Nexium, a popular heartburn medication, has been linked with a number of side effects, including serious kidney problems.

Nexium is a protein pump inhibitor, or PPI, 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 serious side effects such as bone fracture, pneumonia, and Clostridium difficile infection, a kind of bowel disease.

In one such study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, researchers observed data from patients taking PPIs. This was conducted over the long-term; on average, about 13.9 years.

The study followed 10,482 people in total, and compared PPI users with those that did not use the treatment, and instead used other heartburn medicines in the H2 receptor antagonist group.

The researchers concluded that patients who used PPIs were more prone to developing chronic kidney disease. In fact, PPI users had between 20 percent and 50 percent higher risk of developing chronic kidney disease.

While PPI users were found to have a higher risk of kidney disease, H2 receptor antagonist users did not have this association.

Nexium had already been connected with other kidney problems in a number of reports, according to the author of the study, Dr. Morgan Grams. Reports of Nexium side effects included acute kidney injury, as well as acute interstitial nephritis, a kind of inflammatory kidney disease.

These Nexium side effects 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.

One of the study’s authors noted that this link does not prove that PPIs necessarily cause kidney disease, but that it doesn’t hurt to be cautious.

“We don’t want to cause alarm. PPIs are great medicines, and sometimes lifesaving. But like all medications, there are risks and benefits. One approach for patients who require a long course of P.P.I.s would be to routinely monitor their kidney function,” the author stated.

In order to be careful of this potentially elevated risk of kidney problems, patients should only use PPI medications like Nexium if it is medically necessary.

Patients should also take the medication at its recommended dosage for the required length of time only. Long-term or heavy use of PPI medications is more strongly connected with serious problems like kidney disease.

In an effort to avoid these potentially serious complications if at all possible, doctors may choose to prescribe H2 receptor agonists instead of a PPI, 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 kidney problems including kidney disease after using a PPI medication like Nexium, you may be able to file a lawsuit and receive compensation.