Charcoal Tablets - The Solution for Odor-Free Ostomy Life

When it was important... for me, it was when I dated... to not have any excrement and/or gas, I took charcoal tablets. They're available OTC in drug stores. I bought mine at a CVS.
Not sure if they affect overall health when taken 24/7.
They sure made a difference in my life; I had no anxiety when close to others.

Nor do I. I change my ileo bag every 7 days.

Here is something I read online. Hope this helps. Best wishes and stay safe.

What are the risks of taking charcoal pills?
If you take a small amount of activated charcoal, it's likely not going to do much to you. But consuming large amounts of activated charcoal could effectively block waste from passing through your body, potentially causing you to become constipated, Robert Weber, R.Ph., Pharm.D., M.S., administrator of pharmaceutical services at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, previously told MensHealth.com.
"That's why we give patients potent laxatives when we give them activated charcoal in a poison control situation," says Weber.
Worse, activated charcoal also has the potential to counteract the beneficial effects of prescription medication. "If you take [charcoal] about the time when you are taking your normal prescription medication ... it would limit your ability to absorb [them]," Dr. Michael Lynch, medical director for Pittsburgh Poison Center and assistant professor in the department of emergency medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, told TODAY.
Bottom line: while a small amount of charcoal pills probably isn't going to do anything to you, there's no reason to take them regularly — in fact, in large quantities, they could even potentially be harmful to your health. So maybe keep charcoal in its rightful place: in your BBQ pit.

Thanks for your info about charcoal. Very interesting. Wonder why there's no warning about side effects or the harm it can cause.

Thanks again.

Hi Deziner, go to a health food store and get chlorophyll tablets. They will reduce odor.

My Ostomy Journey: Kimberly | Hollister

Thanks for the info, Ron.
Sharon

Thanks for the info. Is it safer than charcoal?

Sharon

Yes, it's safer than charcoal. It's like taking a vitamin. When I first had an ostomy, I was in my mid-thirties and worried about the smell leaking through the pouch. So, I started taking it after reading about it on the UOAA.org site. I would take one every day along with other vitamins.