Nexium Victims: Take Calcium with Your Nexium Lawsuit

November 29, 2013, 8:00AM. By Jane Mundy

Dobson, NCKenneth has been taking Nexium for about 10 years to treat acid reflux. Unfortunately, Kenneth had no idea how to treat Nexium side effects, particularly bone issues. Patrick, however, knows that Nexium depletes the body of calcium and has been taking supplements, but not before he needed to get three teeth extracted.

“This Nexium really messed up my hips,” says Kenneth. “I’m at the point now where I can’t even lift my legs up the stairs because my hip feels like it is broken.” Kenneth is not even 50 years old and has to walk with a cane. He has been disabled for the past five years.

“My doctor wants to keep me on the Nexium but I won’t let him,” Kenneth says. “Back in 2002, my family doctor was away so I saw someone else who prescribed it twice a day. I started getting bone aches and pains after I took this double dosage. I even had surgery where they take your esophagus and wrap part of it around the top of your stomach. That helped for a while but my acid reflux is back again and that is why my doctor wants me to go back on the Nexium.”

Kenneth has tried all kinds of acid reflux treatments, i.e., other proton pump inhibitors, but Nexium is the only medication that worked. However, he now believes that Nexium risks outweigh the benefits. “I heard about Nexium fracture lawsuits and now I find out that one Nexium side effect is calcium deficiency. I wonder how my doctor didn’t know this and why didn’t he ever tell me to take calcium?

“As well, I can’t retain vitamin D and I think Nexium is to blame. I had blood tests back in 2007 that show I am deficient in vitamin D. I saw another doctor who put me on 50,000 units a week of vitamin D and that didn’t help so they bumped it up to 100,000 units a week. Now I take 2,000 units a day and I have no idea if it will ever help. The damage is already done.

“I had tests recently - a CAT Scan, ultrasound and a bone density test - to see if arthritis is the problem but the specialist said that isn’t the case. I can’t do much of anything anymore. I think Nexium has caused a lot of my problems - it makes my bones ache so bad.”

Kenneth, meet Patrick…

Redding, CA: Patrick has been taking Nexium for many years to help treat Barrett’s disease. He only found out 18 months ago (through the LawyersandSettlements newsletter) that Nexium is associated with calcium deficiency.

“I got involved with a class-action lawsuit regarding CityBank fraud after finding an attorney through LawyerandSettlements so I am hopeful that you can help me with Nexium,” says Patrick. He has been suffering with Nexium side effects such as dental problems for many years and had no idea why.

“And here is another reason why Nexium must be to blame,” he adds. “There is a small community of people with Barrett’s disease and we meet frequently at the hospital. We all have dental problems and suffer from fatigue so we figured it was linked to the meds. We didn’t know it was Nexium at first, but when I read on your website about the Nexium calcium issues, I started taking supplements, including minerals to help absorb the calcium.”

(Like Kenneth, Patrick is also taking vitamin D supplements. Calcium builds strong bones, but vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium. A 2006 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that patients taking Nexium and other proton-pump inhibitors were 44 percent more likely to experience hip fractures than those who did not. The researcher concluded that the medications interfered with calcium absorption that led to increased injury risk. According to the study, men were found to be at an especially increased risk because they often do not consume enough calcium.

As well, an osteoporosis specialist said that Nexium reducing the effects of calcium carbonate can lead to adverse side effects, like easy bone breakage or softening of bones, which can lead to bone pain.)

“Anyone taking Nexium should have both calcium and vitamin D levels checked by blood tests,” says Patrick. And if Nexium is depleting calcium (it is an easy thing to diagnose and treat), then reason, logic and common sense would be that the manufacturer tells doctors that it’s medication that depletes calcium. Unfortunately, I haven’t found anything that works as well as Nexium, but I told my doctor that he should prescribe all Nexium consumers vitamin D as well to absorb the calcium.”

Patrick has problems with constant fatigue and insomnia. He is only 58 years old and has had three teeth extracted, and is facing more extractions. “I know lawyers are filing Nexium hip fracture lawsuits and other Nexium fracture lawsuits but a lot of other conditions are going on before Nexium affects the bone,” he explains. “And talking with fellow patients, I think many Nexium users are suffering side effects such as physical fatigue, memory loss, muscle spasms, numbness and tingling in the hands, feet, and face, panic and anxiety disorders, eye damage, teeth deterioration and more. I found out that severe calcium deficiency will eventually lead to death.”