Activated charcoal for heartburn - method of use

When heartburn occurs, a person experiences a feeling of heat behind the sternum, and an unpleasant bitterness and sour taste is felt in the mouth. This happens when a bolus of food, processed by gastric juice, is sent back into the esophagus and eats away the mucous membranes of the esophageal tube. Activated charcoal is considered a reliable and relatively safe remedy for heartburn, which effectively reduces the acidity of gastric secretions and makes the patient feel better within the first ten minutes.

Does activated charcoal help with heartburn?

During heartburn, the food bolus, along with acid, moves back from the stomach into the esophagus.
This can occur due to weakening of the gastric valve muscles, overeating, mechanical compression of the stomach and the development of pathologies of the digestive system. One of the inexpensive but quite effective means is activated carbon, which has a porous texture and has adsorbing properties. The drug combines harmful substances and is excreted along with feces, without being absorbed into the intestinal walls and without provoking an irritant reaction in the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract. After 7-10 hours, the charcoal leaves the body, turning the stool black. Activated carbon relieves irritation of the esophagus, adsorbs hydrochloric acid, relieves irritation and inflammation from the surface of the esophageal tube. Also, enterosorbent has a softening effect on the acidity in the stomach itself, so recurrent reflux of gastric secretions will not cause severe attacks of heartburn.

Important! The detoxifying agent can be taken once or when absolutely necessary. If heartburn occurs more than 2-3 times in 7 days, you need to make an appointment with a gastroenterologist - the cause of burning behind the sternum is often diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Use during pregnancy

Activated carbon is made from two types of raw materials: wood and coconut. During pregnancy, people often complain of heartburn. Malaise occurs for various reasons:

• Change in body weight. During pregnancy, a woman's appetite changes. Overeating is common; as a result, weight increases and the gastrointestinal tract has a harder time coping with the load.
• As the fetus grows, the uterus grows. The internal organs begin to shift under the influence of the growing uterus. As a result of squeezing the upper part of the digestive tract, food is thrown into the esophagus along with gastric juice. Heartburn and pain appear.
• Hormones. Changes in hormonal levels lead to changes in the functioning of other organs, including the gastrointestinal tract.

Doctors prescribe a black drug to make you feel better during pregnancy. To obtain an effective effect, it is necessary to observe the correct dosage of the drug.

The medicine is recognized as an adsorbent, capable of binding toxins and other toxic substances that cause intoxication of the body. Coal is not absorbed into the blood, but acts exclusively in a certain area: the stomach-intestines. This means that its use is absolutely safe for the expectant mother and growing baby - provided the dosage is followed.

If attacks of burning sensation in the chest occur rarely, to eliminate them it is enough to take charcoal and adjust your diet. If persistent symptoms occur, medical attention is required, and the danger for both organisms increases.

Benefits of the drug

So does activated charcoal help with heartburn attacks? Of course, the pharmaceutical product has a lot of positive properties:

• The sorbent binds toxic compounds, neutralizes their effect and removes them from the body.
• Clears the gastrointestinal tract of pathogens.
• Eliminates symptoms of intoxication syndrome.
• Relieves signs of an allergic reaction.
• Stabilizes the digestive system, relieving diarrhea and flatulence.

Activated charcoal for heartburn: methods of administration and contraindications

A burning sensation behind the sternum - heartburn - periodically bothers every person.
For example, after eating a particularly spicy or fatty dish. More often, people with various diseases of the digestive structures suffer from such discomfort.

Not wanting to resort to synthetic drugs, they are looking for natural remedies that would help relieve a burning sensation in the stomach. Activated charcoal for heartburn comes to the rescue in such cases.

Action of activated carbon

To understand whether charcoal helps with heartburn, you need to understand the principle of its action and its intended purpose. This remedy is indispensable for poisoning. It helps to get rid of all symptoms of intoxication due to the absorption of all harmful substances. First of all, coal is a sorbent.

Its medicinal properties are as follows:

1. Absorbs all toxins that enter the stomach.
2. Binds excess cholesterol and helps with weight loss.
3. Helps cope with indigestion.
4. Helps in the treatment of diarrhea and flatulence.

Most often, the product is used as a medicine for poisoning with alcohol or heavy metal salts. To achieve maximum effect, the tablets should be taken immediately after your health worsens. To treat flatulence, just two tablets 3 times a day are enough. For poisoning, take 20 grams. charcoal powder, diluting it in a glass of water.

Once in the stomach, activated carbon instantly absorbs all toxins and helps their rapid removal from the body. Sometimes the product is used for ultrasound of the abdominal organs. But does it help with burning pain?

To do this, you need to figure out why heartburn occurs:

1. It appears when the esophageal mucosa is irritated by gastric juice that reaches it as a result of gastroenterological diseases or gastroesophageal reflux disease.
2. Irritation of the mucous membrane occurs due to the fact that gastric juice contains hydrochloric acid, which has an acidic environment, and not alkaline, like the esophagus.
3. Over time, irritation can develop into ulcerative lesions.

Activated carbon as a sorbent can absorb excess hydrochloric acid and prevent it from reaching the mucous membrane.

Charcoal for heartburn

Activated carbon has long been used in folk medicine for heartburn, and it really helps.

The advantages of using this remedy for burning are as follows:

• does not irritate the intestinal mucosa;
• absolutely safe and harmless, it can be used even during pregnancy;
• is able to absorb excess hydrochloric acid and relieve burning sensation.

What is this action for heartburn based on? The composition of the drug includes charcoal or coke coal, as well as petroleum coke. Thanks to this composition, the tablet has a porous structure and easily absorbs any substance.

When interacting with hydrochloric acid, a chemical reaction occurs in which excess acid is neutralized.

As a result of this, irritation of the mucous membrane does not occur and the person does not feel burning pain. Although activated charcoal is safe and allowed even during pregnancy, it does have some disadvantages.

The product helps to overcome heartburn well, but the following consequences are possible in the future:

1. Charcoal is only a temporary cure for heartburn. The fact is that it does not produce a therapeutic effect, but only relieves symptoms. It cannot be taken for a long time: along with harmful substances, it also absorbs beneficial substances. Take charcoal only in the absence of other medications.
2. The effect of activated carbon is short-lived, especially if you drink it on an empty stomach. In the absence of food, hydrochloric acid will still enter the stomach, even after taking the pills.
3. Do not take tablets with plenty of water. This will lead to an increase in the volume of gastric juice, heartburn will not disappear, but will only intensify.
4. In case of overdose, stool disorders (constipation or diarrhea) are possible.
5. With long-term use of activated carbon in small doses, microflora may be disrupted - both the stomach and intestines.

You should not increase the dosage of the drug in the hope that its effect will last longer.

Let's consider how to use the product so that it brings benefit and not harm.

How to use

The dosage of the drug is determined not only based on the person’s weight, but also the severity of heartburn.

If there is a slight burning sensation in the chest area, you can take just two tablets and wash them down with a small amount of water.

For severe heartburn, you need to take 10 tablets or one tablet for every 10 kg of weight. Crush them, dissolve in 100 ml of milk and drink in one gulp. The burning sensation will disappear immediately.

Based on activated carbon, you can prepare a medicinal mixture for heartburn at home.

Source: https://hospitalvv.ru/simptomy/ugol-ot-izzhogi.html

Indications for use of activated carbon

Activated carbon tablets are prescribed for the following pathologies:

• Bloating, colic.
• Individual intolerance.
• Poisoning with alcohol or food.
• Inflammation of the gastric mucosa.
• Medical intoxication.
• Viral infections - pathogenic microorganisms release toxic elements that penetrate the blood.
• Gas formation, leading to painful colic and dilation of the intestinal walls.

On a note! Activated carbon is made from carbon-containing materials of organic origin, has no toxins, and therefore can be used to treat small children and expectant mothers.

What is heartburn?

Occurs when stomach contents reflux into the esophagus. According to the physiological characteristics of the body, these two areas have different pH characteristics. In the first case it is acidic, in the second it is alkaline. Heartburn develops as follows:

• gastric juice is thrown into the esophagus or throat;
• irritation of the mucous membrane occurs;
• pain and a burning sensation are formed.

The cause of heartburn is associated with the presence of incompetence of the lower esophageal sphincter. This pathology is mediated by GERD. With pronounced errors in eating, non-compliance with the diet, it is accompanied by the development of heartburn.

To treat this condition, antisecretory and antacid drugs are used. Activated charcoal only temporarily helps reduce the feeling of pain and burning in the lower third of the esophagus.

During pregnancy

Activated carbon has a detoxifying effect: it connects toxic elements, as a result of which they do not penetrate into the bloodstream, but move along the intended path: stomach-intestines. The active element similarly avoids entering the bloodstream and does not reach the fetus through the placenta. Therefore, during pregnancy, activated carbon can be used without fear for the health of the unborn child. In addition, this remedy successfully helps relieve the unpleasant symptoms of early toxicosis.

How to take activated charcoal for heartburn depends on the duration of pregnancy and the weight of the expectant mother. However, it should be taken into account that the drug cannot be used repeatedly: coal removes not only harmful substances, but also useful ones necessary for the life of the expectant mother.

On a note! It is contraindicated to use activated charcoal for constipation - this can result in a complication of the situation, intestinal obstruction.

Undesirable consequences

Despite all the seemingly safety of activated carbon, the drug also has a “other side of the coin”. Whether the medication will help cope with frequent and severe heartburn in one person or another is still unknown, but the consequences of drug abuse may well develop.

Thus, the ability of the enterosorbent to absorb everything that is near it results in the absorption of useful substances - vitamins and microelements. This contributes to the rapid depletion of the human body.

In addition, charcoal has the ability to provoke dehydration, as well as constipation due to the absorption of fluid in the intestinal loops. Therefore, people with a predisposition to intestinal obstruction or exacerbation of peptic ulcer disease should not use activated charcoal.

To avoid undesirable consequences from taking natural enterosorbent, it is recommended to first consult a specialist and establish the true root cause of the unpleasant burning sensation behind the sternum. And only after this should you occasionally resort to medication. If heartburn was caused by an exacerbation of any disease of the digestive system, the doctor will prescribe appropriate pharmacotherapy.

Rules of application

It is necessary to use charcoal for heartburn, strictly following the rules of use:

1. The dosage of activated carbon for heartburn is calculated according to the principle: 1 tablet per 10 kg of weight. All tablets should be taken at one time, washed down with clean water. You can also use kefir - this will only enhance the positive effect.
2. Use the drug on an empty stomach - 10-15 minutes before eating, or 1-2 hours after eating.
3. When taking other medications, a time interval of two hours must be observed. Enterosorbent binds compounds present in the stomach or intestines and removes them naturally: medications do not have time to penetrate the bloodstream and exhibit therapeutic properties.
4. Activated charcoal against heartburn must be chosen in the form of powder or tablets. Gelatin capsules will not have the desired effect, since their dissolution occurs in the stomach.
5. To eliminate discomfort during severe heartburn, it is recommended to crush activated charcoal using two spoons to a powder state, then combine with milk. The sorbent will “bind” gastric juice, and the milk will extinguish the increased acidity.

Important! It is strictly contraindicated to use charcoal left over from making a fire for treatment, since it contains impurities and carcinogenic elements that can lead to intoxication.

Coal mixture according to a folk recipe

If heartburn occurs frequently, an effective folk remedy based on activated carbon is recommended. To do this you need to combine 25 g. powdered coal with 10 gr. grated basil root, after which the ingredients are mixed. Take the resulting product 1 tsp. three times a day, washed down with 1 glass of boiled water. Instead of basil, it is allowed to use dry ginger or calamus root in the same proportions.

Characteristics of the drug

The stomach always contains enzymes and hydrochloric acid - this is its natural state. Normally, the mucous membrane does not suffer. But sometimes the acidic contents are thrown back into the esophagus (reflux), which causes irritation of the mucous membrane. Frequently repeated backflow of gastric juice leads to a chronic inflammatory process. Ulcers appear on the esophageal mucosa, scars form, and narrowing of the lumen (stricture).

To reduce the effects of aggressive substances, sorbents are used, including heartburn charcoal.

The drug has a high sorption capacity and has high surface activity. It reduces the absorption of toxins, alkaloids, heavy metals, glycosides, and medications from the gastrointestinal tract, helps remove them, and adsorbs gases. One tablet contains 250 mg of active substance and starch.

The product is used in the following situations:

• increased secretion of gastric juice;
• flatulence;
• food poisoning;
• chemical poisoning;
• allergy;
• prevention of gas formation before instrumental examination.

The drug is non-toxic and is excreted unchanged through the intestines. The powder has greater adsorption capacity than tablets.

Disadvantages of activated carbon

Even such a seemingly safe remedy for heartburn as charcoal has its drawbacks:

• Coal removes from the body not only the remains of hydrochloric acid, but also vitamins, mineral elements, proteins, hormones, and enzymes. A deficiency of such beneficial components can lead to dysbiosis, pathologies of the digestive system, deterioration of metabolism, and weakening of the body's immune forces.
• Excessive use of the drug leads to disruptions in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, which is often accompanied by difficulty in bowel movement and diarrhea.
• The therapeutic effect of activated carbon wears off quickly. If you ignore the underlying cause of the disease, the likelihood of heartburn recurrence increases.
• It is impossible to use medications for heartburn and charcoal at the same time - the enterosorbent neutralizes the therapeutic effect of the medications, as a result of which treatment will be pointless.

Disadvantages of use

When using a drug for heartburn, in addition to the advantages, there are also disadvantages:

• The effectiveness of activated carbon is short-lived. If the underlying disease that caused the burning is not treated, the symptom will return, possibly in a more intense form.
• The ability of the drug to eliminate discomfort and pain is noted, but there is no effect directly on the cause. Activated carbon is not a medicine, but an adjuvant.
• Large doses cause the opposite effect - instead of treatment, the patient gets a worsening situation. The body begins to get rid of the poisoning, which leads to diarrhea.

Side effects

When taking an adsorbent drug regularly for more than 14 days, side effects are observed:

• Black color of stool.
• Dyspeptic symptoms: vomiting, diarrhea or constipation.
• Hypovitaminosis.
• Suppression of the therapeutic properties of other medications when used concomitantly.
• Sudden changes in blood pressure.

Restrictions and prohibitions

Is it possible to drink activated charcoal if you have heartburn? Yes, if the patient’s medical history does not include the following pathologies:

• Ulcerative lesions of the stomach and duodenum, which can lead to internal bleeding. When using a sorbent, food waste leaves the body colored black, so it can be difficult to identify a digestive problem. If measures are not taken in time, bleeding in the abdominal area can result in cell death and fatal consequences.
• Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammation of the mucous layer of the colon.
• Bleeding from the digestive system.
• Hypersensitive reaction to the components of the drug.
• Diseases associated with decreased intestinal motility.
• Pancreatitis is a disease in which digestive enzymes released from the pancreas do not enter the duodenum, but instead digest the organ itself. As a result, the gland cells die, and a purulent infection may occur.

The sorbent should be used with caution by women taking hormone-based birth control pills and children under 14 years of age. Without consulting a doctor, you should not use charcoal for heartburn for more than 10 days.

Activated carbon is considered one of the most effective and safe medications for heartburn. The adsorbent normalizes the acidity of the stomach and removes toxic elements from the body. Thanks to its natural composition, the drug can be used by young children and pregnant women. However, it is impossible to use enterosorbent for a long time - charcoal only relieves the painful manifestations of heartburn without fighting the root cause of the underlying disease.

Contraindications

Without the ability to penetrate the blood and spread to other internal organs, activated carbon can harm the body:

1. The main danger lies in non-compliance with the dosage of the drug. If a large portion of the drug enters the body, this causes a disruption in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. Constipation, alternating with diarrhea, may occur.

1. The simultaneous use of charcoal and other medications leads to neutralization of the medicinal effects of the latter.
2. Long-term use of the drug is prohibited. The action of coal is aimed at binding the masses located in the stomach and intestines. Not only harmful and toxic substances are affected by coal. Beneficial bacteria and elements are also bound and excreted from the body through the intestinal tract along with feces. Constant use of the drug in the gastrointestinal tract disrupts the local microflora. Dysbacteriosis, disorders of internal organs occur, and existing diseases become aggravated. Against an unfavorable background, a person’s immune defense weakens and is not able to effectively resist attacking infections.
3. The process of absorption of beneficial micro and macroelements and proteins is disrupted. The result is exhaustion of the body.

There are also categorical prohibitions on the use of activated carbon:

• Peptic ulcer affecting the stomach and duodenum. This disease can provoke internal bleeding. Due to the staining of stool with coal in a dark color, it is impossible to determine in time the problems that have begun. If the bleeding is not stopped, the process of tissue death begins inside the abdominal cavity, leading to death.
• Ulcerative colitis. The disease is characterized by the presence of blood inclusions in the stool (either a little or exceeding the volume of feces). To correctly diagnose the disease, activated carbon is not mixed into stool analysis.
• Pancreatitis. A disease that affects the human pancreas. When the channels that remove enzymes are blocked, the secretion returns back to the organ; for lack of food, the acid begins to process the gland tissue. As a result, numerous foci of inflammation and infectious infections are formed.