Can activated charcoal be given to a nursing mother?

Activated carbon belongs to the group of enterosorbents , i.e. such drugs that have a high absorptivity of harmful substances and components. Therefore, this drug is often used when:

• poisonings (medicinal, food, alcoholic);
• disorders of the gastrointestinal tract (flatulence);
• acute intestinal infections (salmonellosis, enterovirus, rotavirus infections);
• acute, as well as chronic liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis);
• metabolic disorders, as well as to cleanse the body with a diet.

Is it possible to breastfeed activated charcoal?

Many mothers are interested in this issue. It becomes especially urgent in the hot season, when the risk of food poisoning is very high.

Doctors do not prohibit the nursing mother from taking activated charcoal. This drug is by no means absorbed into the blood, and its effect will only spread to the intestines. But, despite this, there are also conditions in which activated charcoal is contraindicated. These are peptic ulcer and gastrointestinal bleeding. In other cases, the answer to the question as to whether it is possible to take activated charcoal to a nursing mother is positive.

What should be considered when taking activated charcoal by nursing moms?

Having figured out whether it is possible to take activated charcoal to nursing mothers, it is necessary to say how to drink it properly.

Long-term use of activated charcoal during lactation is unacceptable. this can lead to the development of hypovitaminosis, and in the end - a decrease in immunity. This is explained by the fact that, together with toxins, he removes vitamins and microelements from the body, and also creates an obstacle to the normal assimilation of proteins and fats, and thus does not allow the development of normal intestinal microflora.

To ensure that the reception of activated charcoal does not turn into a lactating problem, it is necessary to strictly follow the dosage. So, usually it is 1 tablet for every 10 kg of weight. In this case, it is better to divide this dose into several doses. On the day the number of taken tablets should not exceed 10 pieces. With regard to the duration of use of the drug, it should not exceed maximum 14 days.

Thus, in spite of the fact that it is possible to take activated charcoal to a nursing mother, this drug should be used with caution.