Activated charcoal can be classified as inexpensive and effective pill for constipation . Coal is an excellent adsorbent that can rid the body of toxins and harmful substances in a short period of time. Does activated carbon help with constipation? Oh sure. With the ability to absorb small microparticles, the drug is excellent for deep bowel cleansing.
What constipation is treated with activated carbon?
First you need to find out why activated carbon helps in order to accurately understand whether taking it will help with constipation. Experts say that help from the remedy will only be when the cause of the problem is functional in nature. In other words, it is appropriate to use activated charcoal from diarrhea, for constipation and bloating, after poisoning with toxins or food, to restore stool. It also helps in relieving symptoms after alcohol and drug intoxication.
Activated carbon tablets. Indications for use
When constipation, the use of coal is necessary for:
- flatulence;
- intestinal fermentation processes;
- conditions when gas formation is increased;
- constipation, which is allergic in nature;
- chronic diseases (ulcers, pancreatitis and gastritis) in the initial stages.
Why does activated carbon help? The doctor may prescribe coal intake to eliminate the disorders provoked by chronic problems of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as to troubleshoot the liver if its cleansing function is impaired, which provoked the accumulation of toxins in the body. However, do not continue with coal therapy for more than one week.
How it affects the body and intestines
The sorbent contains a considerable amount of natural components (coal itself and potato starch, which acts as an auxiliary substance). After taking the drug in the digestive tract, an absorption process begins to occur. The components of the drug begin to actively absorb metabolites, toxins, poisons, and then remove them naturally from the body. It is not necessary to use activated charcoal in case of constipation simultaneously with other medications, as the sorbent is able to reduce their concentration and worsen the therapeutic effect.
In what cases is it forbidden to drink the drug
The treatment for constipation must be neat and thorough, although it is not in itself a separate disease. The decision about whether to take the sorbent in one case or another should be made by the doctor, taking into account all the individual characteristics of the patient.
If the patient has problems associated with the absorption of beneficial substances, it is necessary to refuse treatment with coal and similar preparations, since the body will completely cease to receive useful components and vitamins.
The presence of a chronic disease that requires constant administration of drugs is also a contraindication to use. This is especially true for HIV-positive patients. In this case, the sorbents will only lead to a deterioration in the state due to a decrease in the effect of drugs.
Does not involve treatment with activated charcoal and intestinal obstruction.
It is strictly forbidden to get rid of constipation on your own if it is accompanied by pain in the abdomen, dizziness, a change in the general condition of the body in physical terms, fever, weakness, and nausea. All of these symptoms together are the reason for immediately contacting a specialist.
Side effects
Most often, the drug takes place without complications, the drug is easily tolerated by humans. But in each case there are exceptions.
Sorbent can very rarely become a causative agent of negative effects, only in cases of abuse. Taking orally activated charcoal together with laxatives can cause a negative effect.
Side effects when taking activated charcoal include:
- a decrease in the content of potassium ions in the blood;
- diarrhea;
- low blood pressure;
- dyspeptic symptoms;
- with uncontrolled use of the drug for a sufficiently long time, symptoms may appear that indicate impaired absorption of vitamins, fats and proteins: brittle hair, nails, pallor of the face, anemia, dry skin.
Conditions for use of adsorbent during constipation
In addition to the fact that this drug should be washed down with a copious amount of water, there are a number of other rules on how to take the medication in order to eliminate bowel movements.
Dosage varies depending on what stage of constipation. If the stage of intestinal dysfunction is mild, then it is necessary to take two tablets of coal twice a day. If the disease lasts for several days - three tablets three times a day.
To eliminate the symptoms of poisoning, the dosage is calculated separately - one tablet for every ten kilograms of the patient’s body weight, and take the drug three times a day (for example, if the patient weighs sixty kilograms, then he needs to drink six tablets at a time).
Experts recommend at the first sign of constipation to rinse the stomach with a solution of potassium permanganate, this is done so that the sorbent has a better effect.
The drug is used daily until a full recovery occurs. If this has not happened in a few days, then further treatment should be stopped and consult a specialist.
A sorbent is used two hours after a meal or one hour before a meal. The medicine is washed down with plenty of water, if there are no individual contraindications in this.
The sorbent should not be mixed with any other drugs, since the drug has a porous structure that can absorb beneficial substances, which will lead to stomach dysfunction.
The medicine can be taken both in the form of a whole tablet, or in the form of a powder. To do this, the tablet should be crushed, and then mixed with water. This is appropriate for those patients whose constipation is particularly inconvenient.
Taking the drug during pregnancy
Progesterone, a hormone designed to preserve pregnancy, is the culprit in constipation in pregnant women. Can activated charcoal be used for constipation during pregnancy? Yes, but only after consultation with your doctor and his appointments.
Doctors often prescribe activated carbon to pregnant women at any stage of gestation as part of complex therapy or as a prophylactic for constipation. The medication helps a woman cope with a digestive disorder and with bloating. This does not harm the health of the unborn baby, since the active substance is not absorbed by the intestinal walls, so it will not be able to penetrate the bloodstream and cross the placenta.
During pregnancy, coal should be taken two tablets three times a day for three to five days.
If you follow all the instructions of your doctor, the use of this drug will help the expectant mother quickly and without any complications get rid of stagnation of feces in the intestine.
Basic conditions
The effective action of activated carbon in case of constipation will only be when the body is oversaturated with it. In order to fully recover, it is necessary to drink the drug in the amount in which the doctor prescribed and do not neglect these rules.
Often, taking the drug is supplemented with a complex of vitamins. This is due to the fact that the medicine is able to absorb any trace elements, regardless of whether they are harmful or beneficial to the body. Vitamin complexes can significantly reduce this effect and fill the body with the necessary trace elements and minerals.
Judging by numerous reviews, the answer to the question - does coal help with constipation, is often positive. However, you should be careful even when using such a harmless means.
Total
As it turned out, these inexpensive pills are effective against constipation and truly versatile. This is one of the medicines, the use of which with problems with bowel movements will not harm even a pregnant woman. Coal can be taken by those ladies who have weakened uterine tone, since the drug does not contribute to its involuntary contraction.
If the medication is not correctly dosed and the rules of admission are not observed, unpleasant consequences can be provoked.
Therefore, in any case, it is not necessary to self-medicate, but it is best to turn to a specialist for help.