What is Senna?
Category: Over the Counter Drugs
Most popular types: Senokot Senna Lax Sennosides Show all
See also: Peri-Colace
Senna is a large genus of about 250-260 species of flowering plants containing the substance anthraquinone. This is a natural laxative used as the primary ingredient in certain commercial stimulant laxatives. It can also be made as a tea using senna leaves.
| Purpose | Patients | Evaluations | Perceived Effectiveness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Constipation | 165 | 47 | |
| Bowel problems | 48 | 11 | |
| Bowel irritability | 16 | 2 | |
| Chronic constipation | 12 | 3 | |
| Irritable bowel syndrome | 4 | 2 | |
| Multiple system atrophy | 3 | 1 |
- Major
- Moderate
- Slight
- None
- Can't tell
Side effects
Side effects as an overall problem
| Severity | Evaluations | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Severe | 3 | |
| Moderate | 9 | |
| Mild | 5 | |
| None | 42 |
Commonly reported side effects and conditions associated with Senna
| Side effect | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Abdominal cramps | 3 | |
| Diarrhea | 3 | |
| Abdominal bloating | 2 | |
| Bowel urgency | 2 | |
| Flatulence | 2 | |
| Stomach pain | 2 |
Duration
Stopped taking Senna
| Duration | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 1 month | 7 | |
| 1 - 6 months | 12 | |
| 6 months - 1 year | 6 | |
| 1 - 2 years | 2 | |
| 2 - 5 years | 4 | |
| 5 - 10 years | 7 | |
| 10 years or more | 3 |
What people switch to and from
Patients started taking Senna after stopping:
| Treatment | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Lactulose (Generlac) | 1 | |
| Linaclotide (Linzess) | 1 |
Patients stopped taking Senna and switched to:
| Treatment | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Docusate (Stool Softener) | 1 | |
| Lubiprostone (Amitiza) | 1 | |
| Pyridostigmine (Mestinon) | 1 |
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