<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> Here is the original message I sent to the list: > > Has anyone else had problems with Citracal? Just took my second pill today > > and something made me sick. Not gluten. Just yucky sick all day and > > evening. Then I notice Citracal has that damn antifreeze listed in the > > ingredients again: polyethylene glycol (I don't think I'll ever again trust > > anything with that many "Y"s in it :) Just wondering if I'm the only one it > > bothers. Then someone convinced me that Polyethylene Glycol (PG) was not antifreeze, so I sent an apology and correction. Now I must apologize for my apology and correct my correction (and perhaps footnote the foot in my mouth :) Polyethylene Glycol is definitely antifreeze. Sierra brand antifreeze is straight PG because it's not as toxic as the ethylene glycol kind of antifreeze. It's use as antifreeze is demonstrated by these brief clips out of two scientific papers: From this URL, a primer on osmotic pressure and osmosis: http://ww2.lafayette.edu/~hollidac/osmoticprimer.html "When chemicals are dissolved in water they interact with the water molecules and change the physical properties of the resulting solution. Dissolving polyethylene glycol** (antifreeze for your car) in water decreases the solution's freezing temperature, raises its boiling temperature, changes the weight of a liter of the solution and increases the osmotic pressure of the solution. . . ." From this URL, a scientific paper on Increased Anion Gap Metabolic Acidosis: http://gucfm.georgetown.edu/welchjj/netscut/acid_base/ Increased_Anion_Gap_Me tabolic_Acidosis.html "If the kidneys are not working properly, the body will not be able to rid itself of its endogenous inorganic acids such as sulfate and phosphates. Finally, ingestion of a number of compounds such as polyethylene glycol** (antifreeze), any kind of alcohol (methanol, ethanol), or salicylates will increase the gap." As to replies about the use of citracal: four said it made them sick; four said they have no problem with it. And yet another wrote: "[I] Don't use Citracal, but have to avoid pg [polyethylene glycol]. Can't use cosmetics that have it in; it makes my skin burn. As for eating it, I know it's in a lot of foods, but your common sense told you right - do not eat antifreeze." In short, PG is antifreeze (also used as a laxative to cleanse bowels before surgery or inspection), though not nearly so toxic as the more common fluorescent yellow-green ethylene glycol version of antifreeze which kills (deer, pets, and us) with one ingestion of a small amount. I make no recommendations as to whether each of you should or should not use it. It's your call. -vance (maybe)