Bad experience with Mannitol???
 

Wanted to report on my experience with mannitol- though I have zero evidence of cause and effect- I am convinced that initiating oral mannitol- 1 tbsp/d has had negative effects on my energy, rigidity and hypokinesia. Though I know any positive effect may take a month or more to manifest-- i've given up.

As we all know now - the gut-brain connection is f strong in PD--as with everything else-with marked individual differences.

Mannitol- a sugar alcohol with a low glycemic index-poorly absorbed from the gut-is used/along with lactulose to determine increased gut permeability-e.g with bacterial overgrowth-or CIBO- In patients with CIBO- the urine ( evidence of absorbtion into the blood) excretion of lactulose is up ( evidence of gut leak) but mannitol is not a (presumably evidence of loss of digestive surface area). In many people-(including me) lactulose ingestion in significant quamtities will be fermented by gut flora (especially "bad" gut bacteria to various metabolites- including gases. As I have written before- as with many of us- as my gut goes, so does my PD. From the moment i began taking mannitol ( and i take a daily probiotic) i had significantly more soft BM's, more bloating and a lot more flatulance (TMI- I know). I have also felt like sh---. Mannitol and other sugar alcohols are to be avoided in "leaky gut" and though there is a shot at a long term benefit- I am not willing to take the risk!. I would be interested if others have experienced this!

I don't know the PD connections with mannitol.

But I do know that all of the sugar alcohols are also used as sweeteners, and as such they can be laxative depending on how much is consumed. Sorbitol is used in hospitals for constipation, but many people get a laxative action from it from foods where it is added to improve consistency and offer a sweet taste.
Hershey's had it in their chocolate kisses with cherry filling.
Most diabetic candies contain sorbitol. (I've had reactions to the Hershey's and I called them up to complain and they said they don't have to label their product as "containing sorbitol" until a serving reaches 50grams).

People consuming sugar free mints and gum can get diarrhea, gas and bloating too.

Mannitol is used IV also in people with brain swelling from trauma or surgery. This is medically supervised.

Perhaps your dose could be lowered? Or you divide it up over a day in multiple dosing. There are 3 teaspoonfuls (15ml) in a tablespoonful when measured carefully. If you use 5ml at 3 separate times, it might lower your side effects some. I think this is worth a try. The sugar alcohols are considered osmotic laxatives, as they draw water from the blood into the lumen of the GI tract. I have to wonder then how much is actually absorbed into the blood at any one time.

Xylitol, mannitol, and sorbitol can be found in many foods and other orally consumed products. There are sites that suggest they are responsible for the epidemic of irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea.

schwad01 are you still taking Mannitol? is anyone else here taking Mannitol and had good or bad results?

See my recent update on the main mannitol thread:

https://www.neurotalk.org/parkinson-...ml#post1283245

Thank you Jeffery