activated charcoal question?

[heapsreal]

How long after taking a charcoal supplement would one be able to take other supplements or meds if needed?
My general thoughts are 4 hours but im just guessing??

Im only looking at doing this once maybe twice a week as a part of my program to lower ammonia which is a neurotoxin produced by viruses bacteria and in the gut. Im also using the herb yucca which is suppose to also help absorb ammonia to be expelled as well as using OKG which recycles ammonia into glutamine and lowers ammonia that way.

Be greatful for an answer or any other ways people have used charcoal to remove ammonia or detox etc.

cheers!!

 

[maryb]

Sorry can't help on the charcoal really, as you say it is advised to take well away from other supplements, maybe take it 4hrs after other stuff so they have a chance to be absorbed. It only works in the gut doesn't it.
I used it after having mercury fillings out. Don't think it did much but I probably didn't ake it for long enough
How is your ammonia reduction protocol going? How do you test for ammonia levels?

 

[Seven7]

How long after taking a charcoal supplement would one be able to take other supplements or meds if needed?
My general thoughts are 4 hours but im just guessing??

Im only looking at doing this once maybe twice a week as a part of my program to lower ammonia which is a neurotoxin produced by viruses bacteria and in the gut. Im also using the herb yucca which is suppose to also help absorb ammonia to be expelled as well as using OKG which recycles ammonia into glutamine and lowers ammonia that way.

Be greatful for an answer or any other ways people have used charcoal to remove ammonia or detox etc.

cheers!!

If i remember correctly there is a contraindication between charcoal and NAC (I think you take this) so you might want to reaserch the hours on that one.

 

[heapsreal]

Sorry can't help on the charcoal really, as you say it is advised to take well away from other supplements, maybe take it 4hrs after other stuff so they have a chance to be absorbed. It only works in the gut doesn't it.
I used it after having mercury fillings out. Don't think it did much but I probably didn't ake it for long enough
How is your ammonia reduction protocol going? How do you test for ammonia levels?

I had good results ie improved sleep after taking the herb yucca which helps to lower ammonia. A friend put me onto this and it brought his ammonia levels down.. so I haven't had any testing yet just winging it I guess. But will talk it over with my doc next time??

 

[undcvr]

If you want to lower ammonia in your system why don't you try alpha keto glutarates instead? In the body building world they are known as ammonia scavengers in the body. A popular formular is OKG but there is the european and american version.

Something to help prevent catabolism in the first place and hence reduce the amount of ammonia in the blood is HMB.

 

[*GG*]

Is ammonia really bad for you in your sweat? When I work out a little, my sweat smells like ammonia! Recently read that it can be due to low carbs, which I try to follow.

GG

 

[justy]

I brought some charcoal for detoxing when on long term antibiotics. Unfortunately I also need to take asthma meds a number of times a day and I believe charcoal can strip all meds out of the body so I cant see any time when I could take it.

On the other hand my husband, who is not ill, has been taking them at bedtime and says his issues with nausea and sore stomach have cleared up.

 

[Hanna]

@justy, Charcoal is a big help for me with all the ABX I take for Lyme treatment. The problem is indeed to take it far away enough from all the rest. As I have to wake-up at nights (thanks to nocturia), I found it the best moment to swallow it. And generally, sleep is often better afterwards.

 

[justy]

@Hanna yes I had though of this, but concerned that if I need to take my asthma meds in the night due to shortness fo breath then they wont work - I don't know if this is right as the asthma meds are inhaled.

 

[Hanna]

@justy, sorry I have been without my computer since Tuesday. Just received it back now... Your concern is understandable. Perhaps we may find an answer about this. I am going to search the topic asap.

 

[Hanna]

@justy, perhaps this should help : (from WebMD answers)

"Medications taken by mouth (Oral drugs) interacts with Activated Charcoal
Activated charcoal absorbs substances in the stomach and intestines. Taking activated charcoal along with medications taken by mouth can decrease how much medicine your body absorbs, and decrease the effectiveness of your medication."

According to this, if your athma meds are inhalatation ones, it shouldn't interact with activated charcoal.

 

[WillowJ]

How long after taking a charcoal supplement would one be able to take other supplements or meds if needed?
My general thoughts are 4 hours but im just guessing??

I can't recall. Interwebz say:
http://www.drugs.com/mtm/activated-charcoal.html

Take your dose of charcoal at least 2 hours before or 1 hour after a dose of any other medicine.

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-suppl...d=269&activeIngredientName=ACTIVATED CHARCOAL

take activated charcoal at least one hour after medications you take by mouth

I did try this and I think it caused bleeding, but my tissues are a bit more fragile than most other people's.

It will also affect food absorption, fwiw.

 

[Hanna]

@WillowJ , when you say "I did try this and I think it caused bleeding, but my tissues are a bit more fragile than most other people's." Are you sure the bleeding is caused by the charcoal? Havn't you taken something else that could explain the reaction? It seems so extreme. Charcoal is given to babies because of its safety...

How long do you have to wait between meds/supps/food and charcoal :
I can't see any consensus on this subject - from one to four hours apart from meds and food. My activated charcoal is from nature's way, and it says 3 hours... I can't let wait more than 2-2.5 hours if it is in the middle of the day because of my supps schedule, so whenever I am waking-up in the middle of the night, that's a better choice for me.

 

[WillowJ]

@WillowJ , when you say "I did try this and I think it caused bleeding, but my tissues are a bit more fragile than most other people's." Are you sure the bleeding is caused by the charcoal? Havn't you taken something else that could explain the reaction? It seems so extreme. Charcoal is given to babies because of its safety...

The charcoal was the most obvious cause, but I didn't repeat it after this to check. I do have (usually) small amounts of bleeding from time to time; sometimes I can pinpoint a likely cause; and I seem to have a fragile system (due to factors other than ME).

I do take a NSAID, but I don't know why that would cause bleeding randomly just now and then. It probably doesn't help this problem, but until they find me a safer anti-inflammatory, or one that targets ME particularly, I'm stuck with it.

I think charcoal is generally considered safe, as you say, but there is nothing that is always safe for everyone in every circumstance. I think a more typical ill effect would be electrolyte imbalance, from what I read at drugs.com, however.

 

[Alea Ishikawa]

3 to 4 hours per here.

I tend to take it before bedtime, as that is usually my biggest span of time between food, meds, and other supps.

I do take a NSAID, but I don't know why that would cause bleeding randomly just now and then. It probably doesn't help this problem, but until they find me a safer anti-inflammatory, or one that targets ME particularly, I'm stuck with it.

NSAIDs can cause GI bleeding. Selective NSAIDs come with a lower risk, but they might be more expensive, require a prescription, and/or come with significant side effects.

I think charcoal is generally considered safe, as you say, but there is nothing that is always safe for everyone in every circumstance. I think a more typical ill effect would be electrolyte imbalance, from what I read at drugs.com, however.

WillowJ - Activated charcoal has little effect on electrolytes.

 

[WillowJ]

NSAIDs can cause GI bleeding. Selective NSAIDs come with a lower risk, but they might be more expensive, require a prescription, and/or come with significant side effects.

yeah, I know. Thanks. But the alternative is severe deterioration. GI bleeding is a risk for heart conditions and not something to ignore, but I honestly can't manage at all without the anti-inflammatory. I'll live with the risk.
Mine is Rx, but even if it wasn't, I would never use medicine of any kind without telling my docs. (they're typically not terribly interested in my supplements, but I supply a list to someone who doesn't get overwhelmed and snap that they can't evaluate that)
I would be a little surprised, though, if it's a med I take every day, if it causes this effect only on rare occasions, if it's the only contributor. I think it more likely adds to the pre-existing weakness in my tissues, and then it doesn't take much more to trigger bleeding. But I could be wrong.

[/quote]
WillowJ - Activated charcoal has little effect on electrolytes.[/quote]
That's different from what the other source said, but yours might be better. Or the industry source might be listing rare effects (maybe I read it wrong before--I should go to bed. )

 

[undcvr]

If you are concerned about charcoal then why don't you try clay. It is also a source of negative ions and it absorbs toxins.

Some safer anti inflammatories wud be ginger, boswellia, tumeric and Wonbezyme. Wonbezyme is actually used by athletes to control pain n inflammation in injuries and joints and there are brands that sell generic versions of it that are much cheaper. U can experiment around and see if you really need a Cox I or II inhibitor for your NSAID and that might make it easier for you.

 

[JAM]

I take it 20 min after my meds. By that time the meds have been absorbed.

 

[Alea Ishikawa]

But the alternative is severe deterioration. GI bleeding is a risk for heart conditions and not something to ignore, but I honestly can't manage at all without the anti-inflammatory. I'll live with the risk

Yes, it's a tradeoff. I tend to break from meds one day a week, as I know it's not good to use them continuously. Breaking might help to reduce the burden on the gut. I do not know if this is an option for you.

WillowJ - Activated charcoal has little effect on electrolytes.

That's different from what the other source said, but yours might be better. Or the industry source might be listing rare effects (maybe I read it wrong before--I should go to bed. )

Most metabolic effects are usually linked to the addition of sorbitol in the charcoal.

There is also an issue with significant doses, as per here. The children received 1g per kg (up to 50g) of charcoal for acute poisoning while potentially undergoing various other vomit-associated factors like administration via nasogastric tube or being exposed to a emetogenic chemical. About 20% vomited.

If the activated charcoal has no sorbitol, then I'd wager 1.1g taken a few times a day is likely not going to have the same effects. However, many things can cause irritation to a sensitive gut, so I'd use caution in special cases.

 

[redwhitechem]

How long after taking a charcoal supplement would one be able to take other supplements or meds if needed?
My general thoughts are 4 hours but im just guessing??

Im only looking at doing this once maybe twice a week as a part of my program to lower ammonia which is a neurotoxin produced by viruses bacteria and in the gut. Im also using the herb yucca which is suppose to also help absorb ammonia to be expelled as well as using OKG which recycles ammonia into glutamine and lowers ammonia that way.

Be greatful for an answer or any other ways people have used charcoal to remove ammonia or detox etc.

cheers!!

Taking it minimum 2 hours before or 1 hour after other medications is recommended.