▁Medical ▁uses ▁ ▁Po ison ▁ing estion ▁Activ ated ▁char co al ▁is ▁used ▁to ▁treat ▁many ▁types ▁of ▁or al ▁poison ings ▁such ▁as ▁phen obar b ital ▁and ▁car b am az ep ine . ▁It ▁is ▁not ▁effective ▁for ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁poison ings ▁including : ▁strong ▁ac ids ▁or ▁bases , ▁iron , ▁l ith ium , ▁ar sen ic , ▁m eth an ol , ▁eth an ol ▁or ▁eth yl ene ▁g ly col . ▁ ▁No ▁random ized ▁controlled ▁tri als ▁have ▁shown ▁activ ated ▁char co al ▁impro ves ▁out comes ▁and ▁routine ▁use ▁is ▁not ▁recommended . ▁ ▁In ▁a ▁study ▁of ▁ac ute ▁poison ings ▁from ▁agricult ural ▁p estic ides ▁and ▁yellow ▁o le ander ▁se eds , ▁the ▁administration ▁of ▁activ ated ▁carbon ▁did ▁not ▁affect ▁surv ival ▁rates . ▁ ▁Gast ro int est inal ▁tract - related ▁issues ▁Char co al ▁bis cu its ▁were ▁sold ▁in ▁England ▁starting ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁originally ▁as ▁rem edy ▁to ▁flat ul ence ▁and ▁st om ach ▁trouble . ▁ ▁Table ts ▁or ▁caps ules ▁of ▁activ ated ▁carbon ▁are ▁used ▁in ▁many ▁countries ▁as ▁an ▁over - the - counter ▁drug ▁to ▁treat ▁di arr he a , ▁ind ig estion , ▁and ▁flat ul ence . ▁There ▁is ▁some ▁evidence ▁of ▁its ▁effect iveness ▁to ▁prevent ▁di arr he a ▁in ▁cancer ▁patients ▁who ▁have ▁received ▁ir in ot ec an . ▁It ▁can