Nexium is one of the more popular heartburn drugs. It belongs to a group of heartburn medications known as PPI drugs, or proton pump inhibitors, which are used to reduce the amount of acid made by the stomach.

Unfortunately, despite its popularity, the acid reflux medication has been linked with an increased risk of Nexium stomach cancer. Indeed, patients may face double the risk of stomach cancer after taking Nexium. The risk is especially concerning for patients who have taken these drugs at higher dosages or for longer periods of time.

A growing number of patients may have legal claims against the drug’s manufacturer, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, alleging they were not adequately warned about the risk of Nexium stomach cancer linked with the medication.

Stomach Cancer Causes

Stomach cancer causes are not extremely clear, but factors that increase the risk of the disease are becoming more well-known. Factors for stomach cancer risk can include:

• smoking
• being overweight
• a diet high in smoked, pickled, or salty content
• stomach surgery for an ulcer
• certain genes
• infection
• exposure to asbestos
• exposure to certain drugs

Nexium is also one of these potential stomach cancer causes.

Basics of PPI Medications

Proton pump inhibitors, or PPI drugs, are some of the most widely used medications in the United States. Millions of Americans are prescribed or purchase over-the-counter PPI drugs each year—one of the most popular of which is Nexium.

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 medications are undoubtedly popular, these drugs have been connected with a number of complications, including Nexium stomach 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.

Nexium Stomach 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. The study looked at tens of thousands of patients over the course of ten years. Some of these patients took PPI medications like Nexium, and some took H2 blockers.

The use of PPI drugs was found to more than double the risk of developing stomach cancer. For patients who used PPIs daily, the risk was more than four times higher than for patients who only took the drug once a week. When patients used the drug for more than a year, the risk increased to five-fold, and after three or more years, to eight times the risk.

While the study did not definitively prove a cause-and-effect connection between PPI drugs and stomach cancer, it concluded that doctors should “exercise caution when prescribing long-term PPIs.”

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.

If you or someone you love has suffered from Nexium stomach cancer or other side effects of PPI drugs, you may be able to pursue litigation. Filing a Nexium stomach 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.