Activated carbon is an adsorbent. This is a substance that has a porous structure. It is obtained from various carbon-containing materials of organic origin (plant and animal). Activated carbon is obtained from charcoal, coconut charcoal, and various types of coke. The substance has high adsorption. This property is widely used in medicine.
Release form
Activated carbon is produced in tablets of 0.25 and 0.5 grams. The package contains ten tablets.
Pharmacological properties of Activated carbon
According to the instructions, activated carbon can adsorb gases, toxins, alkaloids, and glycosides. The adsorption property also manifests itself if it is necessary to cleanse the body of heavy metal salts and salicylates. Purification is also possible in case of poisoning with barbiturates and other compounds. Activated carbon helps reduce the absorption of such harmful substances from the gastrointestinal tract several times. It also promotes their excretion from the body in feces.
Activated carbon, however, does little to reduce the absorption of acids and alkalis, including iron salts and cyanides. When used, Activated Carbon does not irritate the mucous membranes. If you use Activated Charcoal in the form of a patch, then this application will promote faster healing of ulcers. For maximum effect, activated carbon must be administered immediately after poisoning. The effect will be good if you use the drug at least during the first hours.
If the poisoning was caused by substances that participated in the enterohepatic circulation, for example cardiac glycosides, indomethacin, morphine, then in this case it is necessary to use activated carbon for several days. The use of the drug as a sorbent for hemoperfusion is especially effective in cases of acute poisoning with barbiturates, glutethimide, or theophylline.
Indications for use
The main indications for the use of Activated Carbon are gastrointestinal disorders: dyspepsia, flatulence, increased acidity and hypersecretion of gastric juice. Reviews of Activated Carbon say that its use is effective for food poisoning, poisoning with alkaloids, heavy metal salts and glycosides.
Use activated carbon for weight loss. With its help, the body begins to cleanse itself. As a result, impurities, toxins, and at the same time extra pounds go away. The authors of the method of losing weight with the help of Activated Charcoal believe that the cleansing that charcoal does will help remove extra pounds, because obesity is often a problem with the stomach and intestines, so you first need to remove these problems.
It is recommended to take activated carbon for weight loss as follows: you need to take one tablet of activated carbon for every 10 kg of weight for 10-30 days. The tablets are taken three times a day, before each main meal. Activated carbon is washed down with a glass of water. According to the second recipe for the charcoal diet, you need to drink ten tablets of Activated Carbon per day for weight loss. Take 2 tablets before each meal (breakfast, second breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner). This is the case if a person practices five meals a day. If there are fewer meals, then it is better to use the first method.
Directions for use and dosage
According to the instructions, in case of poisoning, you should drink 20–30 grams of activated carbon per dose. It is better to use the drug as a suspension in water. Gastric lavage is done with such a suspension of Activated Carbon in water. For increased acidity and flatulence, charcoal is prescribed orally, 1–2 grams in the form of a suspension in water 3–4 times a day. For flatulence and dyspepsia, activated carbon is used 1-3 tablets 3-4 times a day.
Contraindications
According to the instructions, activated carbon is contraindicated for use if there are ulcerative lesions of the gastrointestinal tract. Do not use the drug for stomach bleeding.
There have been no studies on the safety of using Activated Carbon in pregnant and nursing mothers, so this drug is used only if the significance of the effect for the mother outweighs the risk of side effects in the fetus or child. In any case, consultation with a doctor is necessary.
Activated carbon– a multifunctional adsorbent preparation. The essence of the action of this drug is to prevent the absorption of various toxic substances from the gastrointestinal tract. It also has the ability to quickly reduce diarrhea and is used to remove all toxins from the circulatory system. But it is very important to follow the rules for taking activated carbon - the dosage of the drug is always indicated in the instructions. If you deviate from its norms, side effects may occur.
Dosage of activated carbon for poisoning
In case of any poisoning, it is necessary to quickly remove harmful substances from the gastrointestinal tract. To do this, activated carbon is first added to ordinary water for rinsing, and then taken in tablet form. The stomach must be rinsed (preferably several times in a row) until everything secreted is completely clean. There is no need to be afraid of an overdose in such a situation - up to 10 g of powdered tablets are used for each wash.
After this, you need to take activated carbon in the following dosage - 1 tablet (0.25 g) per 10 kg of weight. The maximum duration of taking the medicine is 10 days. In case of severe flatulence that occurs after poisoning, the dosage of activated carbon can be slightly increased - up to 0.30 g per 10 kg of weight.
Dosage of activated carbon for psoriasis
One of the factors that provoke severe psoriatic relapses is drug, food or infectious intoxication. Activated carbon will eliminate all symptoms. This drug absorbs the breakdown products of medications and reduces the amount in the body of:
- toxic substances;
- harmful lipid compounds;
- pathogenic bacteria.
The dosage of activated carbon for psoriasis is calculated in the following proportion - 1 tablet per 10 kg of the patient’s weight. The total number of tablets is divided into 2 doses and taken in the morning and evening.
Dosage of activated carbon for allergies
For allergies, activated charcoal is often prescribed. It ensures rapid removal of toxins from the human body and cleanses the blood of various toxic compounds. The dosage of activated carbon for allergies is 1 g of the drug 4 times a day. You can take it this way for 2 weeks. When taking the tablet, be sure to take it with plenty of water.
Very strong? For cleansing the body with activated carbon to be effective, the dosage must be increased to 2 g.
Manufacturer: KhFZ CJSC NPC Borshchagovsky Ukraine
ATS code: A07BA01
Farm group:
Release form: Solid dosage forms. Pills.
General characteristics. Compound:
International name: activated carbon;
basic physical and chemical properties: black tablets with a smooth, even biconvex surface, without marks;composition: one tablet contains activated carbon 0.25 g;excipients - potato starch.Pharmacological properties:
Adsorbent. It has high surface activity and high sorption capacity. Reduces the absorption of toxic substances, heavy metal salts, alkaloids and glycosides, and medicinal substances from the digestive canal, facilitating their removal from the body. Adsorbs gases on its surface.
Activated carbon in tablets has a lower adsorption capacity compared to powder, but is more convenient for use. The drug is non-toxic.
Pharmacokinetics. Activated carbon is not absorbed and is easily excreted from the body through the intestines.
Indications for use:
Dyspepsia, food, salts of heavy metals. . To reduce gas formation in preparation for x-ray and endoscopic examinations.
Directions for use and dosage:
For flatulence and dyspepsia, adults are prescribed 1 to 3 tablets 3 to 4 times a day. In case of poisoning, the drug is prescribed orally in a dose of 20 - 30 g per dose in the form of an aqueous suspension (per 1 - 2 glasses of water). The same suspension is also used for gastric lavage. For increased acidity, 1-2 g of the drug is prescribed 3-4 times a day. To achieve a faster and more pronounced effect, the tablets can be crushed and taken as a suspension (in 0.5 cups of water).
In addition, in case of intoxication, activated carbon is used as part of a mixture containing 2 parts of the latter and 1 part each of magnesium oxide and tannin (a suspension of 2 tablespoons of the mixture per glass of warm water).
Features of application:
With concomitant pharmacotherapy, activated carbon is taken 1 - 1.5 hours before or the same time after taking medications due to the adsorbing properties of the drug.
After taking activated charcoal, the feces turn black.Side effects:
Possible , ; with prolonged use, disturbances in the absorption of nutrients from the digestive canal may occur.
Interaction with other drugs:
Due to its adsorption properties, activated carbon may reduce the effectiveness of concomitantly taken medications.
Contraindications:
The use of the drug is contraindicated for ulcerative lesions of the digestive canal, gastric bleeding.
Overdose:
There have been no reports of possible overdose of activated carbon.
Storage conditions:
Store in a dry place, away from substances and materials that emit vapors and gases. The expiration date is indicated on the packaging.
Vacation conditions:
Over the counter
Package:
10 tablets in contour-free packaging.
Activated carbon is a medicine that is well known to everyone and is present in every home medicine cabinet without exception. It is even possible that this is the most used drug in the history of pharmacology. They learned to make it in ancient Egypt. Since then, the use of Activated Carbon has not lost its relevance.
Activated carbon comes in the form of a black powder that is tasteless and odorless. It is almost insoluble in water. It can be produced in the form of tablets, powder, paste and capsules. A package of charcoal may contain 10-50 tablets with a dosage of 0.25 mg or 0.5 mg.
The main and only active ingredient of the drug is activated (porous) carbon. It is produced industrially from carbon-containing organic materials such as charcoal, petroleum or coal coke, coconut shells and others.
The substance has a large specific surface area because it contains a huge number of pores. As a result, it is characterized by high adsorption capacity. One gram of coal can have 500-1500 sq. m. surface.
Once in the body, activated carbon begins to collect both harmful and beneficial substances, preventing them from entering the blood.
What is it used for?
It is used for dyspepsia, food intoxication, poisoning with alkaloids, heavy metal salts, flatulence to reduce gas formation processes, at the stage of preparation for various internal studies (fluoroscopy, endoscopy).
Activated carbon comes to the rescue when you need to remove toxins from the body; it is prescribed for chronic renal failure in the early stages.
This drug is taken in all cases when harmful substances accumulate in the digestive tract, for example, with heartburn (increased acidity in the stomach), food poisoning, and intestinal infections.
Activated carbon is very effective against poisoning with mushrooms, fish, sausages, alcohol, medications, as well as some chemicals such as strychnine, morphine, and heavy metal salts.
In addition to its usual use, coal is also used for the following diseases:
- salmonellosis;
- dysentery;
- cirrhosis;
- hepatitis;
- dermatitis;
- metabolic disorders;
- cholecystitis;
- intoxication in oncological diseases.
Coal is also used to treat allergies of various origins, but the drug best treats food allergic reactions. The effect is achieved by removing toxins and cleansing the body, since this disease very often develops due to poor functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, when the intestines are not able to fully remove processed food waste from the body.
Pharmacological action
Charcoal has absorbent, detoxifying and immune-boosting properties. Under its influence, the activity of the gastrointestinal tract, the condition of the mucous membranes improves, and metabolic processes are restored. Reduces the load on the liver, kidneys, and intestines.
Reduces the entry into the body of toxins, lead salts, mercury and other heavy metals, alkaloids and glycosides, medications from the digestive tract, promotes their removal from the body, and also collects gases.
Charcoal tablets do not injure mucous membranes and do not cause irritation in them. They promote the healing of ulcers well if used for local treatment, applied to a patch. To achieve the desired effect in a short time, it is recommended to administer it orally immediately or within the first hour after poisoning. Coal has a preventive effect; it is prescribed to allergy sufferers during the flowering period of plants.
Instructions for use in case of poisoning, dosage
It is used internally in the form of tablets; if necessary, they can be crushed and stirred in half a glass of water. An aqueous suspension is used for intoxication and poisoning (30 grams each), flatulence and increased acidity (2 g/3-4 times). Tablets are used for dyspepsia, as well as flatulence (in both cases - 3 pcs./4 times).
If in case of poisoning with spoiled food only time and warm drinks help, then in case of poisoning with household chemicals and medications, activated carbon is the only savior until medical help arrives. If a person has just been poisoned, you need to take a glass of water and at least 10 tablets, and also call a doctor (ambulance).
In this case, no measures should be taken to lavage the stomach, especially in case of poisoning with vinegar and alkalis. This can seriously aggravate damage to the esophagus and stomach. What is good about the drug is that it works in the intestinal lumen and is not absorbed, that is, it has no systemic effect.
Use for weight loss
There is a simple procedure for using Activated Carbon to lose weight. On the eve of the fasting day, several tablets are taken in the evening, and the next day food intake is limited to unsweetened tea and water. As a last resort, it is permissible to use lean broth.
Carrying out this procedure regularly, for example once a week, will help you get rid of unnecessary pounds. Naturally, if you feel worse, you should return to normal eating.
White activated carbon
Recently, you can increasingly see this product on pharmacy shelves. Its advantages over black charcoal are its higher absorption capacity (up to 10 times), easier administration due to the absence of any taste, and the fact that it does not cause constipation. An undoubted advantage is that white coal binds exclusively toxins without affecting substances beneficial to the body.
The usual dosage of this drug is 9 tablets per day, divided into three doses, that is, much less than ordinary Activated Black Charcoal.
Contraindications and side effects
Coal is allowed to be taken by pregnant women, elderly people, and young children from three years of age. But despite its safety, there are still contraindications to the use of the drug, although they are few. Taking Activated Carbon is undesirable in the following cases:
- ulcerative lesions of the digestive tract;
- stomach bleeding;
- hypersensitivity of the body to the drug;
- intestinal obstruction.
Taking the drug in large quantities exceeding the recommended dose is contraindicated. Excess of the drug can provoke the formation of erosions on the inner surface of the stomach. It is necessary to observe the time interval between taking charcoal and other medications, as well as food. Being a strong sorbent, coal significantly reduces their absorption.
Side effects include the appearance of constipation or, conversely, diarrhea. With long-term use, the body loses proteins, fats, vitamins and hormones. While taking the drug, stool takes on the color of a sorbent. After chewing the tablets, you must rinse your mouth, as the black powder also stains tooth enamel.
Application for children
Black coal is allowed for children of any age, although it can be very difficult to feed them this drug. It is drunk in the form of an aqueous solution or tablets. Add the recommended number of tablets to half a glass of water.
The dose of the medicine received depends on the weight, as well as the age of the small patient. For 1 kg of weight, 50 mg of the drug is taken. As a result, this amounts to one tablet for every 5 kg. Take three times a day. The duration of treatment is determined by a specialist, but, as a rule, it does not last more than two weeks.
A child under one year old must be given tablets, having previously dissolved them in water (children under 1 year old - 2 pieces, up to 3 years old - 4 pieces, up to 6 years old - 6 pieces, after six years - 12 pieces).
Activated carbon belongs to the first generation of sorbents. Now modern preparations have appeared (Smecta, etc.) that have a larger absorbing surface than coal. They have a more convenient form (in powder form) for oral administration, so they are much easier to take, especially for children.
If taking Activated Carbon does not produce the expected results, it is necessary to urgently call for medical help for the sick child.
Special instructions
You need to know about the peculiarities of receiving coal. The drug should be taken several hours (1-3 hours) before or after meals, so as not to deactivate the nutrients in the digestive tract that come with food.
Activated charcoal has a strengthening effect, so while taking it, you need to drink more and eat a diet with plenty of vegetables (fiber).
It should be remembered that the sorbing properties of coal apply not only to toxins, but also to vitamins. So you shouldn’t use it uncontrollably.
After undergoing charcoal treatment, it is necessary to strengthen the diet with foods with a high capacity of vitamins and probiotics.
When storing the drug, you must ensure that its surface does not come into contact with other substances. It can adsorb them inside itself, and this will cause irreparable harm to the body. When using the drug, you should always look at the packaging, which indicates the amount of active ingredient. It may differ from the one the patient is used to taking.
Drug interactions
Coal can reduce the drug effects of concomitantly taken medications. Therefore, treatment with these drugs must be separated by an interval of two or even three hours.
