Update: Nexium Could Double Your Risk of Stomach Cancer, Study Finds

December 1, 2017 – long-term use of proton pump inhibitors like Nexium may double your risk of stomach cancer, a new study published in the journal Gut has found. The researchers also determined that using PPIs for more than 3 years increases the stomach cancer risk 8-fold.

What is Nexium?

Nexium (generic: esomeprazole) is used to stomach and esophagus problems such as acid reflux and ulcers. The drug works by decreasing the amount of acid the stomach makes, thereby relieving the symptoms of heartburn, difficulty swallowing and persistent cough. Nexium is made by AstraZeneca (AZ), and was approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in February 2001.

What’s the Problem?

Nexium belongs to a class of drugs called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) that prevent the stomach from producing too much acid. PPIs work by turning off some of the acid producing pumps in the stomach while leaving others to operate regularly. Less acid production means no more symptoms of heartburn or damage to the esophagus; however, this same mechanism of action also decreases the body’s ability to absorb vital nutrients such as calcium and magnesium.

PPI Heartburn Drugs May Injury Kidneys: Study

Nexium and other proton pump inhibitors have been associated with long-term kidney damage, according to a recent study published in JAMA Internal Medicine. Researchers investigated the link between PPI use and chronic kidney disease (CKD) in a population-based cohort involving more than 10,000 participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. Test subjects had an estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of at least 60 mL/min/1.73 m2, and were followed from 1996 to 2011. The researchers found that PPI use was associated with a 20-50% increased risk for kidney disease. The results remained significant even after adjusting for H2 receptor antagonist use and with propensity score-matched non-users. Compared with non-users, the researchers also determined that patients who took proton pump inhibitors were typically caucasian, obese, and taking antihypertensive medications.

Nexium Causing Massive Health Problems, Including Kidney Failure: Ring of Fire Video

What is Chronic Kidney Disease?

CKD is characterized by the slow loss of kidney function over time. The primary function of the kidneys is to remove wastes and excess water from the body. In most cases, chronic kidney disease progresses slowly for months or even years. Many patients do not notice any symptoms until the disease is in its advanced stages.

CKD Symptoms

  • Fever with no obvious cause
  • Blood in the urine
  • Increased urine output
  • Nausea and/or vomiting
  • Increased mental confusion
  • Drowsiness
  • Unexplained swelling in the body (any location)
  • Weight gain
  • Skin rash

Nexium Side Effects

  • Acute interstitial nephritis (inflammation of the kidneys)
  • Acute kidney injury
  • Chronic kidney disease (CKD)
  • Kidney failure (also known as end-stage renal disease or ESRD)
  • Cardiac disorders
  • Heart attack
  • Stroke
  • Bone fractures (hip fracture, wrist fracture, spine fracture)
  • Broken bones
  • Low magnesium levels (hypomagnesemia)
  • Stomach cancer
  • Gut infections
  • Dementia
  • Erectile dysfunction (ED)
  • Severe allergic reactions
  • And more

PPI Kidney Injury Suits Centralized in New Jersey

August 4, 2017 – The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) on Wednesday ordered that all federally-filed lawsuits involving kidney injuries from PPI heartburn drugs will be consolidated in the District of New Jersey for pretrial handling. The panel’s ruling marked an about-face from its previous opinion on the matter, having in February rejected a bid to create an MDL. The reason for the change was due to the litigation’s substantial increase in size since the initial ruling, and because 2 defendants who previously opposed centralization — AstraZeneca and Pfizer — are now in support of it, according to JPML.

Study Finds Increased Risk of Death with PPI Heartburn Medications

July 5, 2017 – Proton pump inhibitors have been linked to a 25% greater risk of death compared to patients who took H2 blockers, according to a study published Monday in BMJ. The study also found that PPI use was linked to a 15% increased death rate compared to patients who took another kind of acid suppressor other than H2 blockers, and that the death rate was 23% higher among PPI users compared to people who took no such medications.

Louisiana Nexium Lawsuit Survives Motion to Dismiss

April 21, 2017 – A Louisiana woman who allegedly developed kidney failure after taking Nexium will be allowed to pursue defect and warning claims, after the judge overseeing the case turned back a defense bid to have the lawsuit dismissed. In an Order issued March 22, the judge upheld claims of defect in construction or composition and design defect, ruling that Plaintiff Alice Donald had sufficiently pled that Nexium was defective in formulation and that there were other safer heartburn medications available on the market.

PPIs Linked to Increased Risk of Pneumonia in Dementia Patients

April 5, 2017 – Dementia patients who take proton pump inhibitors have an 89% increased risk of developing pneumonia compared to dementia patients who don’t use the medications, according to a study published last month in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Independent risk factors for pneumonia included age, male gender, underlying cerebrovascular disease, chronic pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure, diabetes mellitus, and antipsychotic use.

Nexium linked to Stomach Infections, Study Finds

January 6, 2017 – People who use heartburn drugs like Nexium may be at an increased risk of developing severe gut infections, according to a new study. The research, published Thursday in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, found that among 565,000 adults, patients who took proton pump inhibitors had higher rates of infection with C. difficile and Campylobacter bacteria compared to those who didn’t use the drugs.

PPIs Linked to Increased Risk for Heart Failure, Death

March 23, 2017 – Proton pump inhibitor heartburn medicines have been linked to an increased risk for heart failure and death in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), according to a recent study published in PLOS ONE. The researchers found that PPIs are commonly used to prevent complications in CAD patients treated with chronic antiplatelet therapy (aspirin, Plavix, Effient); however, when used in this capacity, proton pump inhibitors may increase the risk of adverse health consequences including pneumonia, micronutrient deficiencies, and osteoporosis-related fractures.

Case Study Finds PPIs May Increase Risk of Rhabdomyolysis

September 26, 2016 – A new case study suggests that a skeletal muscle disorder known as rhabdomyolysis may be another potential side effect of PPI heartburn drugs. The study described a 45-year-old patient who developed the condition shortly after being treated with an intravenous dose of Nexium for chest pain. The findings were published last month in the journal Medicine.

PPI Heartburn Drugs Linked to Brain Problems, Study Finds

September 1, 2016 – Proton pump inhibitors like Nexium may increase the risk of loss of brain function and fluid buildup in the abdomen, according to a new study published in Hepatology. The researchers found that 52% of patients took a PPI during clinical trials, and these patients had a 31% 1-year risk for loss of brain function (hepatic encephalopathy or “HE”).

Study Shows Heartburn Drugs Linked to Cardiovascular Complications

August 19, 2016 – Add cardiovascular complications in patients with heart disease to the growing list of potential health risks associated with proton pump inhibitors like Nexium. A recent study published in the International Journal of Cardiology linked prolonged PPI use to a worsening of red blood count indexes, lower weight and underutilization of cardioprotective medications. The research strengthened early studies which connected PPIs to poor cardiovascular outcomes.

Nexium May Cause Silent Artery Damage, Study Finds

May 11, 2016 – Nexium accelerates aging of blood vessel cells, which may hinder their ability to perform and prevent heart attack and stroke, according to a new study published in the journal Circulation Research. The findings could explain why previous studies have identified an increased risk of heart disease in PPI users, said study senior author Dr. John Cooke.
“Our finding that the lining of blood vessels is impaired by proton pump inhibitors is a unifying mechanism for the reports that PPI users are at increased risk for heart attack, stroke and renal failure,” Cooke said. “They {PPIs} are being used ubiquitously, for long periods of time. They aren’t being used as originally approved.”

Heartburn Drugs May Increase Risk of Kidney Failure, Study Finds

April 14, 2016 – Nexium and other proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) may up the risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and kidney failure, according to a study published today in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN). Researchers found that 15% of PPI users developed CKD, compared to 11% of patients who took H2-blockers (Pepcid, Tagamet, Zantac). After calculating for variables, this equaled a 28% increased risk of kidney disease associated with proton pump inhibitor use. Additionally, the same group of PPI users had a 96% increased risk of developing kidney failure (renal failure, end-stage renal disease or ESRD) compared to patients who used H2 receptor blockers.

AstraZeneca Reaches $20M Settlement in Nexium Class Action Lawsuit

In April 2013, a settlement was reached with AstraZeneca in a consumer fraud class action lawsuit that was pending in Suffolk County Superior Court in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (Commonwealth Care Alliance, et al. vs. AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals L.P., et al., Case No. 05-0269 BLS). The lawsuit accused AZ of deceptively marketing Nexium, and although the drugmaker admitted no wrongdoing, it agreed to pay $20 million to settle the plaintiffs’ claims. The settlement class included both consumers and entities, known as “Third-Party Payors,” that purchased, reimbursed or paid for Nexium.

Do I Have a Nexium Lawsuit?

The Class Action Litigation Group at our law firm is an experienced team of trial lawyers that focus on the representation of plaintiffs in Nexium lawsuits. We are handling individual litigation nationwide and currently investigating potential settlements in all 50 states.

Free Confidential Case Evaluation: Again, if you developed chronic kidney disease, nephritis, renal failure or other kidney damage after using Nexium, you should contact our law firm immediately. You may be entitled to a settlement by filing a lawsuit and our lawyers can help.

FREE Confidential Case Evaluation

To contact us for a free review of your potential case, please fill out the form below or call us toll free 24 hrs/day by dialing: (866) 223-3784.

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