PPI drugs like Nexium have become one of the most popular options for treating heartburn. However, recent research has shown that the use of PPI drugs may actually be linked with an increased risk of stomach cancer—especially when these drugs are taken for longer periods of time.

A growing number of patients are filing lawsuits over PPI gastric cancer and other complications, alleging that they were not adequately warned about these risks.

If you or someone you love has suffered from PPI cancer, you may be able to file a lawsuit and seek compensation.

Background of PPI Drugs

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

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.

Some of the more popular PPI drugs are Nexium, Prilosec and Prevacid.

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

Risk of PPI Gastric Cancer

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

According to a recent study, the long-term use of these drugs may increase the risk of stomach PPI cancer by nearly 250 percent. PPI and stomach cancer risk is associated with a bacterium known as Helicobacter pylori.

This is actually quite a common bacterium; in fact, more than half of the global population carries it harmlessly throughout their lives. However, for some individuals, this bacterium can prompt the development of stomach cancer.

The 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 link PPI and stomach cancer, this correlation is something to consider, and it may indeed develop into a stronger connection over time.

Stomach cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death, as well as the fifth most common cancer.

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