Flatulence, or bloating, is a common occurrence in modern man. This disease manifests itself in violation of the process of digestion of food in the body.
Activated charcoal for flatulence helps to eliminate discomfort. But only if the disease is not considered a serious malfunction in the functioning of the stomach and intestines, but is provoked by malnutrition or overeating.
Among the huge number of effective expensive and cheap medicines, activated charcoal for flatulence occupies a special place. This is an old and reliable drug, which is ten times more effective than many other expensive medicines. It helps to overcome certain types of poisoning and intestinal pathologies. But being natural doesn't make activated charcoal a cure for all ailments that can lead to bloating.
This remedyis a drug from the group of enterosorbents. Activated carbon is a natural sorbent that has the ability to absorb and retain toxic microelements on its surface. This medicine prevents toxins from entering the cells of the body.
Activated charcoal for flatulence is considered one of the most famous and effective drugs to eliminate the disease. The drug has a low price, a wide range of effects. This sorbent is sold in all pharmacies. Most people use an adsorbent at every opportunity.
Charcoal therapy has worked well for flatulence. Excessive gas formation in the stomach and intestines develops in many people. In most cases, such patients do not eat properly, drink alcohol, junk food. Such people snack in a hurry, do not play sports. How to take activated charcoal for flatulence and bloating? Let's find out.
Excessive gas production can be the result of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, if active therapy is carried out, and signs of flatulence do not go away, you should urgently consult a doctor and undergo a complete examination of the body.
Symptoms of flatulence
Since bloating indicates the presence of increased gas formation in the intestines, characteristic accompanying signs appear:
- Heartburn (a feeling of discomfort or burning behind the sternum, spreading upward fromepigastric region, sometimes extending to the neck).
- Breach of stool.
- Stomach growling.
- Feeling of heaviness and fullness in the stomach or intestines.
When these symptoms occur, it is necessary to use activated charcoal, which, due to its suction properties, is able to eliminate excess gas from the intestines.
Medication description
The drug is produced in tablet form for oral use. the tablets are round and are dispensed from pharmacies in paper packs of ten.
Each tablet has two hundred and fifty or five hundred milligrams of the main active ingredient - coal, which has undergone special processing.
Pharmacological actions
Activated charcoal is a naturally occurring absorbent that has antidiarrheal and detoxifying effects. The trace element prevents the body from absorbing toxins and poisons that enter the stomach with foods and medicines, and also enhances the excretion of harmful substances from the body. In addition, with the help of its porous surface, activated carbon captures gases well. How to take activated charcoal for flatulence?
Bloating is an increased accumulation of gas in the intestines. If you use activated charcoal during discomfort in the gastrointestinal tract, then the negative symptoms will disappear over time, and the work of the digestive organs will return to normal.
If bloating arose as a result of intestinal dysbacteriosis, then a natural remedyorigin will eliminate from the body the harmful microflora that has accumulated in the intestines.
Indications
Tablets are highly absorbable and able to absorb toxins and gases, as well as harmful compounds and waste products of pathogenic microorganisms. Activated charcoal is recommended for therapeutic and prophylactic purposes under the following conditions:
- Flatulence (excessive accumulation of gases in the intestines).
- Increased gas formation.
- Intestinal fermentation after eating.
- Increased secretion of hydrochloric acid in the stomach.
- Acute intoxication.
- Poisoning the body with drugs, paints, alcohol.
- Salmonellosis (acute intestinal infection of animals and humans caused by Salmonella; acute infectious zoonotic disease caused by Salmonella).
- Dysentery (an infection characterized by general intoxication and damage to the stomach and intestines).
- Chronic kidney disease.
- Cirrhosis of the liver (a pathology that is the result of impaired microcirculation in the liver).
- Allergy (a typical immunopathological process, expressed by hypersensitivity of the body's immune system during repeated exposure to an allergen on an organism previously sensitized by this allergen).
The drug may be recommended to people to prepare for certainexaminations of the digestive and pelvic organs to reduce the accumulation of gases. How to drink activated charcoal with flatulence? More on that below.
Are there bans on the use of the drug?
Activated charcoal has some prohibitions on use, so before using the tablets, you must thoroughly read the instructions for use. The drug is not recommended for people with exacerbation of gastric ulcers with bleeding lesions on the gastric mucosa.
Method of using activated charcoal for flatulence
The drug is taken orally after a meal or thirty minutes before a meal. The dosage of the drug is calculated by a medical specialist on an individual basis, the tablets can be crushed into powder and diluted with water.
According to the instructions for use, the dosage of activated charcoal for adult patients per day is two grams, the maximum is eight grams.
For children, the calculation of the dosage of the drug is carried out on an individual basis, depending on the weight. As a rule, the duration of activated charcoal therapy is three days, but for allergies, treatment can be extended up to two weeks.
To prepare the patient for endoscopic examinations, an adult is recommended to take six tablets per day for three days.
Is it possible to use the sorbent during pregnancy andlactation?
It is allowed to use activated charcoal for flatulence for pregnant and lactating women. The drug helps to reduce the intensity of toxicosis in the first half of the "interesting situation". In the course of the studies, there was no positive or negative effect of the drug on the intrauterine development of the fetus.
During lactation, the use of tablets is possible under the supervision of a medical specialist. As a rule, the drug does not cause any negative manifestations in infants, but if the baby develops a rash or problems with the tummy, the use of activated charcoal should be discontinued.
Adverse reactions
In most cases, charcoal is well tolerated by people. Negative effects are almost non-existent.
Overdose
With too long use of the drug in large doses, the patient has a violation of the absorption of fats, proteins, nutrients. Overdose symptoms are considered to be:
- Constipation (slow, difficult or systematically insufficient defecation).
- A condition in which the concentration of sodium ions in the blood plasma drops below normal.
- Hemorrhages (blood loss resulting from vessel damage).
- Hypocalcemia (a condition in which the amount of total calcium in the blood plasma is below normal).
- Hypothermia (a condition of the body resulting from a decrease in body temperature below thirty-five degrees).
- Lower blood pressure.
When it occursone or more symptoms of an overdose, drug therapy should be stopped immediately and a doctor should be consulted.
Interaction
Activated charcoal should not be used in conjunction with any other drugs, since the sorbent disrupts the absorption of active trace elements, respectively, the pharmacological effect of drugs will be reduced.
If it is necessary to simultaneously use an absorbent with other medicines, it is imperative to maintain a time interval of at least three hours between procedures.
Features
During the treatment of flatulence with activated charcoal, stools may turn black, which is considered normal and does not require discontinuation of therapy.
The drug does not adversely affect the attention and functioning of the central nervous system.
White charcoal for bloating
This type of sorbent helps the stomach in the same way as black, only it consists of cellulose microcrystals and silicon dioxide. Sold, like black, in tablet form.
The spectrum of action is no different from black, but it is practically incapable of harming intestinal motility (wave-like contraction of the walls of hollow tubular organs, contributing to the promotion of their contents to the outlets). White coal can also be used for flatulence and bloating when infected with parasites anddysbacteriosis (imbalance of microflora).
But it is not recommended for use in patients under the age of fourteen, as well as bleeding and ulcers. People who have increased sensitivity should consult a doctor in advance. The medicine should be applied up to four times a day.
The treatment of flatulence with white or black activated charcoal will be effective if you follow a certain diet. If the patient follows the instructions for use, and also does not increase the dose, then both medications, in the absence of prohibitions on use, will help to instantly eliminate discomfort.
Analogues
The following medicines are considered substitutes for activated charcoal:
- "Carbopect".
- "Karbosorb".
- "Sorbex".
- "Microsorb".
- "Carbactin".
Polysorb, Novosorb, Phosphalugel have similar pharmacological properties, but the structure of these medicines includes colloidal silicon dioxide, therefore, before replacing activated charcoal with one of these generics, it is necessary to consult a medical specialist.
Storage
Activated charcoal can be purchased at any pharmacy without a doctor's prescription. Keep the drug in a dry, well-ventilated place.
The shelf life of the medicinal product is twenty-four months. The price of activated carbon varies from five to fiftyrubles.