An estimated 15 million Americans are currently taking PPI drugs like Nexium and Prilosec which work to control heartburn, indigestion, and acid reflux.

Unfortunately, those who turn to PPI inhibitors will need to proceed much more cautiously as studies suggest that taking these drugs may lead to heartburn drug complications such as kidney damage by as much as fifty percent.

Possible Side Effects of Heartburn Drugs

Nexium and Prilosec are drugs called proton pump inhibitors. They are used to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease, by reducing the amount of acid in a person’s stomach.

They also may be prescribed to heal acid-related damage to the lining of the esophagus; to reduce stomach ulcers; and to treat stomach infections.

The most serious potential heartburn drug complications caused through the use of Nexium and Prilosec are bone fractures, kidney damage, renal failure and heart damage.

People who take multiple daily doses for a long period of time (a year or longer), especially those 50 years of age or older, have an increased risk of heartburn drug complications such as fractures of the hip, wrist, and spine.

Additionally, people who use the drugs appear to have a 20 percent to 50 percent higher risk of chronic kidney disease compared with nonusers.

Study Examines Heartburn Drug Complications, Kidney Damage

Long-term use of PPIs to treat heartburn, acid reflux, and ulcers may lead to an increased risk of kidney damage and kidney failure, new research shows.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology in April, adds to prior research that suggests PPIs use to reduce gastric acid production, can lead to serious kidney damage.

These new findings are based on medical records from over 173,000 VA patients who were prescribed PPIs like Nexium and Prilosec and over 20,000 other patients prescribed another class of heartburn drug called H2-blockers. Those include brands like Zantac, Pepcid and Tagamet, which are also available over-the-counter.

Over five years, 15 percent of PPI users were diagnosed with chronic kidney disease, versus 11 percent of those on H2-blockers. After the researchers weighed other factors, PPI users still had a 28 percent greater risk.

Few study patients — less than 0.2 percent — developed end-stage kidney failure. But the odds were almost doubled among PPI users, the study found.

Researchers also suggest the risk of heartburn drug complications like kidney damage increased the longer people used the medications: Patients on PPIs for one to two years had a threefold higher risk of kidney failure than those who used the drugs for a month or less.

The researchers also noted they could only speculate on how PPIs could contribute to kidney disease. But past research has linked the drugs to cases of acute kidney inflammation and it’s possible that some PPI users develop cases that go undiagnosed and eventually lead to chronic kidney disease, researchers added.

Nexium, Prilosec Kidney Damage Lawsuits

If you or someone you know experienced heartburn drug complications like kidney damage after taking Nexium or Prilosec, you may qualify to file a Prilosec or Nexium lawsuit.