What is Charcodote?
Common Charcodote is made from wood, coconut shell, peat, coal, or petroleum. "Charcodote" is a processed form of common Charcodote that contains pores that can trap other chemicals and prevent them from being absorbed by the body.
Charcodote is used to treat certain types of chemical poisonings.
Charcodote has also been used in alternative medicine as an aid in treating gas and indigestion.
It is not certain whether Charcodote is effective in treating any medical condition. Medicinal use of this product has not been approved by the FDA. This medicine should not be used in place of medication prescribed for you by your doctor.
Charcodote is often sold as an herbal supplement. There are no regulated manufacturing standards in place for many herbal compounds and some marketed supplements have been found to be contaminated with toxic metals or other drugs. Herbal/health supplements should be purchased from a reliable source to minimize the risk of contamination.
Charcodote may also be used for purposes not listed in this product guide.
Charcodote indications
Relief of painful symptoms and pressure of excess gas in digestive tract; adjunct in treatment of many conditions in which gas retention may be problem, such as postoperative gaseous distention and pain, endoscopic examination, air swallowing, functional dyspepsia, peptic ulcer, spastic or irritable colon, diverticulosis.
Unlabeled Uses
Treatment of infant colic.
How should I use Charcodote?
Use Charcodote as directed by your doctor. Check the label on the medicine for exact dosing instructions.
- Take Charcodote as needed after meals and at bedtime, unless otherwise directed by your doctor.
- Charcodote may interfere with the absorption of many other medicines. Talk to your doctor about taking Charcodote 2 hours before or after taking any other medicine.
- If you miss a dose of Charcodote and you are using it regularly, take it as soon as possible. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not take 2 doses at once.
Ask your health care provider any questions you may have about how to use Charcodote.
Uses of Charcodote in details
Use: Labeled Indications
Acute poisoning: Suspension: Charcodote Charcodote is a nonabsorbable adsorbent that may be considered in the management of poisonings when GI decontamination of drugs or chemicals is indicated (eg, presentation to a treatment facility within 1 hour of ingestion of substances associated with a high degree of morbidity and/or mortality). Charcodote Charcodote is generally an effective adsorbent of drugs and chemicals with a molecular weight range of 100 to 1,000 daltons. Charcodote Charcodote may occasionally be considered >1 hour postingestion (Chyka 2005), especially when substances with known delayed absorption (eg, sustained-release preparations, salicylates) have been ingested (ACMT 2015; Ghosh 2014; Livshits 2015). Contact a poison control center to determine whether the use of Charcodote Charcodote is advised in these patients.
Multidose Charcodote Charcodote (MDAC) may be considered to enhance drug elimination if a patient has ingested a life-threatening amount of carbamazepine, dapsone, phenobarbital, quinine, or theophylline (Vale 1999).
Off Label Uses
Intracranial hemorrhage associated with oral non-vitamin K antagonist anticoagulants
Based on the Neurocritical Care Society and the Society of Critical Care Medicine guideline for reversal of antithrombotics in intracranial hemorrhage, Charcodote Charcodote is suggested for intubated intracranial hemorrhage patients presenting within 2 hours of ingestion of an oral direct factor Xa inhibitor (eg, apixaban, edoxaban, rivaroxaban) or an oral direct thrombin inhibitor (dabigatran); use is suggested in patients with enteral access and/or alert patients with low aspiration risk. Concomitant agents are also recommended in certain patients (ie, 4-factor prothrombin complex concentrate [PCC] or Charcodote PCC [aPCC] for direct factor Xa inhibitor reversal or idarucizumab for dabigatran reversal).
Charcodote description
Charcodote Charcodote, or Charcodote carbon, is used as a medication to treat poisonings following excessive oral ingestion of certain medications or poisons. Side effects may include aspiration into the lungs. It is on the World Health Organization’s List of Essential Medicines, the most important medications needed in a basic health system.
Charcodote dosage
Charcodote Dosage
Applies to the following strength(s): 25 g; 50 g; 15 g; 260 mg; 250 mg; 200 mg; 30 g
The information at Drugs.com is not a substitute for medical advice. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist.
Usual Adult Dose for:
- Gastrointestinal Decontamination
- Flatulence
Usual Pediatric Dose for:
- Gastrointestinal Decontamination
- Flatulence
Additional dosage information:
- Renal Dose Adjustments
- Liver Dose Adjustments
- Precautions
- Dialysis
- Other Comments
Usual Adult Dose for Gastrointestinal Decontamination
Charcodote Charcodote:
Single-dose: 25 to 100 g orally or by nasogastric tube once, as a slurry in water. The routine use of single-dose Charcodote Charcodote is not recommended.
Multiple-dose:
Initial dose: 50 to 100 g orally or by nasogastric tube, as a slurry in water
Maintenance dose: 12.5 g every hour, 25 g every 2 hours, or 50 g every 4 hours until symptoms resolve.
Usual Adult Dose for Flatulence
Capsules and tablets: 500 to 1040 mg up to 4 times daily as needed. Not effective in the treatment of poisoning.
Usual Pediatric Dose for Gastrointestinal Decontamination
Charcodote Charcodote:
Administer aqueous suspension or as a slurry in water.
Single dose:
<1 year: 0.5 to 1 g/kg or 10 to 25 g orally or by nasogastric tube once
1-12 years: 0.5 to 1 g/kg or 25 to 50 g orally or by nasogastric tube once
13-18 years: Single-dose: 25 to 100 g orally or by nasogastric tube once
The routine use of single-dose Charcodote Charcodote is not recommended.
Multiple-dose:
<13 years: Initial dose: 10 to 25 g orally or by nasogastric tube, as a slurry in water
Maintenance dose: 1 to 2 g/kg every 2 to 4 hours
13-18 years: Initial dose: 50 to 100 g orally or by nasogastric tube, as a slurry in water
Maintenance dose: 12.5 g every hour, 25 g every 2 hours, or 50 g every 4 hours until toxic symptoms resolve.
Usual Pediatric Dose for Flatulence
3 to 18 years:
Capsules and tablets: 500 to 1040 mg up to 4 times daily as needed. Not effective in the treatment of poisoning.
Renal Dose Adjustments
No adjustment recommended
Liver Dose Adjustments
No adjustment recommended
Precautions
The routine use of single-dose Charcodote Charcodote for the management of poisoning is not recommended.
Administration is contraindicated in the presence of an unprotected airway, in patients with or at risk of gastrointestinal hemorrhage, perforation, or obstruction, or if administration would increase the risk of aspiration (i.e., hydrocarbon ingestion).
Caution is recommended in patients with poor gastrointestinal motility.
Should not be used in the management of acute corrosive or petroleum distillate ingestion since vomiting can occur following Charcodote administration. Charcodote may also obscure the endoscopic evaluation of gastroesophageal lesions.
May be administered in an attempt to adsorb any ingested toxic agent (where physical or other contraindications are not present), but it is known to be much less effective in the adsorption of boric acid, cadmium, cyanide, DDT, ethanol, ethylene glycol, iron, lead, lithium, mercury, methanol, potassium chloride, selenium, strong acid or alkali (may obscure lesion on endoscopy), and organic solvents.
Minimum dilution: 240 mL water per 20 to 30 g Charcodote.
Milk, chocolate syrup, ice cream, and sherbet should not be mixed with Charcodote because they may reduce its efficacy.
Charcodote Charcodote may adsorb therapeutic agents while it remains in the GI tract. Dosages or route of administration of therapeutic drugs may need to be altered.
Charcodote tablets and capsules are ineffective for the treatment of poisoning due to inferior adsorptive capacity.
Dialysis
No adjustment recommended
Other Comments
For gastrointestinal decontamination, time since ingestion is a critical criterion in the decision to use Charcodote for decontamination purposes. Typically, the recommended cutoff point for administration of Charcodote for gastrointestinal decontamination is 1 to 2 hours post- ingestion. However, in cases where the ingested agent has anticholinergic activity (e.g., tricyclic antidepressants) or can slow the rate of gastric emptying by another mechanism (e.g., pentazocine, meperidine) then use of Charcodote beyond 2 hours may still be beneficial.
More about Charcodote
- Side Effects
- During Pregnancy
- Dosage Information
- Drug Interactions
- Support Group
- En Espanol
- 0 Reviews - Add your own review/rating
Consumer resources
- Charcodote Charcodote
- Charcodote
- Other brands: Charcodote Charcodote, Liqui-Char, Optimum Charcodote, Insta-Char, More (3) »
Professional resources
- Charcodote, Charcodote (AHFS Monograph)
- More (2) »
Related treatment guides
- Gas
- Gastrointestinal Decontamination
Charcodote interactions
See also:
What other drugs will affect Charcodote?
Leflunomide: Charcodote, Charcodote may decrease serum concentrations of the active metabolite(s) of Leflunomide. Management: Unless using this combination to intentionally enhance leflunomide elimination, consider an alternative to Charcodote when possible. Separating drug administration is not likely to be effective at avoiding this interaction. Consider therapy modification
Teriflunomide: Charcodote, Charcodote may decrease the serum concentration of Teriflunomide. Management: Unless using this combination to intentionally enhance teriflunomide elimination, consider an alternative to Charcodote when possible. Separating drug administration is not likely to be effective at avoiding this interaction. Consider therapy modification
Charcodote side effects
See also:
What are the possible side effects of Charcodote?
Applies to Charcodote: capsules, tablets
Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome:
Constipation; diarrhea; temporary darkening of the stool; vomiting.
Seek medical attention right away if any of these SEVERE side effects occur while taking Charcodote (the active ingredient contained in Healthstream Charcodote Charcodote)
Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue).
Charcodote contraindications
See also:
What is the most important information I should know about Charcodote?
None known. Ineffective for poisonings by cyanide, mineral acids and alkalis. Not particularly effective for poisonings by ethanol, methanol, and iron salts.
Active ingredient matches for Charcodote:
Charcoal in Hong Kong, Israel, United Kingdom.
Activated in Hong Kong, Israel, United Kingdom.
Activated charcoal in United Kingdom.
Activated charcoal with or without sorbitol in Israel.
Activated charcoal/sorbitol in Singapore.
Micronized activated charcoal in Hongkong.
| Unit description / dosage (Manufacturer) | Price, USD |
| Suspension; Oral; Charcoal Activated; Sorbitol 200 mg / ml | |
| Charcodote 50 g/250 mL x 250 mL | |
| Charcodote oral liqd 50 g/250 mL 250 mL x 1's (Pharmascience) | |
| Charcodote oral susp 50 g/250 mL 250 mL x 1's (Pharmascience) | |
| Charcodote Ped oral susp 25 g/125 mL 125 mL x 1's (Pharmascience) | |
List of Charcodote substitutes (brand and generic names): | |
| CharcoCaps | |
| Charcol | |
| Charcotabs | |
| Charcotrace | |
| Charflo aqua (Turkey) | |
| Charflo sorbitol (Turkey) | |
| Chem Mart Nasal Decongestant Capsule | |
| Colocarb (France) | |
| Tablet; Oral; Charcoal Activated 300 mg (Expanpharm) | |
| Eucarbon | |
| Tablet; Oral; 180 mg; 25 mg; 105 mg; 50 mg (F.trenka chemisch-pharm. fabrik) | |
| Eucarbon 30's (F.trenka chemisch-pharm. fabrik) | |
| Eucarbon 1000's (F.trenka chemisch-pharm. fabrik) | |
| EZ Char | |
| EZ Char Suspension | |
| EZChar | |
| Flatulex (Switzerland, United States) | |
| Flatulex 80+250 Capsule (Lark Laboratories (India) Ltd.) | $ 0.01 |
| FLATULEX 250 MG CAPSULE 1 strip / 10 capsules each (Lark Laboratories (India) Ltd.) | $ 0.12 |
| Flatulex 250mg Capsule (Lark Laboratories (India) Ltd.) | $ 0.01 |
| Formocarbine (France) | |
| Granules; Oral; Charcoal Activated 740 mg (Gsk sante) | |
| Healthstream Activated Charcoal | |
| Insta-Char | |
| JL Bragg's Medicinal Charcoal | |
| JL Bragg's Medicinal Charcoal tab 300 mg 300's (J L Bragg) | |
| Karbons | |
| Kerr Insta-Char | |
| Kerr Insta-Char in Sorbitol | |
| Kohle Kapseln Arkocaps (Austria) | |
| Kohle-Compretten (Germany, Luxembourg, Norway) | |
| Kohle-Tabletten (Germany) | |
| Kolemed (Austria) | |
| Koltab (India) | |
| Koltab 250mg TAB / 500 (Gripo) | $ 1.63 |
| KOLTAB tab 250 mg x 500's (Gripo) | $ 1.63 |
| Liqui-Char (United Kingdom, United States) | |
| Liqui-Char-Vet (United Kingdom) | |
| Medicoal | |
| Medikol (Norway, Sweden) | |
| Micronized activated charcoal (Hongkong) | |
| Modern Herbals Trapped Wind & Indigestion | |
| Modern herbals trapped wind + indigestion (United Kingdom) | |
| Neocarbon (Brazil) | |
| Norit (Austria, Belgium, Greece, Israel, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Romania) | |
| Tablet; Oral; Charcoal Activated 125 mg (Farmasyn) | |
| Optimum Charcoal | |
| Pharmacia Carbosorb | |
| Phytopharma Charbon (Switzerland) | |
See 100 substitutes for Charcodote | |
Reviews
The results of a survey conducted on ndrugs.com for Charcodote are given in detail below. The results of the survey conducted are based on the impressions and views of the website users and consumers taking Charcodote. We implore you to kindly base your medical condition or therapeutic choices on the result or test conducted by a physician or licensed medical practitioners.User reports
Consumer reported useful
No survey data has been collected yetConsumer reported price estimates
No survey data has been collected yetConsumer reported time for results
No survey data has been collected yet1 consumer reported age
| Users | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 16-29 | 1 | 100.0% | |
Consumer reviews
There are no reviews yet. Be the first to write one! |
Information checked by Dr. Sachin Kumar, MD Pharmacology
