You’ve scheduled a colonoscopy?

Good move. But if this is your first, be forewarned: The colon-clearing preparation is a bit daunting. And now we find it may even be dangerous if a drug containing sodium phosphate is involved.

This warning was the topic of a recent Code Red report – our urgent alert service for e-Alert subscribers, prepared by HSI researcher Michele Cagan. I’m repeating Michele’s report today because I want to be sure none of our readers miss this important news about a drug that’s commonly used in this very common procedure.

Michele: “The black box warning on colon-cleansing drugs containing sodium phosphate has managed to stay out of the spotlight somehow — but it’s critical information for anyone undergoing a colonoscopy.

“These drugs (which include Visicol and OsmoPrep) got slapped with the black box warning because they’ve apparently caused permanent kidney damage. This damage is irreparable, and can set you up for a lifetime of dialysis and other complications. Yet, somehow, they’ve managed to fly under the radar. Until now…”

Michele suggests you ask your doctor for a different pre-procedure colon cleanser, such as Miralax, Colyte, or TriLyte, which contain no sodium phosphate.

Keep an eye out for further Code Red reports that deliver important breaking health news as soon as it’s available.