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esomeprazole Side Effects

Also known as: Nexium

Analysis of 58,495 adverse event reports submitted to the FDA from 2003 to 2025.

Total Reports

58,495

Death-Related

5,881

10.1% of reports

Hospitalizations

26,381

45.1% of reports

Top Indication

Product Used For Unknown Indication

Most Reported Adverse Reactions

CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE
5,020
ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY
4,563
NAUSEA
4,004
DIARRHOEA
3,869
FATIGUE
3,528
HEADACHE
3,509
DRUG INEFFECTIVE
3,304
DYSPNOEA
3,268
OFF LABEL USE
3,254
PAIN
2,752
VOMITING
2,692
ARTHRALGIA
2,587
PYREXIA
2,476
MALAISE
2,472
DIZZINESS
2,099
ASTHENIA
2,085
FALL
2,056
RENAL FAILURE
1,924
COUGH
1,912
DRUG INTERACTION
1,883

Who Reports Side Effects

Gender Distribution

Female 29,679 (58%)
Male 21,623 (42%)
Unknown 75

Age Distribution

0-17 1,223 (3%)
18-44 5,202 (12%)
45-64 15,355 (37%)
65-74 10,458 (25%)
75+ 9,735 (23%)

Reporting Trend by Year

2003 2025

Reactions in Death Reports

Top reactions reported in 5,881 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.

Reaction Reports
DEATH 1,191
ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY 567
CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE 522
SEPSIS 464
DYSPNOEA 457
DIARRHOEA 428
ASTHENIA 368
FALL 367
CARDIO-RESPIRATORY ARREST 364
NAUSEA 351
PNEUMONIA 345
PYREXIA 342
VOMITING 327
FATIGUE 317
DECREASED APPETITE 300
RENAL FAILURE 291
OFF LABEL USE 289
MALAISE 288
END STAGE RENAL DISEASE 285
ABDOMINAL PAIN 282

Reactions in Hospitalization Reports

Top reactions in 26,381 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.

Reaction Reports
DIARRHOEA 1,933
NAUSEA 1,873
ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY 1,745
DYSPNOEA 1,673
VOMITING 1,583
HEADACHE 1,518
PYREXIA 1,467
FATIGUE 1,428
PNEUMONIA 1,416
FALL 1,348
PAIN 1,279
MALAISE 1,258
OFF LABEL USE 1,205
ASTHENIA 1,168
DRUG INTERACTION 1,029
DRUG INEFFECTIVE 996
ARTHRALGIA 949
ABDOMINAL PAIN 914
COUGH 884
ANAEMIA 879

Nearby — Related Medications

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What the FAERS Data Reveals About esomeprazole Side Effects

The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 58,495 voluntary reports linked to esomeprazole and its brand equivalents (Nexium), spanning 2003 through 2025. Of those, 5,881 (10.1%) listed death as an outcome and 26,381 (45.1%) involved hospitalization. The most common indication reported alongside adverse events was Product Used For Unknown Indication.

Demographic breakdowns help contextualize who is being exposed to the drug. Of reports with known sex, 58% were female and 42% male; age distribution skews toward 45-64, with 15,355 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is chronic kidney disease with 5,020 submissions, followed by acute kidney injury and nausea.

FAERS is a signal-detection tool, not a scorecard. Reports are voluntary, and a single case may list multiple suspect drugs, so numbers above should not be read as incidence rates or per-patient risk. Widely prescribed drugs naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies even when individual risk is low. These aggregates are useful for spotting patterns that merit further pharmacovigilance, not for choosing between medications. This page is for educational reference only and is not medical advice — speak with a licensed clinician about any side-effect concerns.