Diarrhea
Coconut Macaroon Cookies Are a Favorite Home Rem…
We love it when readers share home remedies that work for common health concerns. One of our all-time favorites is coconut for the runs. A reader recently wrote that the effects of a colonoscopy prepa…
Psyllium Fiber Is Versatile Remedy
Psyllium fiber has become a household name, especially in the brand name formulations where it is found: Konsyl, Metamucil, Nature's Way Psyllium, and dozens more. From the 1930s to the 1960s a produc…
Beware Norovirus, Coffee Cup Lids and Dirty Mone…
The most recent update from the CDC (March 7, 2024) reveals norovirus on the rise across the four regions of the US: Southern, Northeastern, Midwestern and Western Census Regions. The Northeast seems …
How Can You Avoid Norovirus 2024?
Norovirus is nasty! You do not want to catch this "stomach flu." It is also called "winter vomiting bug" and "cruise ship virus." This pathogen is incredibly contagious and is circulating far and wide…
Will Coconut Macaroons Overcome Bad Diarrhea?
We rarely know the source of home remedies, but we have tracked one carefully. The late Donald Agar wrote to us from Pittsfield, Massachusetts, in 1998 to report a serendipitous discovery. He had foun…
Research Supports Coconut Remedy to Stop Diarrhe…
Have you heard of eating coconut cookies to control a bout of diarrhea? Here's the story behind this coconut remedy. Coconut Remedy for Chronic Diarrhea: Q. My husband suffered with diarrhea for many …
Sneaky Delayed Drug Side Effects Fool MDs and Pa…
If your doctor recommends a new drug to treat high blood pressure, diabetes, hypothyroidism or elevated LDL cholesterol, you should be informed about the most common or worrisome side effects. Actuall…
Sugar Substitutes Cause Diarrhea
My Do you ever become frustrated when you discover that something you've done to improve your health has caused trouble instead? Many people have encountered problems with sugar substitutes, whether t…
Metformin (Glucophage) Side Effects & Compl…
The fascinating compound called metformin was discovered nearly a century ago. Scientists realized that it could lower blood sugar in an animal model (rabbits) as early as 1929, but it wasn't until th…
Why Do People Fight About Coffee Cup Lid Contami…
What is it about coffee cup lids that drives people to distraction? Some people could not care less about coffee cup lid contamination. Others get very excited. This is not the sort of thing public he…
Treatments for Traveler’s Diarrhea Require…
When you're on a business trip or a long-delayed vacation, the last thing you want is to be stuck in a hotel room suffering with the traveler's diarrhea for a few days. Decades ago I was teaching phar…
Probiotic Can Help Prevent C. Diff Due to Antibi…
Have you ever experienced a bad bout of diarrhea after finishing a course of antibiotics? This reaction is not uncommon. Now, researchers are beginning to recognize that often this problem is caused b…
Toilet Seat Sanitation Stirs Emotions
We never fail to be amazed at how worked up people get about public restrooms and toilet seats. A wet toilet seat grosses most people out. Nobody Wants a Damp Toilet Seat! Q. I hate sitting on a damp …
Solving Problems With Both Constipation and Diar…
Irritable bowel syndrome is a common digestive disorder, affecting between 25 million and 45 million individuals in the US. For many decades, gastroenterologists labeled this a "functional GI disorder…
Show 1244: Life-Saving Lessons for COVID-19 from…
We are heartbroken that Dr. Paul Farmer, with whom we spoke in this episode, died suddenly on Feb. 21, 2022. He was a true hero. Our condolences to his family and colleagues. We are airing this interv…
Grated Apple and Toast Calm Kids’ Diarrhea
Loose stools are a common problem among babies and toddlers, and parents often search for simple effective treatments. When kids' diarrhea is severe, doctors usually recommend oral rehydration with a …
Pomegranate Juice For Chronic Diarrhea
Chronic diarrhea is debilitating. Even if there is no serious medical condition causing liquidity, this condition can interfere with both work and leisure activity. In fact, people often tell us they …
Can Treated Licorice (DGL) Ease IBS Symptoms?
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) has long been a mystery to doctors. Sufferers experience cramps, bloating, gas, constipation or diarrhea and other digestive distress. Until recently gastroenterologists…
Coconut Cookies and Peppermint Oil Ease Irritabl…
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can cause a lot of misery in the form of stomach cramps, bloating, stomachaches and either constipation or diarrhea. Doctors are not entirely certain why some people dev…
Show 1179: What Should You Do About Digestive Di…
Have you ever had horrible heartburn or a really bad bellyache? Most of us have experienced digestive distress at one time or another. When do you need to seek medical attention for your problem? What…
Raspberry Powder to Help Diarrhea from IBS
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a miserable condition. Although doctors can find no good explanation, IBS inflicts abdominal pain, gas, cramping, bloating and either diarrhea or constipation. Occasi…
What Happened to Archway Coconut Cookies?
For years, readers used to tell us that they used Archway Coconut Macaroon Cookies as a remedy for diarrhea. Donald Agar was the first to discover this and share it with us. Many others agreed with hi…
Show 1222: How Can You Optimize Your Microbiome?
The microbiome–the genome of our collective microbiota–has become a trendy topic in medicine lately. With more microbial than human cells in our bodies, it’s becoming clear we should think of ou…
What Can You Do to Control Microscopic Colitis?
If you had diarrhea every day, several times a day, you might be desperate for some way to control it. One reader presented us with this challenge: what can he do to stop diarrhea due to microscopic c…
Should You Worry About the Toilet Plume?
If you have done any traveling over the past few years, you may have noticed some welcome changes in airport bathrooms. Many are now equipped with sensors that turn on the water faucets automatically.…
Celiac Disease Diagnosis Is Not Just for Babies
Until relatively recently (approximately the past two decades), doctors rarely offered a celiac disease diagnosis to an adult. They thought the condition was really quite rare and that it primarily af…
Will You Have Better Poop With Blackstrap Molass…
Some home remedies are perennially popular. Others are more unusual. Although we have heard from readers that blackstrap molasses can ease hemorrhoids, we were surprised when a reader reported that ta…
Did Clindamycin Lead to Terrible Diarrhea?
For decades, doctors have known that the antibiotic clindamycin could cause terrible diarrhea. Back then, they called it "pseudomembranous colitis." Originally, they thought it was a bizarre side effe…
All About KayaBiotics
The People's Pharmacy radio show and podcast appreciates support from its sponsors. One of our sponsors is KayaBiotics, a German company that makes high-quality probiotics from all-organic ingredients…
Raspberry Powder to Fight Travelers’ Diarr…
Whether you term it Delhi Belly or Montezuma's Revenge, travelers' diarrhea is no joking matter. You don't even have to be trekking through rough terrain in undeveloped places. Researchers recently fo…
Can Antibiotic Help Post-Colonoscopy Problems?
Colonoscopies save lives. The procedure in which a gastroenterologist examines the lining of the colon for pre-cancerous growths called polyps allows for early detection of colon cancer. In addition, …
Clindamycin and C. Diff Infection: A Devil’s R…
The FDA has a black box warning in the prescribing information for clindamycin (Cleocin). That represents the highest alert for physicians and patients about this antibiotic. It says in part: “Becau…
Why Choose Certified Organic Probiotic Products?
FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D., recently announced that the agency will be “modernizing and reforming FDA’s oversight” of dietary supplements. In essence, he has admitted that the F…
Toilet Seats Are a Touchy Topic
Did you know that there is a medical condition called TP (toilet phobia). An article in the German medical journal Klinische Pediatrie (Jan. 2017) notes that "...toilet phobia (TP) is a rare disorder …
C Diff Infections Are No Longer Limited to Hospi…
C diff infections, caused by bacteria known as Clostridium difficile, were once thought to be limited to hospitals, nursing homes and other health care facilities. Such infections can cause severe, o…
Coconut Macaroon Cookies Cured Child’s Dia…
Have you ever had acute diarrhea? Almost everyone has. You know how unpleasant the experience can be, even if it only lasts for a few hours. Millions of people suffer from chronic diarrhea. It can be …
Will Artificial Sweeteners Harm Your Microbiota?
Artificial sweeteners are extremely popular, since they appear to allow us to break the rules and enjoy sweet drinks or treats without gaining weight. The FDA has approved a number of artificial sweet…
A Deadly Clindamycin Side Effect | Wicked Diarrh…
Over 5 millions prescriptions for the antibiotic clindamycin (Cleocin) are dispensed each year. This antibiotic has been available for almost 50 years. It is effective against a wide range of nasty ba…
Should You Take Probiotics with Antibiotics? New…
Health professionals in the U.S. have been slow to embrace probiotics. European doctors have been recommending probiotics with antibiotics for a long time. For reasons that puzzle us, American physici…
Can You Fight Bacteria with Viruses?
Antibiotic resistance has become a global concern. But Mother Nature has come up with a fascinating option for overcoming bacterial infection: viruses that fight bacteria. Using Viruses to Fight Bacte…