More than 1 million people visit emergency rooms each year for drug or drug poisoning.Activated charcoal is one of the emergency treatments we often use to treat severe poisoning.
But in recent years, activated carbon has entered the health industry.It’s growing in popularity and is now included in many commercially available products, including juice cleansers, hangover relievers, toothpaste and facial cleansers.(In 2019, Starbucks even launched a Frappuccino with this trendy ingredient.)
As an ER doctor, my biggest concern is the manufacturer’s recommended hangover remedies.https://www.vdbbq.com/Does it really work?is it safe?
Activated charcoal, also known as activated charcoal, has been used medicinally to detoxify patients for nearly 200 years.It is made by exposing carbon sources such as bamboo, coconut shells or wood to extremely high temperatures.This is the key to the mechanism of action of activated carbon as a highly efficient absorbent.
When blasted with high temperatures, the charcoal becomes highly porous and develops a spongy ability to bind certain substances.
Because of this superior binding ability, activated charcoal is our first choice for suspected or known poisoning in the emergency room.Activated charcoal has come to the forefront as traditional remedies like ipecac to induce vomiting or gastric pumping have fallen out of favor; in short, because gastric aspiration has a high risk of sucking the contents into the lungs.
Activated charcoal should be administered within 1-2 hours of ingestion (or longer if the overdose is in controlled or sustained release form).Most patients remain alert and awake and can tolerate activated charcoal — a black, odorless powder mixed with liquid, which they drink like a smoothie.But if needed, we will protect their airway and insert a nasogastric tube into their stomach through which we can give activated charcoal.
It is worth noting that, due to ethical concerns, it is practically impossible to conduct robust research trials to determine which drug toxicity can be effectively mitigated by activated charcoal.Therefore, the available data we have come from animal models, laboratory studies or observational studies.
After consulting with a local poison control center toxicologist, we considered using activated charcoal to treat the following toxic ingestions.(Keep in mind that toxicologist recommendations may vary by region, and this list is not exhaustive.)
Guess what activated charcoal doesn’t work on.Heavy metals (iron, lead, and mercury) and toxic alcohols like ethylene glycol, methanol, and the ancient recreational ethanol are what most people think of when they hear “alcohol.”
Existing research on whether activated charcoal can effectively bind toxic alcohol is mixed.But the point is, even if it did, the alcohol would migrate from the stomach into the bloodstream too quickly for activated charcoal to absorb it.In fact, one small study found that subjects who took activated charcoal 30 minutes after drinking alcohol had the same blood alcohol levels as those who didn’t.So as you can imagine, if activated charcoal doesn’t reduce alcohol absorption after 30 minutes of drinking, then it certainly won’t prevent a hangover if you take it a few hours before bedtime.
Need another reason not to mix alcohol and activated charcoal?Both alcohol (in acute intoxication states and during hangovers) and activated charcoal can make you vomit easily.Combine the two, and you may be at high risk for pulmonary aspiration, where some of the vomit and charcoal may end up in your lungs, causing damage to lung tissue, lowering oxygen levels, and possibly causing pneumonia.Charcoal can also cause constipation.
Bottom line: Activated charcoal is a very effective treatment option for certain drug or toxin poisonings in the emergency room.Since it does not bind alcohol or prevent its absorption into the bloodstream, it should not be used as a hangover prevention or treatment.Consuming activated charcoal with alcohol or the next day may increase nausea and vomiting, as well as a high risk of dangerous aspiration and lung damage.Be skeptical of any health product that claims activated charcoal benefits.
Instead, opt for healthier, safer hangover remedies.Once you drink alcohol, hangovers are hard to prevent.Instead, aim to reduce this likelihood by drinking moderately, hydrating while drinking, the next morning, and exercising.Another tip: If you feel sick, avoid greasy, high-fat foods as they take longer to digest and can irritate your stomach further.Choose fast-digesting carbs like toast and bagels.
Michael Daignault, MD, is a board-certified emergency physician in Los Angeles.He studied global health at Georgetown University and received his medical degree at Ben Gurion University.He completed his emergency medicine residency training at Lincoln Medical Center in the South Bronx.He is also a former Peace Corps volunteer.Find him on Instagram @dr.daignault