Dallas Proton Pump Inhibitors Lawsuit Attorneys

Close to 15 million Americans rely on proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) to relieve themselves of heartburn and acid reflux. What was once thought of by the general populace as a safe group of drugs is not so harmless after all.

PPIs have been linked to devastating injuries including chronic kidney disease, renal failure, and bone complications that cause fractures.

Shockingly, the manufacturers of PPIs like Nexium and Prilosec knew about these side effects since at least the 1990s. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) placed warnings regarding the complications back in 2014. This means these products were on the market for decades before users were finally provided any warning about the potential hazards associated with using them.

Now, a tidal wave of consumers betrayed by the pharmaceutical companies that promised them a safe drug to combat heartburn, GERD, and ulcers are recruiting experienced proton pump inhibitor injury lawyers to seek out the compensation they need to properly recover.

Voice your discontent at the makers of PPIs by getting in touch with a Dallas proton pump inhibitor injury lawyer today. Contact The Benton Law Firm at (214) 777-7777 for your FREE, no-obligation legal consultation.

What Are Proton PUMP Inhibitors?

Proton pump inhibitors are medications that are designed to shut off the stomach’s proton pump. These glands within the stomach lining are responsible for generating stomach acids that break down food and prepare it for digestion.

PPIs are widely available over-the-counter and are marketed in a variety of brand names. Some of the more familiar names include:

• Nexium (esomeprazole)
• Prilosec (omeprazole)
• Prevacid (lansoprazole)
• Dexilant (dexlansoprazole)
• Zegerid (omeprazole)
• Protonix (pantoprazole)
• AcipHex (rabeprazole)

It is also worth noting that Prilosec OTC, Zegerid OTC, Nexium 24HR, and Prevacid 24HR are available by prescription. These medications are used to help treat various stomach acid-related conditions, including:

• Healing Erosive Esophagitis (EE)
• Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
• Gastric and Duodenal Ulcers
• Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome

Zollinger-Ellison syndrome is a rare condition in which tumors within the pancreas or duodenum cause the stomach to overproduce stomach acids which, in turn, causes the development of ulcers in the duodenum – an area in the small intestine.

While PPIs address these stomach acid-related complications, recent findings have shown that PPIs may play an active role in the development of kidney damage, disease, and failure, while also leading to bone fractures.

The Proton Pump Inhibitors lawsuit attorneys of The Benton Law Firm are dedicated to helping you get your life back on track. Contact us at (214) 777-7777 to get started with a FREE case evaluation today.

How PPIs Cause Kidney and Bone Complications

Since PPIs block proton pumps from generating stomach acid, food isn’t properly broken down. This makes it difficult for the body to absorb key nutrients such as magnesium and calcium. Ultimately, the chronic loss of these nutrients can cause life-long side effects.

The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) claims that users who take PPIs once daily have a 15 percent increased risk of developing chronic kidney diseases. That risk rises to 46 percent if the user takes PPIs twice a day. Prolonged use of PPIs can lead to the beginning of serious kidney complications.

Interstitial nephritis, an inflammation of the kidney, has been shown to be a direct effect of chronic use of PPIs. If left alone, this condition can often progress to more serious chronic kidney diseases and complications like kidney failure.

Ultimately, end-stage renal disease can occur when kidneys stop functioning entirely. In order to survive, someone that is living with end-stage renal disease must receive dialysis for the rest of their life.

As PPIs make the absorption of calcium more difficult, the user’s bones begin to suffer. Bones need calcium in order to rebuild, and if calcium loss is so extreme due to high doses of PPIs, bones will become brittle. When bones become brittle, fractures become an ever-present danger. These types of fractures tend to occur most frequently at the user’s hips, wrists, and spine.

What Are the Signs of Chronic Kidney Disease?

If you are taking a proton pump inhibitor and suspect that you may be experiencing negative side effects from the drug, watch out for the following signs and symptoms of chronic kidney disease.

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Itching
• Appetite Loss
• Fatigue
• Sleeping Problems
• Decreased Mental Alertness
• Muscle Twitches and Cramps
• Fluid Retention
• Feet and Ankle Swelling
• High Blood Pressure
• Changes in Urination
• Reduced Urine Flow

Should you experience any of the previously mentioned symptoms, please seek out medical attention immediately. If it is confirmed that PPIs caused your chronic kidney condition or bone fractures, you may be eligible to file a product liability claim to earn the compensation you need to recover.

Contact The Benton Law Firm at (214) 777-7777 to speak with one of our qualified proton pump inhibitors lawsuit attorneys.

Do I Have a Proton Pump Inhibitors Injury Claim?

Frequent users of any of the PPIs listed above may be eligible to file a product liability claim if they have developed chronic kidney diseases, renal failure, or bone complications. If you have lost a loved one because of the complications stemming from PPI use, your family may be eligible to file a wrongful death lawsuit.

The manufacturers of these drugs have breached their legal duties to create PPIs that are safe for users to consume. At the very least, it is their responsibility to warn consumers of any known hazards. Doing so may have saved PPI users from all of the associated complications.

If any of the symptoms or health complications resonate with your experience, finding the right legal team to represent you should be a top priority. The proton pump inhibitors injury lawyers of The Benton Law Firm have the legal experience, strategy, and resources needed to win your case and secure the financial recovery that is owed to you.

Filing a product liability claim isn’t an overwhelming process if you have the right legal team working for you. Contact the proton pump inhibitors injury attorneys at (214) 777-7777 to represent you in court.

PPIs Can Be Inappropriately Prescribed

Because PPIs are so quick to relieve the user of heartburn or symptoms of GERD, they are usually prescribed or bought as a fast, reliant method to fix what ails the user. However, PPIs should be used sparingly, with three 14-day intervals or less used per year.

Despite this information, PPIs are still inappropriately used. The most common inappropriate uses of PPIs include:

• Overused to Stop Heartburn – While PPIs like Nexium and Prilosec may seem like a quick remedy for those that suffer from heartburn or acid reflux, it isn’t the end-all-be-all solution to curing yourself of these painful conditions. Often, diet and lifestyle changes can ease or prevent these conditions from occurring at all. However, if PPIs are your go-to solution for stopping heartburn, you run the real risk of developing bone and kidney complications.
• Prescribed Along With Steroids – Doctors may recommend a PPI to prevent damage from occurring in the stomach due to powerful steroids that the user is taking. However, if the steroid isn’t equipped with an NSAIDs, using a PPI isn’t necessary.

Misuse — or unnecessary use — of PPIs can cause debilitating side effects, so if they don’t need to be taken, they should be avoided.

Past Research Regarding Proton Pump Inhibitors

Back in March of 2017, a study was conducted by the Veteran’s Administration that examined the harmful effects PPIs like Nexium and Prilosec can cause. This five-year study followed and analyzed over 125,000 individuals who were taking a PPI and compared them to nearly 20,000 others who were taking H2 blockers — a safer alternative to PPIs.

The results that were found were quite remarkable. Out of the 125,000 individuals using a PPI, around 10 percent of them developed chronic kidney diseases, and an eye-opening 50 percent of these individuals experienced some sort of kidney injury, whether it was a reduction in urine flow, swollen feet and/or ankles, or fatigue.

What was noted about PPIs was that the symptoms these individuals faced were almost non-existent. These “silent” symptoms can go undiagnosed for years until end-stage renal failure is inevitable. On the other hand, out of the near 20,000 users of H2 blockers, only 7.7 percent of that group developed a kidney complication, where only 1.3 percent progressed into late-stage renal failure.

If you are suffering from end-stage renal failure or some other kidney-related health issue due to PPI use, contact the proton pump inhibitor injury lawyers of The Benton Law Firm at (214) 777-7777 now.

Compensation You Deserve

Because users of PPIs were kept in the dark regarding the negative side effects of the product until recently, many may qualify to file a product liability claim to seek out damages for the injuries they sustained.

Victims of injuries sustained from a PPI are entitled to fight for damages that cover:

• Medical Expenses (both past and future PPI injury-related medical expenses)
• Lost Wages or Loss of Earning Capacity
• Physical Pain and Emotional/Mental Anguish and Suffering

If a user perished because of the side effects caused by PPIs, surviving family members may be entitled to file a wrongful death claim in order to cover funeral expenses, loss of consortium, or other wrongful death damages.

Don’t let these pharmaceutical companies stifle your voice. Contact The Benton Law Firm at (214) 777-7777 to speak with our proton pump inhibitor injury attorneys today for a potential drug-related injury.