Activated charcoal and nausea

Posted , 6 users are following.

Hi!!! I took activated charcoal on an empty stomach to try and relieve stomach gurgling ,gas and a bloated tummy. About 20 min later I had very bad nausea and I don't know what to do from here. I am really losing hope here . I am trying everything I can to sort out my tummy issues but I am not having any success. It's really depressing me. please help! I am bloated almost every night, my tummy gurgles like crazy and my bowels movements are not satisfying. could all this really be just GERD and hiatal hernia????

0 likes, 24 replies

Report / Delete

24 Replies

Next
  • Posted

    Hi christelle51966,

    What's your diet like? Can you give an example of an average day for you that includes your main meals, any snacks you'd have and what drinks you'd consume (including how much of each drink).

    Report / Delete Reply
    • Posted

      toasted bread ,scrambled eggs and roibos tea for breakfast...

      rice/ boiled potatoes, chicken / fish and veggies for lunch...

      toasted bread and a cup of tea for dinner with some butter occasionally.

      2/ 3 glasses of red wine most days of the week.

      I snack on fruits or nuts most days.

      I have to admit that the food is mostly fried and not boiled. I only go on a bland oil free diet when my symptoms flare up.

      I do not take milk anymore as it makes my stomach gurgle and causes diarrhea.

      Report / Delete Reply
    • Posted

      I see. I think GERD and acid reflux are pretty similar. I have been on medication for my acid reflux before, but came off it when I realised that taking it for a prolonged period of time would make the reflux worse than before (thankfully I did because the doctor didn't mention it). When I wake up in the morning, the first thing I do before any food or other fluid intake is to drink a 250ml glass of water with x1 teaspoon of organic unfiltered unpasteurised cider vinegar. I've been doing this for about a year now and my acid reflux has almost disappeared since. I don't know for other people, but red wine has always irritated my guts since having acid reflux.

      I can eat bread occasionally, but eating bread/wheat any more than once a week or so just continually makes me bloated. Have you tried cutting out bread and wheat products for a month? Also, it may seem odd, but I think sometimes people forget to fart, or hold them in at work, which can cause painful bloating.

      My last question is: how much effort are you prepared to make to try and make yourself better? I'm asking you this because through my experience on here, as soon as I mention to people that they should try eating vegan for 2-3 months, they're suddenly uninterested in making the effort to try and help themselves (I didn't go vegan for health reasons, but since becoming vegan, it's improved my health and almost completely cured my lifelong IBS).

      Report / Delete Reply
    • Posted

      My IBS got better without making any diet changes because food was not the cause. Stress is my trigger and as long as I try to avoid stress, my symptoms stay away.

      Report / Delete Reply
    • Posted

      My doctor identified stress as the cause and IBS can be triggered six months after a stressful event which happened to me. It can also happen after an accumulation of years of stress and anxiety. It is a well known cause of IBS and once you have IBS, bouts of stress and anxiety can trigger flare ups. The gut brain link is very strong and any emotional upsets can also be felt in the gut. The intestinal nerves are very sensitive and there are more there than in the spinal cord.

      Report / Delete Reply
    • Posted

      I'd recommend going vegan for 2-3 months then. I wasn't aware of the stress factors that contribute to IBS that pippa58442 mentioned, but going vegan almost completely cured my IBS and improved other health issues of mine. And by vegan, I don't mean the harder to do, raw vegan diet. You can still eat vegan junk food if you like eating that stuff. There's a load of information on the veganuary website should you want any more information.

      Report / Delete Reply
  • Posted

    Obviously, activated charcoal does not agree with you. The other possibility is that taking the activated charcoal on a full stomach might have worked better. Try a food diary to see what foods could be causing this. Have you been diagnosed with IBS? Bowel habit change along with your other symptoms sounds more like IBS than hiatus hernia or GERD. I have GERD and don't get bowel habit change with it. Have you asked your doctor for anything else you could take?

    Report / Delete Reply
    • Posted

      hi Pippa! I met a doctor who told me I could have IBS and put me on mebeverine and that made my symptoms even worse. I tried food diary in the past which wasn't of much help. some days I ate foods that are believed to be triggers a s had a perfect day, other days even taking water bloated me and gives me nausea. I am completely lost! Do i need a colonoscopy? I feel my doctors are missing something.

      Report / Delete Reply
    • Posted

      Mebeverine made me worse too but Buscopan worked without side effects. It doesn't sound like doctors are missing something. It may be that you need to keep tweaking your diet and ask for a different antispasmodic. Have you tried the fodmap diet? Ask your doctor if you need a colonoscopy.

      My IBS is under control without doing anything except for avoiding stress.

      Report / Delete Reply
    • Posted

      You are right Pippa, when I go out with friends or do something that keeps my mind away from my tummy, I 'll feel pretty ok. but when I get home, everything turns upside down. I am crying real tears because I can't believe at 36 years old I can have so many digestive issues. this worries me a lot. I have 3 kids that need me.😞

      Report / Delete Reply
    • Posted

      The problem you really need help with is your anxiety rather than your stomach. Since you have seen that your stomach improves when out with friends but gets worse when you go home and think about your symptoms, this is an indication that you need to ask your doctor about relaxation therapy or CBT. Distraction techniques helped me in the same way you describe. When you start to relax, this can really calm your stomach. Once I started to calm down, it really helped my gut symptoms. Your doctor is mentioning anxiety because he or she had noticed that anxiety is a real problem for you.

      Report / Delete Reply

Join this discussion or start a new one?

New discussion Reply

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the forums to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the forums are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the forums is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.

newnav-down newnav-up