• Welcome to Phoenix Rising!

    Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of, and finding treatments for, complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia, long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.

    To become a member, simply click the Register button at the top right.

Activated Charcoal Makes Me Feel Like Cr*p

outdamnspot

Senior Member
Messages
924
Can anybody guess why? I've been using it as a binder, taken before coffee enemas. It does help with a lot of 'toxic' symptoms caused by the enemas -- such as nausea etc. -- but I find that the AC itself will tend to make me feel malaised and kind of sick, dehydrated, and also induce diarrhea. For example, tonight I took it in anticipation of doing an enema, but never got the chance to, and now I feel horrible. I've wondered if I notice it less usually because the AC is having some effect on toxins, which the CE's then eliminate more rapidly.
 

Mary

Moderator Resource
Messages
17,376
Location
Southern California
@outdamnspot - I would guess that the AC is itself inducing some detoxing - the malaise and sick feeling sounds like I have felt many times while detoxing. Several products which were meant to add in detoxing, either to mop up toxins or to facilitate their excretion, would cause a detox reaction themselves for me. My chiropractor once gave me Spanish Black Radish by Standard Process for detoxing and I could not tolerate it, except in very small doses.

About 2 years ago I took 3 amino acids over a period of time for various reasons (sleep being one of them), and each induced a detox reaction. They are glycine, inositol and glutamine. When I looked them up, I found that each is involved in phase II liver detoxification and although they are important for the detox pathways, by themselves they caused a detox reaction. I stuck with them (had to titrate up slowly, particularly with the glycine - I reacted very strongly to it) and eventually I stopped detoxing when I took them, and I really can't remember the last time something caused me to detox. And I used to detox at the drop of a hat. I'm guessing that perhaps they finally got my detox pathways working the way they are supposed to and toxins no longer accumulate the way they used to.
 

outdamnspot

Senior Member
Messages
924
@outdamnspot - I would guess that the AC is itself inducing some detoxing - the malaise and sick feeling sounds like I have felt many times while detoxing. Several products which were meant to add in detoxing, either to mop up toxins or to facilitate their excretion, would cause a detox reaction themselves for me. My chiropractor once gave me Spanish Black Radish by Standard Process for detoxing and I could not tolerate it, except in very small doses.

About 2 years ago I took 3 amino acids over a period of time for various reasons (sleep being one of them), and each induced a detox reaction. They are glycine, inositol and glutamine. When I looked them up, I found that each is involved in phase II liver detoxification and although they are important for the detox pathways, by themselves they caused a detox reaction. I stuck with them (had to titrate up slowly, particularly with the glycine - I reacted very strongly to it) and eventually I stopped detoxing when I took them, and I really can't remember the last time something caused me to detox. And I used to detox at the drop of a hat. I'm guessing that perhaps they finally got my detox pathways working the way they are supposed to and toxins no longer accumulate the way they used to.

That's interesting, Mary. I actually ended up passing several -- what I think might be! -- worms in my stool today, so the charcoal definitely does something. I might try a different binder like Bentonite Clay for the enemas, and stick to taking the charcoal once or twice a week.
 

Mary

Moderator Resource
Messages
17,376
Location
Southern California
I might try a different binder like Bentonite Clay for the enemas, and stick to taking the charcoal once or twice a week.

Hi @outdamnspot - that might work, although I have a feeling it may cause the same reaction - That's what happened to me, anything that was supposed help mop up toxins, caused detoxing. But it's definitely worth a try! You may have to just go slower and eventually the detoxing should ease off.

Here's an article on phase II liver detoxing which is very good, and mentions the three amino acids I talked about (as well as several other things necessary for detoxification): http://www.diagnose-me.com/treatment/liver-detoxification-phase-II-support.php