A Louisiana resident recently filed a lawsuit against AstraZeneca, alleging she suffered from serious Nexium kidney injuries after using the company’s medication.

According to the lawsuit, the plaintiff, Dinez D., began taking Nexium at the direction of her doctor between 2010 to 2012, and as a result developed severe Nexium kidney injuries that have taken a physical and financial toll.

The plaintiff was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease in 2012. In this lawsuit against AstraZeneca, Dinez D. seeks damages for her pain and suffering, economic losses, and other expenses.

The Nexium kidney injuries lawsuit was filed on multiple counts, including violation of the Louisiana Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law, the Louisiana Products Liability Act, redhibition, and breach of implied warranties.

Nexium Basics

Nexium is a popular heartburn medication manufactured and distributed by AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals. Nexium has been linked with a number of Nexium side effects, including Nexium kidney injuries.

Nexium is a protein pump inhibitor, also known as a PPI drug, which is a common treatment for heartburn. Other PPI medications include Prilosec and Prevacid. These other PPIs are also linked to serious kidney complications.

Studies have linked the use of PPI drugs like Nexium with side effects such as bone fracture, pneumonia, and Clostridium difficile infection, a kind of bowel disease.

Nexium has already been connected with other kidney problems in a number of reports, according to the author of a major PPI study, Dr. Morgan Grams.

Reports of Nexium kidney injuries included acute kidney injury, as well as acute interstitial nephritis, a kind of inflammatory kidney disease. These Nexium kidney injuries were also noted in previous studies.

While it is still uncertain what the cause may be of kidney problems linked with Nexium, one suggestion from the new study is that kidneys might lose their ability to filter blood. This would allow toxins to build up in the body, which can be problematic for a number of reasons.

In order to avoid the risk of Nexium kidney injuries and other serious complications altogether, patients should only use PPI drugs if it is medically necessary. Long-term or heavy usage of PPI drugs is more strongly linked with these kinds of severe Nexium kidney injuries.

In an effort to avoid these potentially serious complications if at all possible, doctors may choose to prescribe H2 receptor antagonists instead of a PPI medication, avoiding the kidney disease issue altogether.

Millions of Americans may be affected by these risks. According to one study, somewhere around 15 million people were prescribed various PPI drugs in 2013.

Other PPI drugs are available over-the-counter, such as Prilosec and Nexium, which likely indicates that the number of patients using PPIs is much higher than this estimate.

Filing a Nexium Lawsuit

If you or someone you love has experienced Nexium kidney injuries including kidney disease after using a PPI medication like Nexium, you may be able to file a lawsuit and receive compensation.

The Nexium Kidney Injuries Lawsuit is Case No. 3:16-cv-00686, in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana.