Laxative causes kidney problems?

Jennifer Moore

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Fleet Phospho-soda is an over-the-counter laxative that is commonly used to flush patients' bowels prior to colonoscopies. In 2006, the FDA reported that it had documented at least 21 cases of kidney failure associated with use of this laxative and its generic equivalent. Several lawsuits have been filed alleging that the laxative has caused serious kidney problems and, in some cases, death. More than 50 lawsuits have been filed against the manufacturer, C.B. Fleet Company of Lynchburg, Virginia. Some individuals who took the laxative suffered from kidney failure and had to go on dialysis or receive a transplant.

While Phospho-soda been on the market more than 100 years, and the Food and Drug Administration lists it as safe when used as a single-dose laxative, in the early 1990s the company began promoting a double-dose regimen for people about to undergo colonoscopies and surgical procedures, according to the lawyers' group.

The FDA has not certified the double-dose regimen. In fact, the FDA issued an alert to doctors and patients in May 2006 warning that it had documented 21 cases of kidney failure associated with the use of oral sodium phosphate solutions such as Phospho-soda and its generic competitors.
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Fleet's Web site urges patients using Phospho-soda for bowel preparation to review the FDA's information statement, follow their doctors' instructions and drink at least 72 ounces of clear liquids to replace the fluids they will lose.

If you have experienced kidney problems after taking Phospho-soda, you should seek medical treatment. You should also seek the advice of a lawyer.

For more information on this subject matter, please refer to the section on Drugs, Medical Devices, and Implants.