When a woman breastfeeds her baby, she must adhere to certain restrictions, which include taking medications. However, there are drugs that are not prohibited by doctors for such categories of citizens. One of them is "Activated Carbon". This medicine, taken in reasonable doses, will not harm lactation. It is better if the woman is appointed by a specialist.
Features:
“Activated carbon” is produced by various pharmaceutical companies and is often presented in the form of tablets, which are black in color, round in shape and have a rough surface. The main ingredient in these tablets is also called activated charcoal, and its dose is usually 250 mg (rarely 320 and 500 mg). Auxiliary components of the drug are starch and talc.
Tablets are packed in blisters or paper packages, sold from 10 pieces in one pack. You can buy them in a pharmacy without a prescription, and the price of a medicine is influenced by both the size of the package and the manufacturer. "Activated Carbon" is inexpensive, which is one of its main advantages. Store tablets at home in a dry place at temperatures up to +25 degrees during the entire shelf life of 2-3 years.
Act
The main ingredient of the tablets has strong absorbent properties. Since it has significant surface activity, this allows it to absorb various substances and even gases. "Activated carbon" begins to act immediately after entering the digestive tract. It absorbs toxic substances, metal salts, medicines, and toxic compounds well.
In this case, the tablets do not harm the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines, are not digested or absorbed in any way. After absorbing toxins, decay products and gases, the medication is completely removed with feces within 24 hours, changing their color: it becomes dark, which is considered the norm.
Application for feeding
As already noted, "Activated charcoal" is not prohibited for breastfeeding and can be used even when a woman is feeding a newborn. The constituents of the drug are unable to penetrate the bloodstream, therefore they cannot get into the baby with breast milk and do not affect the baby in any way. This allows you to take pills even without consulting a doctor, however, examination is advisable to make sure the woman has no contraindications and to determine the correct dose.
The medicine is used to eliminate various digestive problems: heartburn, bloating, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea. "Activated charcoal" is prescribed by a doctor if a nursing mother has been diagnosed with rotavirus infection, hepatitis, salmonellosis or food poisoning. Sorbent is also in demand in case of drug overdose and allergic reactions, as it helps to quickly remove excess medicines and allergens from the body.
Another reason to prescribe "Activated Carbon" are diseases in which the excretion of metabolic products is impaired or they are formed in excess. Such pathologies include kidney and liver damage, which result in high levels of nitrogen or bilirubin.
If these changes in blood are found in a nursing mother, then she will be prescribed a course of sorbent.
Harm
Although "Activated Carbon" is a relatively safe drug, but it also has a harmful effect, if you do not take into account the presence of contraindications. It is forbidden to drink tablets in case of ulcerative lesions of the gastrointestinal tract, especially those cases when it is pronounced and led to bleeding. In some women, hypersensitivity is detected. In such cases, treatment with Activated Carbon is more likely to harm than benefit. Taking medication is also prohibited with intestinal atony.
In addition, some patients react to "Activated charcoal" with negative symptoms even if they do not have any contraindications. After taking the pills, they complain of constipation, loose stools and other signs of dyspepsia. Such an adverse reaction requires a doctor's consultation - it is necessary that he pick up another enterosorbent.
The negative effect of the drug can be attributed to the fact that it prevents the absorption of medicines and useful food components. If you take it together with other medicines, then "Activated Carbon" will reduce their activity, because some of the ingredients will not have time to be absorbed in the intestines.
Excessive use of such a sorbent can worsen the state of the intestinal microflora and local immunity, therefore, it is not recommended to drink the drug for a long time.
Instructions
The dosage required for a nursing mother should be calculated according to the woman's body weight. Often, the medicine is prescribed at the rate of 250 mg of activated carbon per 10 kg of the patient's weight. In case of poisoning, the dose is increased and is selected individually, taking into account the clinical picture.
The drug must be swallowed with a large volume of clean water. If it is difficult to swallow a tablet of "Activated Carbon" whole, then it can be crushed, after which you need to mix the powder with water and drink the resulting suspension. If a course treatment is prescribed, then at least 1-2 hours should elapse between meals and taking the pills.
The duration of the sorbent application is set individually. Quite often, it is recommended to drink “Activated Carbon” for a nursing mother only when her health worsens. When bloating, vomiting and other unpleasant symptoms have subsided, the pill should be stopped immediately. To eliminate flatulence, the medication should be drunk for 3-7 days in a row. It is not recommended to take such a remedy for more than two weeks.
Reviews
Women who took "Activated Charcoal" while breastfeeding leave mostly positive reviews about such pills. The drug is praised for its effectiveness and availability, which is why it is always kept in home medicine kits. According to the patients, taking this sorbent rather quickly improves the condition in case of allergies, flatulence, poisoning, and intestinal infection. Among its disadvantages are often called not very pleasant aftertaste and the need to simultaneously swallow a large number of tablets.
