'Halloween diarrhea'. An unexpected trick of sorbitol-containing candy.

When a patient with severe diarrhea and flatulence is afebrile and the results of physical examination are negative, a food source should be suspected as the cause of the problem. Careful scrutiny of the patient's diet and a high index of suspicion may implicate the artificial sweetener sorbitol. Exclusion of sorbitol from the patient's diet is recommended in these cases before embarking on an extensive clinical investigation.