Activated Charcoal

260mg 2 capsules at 2am . Makes me question if I'm taking enough.

PK -

I hope you're doing a little better.

I think I took 4 AC capsules a couple times a day when I really needed critical flushing (not sure of mg)—did this for a few wks. I eventually worked toward once a day but added a 2nd binder (bentonite clay).

Then I moved on to pure cholestyramine, starting w/ low doses then at a high dose only at night, and eventually added bentonite clay to it as well. For me, one flush at somewhat high dose worked better and was easier w/ my schedule.

As long as you are really well-hydrated, are still REGULAR, and don't have other significant GI issues, I think you can push the doses for a few days at a time. But if this doesn't help, I'd look toward something else rather than continued high doses.

Something else to try:
I totally get taking in middle of the night - but our digestive process has a 24-hr cycle and that might not be the most beneficial. I think a one hour buffer after your last meal/abx dose/whatever before bedtime will be OK (I've always used a 1 hr buffer before, 2 hrs after and have never had any issues - in fact I compared my rx to longer buffers and observed no difference).

Lots and lots of water…

-p

I take one capsule (260 mg) a day in the afternoon. Sometimes I will take two capsules if I am feeling awful. I could never take 3600 mg a day. I would be plugged up forever.

I could swallow bricks and never be plugged 😨

My charcoal is 520 mgs per capsule. I've taken as many as 4 at a time - 2080 mgs - 3 times a day for about a week when I needed immediate detox from a vaccine I got, but usually only take 2 at a time (1040 mgs).

I have to drink at least one large glass of water with the 2 pills, and when I was taking 4 at a time, I had to use extra mag ox and increase my fiber and keep Miralax 'at the ready'. I was lucky to only have to use the Miralax twice during that week of 4 pills, 3 times a day!

julymorning - I never knew that it could cause diarrhea. I thought it only had the opposite effects.

Yikes.

I did read that there are some that contain sorbitol that could cause diarrhea...but I never knew the charcoal did..

Webmd listed it as a side affect from taking it too long. Other sites didn't specify this side affect as either too long or too high of dosages.

Maybe like everything else, results and side affects even from this can differ with folks.

If she has IBS, which is what I have, gut reactions are often the opposite of what you'd expect.