Adults know the effects of activated carbon. Many people take it without thinking about the effect and permissibility of taking it. Not everyone knows that hundreds of years ago in Ancient India, drinking water was passed through coal, settled in copper vessels and taken out into the sun, and in Ancient Egypt, the qualities of coal known to healers served as the basis for its use in medicine.
In St. Petersburg, a pharmacist discovered that alcohol can be purified with charcoal. The discovery took place in 1785. Scientists of the 19th century often did not have the opportunity to test the effect of the drug; they had to test the innovation on their own. A brave pharmacist did a similar thing in 1830, when he took strychnine and charcoal at the same time, surviving.
History of the drug
Probably, almost every person knows what activated carbon is and took it without hesitation. But few people thought that the history of this remedy goes back to ancient times. For example, in Ancient India, water was passed through coal, and then settled in copper vessels in the sun, and in Ancient Egypt, the substance was already used in medicine.
In 1785, a pharmacist in St. Petersburg noticed that charcoal purified alcohol. In the 19th century, scientists could not test the effect of the drug in any way, so they tested it on themselves. In 1830, another pharmacist took charcoal and strychnine at the same time, and remained alive.
Dosage regimen for gastritis
A doctor should prescribe a regimen for taking activated carbon for gastritis. In an acute condition, it is necessary to remove the substance that has a negative effect on the digestive organs.
First, a charcoal solution is taken to lavage the stomach, taking crushed tablets diluted in water and then inducing vomiting. This procedure is carried out repeatedly.
After relief of the condition, it is recommended to take 20-30 grams once. coal, crushed and mixed in water. Next, 4 tablets are prescribed four times a day. This is necessary to remove toxins that have entered the intestines.
It is necessary to use the drug in a chronic form of the disease according to a different scheme. The drug is taken to remove excess gastric juice. As a general rule, it is recommended to take 4 tablets, crushed and mixed in water, four times daily. The duration of the course is no more than two weeks.
When taking the drug, it is very important to take into account the timing of taking other drugs, since if you take them at the same time as charcoal, there will be no therapeutic effect. The active substances of the drugs will be absorbed by the sorbent and removed from the body.
Unique structure
Then it seemed like a miracle to people, but now it is known that the specificity of activated carbon lies in its structure, since it contains many chaotically located particles and plates, between which pores appear, which is associated with its high adsorbing ability. Activated charcoal can also help with gastritis. More on this later.
Coal is activated under the influence of very high temperatures. In terms of chemical composition, it consists of one carbon. Since this drug is not absorbed into the blood and is completely eliminated from the body, it is used in medicine very often and in large quantities.
How can activated carbon be dangerous?
As mentioned earlier, it is quite difficult to suffer from an overdose of a natural adsorbent. But such cases have also occurred in medical practice. Uncontrolled consumption of seemingly harmless activated carbon can lead to the following problems:
- Constipation or diarrhea. Excessive consumption of coal can intensify the problem in the body that was observed before starting to take the pills. Constipation can occur if, due to frequent use of the adsorbent, there is simply no fluid left in the body and there is nothing for the feces to come out with. Diarrhea can occur if charcoal is used as a medicine for acute poisoning mixed with other medications. It simply adsorbed all the substances and brought them out.
- Decreased immunity. Along with toxins, activated carbon also removes beneficial substances from the body.
- Problems with calcium deficiency. If you take charcoal and solutions made from it for more than two weeks, it will wash away all the calcium from the body, and the patient is guaranteed to start having problems with the skin, nails, etc.
- Dehydration. To prevent activated carbon from adsorbing all the water, you should drink the rinsing solution in small sips.
Side effects
With long-term use, activated carbon may have side effects:
- cause stool disorders;
- provoke pain in the heart, removing potassium from the body;
- cause vitamin deficiency and calcium deficiency.
As you probably noticed, healthy people drink activated carbon according to different rules: at the rate of 1 tablet per 10 kg. weight. However, this is relevant for one-time use, in case of poisoning, gastric disorders, etc. A long course requires a small dosage.
In addition, healthy people have the opportunity to replenish the balance of vitamins, minerals and hormones, because their food is much more varied. If you have gastritis, you need to follow a diet, so carefully monitor your condition and report the slightest changes to your doctor.
Requirements for sorbents
The following requirements are put forward for sorbents:
- Should come out well. No longer than ten hours after administration. The speed depends on the movement of the contents through the digestive system.
- It should not cause injury to the intestinal and gastric mucosa, which means that it is necessary to strictly follow the dosage of the medicine that is recommended. The maximum amount of coal for one dose by an adult is 8 grams.
- High adsorption capacity is required.
- No negative impact on organs.
- Ease of use. In the form of tablets, which can be ground if necessary, as well as powders, granules and pastes.
Do I need to take activated charcoal for gastritis? The answer to this question depends on various circumstances, including the type of disease.
Indications for use of activated carbon
Activated carbon is a medicine that naturally has a number of indications for its use. In addition to the fact that charcoal can be taken for preventive purposes in cases of suspected food poisoning, it will also be relevant for the following diagnoses:
- increased acidity of gastric juice during exo- and endogenous intoxications:
- dyspepsia,
- flatulence,
- rotting and fermentation of food masses in the gastrointestinal tract,
- hypersecretion of mucus, gastric juice, hydrochloric acid,
- diarrhea;
- alkaloids,
- glycosides,
- salts of heavy metals,
- food intoxication;
- dysentery,
- salmonellosis,
- burn disease in the stage of toxemia and septicotoxemia;
- renal failure,
- chronic hepatitis,
- acute viral hepatitis,
- cirrhosis of the liver,
- gastritis,
- chronic cholecystitis,
- enterocolitis,
- cholecystopancreatitis;
- atopic dermatitis,
- bronchial asthma;
It is relevant to use activated carbon at the stage of preparation for x-ray and endoscopic examinations. This is done to reduce the content of gases in the intestines.
However, activated carbon also has a number of contraindications. It should be used with caution and not contrary to doctor’s prescriptions for ulcerative lesions of the digestive tract. For such diseases it is most often contraindicated - peptic ulcers of the stomach and duodenum, ulcerative colitis, bleeding from the tract. It is also not the best solution to combine the intake of activated carbon with antitoxic drugs, the action of which is preceded by absorption.
In most cases, activated carbon is favorably accepted by the body, but side effects may also develop. Among them:
- dyspeptic symptoms - constipation, diarrhea;
- hypovitaminosis;
- decreased absorption of nutrients and macronutrients in the digestive tract;
- hemoperfusion using activated carbon can cause hypotension, thromboembolism and hemorrhage, as well as hypoglycemia and hypocalcemia.
Side effects tend to develop with prolonged use of activated carbon .
Taking activated carbon for acute gastritis
The occurrence of gastritis is caused by chemical, biological or mechanical damage to the gastric mucosa. The disease is accompanied by vomiting, which in particularly severe cases is uncontrollable. After vomiting, there is relief for a short time, but then everything comes back again. In order to remove the toxic substance from the stomach that caused the pathology, you can drink activated charcoal for gastritis. In order not to harm the gastric mucosa, where the inflammatory process is taking place, the medicine should be ground into powder and dissolved in water. After this, the stomach is washed several times with a solution in which the ratio will be observed: 10 grams of sorbent per liter of water. The amount of water should be high, because then the medicine can fully perform its function and collect toxins.
After the vomiting has stopped, activated charcoal should be taken once (20-30 g of the medicine should be dissolved in water) and after that it is recommended to take four tablets four times a day to cleanse the intestines of toxic substances.
What you need to know about gastritis
Gastritis develops as a result of a person’s unhealthy lifestyle. The stomach is always the first to take the hit. Whether it's poisoning from stale food or eating junk food. Constant stress disrupts the functioning of the stomach, which affects the mucous membrane, causing unpleasant pain and discomfort of the organ.
- Heartburn develops;
- Bloating and flatulence;
- In severe cases, vomiting;
- Cutting pains;
- Unpleasant odor;
- Belching of undigested pieces of food.
Gastritis can be divided into several forms. Each of which has its own specific symptoms and a specific course of treatment. At the first manifestations of the disease, you should be examined by a doctor so that the disease does not progress to a more dangerous stage.
- Acute form of gastritis:
- Chronic form of gastritis;
- Gastritis with an increased level of acidity in the stomach;
- A form of gastritis with low acidity.
Whatever form the disease takes, the consequences can be extremely serious. Ulcers begin to develop, and if you continue to do nothing, then stomach cancer. If you treat the disease in time, there is a high probability of being completely cured of gastritis. But provided that in the future the patient adheres to proper nutrition and completely abandons bad habits.
Use of sorbents for chronic gastritis
If the patient’s medical history does not have a stomach ulcer, then taking activated charcoal is allowed only taking into account the amount of gastric juice and acidity. If the medicine is used by a patient who has gastritis with increased secretion, the condition will noticeably improve, since the sorbent will remove excess stomach contents that irritate its walls. It is taken as follows: four tablets dissolved in water four times a day. In this case, you need to take into account the time of taking other medications and take breaks.
Taking charcoal when diagnosing gastritis with reduced secretion will only aggravate the situation, since such patients have poor digestion of food, and the medicine will collect enzymes, gastric juice and mucus that envelops the walls of the stomach.
What to do if complications of the disease occur? Activated charcoal is prohibited for stomach ulcers, even if the patient has simple food poisoning. It turns stool black. A similar phenomenon can occur with ulcer bleeding. Therefore, taking charcoal may mask symptoms, and time will be missed to provide emergency care to the person.
For ulcers, it is better to choose other sorbing agents - smecta, polysorb, polyphepan, enterosgel.
Contraindications
Activated carbon should not be taken if a violation of the integrity of the mucous membrane develops in any part of the digestive tract: if the pain in acute gastritis is caused by the presence of erosions, the medication is contraindicated. After taking the medicine, the patient's stool turns black, and the stool will become similar if there is gastrointestinal bleeding. It is impossible to differentiate the pathology from a simple change in color; if there is bleeding, time will be lost to provide assistance.
The use of the drug in patients with a history of gastric or duodenal ulcers is also contraindicated.
The use of any medicine must be taken responsibly! The doctor will tell you about the need to use the medication. If you develop discomfort or pain in the stomach area, you should definitely visit a doctor, who will recommend examinations to clarify the diagnosis and prescribe adequate treatment.
Taking activated carbon for gastritis in children
Gastritis in children is often caused by poisoning and infectious diseases. Clinically, they are manifested by vomiting, and in this case one cannot do without activated carbon. A more convenient form of the drug for a child will be not a tablet, but a paste or powder. The amount of medication is determined by weight and age: approximately 0.05 mg per kilogram of body weight up to three times a day. The sorbent should be taken no more than three days.
It is important to observe the following:
- Before using the medicine, you must carefully read the instructions and follow them strictly.
- If gastric lavage does not improve the condition, you should immediately call an ambulance.
- If the rinsing helps, it is necessary to undergo an examination by a pediatrician to assess the child’s condition and prescribe subsequent treatment.
- If you have doubts due to gastric lavage, you need to call your pediatrician home. Since the child’s body quickly reacts to dehydration, you need to carefully monitor its condition and not miss the moment.
So, is it possible to drink activated charcoal for gastritis? Yes, but depending on the acidity level.
Use for poisoning
In the acute form of the disease, which occurs after poisoning of the body, it is necessary to use the drug. It helps cleanse the body of the effects of poisoning.
- You can take several tablets of activated carbon per liter of boiled, cooled water. On the first day, this procedure can be taken at least three times. It is better to choose powder, it is more effective.
- After eliminating acute symptoms, you can take several tablets a day for preventive purposes. This should also be done in order to avoid the transformation of the acute stage into a chronic one.
- It is recommended to do an enema after the urge to vomit stops to cleanse the body more quickly.
Recommendations for taking adsorbent
Activated carbon is a strong sorbent, and its long-term uncontrolled use also removes useful substances. It should be taken with caution in case of heart disease, as poor absorption of calcium and potassium disrupts the balance of electrolytes and leads to aggravation of the condition. It is not recommended to drink the drug immediately before meals, which helps to eliminate problems associated with impaired absorption of nutrients. You need to take activated charcoal for gastritis one to two hours before meals. The course should be short - no more than two weeks. Then you should take a break and repeat the dose after fourteen days, but only as prescribed by your doctor.
If there are signs of intestinal atony, there is no need to use activated charcoal, as diarrhea or constipation may be caused.
Pregnant women can take the drug, but caution must be exercised. If you are prone to constipation, the sorbent may worsen the condition.
If the intake is long, you need to accompany it with plenty of drink, since at this time the liquid is actively absorbed. If this recommendation is not followed, dehydration may occur. So, we figured out whether it is possible to take activated charcoal for gastritis.
Use with caution
Activated carbon is a strong adsorbent; with prolonged and uncontrolled use, it removes useful substances from the digestive tract: vitamins, hormones, enzymes. Remain especially careful if you have heart disease; if potassium and calcium are poorly absorbed, the electrolyte balance in the heart cells is disrupted, leading to a deterioration in the patient’s condition. To avoid difficulties associated with impaired absorption of nutrients, the drug should not be taken immediately before meals. It's better an hour or two before a meal.
It is prescribed to take in short courses for up to 14 days. Then a break, after 2 weeks the course is repeated, only after consulting a doctor.
Taking enterosorbent can cause constipation or diarrhea; if there are signs of intestinal atony, there is no need to use the drug.
Pregnant women should take the drug with caution. If a woman is prone to constipation, which often happens during pregnancy, activated charcoal will aggravate the condition.
When using other medications, be sure to monitor the time interval between doses. In some situations, for example, when taking drugs that neutralize toxins, which begin to act only after absorption, the sorbent is canceled so that the carbon does not adsorb the drug.
Long-term use is necessarily accompanied by drinking plenty of fluids due to the active absorption of liquid by carbon. If the recommendations are not followed, dehydration develops.
