Osmo Prep Side Effects Can Be Life Threatening

Tiny Tubules In Kidneys May Be Blocked By Using Osmo Preg

Osmo Prep side effects vary widely from person to person, with the most common adverse symptoms being abdominal bloating, abdominal pain, headache, and nausea. However, the popular prescription bowel prep medication poses other serious risks beyond manageable issues, such as severe kidney damage, hyperphosphatemia, and acute phosphate nephropathy.

In reported instances, patients taking the drug have indicated severe adverse effects, including hypokalemia. Essentially, the disorder occurs when there are inadequate levels of potassium in the blood, initially causing heart palpitations. While it has a variety of causes, dehydration is key. If untreated, the condition can lead to muscular weakness, muscle cramps, myalgia, and severe constipation. In extreme cases, patients may exhibit tetany, hyporeflexia, and flaccid paralysis. Respiratory depression is also observed in patients with hypokalemia.

Another concern is hyperphosphatemia, which is described as an electrolyte disturbance in the blood including high levels of phosphate, a chemical found in the prescription strength laxative. This can lead to secondary hyperparathyroidism, ectopic calcification, and renal osteodystrophy.

Other concerns, most recently indicated by the FDA and therefore requiring a “black box” label for the drug, involve renal failure and kidney damage. In some instances, patients taking the medication reported acute phosphate nephropathy, a condition which can lead to kidney injury, failure, and if untreated, death. Therefore, though rare, the complications caused by the product can be life threatening.

Further serious symptoms reported include hypersensitive reactions like facial swelling, rash, pruritus, throat tightness, and bronchiospasm. Seizures and arrhythmia has also been reported, as well as indications of renal impairment, increased blood urea nitrogen (BUN), increased creatinine, nephrocalcinosis, and renal tubular necrosis. Because of the risk of dehydration, patients are always advised to take the medication as directed. Common signs of dehydration include dizziness, malaise, vomiting, and headache.

Patients with pre-existing conditions are warned not to take the drug due to the higher incidence of these complications. Some high-risk demographics include individuals with heart problems, bowel diseases, eating disorders, diabetes, kidney disease, chronic stomach pain, severe constipation, and those who take medication for blood pressure, heart disease, or kidney disease. Additionally, many drugs may interact with the bowel prep prescription, including narcotics, diuretics, NSAIDs, antibiotics, antidepressants, anti-nausea medications, anti-psychotics, blood pressure medications, and some common migraine drugs.

The correlation is so strong that in 2008 the FDA released a warning to the public concerning both over-the-counter and prescription versions of the drug. The parent company, Fleet, recalled all over-the-counter drugs and re-labeled their prescriptions - known additionally as Visicol - to more accurately reflect the serious risks. From a statement by the FDA: “Though rare, these are serious adverse events associated with the use of oral sodium phosphates - both prescription and over-the-counter products. In some cases, these serious adverse events occurred in patients with no pre-existing health factors that would have put them at risk for developing kidney injury.” Since the announcement, many people have sought to become involved in a Visicol lawsuit , hoping for medical compensation.