Senna and Vomiting: What Users Say

• Anonymous
• April 25, 2020

Senna for Constipation "I have IBS and sometimes take usually only half a tablet before going to sleep. I have mixed results generally, but last night I had a similar experience to some others I’ve seen on here, in that I woke up a couple of hours after taking the tablet, feeling unwell with cramps. Then I got the cold sweats and dizziness, and I crawled to the bathroom and retched and vomited. No bowel movement, just cramps. I went back to bed and still felt pretty sick and was shivering. I even dozed off fitfully a few times, but when I woke up properly, the nausea and cramps had passed, and I had a very voluminous bowel movement an hour after getting up. The medicine generally works for me, but you have to be prepared for very unpleasant side effects in getting there."

• Mad...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 4, 2017

Senna for Constipation "Please do not take this medicine. Oh my goodness, I can't express enough what this put me through the past 2 days. I took it yesterday at 7 a.m. and was fine all day until after dinner at 6:30. Then I felt major gas-like pains that took me to my knees. The pain had me sounding like a dying moose. Then came the nausea and vomiting, it felt like the worst food poisoning ever. I was so hot and sweating like crazy, then literally freezing. The urgency to vomit and poop made me lose total control of my bladder. I was so weak from the torturing pain that I could hardly speak or move. I wanted to lay down in a fetal position, not moving to prevent the pain from coming back. During all this, I felt delirious, and my heart was pounding the whole time throughout the night. DON'T USE!"

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 19, 2021

Senna for Constipation "I used this one time in February following a bout of awful constipation that came out of nowhere. I took the recommended dosage and waited. However, overnight I started to feel nauseous, this feeling intensified as the night went on until I was actually being sick. Everything and anything I ate or drank (including water) came back up. I had to go to the hospital, and I was given morphine and cyclizine (anti-sickness) to help with the projectile vomiting and nausea. I had to stay in the hospital for a month after using this. Horrible experience, and it didn’t relieve my constipation at all. The minute I was discharged, I threw the whole packet in the bin! If I could give 0 stars, I would."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 24, 2022

Senna for Constipation "Do NOT buy. I took two tablets at around 8 pm on Sunday night. The following morning, I felt fine and had a BM that afternoon. However, that night, I developed severe pain in my stomach. I began dry retching and had the chills. I also lost my appetite. It is currently Wednesday, and I have been bed-ridden since Monday night. I still have stomach pain (however, it is definitely not as bad as Mon/Tue) and have no appetite. Do not, under any circumstances, buy this product. I’m sure there are other products out there that don’t absolutely destroy you. How they can have this product on the shelves with these kinds of side effects is beyond me."

• CZR...
• October 16, 2019

Senna for Constipation "I took 2 of these as recommended on the pack and got violent bursts of diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. The most terrible experience of pain ever. Next time I took 1, and it didn’t work. So it seems 1 is too little and 2 is too much. Be careful!"

• Aub...
• April 17, 2021

For Constipation "Do not take this. I took one pill around 11 PM. Then around 1 PM the next day, I was vomiting non-stop and had severe abdominal pain. I have not been able to eat and am finding the easiest things to be impossible. I’m fatigued, weak, and still have bad cramping. The cramping is so bad that I can’t even stand up straight. It totally ruined my day. I hope tomorrow is better, but I will definitely be throwing this product in the garbage. Avoid."

• Not...
• December 24, 2017

Senna for Constipation "Took 2 pills around 6:30 pm. At 3:15 am, I woke up to HORRIBLE stomach cramps/pain. I honestly thought I was going to pass out from the pain. I went to the bathroom, still having trouble going. Then I started throwing up. For the next 4 hours, I was rotating between diarrhea and throwing up, along with the chills. It honestly was worse than the stomach flu. I never could go back to sleep that night due to the extreme pain and nausea. I will NEVER EVER take this again. Even though I did eventually “go,” I’d rather be constipated than go through this again."

• No...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 5, 2019

For Constipation "Took 2 senna tablets as directed at 10 pm, woke at 2 am, violent vomiting, nausea, the pain in my tummy was indescribable. Absolutely agony. Dragged myself to the hospital. Got lots of pain relief that dulled it a little but still quite sick. I would never use again, I wouldn’t advise anyone else to use either."

• JJ1...
• July 6, 2018

Senna for Constipation "Taken Senokot a couple of times the past few weeks and found it to be effective with little to no side effects. Took only one yesterday at 8 a.m., it kicked in at 3 p.m. and ohhh boyyy. I visited the toilet 7 times in the space of a few hours, I had horrendous stomach cramps, nausea, and vomiting and couldn't hold anything down all day. It is now 5 p.m. the following day and I still have cramping, similar to food poisoning. Yes, it will clear out the pipes, but is it worth it to feel like this? Will stick to Ducolax in the future!"

• sub...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 26, 2021

Senna for Constipation "I've been on Senokot for about 4 months with no issues. I take two, 8.6 mg at 10 pm at night, and usually at about 11 am the next day, I either have a brief abdominal pain followed by some gas or brief abdominal pain followed by a bowel movement. Today, however, is different. Today I woke up with that pain at around 9:30 am, and it was severe. At about 11:40 am, it got so bad I puked up all my liquids, then it quieted down for a bit. It's now 1 pm, and I still get quite extreme cramps, although less frequent, and I still haven't been able to pass gas, let alone a BM. It's 3:40 pm now, and I feel like I might be okay, I haven't had a cramp in about an hour. I found a way to lie down in my bed where I wasn't cramping as much, and that seemed to put me on the right track. For the love of God, though, be warned. I've dislocated my shoulder, broken ribs, my back, elbow, chest plate, I've even gone through heroin/fentanyl withdrawal, and those Senokot side effects were the worst thing I've been through."

• Pap...
• November 30, 2020

For Constipation "Senna is absolutely horrible. I took 2 at night before I went to sleep. Maybe it was too much for my body to handle. Woke up this morning, didn't feel as bad, but around 10:30 am, I vomited all fluids. Thought it was meant to make me poop, not vomit. I had really bad stomach pains and nausea, which I hope eventually subsides as I don't want the pain tomorrow."

• Tea...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 29, 2022

For Constipation "Don't use this! I am currently in full effects of 2 tablets. I have not stopped vomiting. I can't even keep down water that I sip! I feel hot, sweaty, dizzy, and just like there is something seriously wrong. Should I try and ride it out?"

• Kel...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 12, 2021

Senna for Constipation "I was initially directed to use this post-op, and because of the medications I was on, it caused constipation. It worked when all else failed. I generally took one or two, and by morning I would go, and the side effects were mostly mild. I now use it for IBS occasionally. That was until yesterday. By 10 pm I was having trouble. After taking one, I noticed a few dizzy spells, then overall weakness. It escalated to difficulty breathing, like an elephant was on my chest, and intense gas. My heart was pounding, I got extremely anxious, and I began vomiting until I had broken blood vessels around my eyes. I took a half dose of Zyrtec, which helped for a bit, then another half when it started again. Finally, I got some sleep after 3:30 am and woke up still feeling under the weather with swollen eyes. I really thought I was headed to the ER if it worsened. It’s 8:20 pm the next day, and I feel beat up with light chest tightness and gas. It was great until it wasn’t."

• Cin...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 15, 2021

Senna for Constipation "Thought I was going to die!!! Worst abdominal pain in my life. Sweats, chills, hot flashes, throwing up. First 2 hours made me poop golf balls, after that, straight liquid. 4 pills total, about 24 hours apart. I was very close to calling 911, I was so sick and in so much pain. The constipation was nothing compared to this."

• Mar...
• October 23, 2018

For Constipation "So I took three 25 mg off-brand Ex-Lax on Saturday night. 8 am Sunday, I started running to the bathroom. Stomach cramps started to grow, and the pain was so unbearable. After the 5 trips to the bathroom, I didn't really have any bowel movements, or if I did go, there was blood in my stool. I tried drinking lemon water to calm it, but I threw up the water. I couldn't eat or drink anything. I eventually went to the ER, and they helped. I came back home, and the cramps continued, but not as bad as before. It's now Monday, and I'm still going to the bathroom, but a lot less. If you buy this or any laxative, TAKE THE RECOMMENDED DOSAGE! If it doesn't work, then it doesn't work. However, if you do what I did, go to the hospital rather than tough it out. If you can't go, take Tylenol. It's the only pain reliever that won't irritate your stomach. Also, drink a lot of fluids and try to eat some bread, a banana, or rice. Even though you don't feel hungry, just try. GOOD LUCK, Y'ALL!"

• Hon...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 11, 2022

For Constipation "TL;DR Took 1-2 pm on 4/10. As of 4/11, HORRIBLE gas pains that didn’t produce much, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, etc. Still no BM. 0/10. A week ago, I got a severe concussion from a motorcycle accident. The pain relievers from the hospital stopped me up. I took the dosage of 2 tabs 1-2 pm yesterday. I already haven’t been sleeping due to head pain. It is now 7 am, and I still haven’t slept. I’ve been in my bathtub crying since like 12-1 am. HORRIBLE gas pains that didn’t produce much, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, etc. While I type this, I’m sitting on the toilet, yet to have any BM. I feel I’ve taken this before and the same thing happened. I just didn’t remember and made the same mistake again."

• Ple...
• October 3, 2016

Senna for Constipation "I took Ex-Lax yesterday morning, and a few hours later, screaming with pain. I've puked and puked from the pain in my belly. Will never use again, and it's been 36 hours and still no bowel movement, just horrible pain."

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 25, 2022

For Constipation "Barely pooped, and spent half the day with agonizing abdominal cramps and persistent vomiting. I took this once before with no problem, but today was awful. Looks like a fair amount of others can't tolerate it either."

• Smo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 3, 2022

For Constipation "After taking senna for constipation, the next evening I started having cramps. Then the cramps worsened (scale of 1-10, pain was a 9). My stomach was making gurgling noises, so I tried to sleep it off. However, the cramps were so bad, they were waking me up every 2-3 minutes. About 2 a.m., I felt very cold and started shaking and realized that I had the chills. I made my way to the bathroom, so I could take a hot shower and bring my body temperature back up, but then I started to feel nauseous. I was heaving and gagging, but didn't have any food in my system. Then I got the chills the second day again. I sat out in the sun to warm myself up, but I started gagging and throwing up outside. It's been 3 days and I still feel slight cramping and I'm still not 100%. Sometimes I feel like I have a slight fever and my stomach is still extended. Never again..."

• Sen...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 15, 2021

For Constipation "I will never ever use this laxative ever again. PLEASE STAY AWAY. I had constipation on Friday, took two tablets. It’s now the following week - Thursday night, and every night I have been waking up with excruciating abdominal pain, to the point of vomiting and not being able to move (much). I thought the cramps were due to my Nexplanon, I had even contacted my family doctor to figure out what is wrong. Only to my surprise, he had noted the Senokot. He’s advised me to take another laxative (which I will), but even almost a week later, and I cannot get a good night's sleep without terribly night-waking cramps and running to the bathroom to only pass little to nothing. Please spare yourself from this drug."

• 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."

• Lee...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 10, 2018

Senna for Constipation "While I was on vacation in Malaysia, I took Senokot because I was constipated. Four pills before I was going to bed were enough to make me sick for three entire days: cramps, severe migraine, dizziness, vomiting two times, difficult breathing... PLEASE don't take this ever!!"

• pud...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 19, 2020

For Constipation "Didn't work overnight as stated. 24 hrs later, severe cramps, nausea, vomiting, faintness, collapsed on the bathroom floor. Frightening experience. Will not take Senna again."

• 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."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 3, 2018

For Constipation "I took senna as a laxative - haha, it's anything but a laxative. I took a lot of senna tablets over 2 days, and it has done nothing but give me severe cramps and vomiting. I wouldn't use this again."