DEAR DR. GOTT: I am writing in regards to your column about the woman with activity-induced hives. I, too, had a problem similar to that of the reader.

I had gone to have a facial and bought some of the products they offered. About a week or 10 days later, I started getting hives. They would appear out of nowhere. If I bumped my arm, a few minutes later I would have hives in that area.

As it progressed, my feet and hands would swell up. My lips would swell even with pressure. Sometimes the hives would appear like a thousand mosquito bites, and within 10 minutes would disappear. Some days all I could do was sit on the couch because I didn't want to cause the hives to appear.

This went on for months. I went to my regular doctor and saw an allergist. The specialist could find nothing that I was allergic to that would cause hives like I was experiencing. I was on Allegra for more than a year. During all this, I gave my daughter the cleanser I had gotten after the facial.

After about a year, I quit taking the Allegra and didn't have any hives. I was OK for a while. I started using the cleanser again, and the hives came back! Years earlier, when I was pregnant, I read about sorbitol and learned of some of the problems it can cause. I had been taking an antacid for heartburn when I was pregnant and had an unexplained case of diarrhea that went on for several weeks. Fast-forward to the facial cleanser: It contained sorbitol.

Since then, I have found that several members of my family cannot tolerate anything with sorbitol in it. Sugar-free gums (sweetened with sorbitol) give my youngest child diarrhea within 30 minutes. My younger sister has hives like I do when she uses products such as shampoo, soaps and beauty products that contain sorbitol. My aunt gets hives after eating sugar-free candy. So, when I read this letter to you, and saw that the woman had been on Weight Watchers. I thought she was likely using diet products with no sugar that were sweetened with artificial sweeteners, such as sorbitol.

It is also used in some immunizations, such as Gardasil.

DEAR READER: Sorbitol is a known laxative. In fact, it has been added to certain medications specifically for that reason. Actidose with sorbitol is one of those medications; it is used to bind poisons and other toxic substances in the body, and then aid removal by inducing a bowel movement. Sorbitol is also available by prescription as a urologic irrigation solution used to remove debris and prevent infection following bladder and other urinary-tract surgeries.

Side effects include allergic reaction (hives, rash, difficulty breathing, itching, etc.), chest pain, vomiting, confusion, diarrhea, seizures, changes in heart rate and more.

Sorbitol, as you already know, is also used as an artificial sweetener in many sugar-free products and as thickener and humectant (aids moisture retention) in cosmetics and many other products. It can also be produced within the body and can cause eye and nerve damage in diabetics.

So while there is no escaping all sources of sorbitol, people sensitive to it should read labels and reduce exposure.

Readers who are interested in learning more about allergies can order my Health Report "Allergies" by sending a self-addressed stamped No. 10 envelope and a $2 check or money order made payable to Newsletter and mailed to Newsletter, P.O. Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092-0167. Be sure to mention the title or print an order form off my website link at www.AskDrGottMD.com/order_form.pdf.

Dr. Peter H. Gott is a retired physician and the author of several books, including "Live Longer, Live Better," "Dr. Gott's No Flour, No Sugar Diet" and "Dr. Gott's No Flour, No Sugar Cookbook," which are available at most bookstores or online. His website is www.AskDrGottMD.com.

Copyright 2011, United Feature Syndicate Inc.