OsmoPrep Lawsuit

Some people who used OsmoPrep (The Tablet Prep), Fleet Phospho-soda or Fleet Phospho-soda EZ-Prep Bowel Cleansing System experienced side effects, including phospho soda kidney damage. These products were used for enemas/bowel preps before a colonoscopy. Please contact us for more information on being part of an OsmoPrep lawsuit. There is never any cost to speak to an attorney regarding your legal rights.

Prior to a colonoscopy, you doctor will have you take a bowel cleansing solution that clears the bowel. OsmoPrep, Fleet Phospho-soda and Fleet Phospho-soda EZ-Prep Bowel Cleansing System were such products. Bowel cleansing is necessary because during a colonoscopy, the doctor inserts a camera called a colonoscopy to take pictures of the inside of the colon, which the doctor can view on a monitor during the exam. This camera cannot take accurate pictures if the bowel is not clear. The colonoscope can also collect samples for biopsies, remove polyps or cauterize areas to stop bleeding.

In 2008, the FDA warned that several patients had suffered from kidney problems called acute phosphate nephropathy (renal failure). In cases of acute phosphate nephropathy, calcium phosphate crystals deposit in the renal tubules causing kidney failure, which can be permanent. Because of these severe Fleet enema side effects, the FDA decided that the Fleet laxative products should not be used over-the-counter.

Following the FDA warning, CB Fleet Company, Inc. recalled its over-the-counter drugs in December 2008. Fleet advertised their laxative products for use at very high dosage rates without adequate warnings about the risk of Fleet kidney failure for years prior to the recall. People with known kidney disorders were especially vulnerable to kidney failure, and could have avoided the life-threatening acute phosphate nephropathy if there had been proper warnings. The FDA warned that the following people were at an increased risk of developing Fleet or OsmoPrep side effects:

• People who are 55 years or older,
• People who are dehydrated,
• People who have a history of kidney problems,
• People who have delayed bowel emptying,
• People who have active colitis, or
• People who take certain medications that affect kidney function, such as diuretic (fluid) pills, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors (medications that lower blood pressure), angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs, used to treat high blood pressure, heart or kidney failure), and possibly nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS, like ibuprofen or other arthritis medications).

You may have important legal rights if you have experienced Visicol, Fleet or OsmoPrep side effects. If you would like to discuss your rights and hold the manufacturer responsible for your kidney damage, please contact us and an experienced product liability attorney will explain your rights including being part of an OsmoPrep lawsuit.