Thats awful my husband has been on them for about 18 months with no problems except he now finds them hard to get down.
Ask about Renvela. They are the "new and improved" Renagel. They are supposed to dissolve in your stomach faster and they even can come in a powder that you mix up and drink before eating your meal. Not as convenient as the pill (it comes in pill too) and you use up a cup of your fluid getting the powder down. Renagel plugged me up and then after about 3 days I would shit a brick. Sorry, bad visual!