Vimovo combines naproxen 500 mg with esomeprazole 20 mg in one tablet. It treats arthritis and inflammatory joint conditions in people who need an anti-inflammatory but are at risk of stomach ulcers — the naproxen relieves the inflammation, the esomeprazole protects the stomach.
What is Vimovo?
Vimovo is a single tablet containing two medicines with entirely different jobs:
- Naproxen 500 mg — a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)
- Esomeprazole 20 mg — a proton pump inhibitor (PPI)
Naproxen blocks cyclo-oxygenase enzymes, reducing the prostaglandins that drive inflammation, swelling and pain. Those same prostaglandins protect the stomach lining, which is why NSAIDs cause ulcers and bleeding.
Esomeprazole shuts down the proton pump in the stomach lining that releases acid. Less acid means the weakened lining is far less likely to ulcerate.
So the combination treats the problem and pre-empts the medicine’s main complication in a single tablet. That is a genuinely sensible design — and it is worth being clear that it is not a safer anti-inflammatory. The naproxen in Vimovo carries exactly the same kidney and cardiovascular considerations as naproxen taken alone. What is reduced is the stomach risk, not all the risks.
The tablet is layered: the esomeprazole is released first in the stomach, the naproxen afterwards in an enteric-coated core. That is why it must be swallowed whole — crushing or splitting it destroys the design.
What is Vimovo commonly used for?
Vimovo is prescribed for chronic inflammatory joint conditions in people at risk of NSAID-related ulcers:
- Osteoarthritis, for pain and stiffness.
- Rheumatoid arthritis, alongside disease-modifying treatment.
- Ankylosing spondylitis, inflammatory arthritis of the spine.
The qualifying phrase is the important one. Vimovo is not a general-purpose painkiller — it is for someone who needs an anti-inflammatory regularly and long term and who has a reason to worry about their stomach: a previous ulcer, being over 60, taking a corticosteroid, an SSRI antidepressant or a blood thinner alongside.
For occasional pain, this is the wrong medicine. A simple painkiller, or a short course of a plain NSAID, is more appropriate and much cheaper.
The advantage over taking two separate tablets is mostly practical: people prescribed an NSAID plus a separate stomach protector frequently stop taking the protector, since it treats nothing they can feel. A combination tablet removes that failure point.
As with any anti-inflammatory in arthritis, it relieves symptoms rather than altering the disease. In rheumatoid arthritis, preventing joint damage is the job of disease-modifying medicines such as methotrexate.
How Vimovo fits into this medicine category
| Group | Examples | Role |
|---|---|---|
| NSAID + PPI combination | Vimovo | Anti-inflammatory with built-in stomach protection |
| Plain NSAIDs | Naproxen, ibuprofen (Brufen), diclofenac | Effective; stomach risk unprotected |
| COX-2 selective | Celecoxib (Celebrex), meloxicam | Lower stomach risk by design |
| Proton pump inhibitors | Esomeprazole, pantoprazole (Praztek) | Acid reduction alone |
| Antispasmodics | Hyoscine butylbromide (Hyospasmol) | Gut cramping, unrelated |
A coxib is the alternative approach to the same problem — reducing stomach risk by design rather than by adding acid suppression. Which suits you depends on your heart risk as well as your stomach. See the digestive, stomach and nausea medicines hub.
What to check before using Vimovo
Swallow the tablet whole — do not crush, chew or split it. The layered release is the whole point.
Take it at least 30 minutes before food, usually before breakfast and, if twice daily, before the evening meal. PPIs work best on pumps activated by eating.
Never take another anti-inflammatory alongside it. This includes over-the-counter ibuprofen and combination painkillers such as Mybulen — the tablet already contains a full-strength NSAID.
Tell your prescriber or pharmacist if:
- You have heart disease, heart failure, high blood pressure, or have had a heart attack or stroke. The naproxen matters here, and stomach protection does nothing for cardiovascular risk.
- You have kidney disease, or become dehydrated easily.
- You have liver disease.
- You have asthma with NSAID sensitivity.
- You have a current ulcer — this is for prevention, not for treating an active one.
- You are pregnant or breastfeeding. NSAIDs are avoided in pregnancy, particularly the third trimester.
- You take warfarin, clopidogrel, low-dose aspirin, a corticosteroid, an SSRI, a diuretic, an ACE inhibitor, methotrexate or lithium.
- You take clopidogrel specifically — PPIs can reduce its effect, and this needs checking.
- You are over 65.
Expect periodic monitoring — blood pressure, kidney function, and on long-term PPI use, magnesium and vitamin B12.
Follow the dispensing label. This page does not set doses.
Possible cautions and when to ask a pharmacist or doctor
Stomach protection is not a licence to ignore stomach symptoms. The esomeprazole reduces ulcer risk substantially; it does not remove it, and it can mask early symptoms of a problem it has not prevented. Report new stomach pain, black stools or vomiting blood immediately.
The kidney and heart risks are unchanged. This is the most common misunderstanding about the product. Blood pressure can rise, heart failure can worsen, and kidney function can decline — exactly as with naproxen alone.
During an illness with vomiting or diarrhoea, or in extreme heat, ask whether to pause it. Dehydration plus an NSAID is hard on the kidneys.
Long-term PPI use is associated with reduced absorption of magnesium, calcium and vitamin B12, a modest increase in fracture risk, and a somewhat higher rate of gut infections. Worth reviewing annually.
Review whether you still need it. If your joint condition improves, or non-medicine measures reduce the requirement, the whole tablet may no longer be necessary.
Seek urgent medical attention for stomach pain, vomiting blood or coffee-ground material, black tarry stools, chest pain, breathlessness, one-sided weakness or slurred speech, marked swelling of the legs or face, significantly reduced urine, muscle cramps or palpitations, or a blistering or peeling rash.
Related medicine guides
- Browse Digestive, Stomach & Nausea Medicines guides
- Read: Hyospasmol used for
- Read: Adco Contromet used for
Frequently asked questions
What is Vimovo used for? Osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis in people who need an anti-inflammatory but are at risk of stomach ulcers. It contains naproxen and esomeprazole.
Why are there two medicines in one tablet? Naproxen treats the inflammation; esomeprazole reduces stomach acid to prevent the ulcers naproxen would otherwise cause.
Is it safer than ordinary naproxen? For the stomach, yes. The kidney and cardiovascular risks are exactly the same, because the naproxen dose is the same.
Can I crush or split the tablet? No. It is layered so the two medicines release at different points. Crushing it destroys that and removes the protection.
Can I take it for a headache or occasional pain? It is not intended for that. It is for regular long-term use in a chronic joint condition.
Can I take ibuprofen with it? No. It already contains a full-strength anti-inflammatory. Adding another multiplies the risk without improving relief.