The claim that activated charcoal should be ineffective or even contraindicated in intoxication due to tolbutamide is based only on limited in vitro studies. To test the claim, the effect of activated charcoal 50 g on the absorption of tolbutamide and, as a reference, of sodium valproate, was studied in 6 healthy volunteers. Each volunteer swallowed tolbutamide 500 mg and sodium valproate 300 mg with 50 ml water 1 h after a light breakfast, and within 5 min they took in randomized order either a suspension of activated charcoal or water. The absorption of tolbutamide, calculated as the peak concentration and the area under the serum drug concentration-time curve during 0-48 h, was reduced by 90% by charcoal (p less than 0.001). The absorption of valproate in these conditions was reduced on average by 65% (p less than 0.01). In each subject charcoal had a greater effect on the absorption of tolbutamide than of valproate. According to these findings and preliminary in vitro studies on other sulphonylureas high doses of activated charcoal can be recommended for the preventing the absorption of sulphonylureas in acute intoxications. The poor aqueous solubility of these substances at the gastric pH probably delays their gastrointestinal absorption, so that they may be adsorbed on to charcoal even given several hours later.