Fleet Phospho Soda Side Effects

Fleet Phospho Soda is an over-the-counter laxative that is commonly used as a bowel cleanser by patients preparing to undergo a colonoscopy. According to the FDA, high doses of oral sodium phosphates, such as Fleet Phospho Soda, may cause the development of serious and potentially life-threatening side effects, including severe kidney damage and kidney failure known as acute phosphate nephropathy.

Patients who experience any of the following serious Fleet Phospho Soda side effects should stop using this medication and call a doctor immediately:

rectal bleeding
no bowel movement after use
sores or ulcers around the rectum
seizure (black-out or convulsions)
fast, slow, or uneven heart rate
urinating less than usual or not at all
drowsiness, confusion, mood changes, increased thirst, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting
swelling, weight gain, feeling short of breath

Risk Factors for Fleet Phospho Soda Side Effects

Using Fleet Phospho Soda more than once in a seven day periodincreases the risk of side effects. Patients with the following conditions are also at an increased risk of developing dangerous Fleet Phospho Soda side effects:

Dangerous Product Alerts

FDA Requires Black Box Warning for Oral Sodium Phosphate (OSP) Products

kidney disease
dehydration
electrolyte imbalance (such as high or low levels of potassium, sodium, phosphorous, or magnesium in your blood)

Fleet Phospho Soda Recall

On December 11, 2008, C.B. Fleet voluntarily withdrew its over-the-counter oral bowel cleansing solutions from the market after the FDA indicated that over-the-counter laxatives should not be used in high doses for bowel preparation and should only be available by prescription. At that time, the FDA announced that a black box warning would be added to prescription oral sodium phosphates, such as OsmoPrep and Visicol, to notify consumers about the risk of serious side effects.