Senna and Diarrhea: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Too...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 19, 2017

For Constipation "I drank a cup of senna tea (Smooth Move brand) after reading only positive reviews about how gentle it was. After 4 days with no poop, I was ready for a gentle laxative, so I took a cup of this on the low end of the recommended dose at 10 pm. Not 1 hour later, I can hear my stomach gurgling, and I get painful gas. After 2 hours of this, I am very suddenly overwhelmed with the urge to use the toilet. After running to the toilet, I had a lot of very watery diarrhea for about 1 hour on and off (no breaks long enough to leave the toilet). When I felt I was empty, I went back to bed only to keep running back and forth to the toilet every 20 minutes or so. This product does what it says it does, but prepare for some serious diarrhea."

• Ros...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 31, 2018

For Constipation "I took this three days ago and am still having cramping and diarrhea. I took 1/4 of the recommended dose, but somehow I'm still suffering major side effects. Try every other option to relieve constipation before you take this one."

• Jus...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 7, 2017

Senna for Constipation "Took one the first night, got cramps and diarrhea, ate half the next night, was okay, half the third and nothing. Took one the next, got cramps and diarrhea. Took three-fourths of a tab for two nights straight, nothing, nothing. Took one the next night, STILL nothing."

• Mad...
• June 12, 2016

For Constipation "Took 2 tablets, nothing happened. The next night, I took 4, I had a bowel movement, but it wasn't soft! Took 2 in the morning and 4 before bed, nothing! Gave myself a couple of days' break, and last night I had 4 before bed, and today they all must have caught up on me. I've been sitting on the toilet for what feels like all afternoon with the runs."

• Pum...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 28, 2019

For Constipation "I took two tablets before I went to bed last night, and woke up this morning needing the toilet. I had diarrhea, but I’m so glad the senna worked. I had been feeling uncomfortable for days prior. I highly recommend senna as it worked for me instantly."

• Goo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 7, 2019

For Constipation "Had constipation for 3 days with awful stomach cramps. Took 2 senna tabs nighttime. Slept well. Had normal stool in the morning. Bit loose during the day but now entirely back to normal. Would highly recommend."

• Abe...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 6, 2019

For Constipation "I have chronic idiopathic constipation due to probiotics use. I have tried Trulance and Linzess, but both gave me headaches and were not effective at all. Milk of Mag gives me diarrhea. As it is natural, instead of synthetic chemicals, I finally tried 15 mg, two pills before bedtime. It has worked fine for me. I take it every other day, and I go to the gym regularly. I have felt a difference as Senna helps clean everything out. I don't know if I am going to continue taking it because I want my bowel to be independent of any laxatives."

• Gra...
• November 2, 2021

Senna for Constipation "I've taken Senokot before, and it usually works. This one time, though, I had severe side effects. Bad stomach cramping, grumbling, shooting pains, going to the bathroom every 7-10 minutes, burping like crazy, weak and nauseous, chest pains (what I imagined having a heart attack feels like), and watery stools. I've never experienced anything this bad before. I've never had a baby before, but I imagined this to be worse than labor pains, minus the giving birth part. I had so many things planned for the day, but I spent it curled up in a ball. The second day was better, less frequent bathroom breaks, but when I ate something, it started again. I honestly considered calling 911. Hopefully, the third day is better. I'd give it a five for the side effects. I've only taken two this time, before, I used to take four, and nothing like this happened before. Take with caution, seriously."

• Non...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 2, 2019

For Constipation "Suffer from chronic constipation for two years, decided to take two of these instead of having to drink Movicol. Took two at 10 pm, by 3 pm the next day, I was greeted with such intense stomach cramps I thought I was going to be sick. I've never experienced that kind of pain before, and I've tried loads of laxatives. Honestly thought I would have to call an ambulance. By 5 pm, I finally went... crazy amount of diarrhea. I will be staying away from taking at least two, possibly altogether."

• Cra...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 4, 2021

Senna for Constipation "I would not recommend. I took one tablet after not having a bowel movement in around 4 days, and 6 hours later got the worst diarrhea I've ever had in my life, think liquid, explosive, and painful. It happened on and off for a few hours and was terrible because I had just had surgery and was not the most mobile. I also had unbearable abdominal cramping to the point of nausea. I was surprised by this reaction since it seemed like a safe bet of a stool softener, and my chemist recommended it highly."

• Sen...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 25, 2018

For Constipation "I tried a senna tea after being backed up for 4 days. I had tried the tea in the past and steeped as recommended with no real results, so at 10 pm I steeped 2 bags at the recommended time (15 mins). At around 5 am I experienced loud stomach bubbling, gas, and some abdominal pain. Around 10 am I passed one solid BM and felt much better! It is now 1:30 pm, and I am in and out of the bathroom every 45 minutes or so with diarrhea. I am still also experiencing stomach gurgling, cramps, and gas. Definitely did the trick and then some. If you want a good clear out, this is the way to go! But make sure you are near a washroom. Oh, and the urge to diarrhea is very intense every time."

• Jan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 7, 2021

Senna for Constipation "On top of fiber supplements and Miralax, I take stimulant laxatives once in a while for severe constipation. I have IBS, so I’m careful to only take one Senokot. I’ve been dealing with fecal impaction for a while, and there have been times the Senokot didn’t do much besides give me stomach cramps. I may not have taken enough. The strange thing is, about 3 o'clock yesterday I took a single 25 mg pill (half the recommended dose of Sennosides), and by nighttime I had a successful bowel movement, but to my dismay, the movements didn’t stop. Now I’m having watery diarrhea with incontinence. The stomach cramps are gone, but over 32 hours later I’m still dealing with soiling. I’m not sure why. I imagine it will stop soon, but I’ll be reluctant to ever try it again with my IBS. One good thing I can say is that it definitely worked. As far as comparing the cramping pain to childbirth, it is a similar feeling, but nowhere near as painful for me."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 23, 2017

For Constipation "I took an extra-strength generic senna laxative after a week of incomplete bowel movement. It was overnight, so I took it at 7 pm. At around 9:30, stomach gurgling started, followed by intense cramps and gas, and at around 11 pm, I had one large solid movement which relieved the cramps so I could sleep. Woke up at 9 am to even more intense cramps and gas and had another solid movement which turned to diarrhea halfway through. Then no more cramps, gas, or poop, but I didn't feel satisfied, so I had a cup of coffee to get me moving, and about 5 minutes after finishing it, I was rushing to the toilet and had some more diarrhea. Just be prepared for this medication to take a while if you do use it."

• Dig...
• October 7, 2016

For Bowel Preparation "I drank 12 oz. of a popular senna tea on two consecutive days, while drinking only clear liquids. This was preceded by two days of 'full liquids.' It caused diarrhea that cleaned me out, but now my tongue has big raw red patches on it. Two days later, and my tongue is beginning to heal. Any ideas?"

• Saz...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 28, 2020

For Constipation "I suffer from IBS, so I get constipation all the time. Used to suffer diarrhea, but the last few months it's gone, don't know why. I always take it at night and stay in the next day, as wow, it's explosive, but I love it as my stomach goes down and the pain stops. Constipation is awful, the pain that comes with it is agony."

• Dew...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 24, 2018

For Constipation "I took 2 before bed. The next night, nothing had happened, so I took another two. I went for a meal, and I started to feel a bit uncomfortable. I managed to go once I got in, and things seemed normal, so I assumed they had done their worst. I was wrong! I was so, so wrong. On the third day, I had terrible diarrhea. On day four, this time it was less, shall we say, expected. And three showers down the line, I will not be hurrying to reach for these anytime soon. I hadn't fully appreciated this would still be going on days after stopping the product. Yikes! If you've been constipated for weeks and you've tried everything apart from going to the hospital, then by all means, take a few of these, or take some sweets from a stranger-just whichever seems like the least deadly option."

• Fic...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 11, 2023

For Constipation "Every time I have tried to take senna to relieve symptoms of constipation, it has caused me incredibly severe stomach cramps. I took one extra-strength tablet at 9:30 pm and spent the entire night in agony, waking up every hour to go to the toilet with diarrhea. Initially, I managed a BM quite quickly after taking it --- but then the hell started. It's 9:30 am the following day, and I would have rather had the constipation pain. This is horrible."

• mag...
• February 3, 2021

For Constipation "WARNING. Make sure when you take senna you take it with at least a cup of water. I didn't one night, and I think it has damaged my colon. I have diarrhea and then the urge to go all day, and nothing comes out. Taking it without water can mess up your electrolytes, especially potassium, which is responsible for muscle movement. My muscles are not working anymore. Also, senna is NOT for daily use. I was in the hospital with ischemic colitis from medication, and my doctor prescribed it as a 'daily regimen.' Apparently, she had no knowledge that using senna long term can stop your bowels from working on their own. It can do irreparable damage to your colon. Senna is a dangerous drug, and many people don't realize this because it is 'natural.'"

• Han...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 7, 2022

Senna for Constipation "Oh my God, I never write reviews, but this made me feel like I was going to die! I took it at 6 pm, and by 10 pm, I was having heart palpitations and chest pain, and the sweating started. I had to open a window, and I stayed up all night 'cause I was too scared to go to sleep! By the morning, I had constant diarrhea that lasted all day! So yes, it helped to relieve my bowels, but I won’t be taking it again."

• Cal...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 27, 2021

For Constipation "I've been constipated for about a week. I was able to have a BM, but it wasn't much coming out. My doctor prescribed senna. Took two tablets at 7 pm and woke around 1 am. I had a normal BM and thought this was it. NOT quite. Ten minutes later, I ran back to the bathroom with liquid diarrhea. I think I've gone about six times that night, and now it's 8:30 am, and there's nothing else to relieve it, but I still feel the urge to go. I just took Pepto-Bismol so I can be able to eat breakfast this morning. People, it does work, and your system will feel cleaned out. I would only do this one time and then move on to a digestive enzyme. I'm happy that it works, but of course, don't enjoy the constant potty trips."

• Joy...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 14, 2021

For Constipation "I would never recommend senna! I took 2 tablets one morning and literally had nausea all day long. Also, about 6 bowel movements. And stomach cramps. Would have had more movements, but I took diarrhea meds! This product should not be sold!"

• VER...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 3, 2021

For Constipation "Read many comments here wondering if anyone has had this experience. The bottle said to take 2 at night for up to 7 days. BM came after about 14 hours, preceded by mild lower abdominal cramping. I decided to take 2 more days to be sure everything was out. 2nd dose pain got worse, but I continued to poop. Third night, I decided to only take one. Up all night in the bathroom with intense pain. Felt like I needed to go but couldn't. Leaned forward using the counter and jiggled my belly by bouncing my knees. After an hour, explosive diarrhea came. Lasted most of the day and the pain continued off and on, awful, debilitating. It's now a week later and I'm still having bouts of pain. Kept me up all night last night, and this time there was severe nausea along with dry heaves and sweating. I feel like senna has upset the balance of my system so badly it may never heal. On top of that, constipation is back. But the jiggling while in pain eventually causes the ex. diarrhea again."

• Ang...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 12, 2020

Senna for Constipation "Took 1 tablet at 10 pm last night before bed, that was a mistake for me. It’s now 4:55 am. I’ve been up since 3:20 am with the most horrendous diarrhea and stomach cramps. Will not be using again."

• pai...
• September 10, 2011

Senna for Constipation "First day I used it: woke up at 3 a.m. with a roaring stomach pain, sat on the toilet for about an hour with diarrhea!"

• Mak...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 7, 2019

Senna for Constipation "Okay, so I took 2 pills today at 10 a.m. Gave me diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. Can't hold anything down."