Acute Phosphate Nephropathy
Use of the oral sodium phosphate products (OSPs) “Fleet Phospho-soda” and “Fleet Phospho-soda EZ-Prep Bowel Cleansing System” has been linked to a type of kidney injury known as acute phosphate nephropathy. In December 2008, C.B. Fleet recalled its Phospho-soda products after the Food and Drug Administration stated that they should not be sold over the counter for pre-colonoscopy bowel cleansing due to a risk of acute renal failure.
Acute phosphate nephropathy occurs when calcium-phosphate crystals are deposited in tubules located inside the kidneys, leading to acute renal failure. This may cause permanent kidney damage and may require kidney transplant surgery.
While all patients who use OSPs such as Phospho-soda may develop acute phosphate nephropathy, there are a number of risk factors which may make a patient more likely to develop acute phosphate nephropathy.
According to a medical study published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, patients with a history of high blood pressure; those who are taking angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARB), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or ACE inhibitors; women; the elderly and patients with a history of kidney problems may be at an increased risk of acute phosphate nephropathy when using OSP products.
Because it may take several weeks after a colonoscopy for a patient to develop acute renal failure, many physicians fail to recognize the symptoms of acute phosphate nephropathy, according to the JASN study.
If you have experienced side effects such as kidney problems after using an OSP such as Fleet Phospho-soda for pre-colonoscopy bowel cleansing, it is important that you mention this to your doctor. This will help your doctor know to perform the proper tests in order to determine whether you have suffered a kidney injury as a result of acute phosphate nephropathy.