Fleet Phospho-soda Recall News

by admin on November 21st, 2009

If you have had a colonoscopy, you should know about the Fleet Phospho-soda recall of a treatment used to prepare for the procedure.

Fleet Phospho-Soda, which is a solution used to clean the bowels prior to a colonoscopy, has caused serious kidney damage in some users. The FDA issued a warning of these dangers, and Fleet’s manufacturer, C.B. Fleet, has issued a recall of the Phospho-Soda from drugstore shelves. The solution is now available only by prescription.

Fleet Phospho-soda was originally sold as an over the counter oral solution and was recommended to patients to use the day before a colonoscopy. Patients were instructed to mix the powder with a clear liquid and drink it, while following a clear liquid diet that day. Patients may have been instructed to take one or more doses at specific intervals.

By using Fleet Phospho-soda, patients lost fluid through bowel movements, which effectively flushed the bowels and made it easier for doctors to see the colon more clearly to check for polyps or any abnormalities.

While the treatment worked for this purpose, some people who used Fleet Phospho-soda have had a serious kidney injury, leading to decreased kidney function, dialysis and transplant.

Researchers have examined the connection between oral sodium phosphates (OSPs) and kidney damage for several years, and believe that the fluctuation of fluid during the bowel cleansing may be one cause of the Fleet kidney damage.

Although some of the affected patients had underlying medical issues, others did not. Because people who ingest the treatment lose a lot of fluid through the bowel cleansing, they are instructed to replace the fluid with clear liquids. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says it is possible that some patients may not have done this effectively and became dehydrated.

Some patients developed a serious kidney injury called acute phosphate nephropathy, which can occur when calcium-phosphate crystals enter the area of the kidney that filters blood (renal tubules) and impairs the kidney’s function.

Symptoms of the injury appeared one day to several weeks after the procedure, and included lethargy, decreased urine, nausea and swelling of the legs.

Acute phosphate nephropathy can be treated, but the damage cannot always be reversed. If the damage to the kidney is too great, the organ is unable to function properly. At this point of kidney failure, the patient will need to consider additional treatment options such as dialysis or a kidney transplant.

If you or a loved one has been affected by kidney damage after using Fleet Phospho-Soda, contact us. We represent Fleet lawsuit clients on a contingency basis, which means there are no legal fees unless we win compensation on your case. If you have questions or would like a free no-obligation case review, please call toll free or fill out our short online contact form.