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Protonix and Interstitial Nephritis

Protonix and Interstitial Nephritis

Protonix and many other antacid medications are associated with higher rates of kidney inflammation, also known as acute interstitial nephritis. Evidence has been growing for more than a decade, but warnings were not updated until 2013.

What You Can Do & How We Can Help

The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Protonix induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been diagnosed with interstitial nephritis, 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

Protonix is the brand-name for pantoprazole, a medication that is used to decrease stomach acid. It is available with a prescription or administered intravenously.

What is the problem?

Protonix is in the Proton-Pump Inhibitor (PPI) class of antacids. The first reports linking PPIs and nephritis were published in the 1990s, but the FDA did not update warning labels on Protonix until December 2013.

Protonix and Interstitial Nephritis

Protonix was specifically linked to a case report of nephritis in 2003, when a 77 year-old woman was hospitalized after taking 40-mg Protonix for two months. She developed severe fatigue, fever, back pain, fatigue, joint pain, and high creatinine levels.

Study Links PPIs and Interstitial Nephritis

The use of PPIs was linked to a tripled increased risk of nephritis study published by Canadian researchers in CMAJ Open, based on data from 290,000 adults over 66 years old.

What is Nephritis?

Protonix is associated with acute interstitial nephritis, which is a sudden allergic reaction to medications in the bloodstream. It causes kidney inflammation and swelling in the interstitial tissue in the spaces between tubules, which are tiny structures that help the kidneys clean the blood.

Symptoms of Nephritis

  • Blood in urine
  • Fever
  • Changes in urine output (decreased or increased)
  • Changes in mental status (confusion, coma, etc.)
  • Fatigue
  • Nausea, vomiting
  • Rash
  • Back pain
  • Swelling in any area of the body
  • Weight-gain due to fluid retention
  • Enlarged kidneys

Long-Term Complications of Nephritis

The first step in treating Nephritis is discontinuing Protonix and any other medication that might be causing kidney problems — over 100 are known to cause nephritis.

When patients receive treatment within a few weeks of developing nephritis, most will recover near-normal kidney function within a few months. There is usually a 6-8 week period of rapid improvement followed by slower improvement for one year.

Unfortunately, researchers warn that “permanent impairment of renal function is rather common in the disease.” The risk of kidney failure increases the longer a patient goes without treatment. Nephritis is responsible for about 15% of all hospitalizations for kidney failure.

Do I have a Protonix Lawsuit?

The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Protonix induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been diagnosed with interstitial nephritis, 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.

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