How to take Activated Charcoal when vomiting

Category: First aid and treatment

Since time immemorial, humanity has used charcoal as a filter to purify water and other liquids.

After special treatment, the pores of the substance open up and begin to attract and capture toxic substances, bacteria, heavy metals, rotting waste, etc.

Activated carbon tablets are available in all home medicine cabinets. They are taken to cleanse the body, for digestive diseases, nausea, vomiting, etc.

The drug is produced by different pharmaceutical companies, so the weight of the tablets in the blisters is different - two hundred and fifty, three hundred and twenty and five hundred milligrams. The number of tablets in the boxes also varies - twenty, thirty, forty pieces.

Application of activated carbon

Activated carbon is an absorbent agent that can absorb various substances and gases. A medicinal product is made from brown coal, peat, wood, coconut bark, etc. by exposing raw materials to high temperatures without access to oxygen.

The medication is not absorbed by the body and is completely eliminated within twenty-four hours.

The drug is used in the following cases:

• with flatulence, bloating, diarrhea;
• food poisoning;
• viral form of hepatitis;
• gastritis;
• pancreatitis;
• cholecystitis;
• hepatitis;
• vomiting.

For gastritis, the drug binds toxins of undigested food, and for cholecystitis and hepatitis – bile acids.

You should know that black tablets with a rough surface do not absorb iron salts, alkalis, or acids well. Therefore, using the drug to remove these substances from the body will bring little benefit. But in case of poisoning or in cases of drug overdose, the drug shows high effectiveness.

Medicine is prescribed for allergies, high levels of nitrogen in the blood, chronic renal failure, and liver problems.

Many people are concerned about the question: does activated charcoal help with nausea? Before answering the question, let’s figure out when this unpleasant feeling occurs:

• in case of poisoning;
• toxicosis;
• motion sickness in transport;
• severe headaches.

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For gagging and nausea, the drug is prescribed quite often. The medicine has practically no age restrictions, and by binding excess hydrochloric acid of the stomach, it immediately alleviates the patient’s condition.

Use of adsorbent for poisoning in a child

Does activated charcoal help a child with nausea and vomiting caused by poisoning? Yes, it helps. In addition, the drug can be prescribed for other gastrointestinal pathologies accompanied by similar symptoms.

It must be remembered that the drug is not prescribed to children under one year of age. Admission is possible only in exceptional cases and only on the recommendation of the observing pediatrician.

Before giving the child a tablet, it must be crushed and diluted in a small amount of water. It will be easier for him to drink the resulting suspension and it will begin to “work” much faster than a full tablet. At the pharmacy you can purchase a format of the drug intended specifically for dilution in water - paste, granules or powder.

Activated carbon can be used in children over one year of age without a doctor’s prescription, but not for longer than three days.

The dosage of activated carbon depends on the weight and age of the child. So, children at the age of 7 are prescribed 5 grams of activated carbon, divided into three doses.

If a child needs to be treated with other medications, then at least two hours should pass between taking activated charcoal and the next drug. Otherwise, they will be removed by the adsorbent without having the desired therapeutic effect.

The maximum period for using activated carbon without a pediatrician’s recommendation is no more than 3 days. It is important to remember that while taking the drug, the child’s stool turns black - this is a physiological norm that does not require treatment.

Instructions for use of the drug for nausea in childhood

Activated charcoal for nausea in childhood must be given following certain instructions:

• The dosage of the drug is calculated based on the child’s weight, adhering to the ratio: 1 kg of body weight – 0.05 grams of the drug. The resulting norm is divided into 3 doses;
• maximum single dosage – no more than 0.2 grams per 1 kg of weight;
• The duration of treatment depends on the general condition of the baby. For acute intestinal pathologies - no more than 5 days. During the period of exacerbation of a chronic disease or the development of an allergic reaction - no longer than 2 weeks;
• a repeat course can only be prescribed by the attending physician.

If symptoms of acute poisoning develop - diarrhea, nausea, vomiting - the child needs to rinse the stomach. Several tablets need to be crushed and dissolved in a glass of clean water. Let him drink the resulting suspension and artificially induce vomiting.

If taking activated carbon has no effect on the patient’s general condition, then it is necessary to call an ambulance to provide qualified medical care.

Although activated charcoal is recognized as a safe remedy, it is still necessary to consult a pediatrician before starting treatment. The doctor will help you choose the required dosage and prescribe the duration of use.

Rules for use and storage

The medicine is considered safe, but its use must still be approached with caution:

1. The tablets must be stored in a dry and dark place, out of reach of children, at a temperature not exceeding 25°C.
2. The drug has a high absorption capacity, so it should be stored in undamaged packaging and separately from other things and medications.
3. You cannot take the drug for a long time, because In addition to toxic substances, charcoal removes vitamins, microelements, and other medications prescribed to the patient from the body.
4. The medicine should be taken separately from meals - an hour or two before or after meals.
5. To achieve greater effect, crush the tablets and stir in water.
6. You cannot wait for coal particles to fall to the bottom of the glass - you must drink the healing suspension right away.
7. After taking the medicine, you should drink a couple of glasses of clean water.
8. Having identified signs of poisoning, you must take at least ten tablets weighing 2.5 grams.

The use of charcoal for gastritis and food poisoning

In case of food poisoning and the development of an acute form of gastritis, nausea and vomiting that occurs should be considered as an attempt by the body to get rid of harmful substances that have entered the human stomach. Taking activated carbon helps speed up the detoxification process and alleviate the patient's condition.

When attacks of nausea develop, as well as when vomiting has already occurred after eating, it is necessary to perform gastric lavage with activated charcoal.

There is a certain algorithm of actions that should be followed:

1. First, you need to crush 2 tablets of the drug and stir them in a glass of clean water. You should get a suspension, which you should drink without allowing the coal to settle to the bottom. In total, to completely lavage the stomach you will need at least 10 liters of water and 30 grams of activated carbon. Overdose when washing is completely excluded.
2. After the drug is drunk, it is necessary to artificially induce vomiting and completely empty the stomach.
3. Then again take the liquid with the drug dissolved in it and provoke another attack of vomiting.

Follow the recommended actions until the empty stomach contents become completely transparent.

If nausea develops after eating and poisoning is suspected, it is recommended to perform gastric lavage with activated charcoal dissolved in clean water

After completing gastric lavage, the patient is recommended to take 1–2 grams of activated carbon (in tablet or powder form), washing down the drug with as much clean water as possible. This will neutralize toxins that have entered the gastrointestinal tract before they can enter the general bloodstream.

If the poisoning was managed without medical help, then over the next week you need to take 1–2 grams of the drug up to 4 times a day. To cleanse the intestinal tract after poisoning, it is strictly forbidden to use charcoal enemas. This can cause severe irritation of the gastrointestinal mucosa.

Treatment of children

Since only natural ingredients are used in the manufacture of the medicine, it is also used to treat children. However, the use of the drug should be carried out exclusively on the recommendation of a pediatrician.

Young parents need to remember how many activated carbon tablets can be given to their child for nausea or other diseases.

Like other medications, activated carbon is not recommended for use in the first month of a small person’s life. From two months of age the following doses are recommended:

1. Up to a year - one or two tablets, crushed and mixed with water, once a day.
2. Two to four tablets can be given to children aged one to three years.
3. Children three to six years old can take four to six tablets within 24 hours.
4. For children who have crossed the threshold of six years, the dose can be increased to ten to twelve pieces.

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Drug for nausea of ​​unknown origin

Activated charcoal can also be taken for nausea of ​​unknown origin. As a rule, attacks develop against the background of an existing chronic disease.

The regimen for using the drug will be as follows:

1. First, you need to artificially induce vomiting by pressing two fingers on the root of the tongue.
2. After vomiting to cleanse the stomach, it is recommended to take 2-4 grams of the product and wash it down with a large volume of clean water - at least a glass.
3. If the nausea cannot be eliminated, then you need to take a second dose. Activated charcoal will reduce the acidity of gastric juice and collect the bile present in it.

In some cases, nausea may be a sign of a serious pathology of the circulatory or digestive system. In this case, activated carbon will not bring relief. If there is a sharp deterioration in general health against the background of developing nausea, it is necessary to urgently obtain qualified medical assistance.

What could happen?

The reason for this ban is simple: the condition of the poisoned person will not improve. And problems may arise. For example:

• Vomit. In studies of volunteers, vomiting occurred in 8% of participants taking activated charcoal.
• Aspiration of coal (ingress into the respiratory tract). Activated carbon, according to the instructions (alas, foreign, not domestic), is contraindicated in case of possible loss of consciousness. Poisoned patients are recommended to be intubated (inserted a tube for artificial respiration) before prescribing charcoal.
• Impossibility of adequate endoscopy. If in the morning a person vomits “coffee grounds” (digested blood), the blood pressure drops, there is a sharp pain in the stomach, that is, there are signs of bleeding (for example, from a stomach ulcer), a gastroscopy should be done within 24 hours. The goal of the procedure is to find the source of bleeding and stop it (with a clip-clamp, a coagulator, or the introduction of vasoconstrictor drugs through an endoscope). Activated charcoal, firstly, turns the stool black (and this is very similar to melena - black stool after bleeding) and can cause vomiting, strongly reminiscent of “coffee grounds”. Secondly, the endoscopist will not be able to see anything in the stomach. You will have to “wash” your stomach before the procedure. Believe me, a hangover is better.

Factors that cause vomiting

A person can feel sick not only as a result of toxic poisoning, but also for a number of other reasons. Knowing them, you can really understand what first aid will be needed.

1. The most common case is food poisoning. The reaction to spoiled food occurs after several hours, and maybe even earlier. The product that caused the process is removed from the body. In this situation, you should not stop vomiting, you need to drink a lot of water to remove all toxins, and also take enterosorbents.
2. The second common cause is gastrointestinal diseases. Vomiting is constant and occurs after eating. If such symptoms last for a long time, then you need to consult a doctor to undergo a medical examination.
3. Diseases of the nervous system can be a factor causing vomiting. In this case, the impulse enters the vomiting center in the brain and causes an appropriate reaction. This may occur due to head injury or severe headaches. You can’t handle this on your own; you need to seek the help of medical professionals.
4. Sunstroke caused by prolonged exposure to the sun can cause nausea and vomiting. In this case, you need to act quickly. The victim is placed in the shade, if possible in a cool room, the top of his clothes is unbuttoned, and a cold compress is applied to the forehead. You should drink water with a little lemon juice or simply chew a lemon wedge.

Coal for poisoning during pregnancy

The drug is completely harmless and is unable to have a negative effect on the development of the fetus, so expectant mothers can take it without fear.

It is prohibited to use activated charcoal for gastric lavage in case of poisoning accompanied by vomiting.

For nausea and vomiting caused by food poisoning, the adsorbent should be taken in the standard dosage for an adult - 1 tablet per 10 kg of weight. Performing gastric lavage with activated carbon in pregnant women is highly undesirable. Vomiting spasms can cause uterine tone. In case of severe poisoning, accompanied by uncontrollable vomiting, the woman should be hospitalized.