What is ARKOPHARMA VEGETAL CHARCOAL and what is it used for?
Activated charcoal, the active ingredient in this medicine, acts as an:
Antidiarrhoeal: inactivating toxins and microorganisms in the digestive tract, by means of a physical adsorption process.
Antiflatulent: relieving gas symptoms. Activated charcoal acts by adsorbing gas particles and substances due to fermentations that cause bloating and flatulence.
ARKOPHARMA VEGETAL CHARCOAL is indicated for the symptomatic treatment of:
Occasional diarrhoea
Symptomatic relief of gas (aerophagia, meteorism, flatulence).
2. What you need to know before you start taking ARKOPHARMA® VEGETAL CARBON
Do not take ARKOPHARMA® VEGETAL CHARCOAL
- If you are allergic to the active substance or to any of the other ingredients of this medicine,
listed in section 6.1.
- If you are in a situation where you have absent bowel sounds, intestinal perforation, have recently undergone digestive surgery or are at risk of bleeding from the stomach or intestine.
Warnings and precautions
Consult your pharmacist, doctor or nurse before you start taking ARKOPHARMA VEGETAL CHARCOAL.
- It can modify intestinal motility (bowel movements).
- Do not administer at the same time as other medicines to avoid loss of absorption or reciprocal cancellation of action (allow at least 2 hours).
- Prolonged use is not recommended as it may decrease the absorption of some nutrients.
- Tell your doctor if during treatment with this medicine you experience worsening, new abdominal pain, constipation or severe diarrhoea.
- Taking activated charcoal causes black stools, but this is not important.
Children
The administration of this medicine to children under 12 years of age is not recommended without consulting your pharmacist or doctor.
Taking ARKOPHARMA VEGETAL CHARCOAL with other medicines
Tell your pharmacist or doctor if you are taking, have recently taken or may take any other medicines.
Activated charcoal interferes with the action of other medicines taken by mouth, so it is recommended to take them 2 hours before or 4-6 hours after taking this medicine.
Interference with laboratory tests
If you are going to have any analytical test (including blood tests, urine tests, skin tests using allergens, etc.) tell your doctor that you are taking this medicine, as it may alter the results.
Taking ARKOPHARMA VEGETAL CARBON with food and drink
Do not take any food until 2 hours after taking ARKOPHARMA VEGETAL CHARCOAL, as it reduces the action of this medicine.
Do not use drinks such as coffee, tea, wine, etc., or ice cream or sherbet because they reduce the action of the medicine.
Pregnancy and lactation:
If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you may be pregnant or intend to become pregnant, consult your doctor or pharmacist before using this medicine.
Activated charcoal is not absorbed and therefore does not reach the placenta or breast milk.
Driving and using machines
Taking this medicine does not affect the ability to drive or use machines.
3. How to take ARKOPHARMA VEGETAL CARBON
Follow exactly the instructions for taking the medicine given in this leaflet or as directed by your pharmacist or doctor. If in doubt, ask your pharmacist or doctor.
The recommended dose is:
Adults and adolescents over 12 years of age: 2 capsules, 3 or 4 times a day, if necessary.
Children under 12 years of age: consult a doctor.
Over 65 years of age: consult a doctor.
ARKOPHARMA VEGETAL COAL is taken orally.
The capsules should be taken at least half an hour after the end of meals or at the onset of symptoms.
The capsules should be swallowed with a little water. Do not use other drinks such as coffee, tea, wine etc., ice cream or sherbet which reduce the action of the medicine.
If symptoms worsen or persist after 2 days of treatment or if you have a high fever, you should consult your doctor.
Use in children
The administration of this medicine to children under 12 years of age is not recommended without consulting your pharmacist or doctor.
If you take more ARKOPHARMA VEGETAL CHARCOAL than you should
Activated charcoal is very well tolerated orally, so poisoning should not occur by this route.
Its use for long periods of time and its administration at high doses can reduce the absorption of enzymes, vitamins and minerals, which can lead to malnutrition.
In case of overdose or accidental ingestion, consult your doctor or pharmacist or call the Toxicological Information Service on telephone 915620420, indicating the product and the amount taken.
If you forget to take ARKOPHARMA® VEGETAL CHARCOAL
If you forget to take ARKOPHARMA VEGETAL COAL and your symptoms continue, do not take a double dose to make up for the forgotten dose. If necessary, take the medicine again in the same way as indicated in section 3. How to take ARKOPHARMA VEGETAL CHARCOAL.
4. Possible side effects
Like all medicines, this medicine may cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.
During the period of use of activated charcoal, the following side effects have been observed, the frequency of which cannot be established with certainty: nausea and vomiting.
Reporting side effects
If you experience any side effects, please contact your doctor or pharmacist, even if they are not listed in this leaflet. You can also report them directly to the Spanish Pharmacovigilance System for Medicinal Products for Human Use: https://www.notificaram.es. By reporting adverse effects you can help to provide more information on the safety of this medicine.
5. Storage of ARKOPHARMA VEGETAL CARBON
Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.
Keep the container tightly closed.
Do not use this medicine after the expiry date which is stated on the pack after "EXP". The expiry date is the last day of the month indicated.
Medicines should not be flushed down the drain or thrown away. Please dispose of unneeded medicines and containers at the Sigre Point at the pharmacy. If in doubt, ask your pharmacist how to dispose of unneeded medicine containers and medicines. In this way, you will help to protect the environment.
6. Package contents and additional information
Composition of ARKOPHARMA VEGETAL COAL:
Each capsule contains 225 mg of activated charcoal as the active ingredient. The other ingredients (excipients) are: hypromellose and magnesium stearate.
Appearance of the product and contents of the pack:
This medicinal product is presented as hard capsules, packed in brown polyvinyl bottles, closed with a low-density polyethylene cap. Each bottle contains 45 capsules.
