How does activated charcoal work as an antidote. What are the benefits of using activated charcoal in emergency situations. When should activated charcoal be administered for optimal effectiveness. Are there any side effects or risks associated with activated charcoal treatment. Can activated charcoal be used at home for poisoning emergencies. What types of poisons or drugs can activated charcoal effectively treat. How is activated charcoal prepared and administered in medical settings.

The Science Behind Activated Charcoal’s Adsorption Properties

Activated charcoal is a remarkable substance with extraordinary adsorption capabilities. But how exactly does it work? Activated charcoal is created by burning carbon-rich materials like wood at extremely high temperatures to produce charcoal. This charcoal then undergoes an “activation” process that creates countless microscopic pores and crevices on its surface, dramatically increasing its surface area and binding sites.

To put its adsorption power into perspective, just one teaspoon of activated charcoal has a surface area equivalent to that of an entire football field. This vast surface area allows activated charcoal to effectively bind to a wide range of substances, preventing them from being absorbed by the body.

The Historical Roots of Activated Charcoal as an Antidote

The use of activated charcoal as an antidote dates back over two centuries. In 1813, French chemist Bertrand conducted a daring experiment to demonstrate its effectiveness. He ingested a lethal dose of arsenic trioxide – 5 grams – mixed with activated charcoal. Remarkably, Bertrand survived, providing compelling evidence of activated charcoal’s ability to neutralize even potent poisons.

Emergency Room Applications of Activated Charcoal

In modern emergency medicine, activated charcoal plays a crucial role in treating certain types of poisoning and overdoses. Unlike the outdated practice of “stomach pumping” or gastric lavage, activated charcoal is now the preferred method for gastrointestinal decontamination in many cases.

When a patient arrives at the emergency room with suspected poisoning or overdose, medical professionals may administer activated charcoal orally or via a feeding tube. The charcoal is typically mixed with water or a sweetened liquid to make it more palatable, especially for children.

Timing is Critical: When to Administer Activated Charcoal

The effectiveness of activated charcoal treatment largely depends on how quickly it is administered after ingestion of the toxic substance. The sooner activated charcoal is given, the more effectively it can bind to the poison or drug in the gastrointestinal tract, preventing its absorption into the bloodstream.

• Immediate administration (within 1 hour of ingestion) is ideal
• Efficacy decreases significantly after 2-3 hours
• May still be beneficial in some cases up to 4-6 hours post-ingestion

Advantages of Activated Charcoal Over Traditional Stomach Pumping

Activated charcoal has largely replaced gastric lavage, or “stomach pumping,” as the primary method of gastrointestinal decontamination in emergency rooms. Why has this shift occurred?

1. Less invasive: Activated charcoal can be taken orally, avoiding the discomfort and potential complications of inserting a tube into the stomach.
2. More effective: Activated charcoal can bind to substances throughout the gastrointestinal tract, not just in the stomach.
3. Reduced risk of aspiration: There’s less chance of the patient inhaling stomach contents compared to gastric lavage.
4. Broader application: Activated charcoal can be used for a wider range of toxic substances.

Types of Poisons and Drugs Effectively Treated by Activated Charcoal

While activated charcoal is highly effective for many types of poisoning, it’s not a universal antidote. Its efficacy varies depending on the specific substance ingested. Which toxins does activated charcoal work best against?

• Acetaminophen (Tylenol)
• Aspirin and other salicylates
• Tricyclic antidepressants
• Barbiturates
• Benzodiazepines
• Many pesticides and herbicides
• Certain heavy metals (mercury, lead)

It’s important to note that activated charcoal is not effective for all types of poisoning. It does not work well for substances like:

• Strong acids or bases
• Petroleum products (gasoline, kerosene)
• Alcohols
• Lithium
• Iron

Potential Side Effects and Precautions of Activated Charcoal Treatment

While activated charcoal is generally well-tolerated, it’s not without potential side effects. What should patients and healthcare providers be aware of when using activated charcoal?

Common Side Effects

• Nausea and vomiting: Often due to the gritty texture of the mixture
• Black stools: A harmless but sometimes alarming side effect
• Constipation: Particularly with repeated doses

Rare but Serious Complications

In rare cases, more serious complications can occur:

• Aspiration: If the patient vomits and inhales the activated charcoal, it can lead to lung problems
• Bowel obstruction: Particularly in patients with existing gastrointestinal issues
• Electrolyte imbalances: With repeated doses or in patients with kidney problems

The Role of Sorbitol in Some Activated Charcoal Formulations

Some activated charcoal products used in medical settings contain sorbitol, a sweetener that also acts as a laxative. Why is sorbitol added to activated charcoal, and what are its effects?

Benefits of Sorbitol Addition

• Improves taste: Makes the activated charcoal mixture more palatable
• Accelerates gut transit: The laxative effect may help move the poison through the system faster
• Potentially enhances efficacy: Some studies suggest faster transit time may reduce toxin absorption

Potential Drawbacks

While sorbitol can be beneficial, it’s not without risks:

• Dehydration: The laxative effect can lead to fluid loss
• Electrolyte imbalances: Particularly with repeated doses
• Abdominal discomfort: Some patients may experience cramping or bloating

Debunking Myths: Activated Charcoal for Home Use and DIY Alternatives

With the growing popularity of activated charcoal in health and wellness circles, many misconceptions have arisen about its use outside of medical settings. Can activated charcoal be safely used at home for poisoning emergencies? Are there effective DIY alternatives?

The Dangers of Home Use for Poisoning

Using activated charcoal at home to treat suspected poisoning or overdose is not recommended. Why is professional medical intervention crucial?

• Proper dosing: Emergency room formulations are much more concentrated than over-the-counter products
• Timely administration: Effectiveness decreases rapidly with time
• Monitoring: Medical supervision is essential to manage potential complications
• Appropriate use: Not all poisonings benefit from activated charcoal treatment

Ineffective and Dangerous Alternatives

Some internet sources suggest using burned toast or barbecue charcoal as alternatives to medical-grade activated charcoal. These claims are not only ineffective but potentially dangerous:

• Lack of activation: Regular charcoal or burned food does not have the necessary surface area or binding properties
• Potential toxins: Non-medical charcoal may contain harmful substances
• Delayed proper treatment: Relying on ineffective methods wastes critical time in poisoning emergencies

Beyond Poisoning: Other Medical and Non-Medical Uses of Activated Charcoal

While its primary medical use is for poisoning treatment, activated charcoal has found applications in various other fields. What are some of these alternative uses?

Medical Applications

• Cholestyramine alternative: Used to lower cholesterol in some patients
• Treatment of bile acid diarrhea
• Management of excessive flatulence
• Filtration in kidney dialysis machines

Non-Medical Uses

Activated charcoal has gained popularity in various consumer products:

• Water filtration systems
• Air purifiers
• Teeth whitening products
• Skincare formulations
• Deodorizers for refrigerators and shoes

It’s important to note that while these non-medical uses may have some benefits, they are not as scientifically validated as the medical applications of activated charcoal.

The Future of Activated Charcoal in Medicine and Beyond

As research continues, new applications and improvements in activated charcoal technology are emerging. What developments can we expect to see in the coming years?

Advancements in Medical Use

• Enhanced formulations: More palatable and effective activated charcoal mixtures
• Targeted delivery systems: Charcoal preparations designed to release in specific areas of the gastrointestinal tract
• Combination therapies: Activated charcoal used in conjunction with other detoxification methods

Expanding Non-Medical Applications

The unique properties of activated charcoal are inspiring innovations in various fields:

• Environmental remediation: Large-scale use for soil and water decontamination
• Energy storage: Potential applications in supercapacitors and battery technology
• Advanced filtration: Development of more efficient air and water purification systems

As our understanding of activated charcoal’s properties grows, so too will its range of applications, potentially revolutionizing fields from medicine to environmental science.

Activated charcoal

The Bottom Line

Activated charcoal keeps swallowed drugs and poisons from being absorbed from the gut into the bloodstream. It’s a highly effective treatment for many poisons.

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The Full Story

When people have to go to an emergency room because of an overdose, they are often worried about getting their stomachs “pumped.” In reality, gastric lavage (stomach pumping) does not happen very often. Most overdoses are treated with supportive care. For example, if the person’s blood pressure is low, IV fluids and medications might be given to raise blood pressure. There are also a few specific antidotes that can be of great benefit. However, when gastrointestinal decontamination is performed, it is typically accomplished with a product known as “activated charcoal,” mixed and taken by mouth or feeding tube in the emergency room.

Activated charcoal is a special form of carbon that can bind other substances on its surface (adsorption). That is why it is used for water filtration. It is also used to adsorb drugs in the gut so the drugs don’t enter the body. Activated charcoal is made by burning carbon-rich materials, such as wood, at very high temperatures to create charcoal. The resulting product is a black, odorless powder. The charcoal is then “activated” through a special process that makes lots of holes and crevices on the charcoal particles to increase surface area and available binding sites. One teaspoonful of activated charcoal has about the same total surface area as a football field! In the emergency room, the black powder is mixed with a liquid and given to a poisoned patient to drink. It is typically mixed with water but it can be mixed with a sweet beverage for children. Some activated charcoal products contain a sweetener called sorbitol that adds sweetness and is also a laxative. Some studies show that pushing the poison or drug through the gut faster might also decrease the amount that is absorbed into the body.

Activated charcoal has historically been used to clean water and as a treatment for many ailments. An early demonstration of the adsorptive properties of activated charcoal occurred in 1813 when the French chemist Bertrand drank 5 grams of arsenic trioxide (a very poisonous substance) mixed with activated charcoal and survived.

The efficacy of activated charcoal depends on how quickly it is given and the poisonous substance swallowed. The sooner activated charcoal is given after a drug or chemical is swallowed, the better it works.

Some activated charcoal products sold over-the-counter make claims of adsorbing toxins and decreasing bad breath. It is not recommended to use activated charcoal at home to treat an overdose. If a poisoning is serious enough to warrant the use of activated charcoal, the person should be monitored in an emergency room. Over-the-counter products might not be as “activated” as the activated charcoal used in the emergency room so they might not be as effective. Over-the-counter activated charcoal typically comes in 250 mg tablets. To provide the same dose given in the emergency room could require hundreds of tablets.

There are some internet sites that encourage making activated charcoal at home or using other carbon sources such as burned toast or charcoal briquettes. These products are not effective and should never be used.

The few adverse effects of activated charcoal are:

• nausea and vomiting after drinking it, often in response to the gritty feeling of the mixture, and 
• vomiting and inhaling (aspirating) the activated charcoal. This could happen if the patient is very drowsy.

Overall, activated charcoal is well tolerated. There are studies that show that it works well for some ingestions and not so well for others. It is the most widely used method of gastrointestinal decontamination in emergency rooms today. 

Pela Soto, PharmD, BSHS, BS

Certified Specialist in Poison Information

Poisoned?

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Prevention Tips

• Do not try to treat an overdose with activated charcoal at home.
• Do not confuse burned toast or barbecue briquettes with activated charcoal; they don’t work.

This Really Happened

A physician called Poison Control from the ER to discuss a patient who had intentionally taken aspirin tablets in an effort to harm herself.  The ingestion was approximately 45 minutes earlier. The patient was awake and alert, but tearful. She claimed to have taken “several handfuls” of aspirin.

Poison Control recommended that the patient receive activated charcoal as soon as possible. It was also recommended that the emergency physician measure the aspirin concentration in her blood every 2 hours until the aspirin concentration dropped. Poison Control also recommended other laboratory tests appropriate for an aspirin overdose.

During a follow-up call from Poison Control, the nurse caring for the patient reported that the patient drank the activated charcoal without issue. Her blood aspirin concentration initially rose but then declined steadily. Once the blood aspirin concentration was down to a safe range, the patient was medically cleared and transferred to a psychiatric facility. No permanent damage was anticipated. 

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For More Information

Mayo Clinic. Activated Charcoal [Internet]. Rochester (MN). 2014 December [cited 2015 Feb 27]. 

References

Chyka PA, Seger D, Krenzelok EP, Vale JA. American Academy of Clinical Toxicology and European Association of Poison Centres and Clinical Toxicologists. Position paper: Single-dose activated charcoal. Clin Toxicol (Phila) 2005;43(2):61-87.

Hoffman RS, Howland M, Lewin N, Nelson L, Goldfrank L. Goldfrank’s toxicologic emergencies. 10th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill; c2011. A1 Antidotes in depth: activated charcoal; p.108-13.

University of Kentucky. Historical production and use of carbon materials. [Internet]. 2015 January [cited 2015 Feb 27].

Erickson T. Famous (And Not So Famous) Events In Toxicological History; Activated Charcoal: Universal Antidote or Black Magic. [Internet]. AACTion Volume 13, Number 2. [Accessed 27 February 2015].

Poisoned?

Call


1-800-222-1222


or

HELP ME online

Prevention Tips

• Do not try to treat an overdose with activated charcoal at home.
• Do not confuse burned toast or barbecue briquettes with activated charcoal; they don’t work.

This Really Happened

A physician called Poison Control from the ER to discuss a patient who had intentionally taken aspirin tablets in an effort to harm herself.   The ingestion was approximately 45 minutes earlier. The patient was awake and alert, but tearful. She claimed to have taken “several handfuls” of aspirin.

Poison Control recommended that the patient receive activated charcoal as soon as possible. It was also recommended that the emergency physician measure the aspirin concentration in her blood every 2 hours until the aspirin concentration dropped. Poison Control also recommended other laboratory tests appropriate for an aspirin overdose.

During a follow-up call from Poison Control, the nurse caring for the patient reported that the patient drank the activated charcoal without issue. Her blood aspirin concentration initially rose but then declined steadily. Once the blood aspirin concentration was down to a safe range, the patient was medically cleared and transferred to a psychiatric facility. No permanent damage was anticipated. 

How and When to Use Charcoal for the Dreaded Stomach Flu

If you’ve had the stomach flu, there’s almost nothing you wouldn’t do to get back on your feet faster, and that is exactly how a special kind of charcoal might be able to help.

Even though charcoal makes most of us think of glowing embers and yummy barbecue, activated charcoal has stomach soothing medicinal properties that can help resolve stomach bugs. 

Given that 19 to 21 million Americans get the stomach flu each year, you’ll want to remember this charcoal remedy the next time you or a loved one needs some digestive support.

What is the Stomach Flu?

The stomach flu, stomach bugs, or even food poisoning are all often caused by bacterial infections or viruses–most commonly Norovirus. The inflammation that happens as a result is called viral gastroenteritis, and symptoms include:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Gas, bloating

Symptoms usually come on quickly and can have you off your feet from 1 to 3 days.

Common treatment recommendations include drinking fluids, getting rest, and following the BRAT (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast) diet—but adding charcoal might help get rid of the bacteria faster.

Related: 3 Detox Methods That Actually Work

What Is Activated Charcoal?

Activated charcoal is a fine, black powder made from a variety of carbon-based materials like bamboo, wood, or coconut shells. These materials are decomposed by burning at an incredibly high temperature, then combined with oxygen, which makes them “activated”.

Indigenous peoples in North America, as well as in Egypt, capitalized on its antifungal and antibacterial properties for centuries (1).  

The process of activating charcoal creates millions of tiny pores on the surface, making it incredibly absorbent, and that’s how it works in your stomach. It essentially absorbs or mops up toxins and harmful bacteria, preventing them from being absorbed by your gut lining. 

Why do people take activated charcoal?

Doctors often use activated charcoal to treat certain instances of poisoning or drug overdose, but it may also serve as a remedy for stomach bugs that cause nausea and vomiting.

The theory is that activated charcoal can absorb the bacteria responsible for causing stomach flu (the same way it is used to absorb poisons). Because the process of activating charcoal makes it ultra-absorbent, it’s one of the most effective ways to rid your body of harmful toxins. You can also have a virus that can cause the same sort of tummy troubles, and it may help with the symptoms.

Activated charcoal is even considered more effective than stomach pumping in poisoned patients because of its incredible ability to absorb different kinds of toxins (with a few exceptions) (2). 

Activated Charcoal and Diarrhea

The main causes of diarrhea are usually toxins or bacterial infection, similar to what causes most stomach bugs. Because activated charcoal is especially good at attracting and eliminating harmful toxins and bacteria, one study shows it’s an effective treatment for diarrhea with exceptionally few side effects compared with other treatments (3).

How should I take charcoal?

If symptoms worsen, or you develop a fever or other reaction, stop taking activated charcoal and call your doctor immediately.

After you’ve eaten a questionable food, or begin to feel the symptoms of a stomach bug, you can mix activated charcoal with a glass of water, or in applesauce for a more pleasant flavor.

A common recommendation for activated charcoal is 500 to 1,000 mg taken 2 to 3 times per day (4). This may not sound like a lot, but 1 gram (1,000) mg of activated charcoal has about the same surface area as a tennis court!

You can find activated charcoal in powder or capsules in most health food stores. When purchasing supplements, it’s important to choose high-quality, GMP-verified products when possible.

Can I give activated charcoal to my children?

It’s safe for children to take activated charcoal, but always check with your pediatrician before giving to your child.

Once you receive the ‘okay’ start with ¼ of a teaspoon in some applesauce and repeat no more than 2 times a day. If you or your child continue to have abdominal pain or persistent fever, you must see your doctor.

Healing the Gut After a Stomach Bug

It can take several days before your stomach returns to normal and is able to properly repair damage from the inflammation resulting from a bacterial infection.

I add a scoop of Belly Fix with fermented greens and Ayurvedic remedies, plus extra L-glutamine to help repair my stomach lining. This is an easy addition to my daily routine if I feel that my gut needs extra help, or if I’ve eaten something I shouldn’t have.

For a step-by-step plan to reset your gut and rebuild healthy digestion, learn more about the 21-Day Belly Fix.

Resources

1. https://www.encyclopedia.com/medicine/diseases-and-conditions/pathology/activated-charcoal 
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1676641/pdf/bmj00002-0006.pdf
3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm. nih.gov/29231746/ 
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482294/ 

How to drink, dosage, after how long it works

Publication date: 05/23/2022

THERE ARE CONTRAINDICATIONS. POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS. A SPECIALIST’S CONSULTATION IS REQUIRED. number 31917

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Contents of the article

• Activated carbon: composition
• Activated carbon: what is used for
• Activated charcoal: what
• Activated charcoal: benefits
• Activated charcoal: before or after meals
• Activated charcoal for poisoning
• Activated charcoal for diarrhea
• Activated charcoal for pregnancy
• Polysorb or Activated carbon: which is better
• Ask an expert about the topic of the article

Let’s talk about a medicine that is familiar to everyone since childhood.

This is Activated Charcoal – the first helper if you ate low-quality food, caught an “intestinal” virus or showed an allergy. In the last century, there was no such variety of medicines, and “black” pills saved the health and lives of thousands of patients.

Let’s tell you in more detail what Activated Charcoal is, why it is useful and how to take it correctly, we will compare it with a well-known analogue.

All products Activated charcoal 20 reviews

Activated charcoal: composition

The drug consists of activated charcoal and is available in tablets of 250 mg. It is obtained from charcoal, coal coke, coconut shells. Activated charcoal differs from ordinary charcoal in a huge number of pores. Their area can reach up to 2,200 square meters per 1 g of activated carbon. Due to the large area of ​​the porous structure, the drug has high sorption properties.

Activated charcoal: what it is used for

The drug is used as an enterosorbent and detoxifying agent. Charcoal absorbs toxins in the stomach and intestines and removes them from the body. The drug adsorbs toxins of poisons and microorganisms, chemical and medicinal substances, allergens and gases.

Activated charcoal: what

The instructions list the following indications for use:

• dysentery, salmonellosis, food poisoning (in complex treatment)
• drug poisoning
• poisoning with toxic substances, alkaloids, salts of heavy metals
• indigestion and flatulence
• drug and food allergies
• hepatitis and kidney failure
• prevention of chronic intoxication in hazardous industries
• to reduce gas formation during medical examinations of the gastrointestinal tract

You may be interested in: What to do in case of poisoning and how to restore the body after

Activated charcoal: benefits

Consider the harm and benefits of taking Activated charcoal.

The benefit of the drug is that it “absorbs” toxic substances and removes them from the body. But Coal is a universal, non-selective adsorbent. Therefore, along with harmful substances, it also removes useful substances from the body: trace elements, vitamins, “good” intestinal microflora.

Inappropriate use of Coal increases the risk of constipation and dysbacteriosis. When the drug is abused, the work of the heart is disrupted, since trace elements calcium, potassium, magnesium, which are important for the heart muscle, are removed.

More Coal is contraindicated in patients with peptic ulcers and bleeding of the gastrointestinal tract, with intestinal atony, and in children under 3 years of age.

Activated charcoal: before or after meals

Charcoal is taken 1-2 hours before or after meals and other medicines.

The presence of food in the gastrointestinal tract reduces the sorption activity of coal and requires the introduction of higher doses.

The drug is taken both in the form of tablets and in the form of an aqueous suspension of crushed tablets. They are crushed and mixed with half a glass of chilled boiled water.

Activated charcoal in case of poisoning

The most common use of the drug is in cases of poisoning. Adults are prescribed 4-8 tablets 3-4 times a day, the maximum single dose is 32 tablets. For children, the dose is calculated based on body weight – 0.05 g / kg body weight, 3 times a day, the maximum single dose – 0.2 g / kg. The course of treatment for poisoning is 3-5 days.

In acute poisoning treatment begins with gastric lavage with a suspension of activated charcoal, then give inside 20-30 g of the drug (80-120 tablets). It is necessary to create an excess of the drug in the stomach (before gastric lavage), in the intestines (after gastric lavage). With a decrease in the concentration of coal, toxins are “released” and absorbed into the blood, therefore, repeated gastric lavage and coal intake are prescribed.

Activated charcoal for diarrhea

The drug “absorbs” and removes pathogens and toxins from the gastrointestinal tract, which are the causes of diarrhea. With diarrhea, charcoal tablets should be taken with plenty of water to prevent dehydration. For a faster effect, it is better to take them in the form of an aqueous suspension.

How much to drink charcoal for diarrhea: 4-8 tablets per dose until the symptoms disappear. If after using the remedy diarrhea does not go away, then you should consult a doctor. This is especially true for young children, in whom dehydration occurs quickly and leads to serious consequences.

Activated charcoal is often prescribed for rotavirus, as this intestinal infection is accompanied by severe diarrhea. There are no data on the use of the drug in coronavirus. If you experience vomiting or diarrhea during illness, you should consult your doctor.

Activated charcoal during pregnancy

Activated charcoal can be used during pregnancy and breastfeeding on the recommendation of a physician.

Polysorb or Activated carbon: which is better

Polysorb and Coal are enterosorbents. Both drugs are not absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract, bind and remove toxins of various origins, they themselves are completely excreted unchanged.

The indications for use are similar. Polisorb, like Coal, with prolonged use leads to a deficiency of vitamins and trace elements. The difference between them is in the active ingredients, form of release, effectiveness, contraindications.

The active ingredient of Polisorb is silicon dioxide, available as a powder for the preparation of an aqueous suspension. Polysorb has the highest sorption capacity among sorbents. It is safe and allowed for children from birth. Unlike Activated Charcoal, Polysorb has a convenient dosage and dosage regimen: 1-2 tablespoons are dissolved in water, taken 3 times a day. The action of Polysorb begins immediately after entering the stomach.

Activated carbon has the advantage of absorbing gases. Therefore, it is prescribed for dyspepsia and flatulence, as well as in preparation for ultrasound and x-rays of the gastrointestinal tract. Polysorb has no such evidence. Minus Coal – in a large number of tablets at one time.

Conclusion: Polysorb surpasses its analogue in terms of speed and effectiveness of action, ease of use, it is better to prescribe it to children, pregnant women and lactating women. Coal has proven itself in acute poisoning, it is used for gastric lavage, bloating, preparation for research.

All products Polysorb 21 reviews

So, in the article we talked about the “classic” sorbent and detoxifier Activated charcoal. Despite the emergence of new drugs-analogues, the drug is still widely used. It helps well with poisoning, food and infectious intoxications, with symptoms of impaired digestion. If you take the drug according to the recommendations, it will not harm the body.

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Still have questions? Ask them in the comments below and our experts will answer you. You can also share your experience with other Megatips readers.

Editor-in-chief

Zotina Natalia Igorevna,

Expert pharmacist

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Activated charcoal instructions for use in case of poisoning

These small black pills are in every home first aid kit (it seems they have been there since our childhood). We asked Aleksey Paramonov, a gastroenterologist, Ph.D., to tell us why activated charcoal is the most popular remedy for poisoning (and is this popularity really justified).

– Activated carbon is carbon, more precisely, one of its forms, which is given the properties of high porosity in various ways in order to further form a large adsorbing surface. So the surface area of ​​one gram of activated carbon can reach 3,000 square meters. m. It is obtained mainly from charcoal by heat treatment. Activated carbon, obtained from coal and coke, is used in industry to purify liquids and gases.

In medicine, activated charcoal is most often used for acute oral poisoning (i.e. poisoning by mouth). As long as the poison has not left the stomach and intestines, activated charcoal is very effective in removing many toxic substances. For washing the stomach and filling the intestines in case of acute poisoning, the drug is available in the form of a liquid suspension in a large package of 500 or more milliliters. This form is used mainly in hospitals. In most cases, if the poison has been absorbed or poisoning has occurred through the skin or respiratory tract, charcoal is ineffective. The exception is some substances (for example, morphine), which are excreted with bile into the intestinal lumen and thus re-enter the intestine, where they can already be neutralized by coal.

Activated charcoal binds well and removes salts of heavy metals, sleeping pills and narcotic drugs, many antibiotics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, cardiac glycosides and alkaloids. It was found that coal is ineffective for the adsorption of acids, alkalis and alcohol.

In everyday life, activated charcoal is most often used for the symptomatic treatment of intestinal infections, bloating and diarrhea. To do this, it can be taken both in the form of tablets and in the form of a powder, only the dosage will be significantly less than in acute poisoning – usually no more than five grams per day. The antidiarrheal effect is achieved due to the ability of activated carbon to bind hydrogen sulfide, a natural laxative produced by intestinal bacteria. Outside of toxic infection and infectious diarrhea, activated charcoal is ineffective, since for the most part chronic diarrhea and flatulence are manifestations of irritable bowel syndrome, and here coal is already powerless.

Although activated charcoal is safe and does not irritate the mucous membranes of the stomach and intestines, long-term use can cause constipation and interfere with the absorption of vitamins.

Usually, the course of taking activated charcoal is one to three days. Official contraindications are gastric and duodenal ulcers, ulcerative colitis, intestinal obstruction. There is an opinion that supposedly activated charcoal itself can cause an ulcer, but in fact this is not the case. The bottom line is that coal stains the stool black, as with ulcerative bleeding. That is why (in order not to miss this dangerous and life-threatening complication) coal is not recommended for people with peptic ulcers.

Just like any fixing agent, charcoal is contraindicated in intestinal obstruction of any origin. And with ulcerative colitis, it can provoke toxic dilatation (expansion) of the colon – one of the most dangerous complications of ulcerative colitis. But since coal is not absorbed and completely excreted from the body, it is absolutely safe during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Long-term use of activated charcoal to remove toxins and general detoxification of the body is a very bad idea.