For many people, finding relief from some physical ailment, like heartburn, is so important that they will take popular medicines without a thought about possible complications or long term use side effects. In the short term, many drugs, like Nexium, which is known for its effectiveness in managing frequent heartburn, may offer that relief. But, when the consumer continues to use Nexium, they may discover that those long term side effects are not good.
What is Nexium Drug?
The producer of the drug known as Nexium is the global pharmaceutical company, AstraZeneca. It put this drug on the market in the early 2000s. Nexium has been approved several times by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in different capsule formulations, in 2001, 2006, and in 2015. It is a major success for AstraZeneca, contributing to their total revenue of around $24.7 billion. This success, however, has not come about without challenges. After Nexium was put on the market in 2001, several lawsuits were filed accusing the company of failing to warn consumers about many adverse side effects. Later lawsuits were filed because of the development of very severe side effects after long term use of Nexium.
Nexium Hidden Long Term Side Effects
Common side effects from use of Nexium include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain and cough. Although the company knew of more serious side effects that could appear after long term use of this drug, AstraZeneca failed to disclose those problems on warning labels or in drug literature. In addition to this issue, the company manipulated marketing and pricing to influence consumers and others to use Nexium rather than other identical, but less expensive, drugs.
Many serious side effects have been discovered since Nexium has been available. The drug is a proton pump inhibitor, designed to reduce the amount of gastric acid normally produced in the body to help with food digestion. When the internal proton pump overproduces acid, the body can suffer problems like esophageal pain, acid reflux, heartburn and other digestive track disorders.
Long term side effects from use of Nexium include:
- Increased risk of bone fracture – the drug interferes with absorption of calcium, which then may lead to bone fractures. In a review of 1,809 studies of this type of drug, analysis indicated an increased risk for hip and vertebral fractures, especially in long term use by older patients.
- Recent 2015 and 2016 studies have linked long term use of Nexium to severe side effects, including kidney disease & failure and development of dementia.
- This drug may interact with other medications the patient is taking, and cause harmful side effects like severe to fatal diarrhea. The drug reduces acid production, but that acid is normally helpful in controlling intestinal bacterial overgrowth.
- Another problem that sparked a warning from the United States Food and Drug Administration is adverse side effects that occur when using PPIs like Nexium for a year or longer. The drug creates changes in the way the intestines absorb magnesium. The lower levels of magnesium cause internal problems, such as involuntary muscle seizures, tremors, spasms and heart rhythm disorders.
- Kidney disease and failure may become another long term side effect of Nexium for some consumers. Significant increases in susceptibility to this problem were seen in people who used PPIs long term. Older persons also were at higher risk.
- Dementia was another serious side effect linked to long term use of Nexium. A study of 73,679 seniors who were aged 75 and up and who did not have dementia at the start of the study showed an increased risk of up to 44% for developing dementia.
Nexium Side Effects Lawsuit
As the incidences of side effects attributed to long term use of Nexium increased, affected people have filed individual and class action lawsuits against the product manufacturer, AstraZeneca. Pursuing fair compensation for damage claims related to use of Nexium is the best way to obtain justice for people who have suffered physical, financial and personal harm caused by this drug.
- Damage Claims – Many of the claims in the Nexium side effect lawsuits seek to recover fair compensation for harm that the plaintiffs suffered because they used Nexium for physical ailments like heartburn. Instead of relief, with long term use, many serious side effects harmed the patients and caused financial stress along with the physical harm. In some cases, a few users died from the most serious side effects. Survivors also place claims for their loss of a loved one, and financial losses related to the death of that person.
- Negligence – A key element of these lawsuits is negligence. AstraZeneca has been found guilty of negligent behavior by their actions of not providing complete information to users about possible side effects, drug interactions and other issues. They also manipulated the pricing of the PPI drugs they produce, often pushing use of a more expensive drug over another identical drug they make.
- Fair Compensation – Determining fair compensation is one of the main goals of these lawsuits. Claims for compensation include payment for many types of expenses and the harmful impact levied upon the person’s life and body. Compensation is requested for recovery of the costs of medical care, recovery services, income losses and future financial costs. Survivors of persons who died from side effects of Nexium claim compensation for funeral and burial costs, and for their personal suffering from loss of their loved one, companionship or guardianship and future inheritance.
Nexium Class Action Lawsuits & Settlements
Class action lawsuits have been filed and processed across the county against AstraZeneca for Nexium side effects. When many people suffer the same consequences from a situation where negligence by a person or company caused injury, they pursue justice as a group. This often results in very high awards to that group; the award is then split among participants. In one case, a class action Nexium lawsuit payout resulted in a $20 million award.
Get Nexium Legal Help
Use the legal system to obtain fair compensation for your Nexium damage claims and to obtain the justice you deserve. Consult us now to determine if you are eligible to either join an existing class action lawsuit or file an individual lawsuit for damages due to use of Nexium. You should not suffer physical harm, financial stress or other damage due to the negligent behavior of another person or company. We can Help!