Heartburn Drug Lawsuit

Our lawyers are filing lawsuits for people who took heartburn drugs like Nexium and developed kidney damage, nephritis, chronic kidney disease, or end-stage renal failure.

What You Can Do & How We Can Help

The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting heartburn drug induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been diagnosed with kidney problems, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Defective Drug Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

Overview

Heartburn or “acid reflux” is a painful condition in which stomach acid overflows into the esophagus. There are three types of heartburn drugs. Antacids like Tums neutralize stomach acid immediately with chemicals. For long-term treatment, Proton-Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) and H2-Blockers decrease the amount of acid made by glands in the stomach.

Heartburn Drugs — Proton-Pump Inhibitor (PPI)

Heartburn Drug Lawsuits

Pharmaceutical companies that sell PPI heartburn drugs are facing a growing number of lawsuits for failing to warn about the risk of kidney damage. The first case reports were published in 1992, but labels were not updated until December 2014.

Kidney Side Effects of Heartburn Drugs

There are case reports of patients who developed kidney problems within weeks of starting a PPI heartburn medication, including some who needed long-term dialysis. Over the last few decades, hundreds of patients on PPIs have developed kidney side effects, such as:

Acute Interstitial Nephritis
Kidney inflammation
Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)
End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD)
Kidney failure

Heartburn and Acute Interstitial Nephritis

Acute Interstitial Nephritis is a sudden allergic reaction that causes inflammation and swelling inside the kidneys, usually due to medications in the bloodstream. It can cause scarring (fibrosis) that permanently decreases kidney function. In April 2015, CMAJ Open published a study linking PPI heartburn drugs with a 3X increased risk of nephritis.

Heartburn and Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a long-term condition in which the kidneys gradually stop cleaning the blood and performing other basic functions. In January 2016, JAMA Internal Medicine published a study linking PPI heartburn drugs with a 20-50% increased risk of CKD in a study of people with atherosclerosis.

Heartburn and Kidney Failure / ESRD

End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) is permanent type of kidney failure. Patients must receive dialysis or a kidney transplant to survive. In April 2016, the American Society of Nephrology published a study linking PPI heartburn drugs with a 96% increased risk of kidney failure compared to H2-blocker heartburn drugs.

Warning Signs of Kidney Disease

Kidney disease can cause symptoms in nearly every part of the body — high blood pressure, weak bones, anemia, confusion, itchy skin, fluid retention, and more. The early warning signs may include:

Nausea, vomiting
Loss of appetite
Fatigue and weakness
Trouble sleeping
Increased or decreased urination
Trouble concentrating
Muscle twitches or cramps
Swelling in feet or ankles
Itching
Chest pain
High blood pressure
And more

Do I have a Heartburn Drug Lawsuit?

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