activated charcoal + sorbitol

**Activated charcoal + sorbitol** is an oral gastrointestinal decontamination combination used for emergency management of acute oral poisonings and toxic ingestions. Activated charcoal is a porous, non-systemically absorbed adsorbent that binds many drugs and toxins within the gastrointestinal lumen, reducing their systemic absorption. Sorbitol is an osmotic cathartic included to improve palatability and promote intestinal evacuation of the charcoal-toxin complex. The human product **Actidose with Sorbitol** is supplied as a ready-to-use oral suspension containing activated charcoal and sorbitol; the label specifies 25 g activated charcoal with 48 g sorbitol or 50 g activated charcoal with 96 g sorbitol. It should not be used in persons who are not fully conscious because of aspiration risk, and sorbitol-containing charcoal products are not recommended for multiple-dose charcoal therapy because excessive catharsis can cause clinically significant fluid and electrolyte abnormalities. ([dailymed.nlm.nih.gov](https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=7da3506f-2799-434c-e053-2a91aa0adabb))

Brand names

Actidose with SorbitolActidose/SorbitolCarbosorb XSChar-Flo with SorbitolInsta-Char SorbitolInsta-Char/SorbitolKerr Insta-Char in a Sorbitol BaseKerr Insta-Char in Sorbitol

Other names

activated charcoal and sorbitolactivated charcoal with sorbitolcharcoal + sorbitolcharcoal/sorbitol