Bowel prep with phospho-soda (Fleet's)?

I feel like I was in a whirlwind today - went in for what I thought would just be a surgical consult and date-setting but ended up with surgery scheduled for this coming Tuesday and lots of instructions. The one that concerns me most is the instruction to take two doses of Fleet's phospho-soda only 3 hours apart. My husband had read a story in last week's newspaper about some lawuits against this manufacturer because of kidney damage claimed to be caused by this dosage (essentially a double-dose). I looked up the news stories and he was right - there are a lot of lawsuits in the works. My thought is that possibly these folks did not follow the instructions to drink LOTS of liquids in order to stay hydrated, but still I am very concerned. I have a call in to the surgery coordinator to discuss other options (I used a prescription laxative when I had my colonoscopy 3 years ago and it worked really well even though it meant drinking a gallon of fluid) but I'd like to know how many others out there had to use the same procedure I'm being given now and whether you had any problems. The instructions are to mix 1.5 ounces of the phospho-soda with 8 oz of clear liquid, drink it quickly and then follow with 8 oz. of a clear liquid at 5 PM, then repeat the process at 8 PM. After that, I am to drink at least 3 more 8 oz glasses of liquid before midnight. All this is after drinking lots of clear liquids all day. Thanks for any help you can offer!

My doc isn't having me take any bowel prep liquids, instead I can either do an enema or use suppositores (sp?), I don't know which to do, both sound pretty icky! As far as the liquid, I don't know anything about it, maybe you can do something other drink the liquids? Good luck!

Connie

I had to do the Fleets prep and had no problems. I did drink plenty, plenty of water, though. I think the benefit is that you get it over with pretty quickly. Only about 2 hours to be pretty much completely empty and done for me. Certainly you should check with your surgeon regarding the news reports. I had heard nothing about them before hand so wasn't worried about anything but choking that horrid stuff down

BTW, really glad my GYN had me do the bowel prep as I ended up with a small puncture in the rectum that required surgical repair. So, take it seriously!

good luck,
~~april

This is the same bowel prep I was given 2 weeks ago. I was not aware of the law suits though. I had no problems with it. It was much better than the Golytely I had had before. If I'd known about the law suits, I may have asked for Golytely. I had been on clear liquids for 2 days by the time I did the bowel prep.

2 weeks post op....no problems at all.

Good luck,

Hi..I did the same bowel prep...phosposoda, fleet..1/2 bottle at 8pm and 1/2 at 11pm....did not have out of control bowel movements....just two good ones so it was not that bad.....I was worried I would have to stay up all nite...but i was able to go to bed at 12......the next morning before going to the hospital I had to do a fleet enema...that worked right away and no problems at all with either one of those...

I did the Fleet's phospho-soda and didn't have any problems other than it worked quickly. But you have to make sure you drink plenty of liquids because while clearing you out, it can also dehydrate you. That's why it says in the instructions to drink plenty of clear liquids. I was actually on a clear liquid diet for 2 days before my surgery and doing the Fleet the day before.

If you're still concerned about it, please make sure to talk to your doctor. Maybe you can do dosing that's a little further apart.

Hugs.

Thanks, everyone! I feel a lot better knowing I'm not alone!

I wonder why my doctor didn't have me do bowel prep? All I had to do was not eat or drink after midnight and show up for my surgery the next morning. My sister had to use the Fleet enema before her hysterectomy last year.

I too have to drink the Fleet. I bought the 2 bottle kit. But after getting home and reading the directions I realized the 2 bottles are different amounts. So now when I go for pre-op next Thursday I am taking it in with me and asking if it makes a difference that the bottles are 2 different sizes.

Also have to take 2 Delcolax the morning before.

Steph

i had to drink a bottle of magnesium citrate and that worked great. i do know a few women that had to drink the fleet and had no problems at all.
if you arent comfortable with it, i'm sure your dr has an alternative method you could use though. good luck