CHARCOAL, ACTIVATED

Brand & Generic Names

Acta-Char	Charcocaps
Acta-Char Liquid	Charcodote
Actidose-Aqua	Charcodote TFS
Actidose with Sorbitol	Insta-Char
Aqueous Charcodote	Liqui-Char
Charac-50	Pediatric Aqueous Charcodote
Charac-tol 50	Pediatric Charcodote
Charcoaid	SuperChar

Basic Information

• Habit forming? No
• Prescription needed? No
• Available as generic? Yes
• Drug class: Antidote (adsorbent)

Uses

• Treatment of poisonings from medication.
• Treatment (infrequent) for diarrhea or excessive gaseousness.

Dosage & Usage Information

How to take:
Tablet or capsule--Swallow with liquid. If you can't swallow whole, crumble tablet or open capsule and take with liquid or food.
Liquid--Take as directed on label. Don't mix with chocolate syrup, ice cream or sherbet.

When to take:
For poisoning--Take immediately after poisoning. If your doctor or emergency poison control center has also recommended syrup of ipecac, don't take charcoal for 30 minutes or until vomiting from ipecac stops.
For diarrhea or gas--Take at same times each day.
Take one or more hours after taking other medicines.

If you forget a dose:
For poisonings--Not applicable.
For diarrhea or gas--Take as soon as you remember up to 2 hours late. If more than 2 hours, wait for next scheduled dose (don't double this dose).

What drug does:
Helps prevent poison from being absorbed from stomach and intestines.
Helps absorb gas in intestinal tract.

Time lapse before drug works:
Begins immediately.

Don't take with:
Ice cream or sherbet.

Overdose

SYMPTOMS:
None expected.

WHAT TO DO:

Overdose unlikely to threaten life. If person takes much larger amount than prescribed, call doctor, poison-control center or hospital emergency room for instructions.

Possible Adverse Reactions or Side Effects

Life-threatening:

None expected. Always: Black bowel No action necessary. movements.

Infrequent:

None expected.

Rare:

Unless taken with cathartic, can cause constipation when taken for overdose of other medicine.

Warnings & Precautions

Don't take if:
The poison was lye or other strong alkali, strong acids (such as sulfuric acid), cyanide, iron, ethyl alcohol or methyl alcohol. Charcoal will not prevent these poisons from causing ill effects.

Before you start, consult your doctor:
If you are taking it as an antidote for poison.

Over age 60:
No problems expected.

Pregnancy:
No problems expected. Consult doctor.

Breast-feeding:
No problems expected. Consult doctor.

Infants & children:
Don't give to children for more than 3 or 4 days for diarrhea. Continuing for longer periods can interfere with normal nutrition.

Prolonged use:
No problems expected.

Skin & sunlight:
No problems expected.

Driving, piloting or hazardous work:
No problems expected.

Discontinuing:
No problems expected.

Others:
No problems expected.

Possible Interaction with Other Drugs

GENERIC NAME	COMBINED EFFECT
------------------------	-----------------------
Any medicine taken	May decrease
at the same time	absorption of medicine.

Possible Interaction with Other Substances

INTERACTS WITH	COMBINED EFFECT
---------------	---------------
Alcohol:	None expected.
Beverages:	None expected.
Cocaine:	None expected.
Chocolate syrup, ice cream	Decreased charcoal effect.
Marijuana:	None expected.
Tobacco:	None expected.