People’s Pharmacy: Gummies for sleep led to diarrhea

Q. I was taking two melatonin gummies each night to help me sleep. They worked well, but within about a week, I developed diarrhea that kept getting worse.

After several weeks, I contacted my doctor. She ran a series of blood work, including ulcer tests and at-home colon cancer tests, trying to pinpoint the problem.

I happened to read the melatonin bottle one night and it said, “use as needed,” not nightly.

I skipped it a few nights, and my intestinal issues went away. As a test, about a week later, I took them again. After two nights, the diarrhea came back. My doctor then told me that the ingredients in some gummies can cause this problem for susceptible people.

A. We agree with your physician that nonsugar sweeteners could be the culprits behind your digestive distress. Manufacturers of gummy supplements like to advertise that they are sugar-free. Many of those contain sweeteners such as maltitol, sorbitol or xylitol.

These compounds can cause gas, stomach pain and diarrhea. You may want to look for another form of melatonin supplement instead of gummies. Pills are widely available.

You can learn about other strategies for dealing with insomnia in our “eGuide to Getting a Good Night’s Sleep,” This online resource may be found under the Health eGuides tab at www.PeoplesPharmacy.com.

Q. I am a woman with undetectable testosterone levels. My doctor prescribed a low-dose testosterone pellet that he inserted under my skin. It lasted for several months. This was not covered by insurance, but the results were worth it.

A. Women make testosterone as well as estrogen. Testosterone treatment for women remains controversial, however. The Food and Drug Administration has not approved this hormone for women. Some doctors have prescribed it for decades to ease certain menopausal symptoms, including vaginal dryness and low sex drive.

When testosterone levels are low, women may feel depressed and have decreased sexual desire. Your doctor should monitor your testosterone levels to make sure your hormone levels remain within normal limits.

Q. After trying many typical over-the-counter remedies for my ugly toenail fungus, I went on to try everything the podiatrist recommended. The fungus did not go away.

Then I decided to experiment with an over-the-counter antibiotic ointment called Polysporin. I may have read about it in your newspaper column. To my delight, the fungus was gone in three days. It has not come back, although that was more than five years ago.

A. Polysporin is a popular brand of OTC antibiotic ointment that contains bacitracin and polymyxin B. A few years ago, we learned that some “fungal” toenail infections actually may be caused in part by bacterial pathogens (Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association, March 1, 2021).

That would explain why some hard-to-treat nail infections may respond to topical antibiotics such as Polysporin or Neosporin (bacitracin, polymyxin B and neomycin).

It might also provide a rationale for why footbath soaks involving old-fashioned amber Listerine could be helpful. The ingredients in Listerine (eucalyptol, menthol, thymol, alcohol) have both antifungal and antibacterial activity.

Another reader offered this testimonial: “After 14 years of iodine, OTC treatments, UV light, lasers and many more treatments for my nasty toenail, Neosporin is killing this growth. I clean the nails and apply the ointment daily. Finally, the improvement is making a huge difference in how it looks.”

In their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of King Features, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803, or email them via their website: www.PeoplesPharmacy.com. Their newest book is “Top Screwups Doctors Make and How to Avoid Them.”