I have been taking a proton inhibitor for heartburn for 15 years. I have used Nexium for a long time, but in recent years I have been prescribed the cheaper esomeprazole. Since taking that, I have been experiencing more and more itching all over my body and from red spots, pimples and sometimes a kind of blisters. Is there an alternative? I am a man of 78 years.
Male (78)
Joris Bartstra, journalist with medical diploma
I think you are allergic to one of the ingredients in the cheaper product. The antacid Nexium is a branded drug with a patent. If a patent expires, every manufacturer may process the active substances in cheaper medicines that only bear the name of the substance. The active substance is then the same, but the counterfeit product may contain other excipients, which some people cannot tolerate. You could test that by taking the branded preparation again. Your GP can prescribe this medicine ‘on medical indication’. Talk to your doctor and show the skin abnormalities – maybe it’s something else.
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