What are Oral Sodium Phosphates (OSPs)?
Serious kidney problems can happen to people who take medicines made with "Sodium Phosphate".

Oral sodium phosphate are commonly used by patients preparing to undergo a colonoscopy. Oral sodium phosphate medications are bowel cleansing products that are known scientifically as ‘OSPs'. OSPs are sold both by prescription and over the counter, and their purpose is to remove excess materials from the bowel.

Oral sodium phosphate (OSP) products cleanse the bowels causing you to have diarrhea and flushes out waste matter. This helps your doctor see the inside of your colon more clearly during the colonoscopy so that doctors can more effectively perform colon procedures. Osmos Prep®, Fleet Phospho-Soda® and Visico® have been linked to several serious side effects involving the kidneys.

Brand names of OSP's that have been linked to several serious side effects involving the kidneys are:
• Visicol
• Osmoprep
• Fleet Phospho-Soda

What is OsmoPrep?
OsmoPrep is a prescription drug that is advertised as being unique among bowel preps because it consists of a series of pills instead of a liquid prep and is taken with the clear liquid of the patient’s choice, allowing the patient to choose what the tablet will taste like – not like an unpleasant liquid bowel prep.

What is Fleet Phospho-Soda?
Fleet Phospho-Soda is an over-the-counter oral sodium phosphate solution commonly used as a laxative or as a bowel cleanser prior to a colonoscopy. When used at higher doses for colonoscopy prep, Fleet Phospho-Soda can cause a condition known as acute phosphate nephropathy, which can lead to kidney failure. Depending on the circumstances, Fleet Phospho-Soda kidney failure can be life-threatening and may require dialysis and/or kidney transplant.

What is Visicol?
Visicol is a prescription colon cleansing tablet formed drug used by patients preparing to under go a colonoscopy, These tasteless tablets may be taken with any clear liquid.

OSPs can cause renal and kidney failure?
OsmoPrep, Fleet Phospho-Soda and Visicol have been linked to several serious side effects involving the kidneys.

Acute Phosphate Nephropathy (kidney failure) is rare, and has been associated with the use of OSPs. These problems often happen within a few days, but sometimes may happen several months after the ingestion of oral sodium phosphate solution.

Renal failure or kidney failure is a situation in which the kidneys fail to function adequately. If ignored, the kidneys will progress to complete failure.

How do OSPs cause kidney failure?
The kidneys are the body’s natural filtration system. They perform the critical task of processing approximately 200 quarts of fluid in the bloodstream every 24 hours. Waste products like urea and toxins, along with excess fluids, are removed from the blood stream in the form of urine. Kidney (or Renal) failure occurs when kidney functioning becomes impaired. Fluids and toxins begin to accumulate in the bloodstream.

Acute kidney failure can be caused by many different illnesses, injuries, and infections. These conditions fall into three main categories:

• Prerenal Conditions
• Postrenal Conditions
• Intrarenal Conditions

OPS’s have been linked to the kidney failure category of intrarenal conditions.
This conditions may include: acute inflammation of the glomeruli, or filters, of the kidney (glomerulonephritis). OSPs may cause a decline in glomerular filtration rate causing, acute kidney failure.

Side effects can occur anywhere from hours to weeks following the ingestion of oral sodium phosphate solutions.

When a kidney damaged by phosphate nephropathy is biopsied, the pathological findings are typical of nephrocalcinosis: diffuse tubular injury with calcium phosphate crystal deposition.

OsmoPrep in the news

• 12/11/2008 – The FDA ordered a "black box" warning

Other drug manufacturer cases

Gadolinium

OSPs (OsmoPrep, Fleet, Visicol)

Reglan

Levaquin

Steven's Johnson Syndrome

Avandia

Bertram Law Firm