Nexium is a popular heartburn drug known as a PPI medication, or proton pump inhibitor. Unfortunately, the use of heartburn drugs like Nexium has been linked with an increased risk of stomach cancer, especially for those who have taken these drugs at higher dosages or for longer periods of time.

Now, more and more patients are pursuing litigation against the manufacturer of their PPI drugs over issues like PPI cancer and other complications, alleging they were not given adequate warning about these risks. If you or someone you love has suffered from PPI cancer, you may be able to file a lawsuit and pursue compensation.

What Causes Stomach Cancer?

So what causes stomach cancer? The answer is actually more complicated than you might expect. While it is unknown precisely what causes stomach cancer, certain risk factors for the disease are known, and should be looked out for.

Factors for stomach cancer risk include smoking; being overweight; a diet with high smoked, pickled, or salty content; stomach surgery for an ulcer; certain genes; infection; exposure to asbestos; and exposure to certain drugs. Indeed, proton pump inhibitor drugs, used to treat heartburn, may pose an increased risk of PPI cancer.

Basics of Nexium and PPI Drugs

Proton pump inhibitors, or PPI medications, are some of the most widely used drugs in the United States. Indeed, in the year 2013 alone, more than 15 million Americans were prescribed PPI drugs—one of which is Nexium, an option that has become one of the more popular heartburn treatments.

Nexium (also sold under its generic name, esomeprazole magnesium) is a PPI medication manufactured by AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals. PPI drugs like Nexium work to treat heartburn by reducing the gastric acid in a person’s stomach. Other popular PPI drugs include Prilosec and Prevacid.

Although PPI drugs like Nexium are undoubtedly popular, these drugs have been connected with a number of complications, including long term side effects like PPI cancer and kidney problems. Some users of PPI drugs claim that they were not adequately warned about the risk of some of these side effects.

Risk of PPI Cancer

Patients have reported suffering from a number of serious long term side effects after using Nexium, including PPI cancer.

A recent study found that PPI meds can more than double a patient’s risk of PPI cancer of the stomach. While the study does not definitively prove that Nexium or similar drugs cause PPI cancer, the correlation is something to consider, and it may indeed develop into a stronger connection over time.

For some patients to be treated for Nexium long term side effects, they may simply be taken off of the medication. For others, unfortunately, side effects may be more permanent in nature.

Filing a PPI Cancer Lawsuit

If you or someone you love has suffered from PPI cancer or other side effects of PPI drugs, you may be able to pursue litigation. Filing a lawsuit over PPI cancer lawsuit can’t undo injuries or bring a loved one back to life, but it can help recover compensation for injuries and lost wages.