A class of heartburn medications called proton pump inhibitors may be linked to kidney failure, a new study suggests.

Prilosec and Nexium belong to this class of drugs, which treat heartburn and acid reflux by lowering the amount of acid produced by the stomach. These extremely common medications are sold both by prescription and over-the-counter.

The recent discovery of this increased risk of chronic kidney disease and even kidney failure means that much more care must be taken in determining if a person should be using these acid reflux medications.

PPI Kidney Failure Study

In the study, people who regularly take proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), which include popular medications like Nexium and Prilosec, may be 96 percent more likely to develop kidney failure and 28 percent more likely to develop chronic kidney disease.

Over the five-year period, 15 percent of all PPI users developed chronic kidney disease. The researchers also found that the longer the medications are taken, the greater the risk of developing chronic kidney disease.

The research, published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, is the latest in a series of scientific research to find a link between PPIs, which are readily available over the counter, and long-term health issues.

“What makes it more relevant to a public health perspective is that there are a very high number of people who are taking PPIs, and it’s very available over the counter,” Ziyad Al-Aly, a professor of medicine at Washington University and the lead author on the study.

PPIs like Prilosec and Nexium work by reducing the production of stomach acid and can have mild side effects like nausea or abdominal pain. These drugs were prescribed to 15 million Americans in 2013, according to the study, but nationwide use is likely much higher, since they are easily available over the counter.

Researchers used data from the Department of Veterans Affairs in the study. They found 173,321 new users of prescription PPIs and compared them to 20,270 new users of histamine H2 receptor blockers, a separate drug used to suppress stomach acid.

Following them for five years, the PPI users had the increased risk of kidney disease and kidney failure. And, the study found, the longer people used PPIs, the more likely they were to develop the risks, and the more severe the damage.

“It’s not only associated with developing chronic kidney disease, but also the progression of kidney disease to end-stage renal disease,” Al-Aly said. “Complete kidney failure.”

Additionally, in another study published in the medical journal JAMA just a couple of months prior to the JASN study, researchers found an increased risk of chronic kidney disease with use of proton pump inhibitors. Users of Nexium, Prilosec and other PPI heartburn drugs may face a 50 percent higher risk of developing chronic kidney disease when compared to non-users.

According to researchers, PPIs may lead to chronic kidney disease through recurrent acute kidney injury. The researchers recommended that doctors provide patients with a detailed risk analysis, that they suggest alternative types of treatments as well as avoid indiscriminate use of these potentially dangerous group of medications.

Nexium, Prilosec Kidney Failure Lawsuits

If you or someone you know experienced kidney problems after taking Nexium or Prilosec, you may qualify to file a Prilosec or Nexium lawsuit.