Over-the-counter heartburn, gastroesophageal reflux and morning sickness medications are at the centre of a class action investigation into possible links to stomach cancer and kidney damage, potentially involving an estimated 100,000 Australians.
Patients who took proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) to treat digestive problems and subsequently developed stomach cancer or kidney damage are eligible to take part in a class action lawsuit investigated by the Shine Law Firm launched last month.
One of them is Donna Johnston, who claims that the heartburn drug Somax caused her kidney failure.
Donna Johnston is helping to investigate a class action lawsuit linking heartburn medication to kidney damage and stomach cancer.credit: Nick Moir
“I was taking Somac regularly and was never told about any adverse effects it could have,” Johnston said.
“One day, I got a call from my doctor while he was doing a routine blood test. I went in and he told me my kidney function was at 19 percent and that if it dropped to 15 percent I would need dialysis.
“I ended up seeing a specialist and the professor simply said, quite clearly, it has to do with the Somac you’re taking.
“I then had a kidney biopsy which pretty much confirmed what the doctors already knew: I had kidney failure and Somac was the cause.”
Commonly used for digestive symptoms and disorders, these inhibitors work by reducing the enzymes found in the stomach lining that produce stomach acid.
This process can increase levels of gastrin, a hormone produced in the gastrointestinal tract, urinary tract, and nervous system. Linked This leads to the formation of cancer cells.
