Take senna once a day at bedtime. You can take senna with or without food. Liquid senna comes with a plastic cup or spoon to measure the dose. Do not use a kitchen spoon as it will not give the right amount. If you do not have a cup or spoon, ask your pharmacist for one. Senna takes about 8 hours to work.
It's normal to take it at bedtime so it works overnight. Drink plenty of fluids 6 to 8 glasses a day while you are taking senna or your constipation may get worse. If you forget a dose of senna, do not worry, just take the next dose the following evening. Never take 2 doses at the same time.
Never take an extra dose to make up for a forgotten one. You may get stomach pain and diarrhoea but this should ease off within 1 or 2 days. Like all medicines, senna may cause side effects in some people, but many people have no side effects or only minor ones. Common side effects, which happen in more than 1 in people, are stomach cramps and diarrhoea.
You are particularly likely to get stomach cramps and diarrhoea with senna if you have constipation related to irritable bowel syndrome. Your pee may turn a red-brown colour while you are taking senna. This is normal and returns to normal after treatment has ended. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if the side effects bother you or do not go away. A very rare but serious side effect of senna is a severe raised, red, itchy skin rash on any part or all of your body. If you get a severe skin rash, stop taking senna and call your doctor straight away.
In rare cases, it's possible to have a serious allergic reaction anaphylaxis to senna. These are not all the side effects of senna. For a full list see the leaflet inside your medicines packet. Constipation is common at the end of pregnancy and just after having a baby. If you're pregnant or breastfeeding, it's better to ease constipation without taking a medicine.
Your doctor or midwife will first advise that you eat more fibre and drink plenty of liquids. You'll also be encouraged to do gentle exercise. If dietary and lifestyle changes do not work, you may be recommended a laxative. Laxatives are usually safe for pregnant women to take because most of them are not absorbed by the digestive system. This means that your baby will not feel the effects of the laxative. However senna is partly absorbed by your gut. Your doctor or midwife will usually only recommend senna if other laxatives have not worked.
Lactulose and Fybogel are safer laxatives to take during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. For more information about how senna can affect you and your baby during pregnancy, read this leaflet on treating constipation on the Best Use of Medicines in Pregnancy BUMPs website.
There are some medicines that do not mix well with senna and can change the way it works. Apart from liquorice root preparations, there are no known problems with taking other herbal remedies and supplements with senna.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you're taking any other medicines, including herbal medicines, vitamins or supplements. Senna is known as a stimulant laxative — it stimulates the muscles that line your gut, helping them to move poo along your bowel.
Take senna for a few days only and certainly no longer than a week. If you take senna for longer, your body can start to rely on it, rather than your bowels doing the work on their own. If you are still constipated after taking senna for 3 days, talk to your doctor.
Ideally, you should only use senna occasionally and for a few days at a time. Using senna for longer can lead to diarrhoea. Stop taking it if you get diarrhoea.
It can also cause an electrolyte imbalance, where levels of substances like sodium, potassium and magnesium in your body get too high or too low. A severe electrolyte imbalance can cause serious health problems such as muscle spasm and twitching, and even convulsions. Using senna for many weeks, even months, could also stop your bowel working properly on its own. Occasionally, you may need to take 2 different types of laxatives at the same time to get your bowels moving again.
Only take 2 laxatives together on the advice of your doctor or pharmacist as there is an increased risk of side effects. There are other types of laxatives.
They work in a different way to senna but are equally good at treating constipation. Some take longer to work than senna.
There's no clear evidence to suggest that taking senna will reduce fertility in either men or women. However, speak to a pharmacist or your doctor before taking it if you're trying to get pregnant.
Senna does not affect any type of contraception including the combined pill and emergency contraception unless you have severe diarrhoea for more than 24 hours. If you have severe diarrhoea your contraceptive pills may not protect you from pregnancy. Look on the pill packet to find out what to do. Read more about what to do if you're on the pill and you're vomiting or have diarrhoea. It might be a good idea to stop eating pastries, puddings, sweets, cheese and cake for a while as these foods can make constipation worse.
It's quite common to have constipation after surgery. Using a laxative may help relieve the discomfort. If you have constipation after an operation, it's better to use lactulose because it's gentler on your stomach muscles than senna.
It's often possible to relieve constipation without having to use laxatives. Before trying senna — or to stop constipation coming back — it may help to:. Page last reviewed: 24 January Next review due: 24 January Senna - Brand name: Senokot On this page About senna Key facts Who can and cannot take senna How and when to take it Side effects How to cope with side effects of senna Pregnancy and breastfeeding Cautions with other medicines Common questions about senna.
About senna Senna is a natural laxative made from the leaves and fruit of the senna plant. Senna comes as tablets and as a liquid that you swallow syrup. Help us improve our website Can you answer a quick question about your visit today?
Laxatives are a type of medicine that can treat constipation. They're often used if lifestyle changes, such as increasing the amount of fibre in your diet, drinking plenty of fluid and taking regular exercise, have not helped. Laxatives are available to buy from pharmacies and supermarkets.
They're also available on prescription from a doctor. Bulk-forming laxatives work by increasing the "bulk" or weight of poo, which in turn stimulates your bowel. Osmotic laxatives draw water from the rest of the body into your bowel to soften poo and make it easier to pass. These stimulate the muscles that line your gut, helping them to move poo along to your back passage. This type of laxative works by letting water into poo to soften it and make it easier to pass.
It's difficult to know whether a particular laxative will work better than another. It depends on the person. Unless there's a reason why a type of laxative may be more suitable for you than another:. Also see a GP if you're still constipated after trying all of the different types of laxative, or you think your child might benefit from taking laxatives. Before using a laxative, read about it in our Medicines guide or the patient information leaflet that comes with the medicine to make sure it's safe for you to take.
Find out more about the considerations about laxatives. Some laxatives have to be taken at certain times of the day, such as first thing in the morning or last thing at night. Ask a pharmacist for advice if you're not sure how to take your laxative. If you're taking bulk-forming or osmotic laxatives, it's important to drink plenty of fluids.
This is because these laxatives can cause dehydration. Never take more than the recommended dose of laxatives as this can be harmful and cause side effects. If your constipation has not improved after taking laxatives for a week, speak to a GP.
After taking a laxative, you can make certain lifestyle changes to help stop getting constipated again, such as:.
Do not take laxatives every day to ease your constipation as this can be harmful. Speak to a GP if you're still constipated after making lifestyle changes. In some cases, you may be prescribed a laxative to use regularly, but this should always be supervised by a GP or gastroenterologist a specialist in gut problems. Like most medicines, laxatives can cause side effects. They're usually mild and should pass once you stop taking the laxative.
The side effects you may get will depend on the type of laxative you're taking, but common side effects of most laxatives include:.
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