What is charcoal?
Charcoal is used to treat stomach pain caused by excess gas, diarrhea, or indigestion.
Charcoal also is used to relieve itching related to kidney dialysis treatment and to treat poisoning or drug overdose.
Charcoal may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.
-
Precautions
-
Instructions
-
Side Effects
-
Interactions
Precautions
You should not use this medication if you have ever had an allergic reaction to charcoal.
If possible, before you receive charcoal, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have:
- liver disease;
- kidney disease; or
- any type of serious illness.
If you have any of these conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely take this medication.
It is not known whether charcoal is harmful to an unborn baby. Before you take charcoal, tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.
It is not known whether charcoal passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
In a poisoning or overdose situation, it may not be possible to tell your caregivers that you are pregnant or breast-feeding before you are treated with charcoal. However, make sure any doctor caring for your pregnancy or your baby knows that you have received the medication.
Do not give this medication to a child younger than 1 year old without the advice of a doctor.
Do not take charcoal with any other medicine. Take your dose of charcoal at least 2 hours before or 1 hour after a dose of any other medicine. Charcoal binds to other drugs and can make them less effective, which could become dangerous.
▲
Back to top
Instructions
Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine.
An overdose of charcoal is not likely to cause life-threatening symptoms.
Since charcoal is often taken only when needed, you may not be on a dosing schedule. If you are taking the medication regularly, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, wait until then to take the medicine and skip the missed dose. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.
▲
Back to top
Side Effects
Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
▲
Back to top
Interactions
There may be other drugs that can interact with charcoal. Tell your doctor about all your prescription and over-the-counter medications, vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor.
Other Names
Actidose-Aqua, Actidose-Aqua Advance, Activated Charcoal, Activated Charcoal with Sorbitol (obsolete), Active Carbon, Carbomix, Carbosorb X, Char-Flo with Sorbitol (obsolete), Charcoaid, Charcoaid 2000, Charcoaid-G, Charcoal Plus DS, Charcocaps, Charcodote, Charcodote (obsolete), Charcotabs, Charcotrace, Chem Mart Nasal Decongestant Capsule, EZChar, Eucarbon, Healthstream Activated Charcoal, Insta-Char, J.L. Bragg's Medicinal Charcoal, Karbons, Liqui-Char, Liqui-Char with Sorbitol (obsolete), Medicoal, Norit, Optimum Charcoal, Pharmacia Carbosorb, activated charcoal, and charcoal
Available Strengths & Dosages
| Route |
Form |
Strength |
| oral |
suspension |
15 g |
| oral |
suspension |
25 g |
| oral |
suspension |
50 g |
▲
Back to top
Disclaimer
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.
Copyright 1996-2004 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version 2.05. Revision date 8/23/04
Updating results…
