How Many Times a Day Can You Take Activated Charcoal Capsules?
I have 500mg capsules of activated charcoal. I was wondering how many times can you those in one day? I usually have constipation, diarrhea, discomfort in my intestines and stomach, nausea (all from an unknown reason). So just curious when is too much?
Tennessee
11/07/2015
Dear Kayla,
Because for some, a side effect of charcoal is constipation, and that is one of your symptoms, I would use charcoal with caution. Charcoal should always be taken with plenty of water, which would generally avoid the problem of constipation, but it is something you should consider.
It does work quite well for diarrhea, but again, should be taken with plenty of water. In our house, adults take 2-4 capsules as needed for diarrhea.
If you decide to try it, I would not take more than one a day for general health to see how it does for you, and do not take it within two hours of medication.
Slippery Elm may be of help to you. It is indicated for constipation and for diarrhea. It has a normalizing effect on the digestive system. It also has healing properties, nutritive properties and is very gentle.
I sometimes mix a teaspoon of slippery elm bark powder into my oatmeal. Or, I put a teaspoon into a mug and add a few ounces of warm water, a bit of honey and cinnamon. It really swells up. It has a mild nutty taste. My children do not like it though. :) Or you can take 2-4 capsules of slippery elm once or twice or three times a day.
~Mama to Many~
Hello Kayla.
I sometimes use charcoal tablets for diarrhea and one a day is usually enough to stop it. However, you need to know what's causing the problem as the last thing you need is to stop your body's natural reactions to trying to get rid of infections etc as you probably know. The last time I saw a herbalist, I asked about charcoal and she said maybe 1-2 tablets a day but only for 2 days maximum as too much could be carcinogenic! When I spoke to my doctor about it, and he was very open minded about alternative medicine, he said they always used it in A&E when someone was brought in having overdosed on something bad or poisonous, but he also said only use it occasionally and for a couple of days. There is a homeopathic remedy called Carbo Veg which may help but if you make a thick drink with Marshmallow root, that can also help on lots of levels.
I hope this helps.
