Senna
Brand Names
Senna Oral, Ex-lax Senna, Senna-Gen, Senokot, Black Draught, AgoralWhat is Senna
Senna is a medication that belongs to a laxative group of drugs. It is used for short-period treatment of constipation and pre-operative cleansing of bowels. The basic compound of Senna is sennoside that makes intestine muscles to contract more actively.
Side effects of Senna
Usually senns does not cause any serious side effects. In rare cases, you may have griping pains, nausea and diarrhea. If you have got irregular heartbeat, persistent nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, unexpected mood changes, contact your doctor immediately.
Indication
Senna is generally used if you suffer from:
- constipation
- weak bowel activity
Precautions
Consult your doctor before using Senna in the following cases:
- if you have an allergy to sennocides
- if you had gastrointestinal surgery recently
- if you have diabetes
- if you are pregnant or breastfeeding
- if you have gastrointestinal or rectum bleeding
Dosage forms
Senna dose for constipation
For adults the standard dose is 15 mg of sennocides daily. The maximum amount for this age group is about 70-100 mg daily (should be separated into two smaller doses per day).
For children of 2-6 years old, the recommended dosage is about 8.6 mg sennosides per day. The maximum amount is 50 mg per day (should be separated into two smaller doses per day).
When preparing for surgery or bowel examination, the recommended dose is 130 mg of sennosides.
