son takes his on an empty stomach before breakfast and I take mine at bedtime with no food. Both of us have been fine. And that is how they are prescribe to both of us.

All the best.

Smileyhappy