Senokot Max Strength Tablets

What are Senokot Max Strength tablets?

Senokot Max Strength tablets are overnight laxative tablets that contain senna. They are classed as stimulant laxatives and they normally take effect within 8 - 12 hours. They are manufactured by Reckitt Benckiser and are available in packs of 24 and 48. Senokot Max Strength tablets should only be used when bulk-forming laxatives (like Fybogel) and osmotic laxatives (like Lactulose) have been tried already.

How does Senokot Max Strength work?

Senokot Max Strength tablets contain 15mg of sennoside B, a type of senna. Senna is a natural laxative that is produced by the leaves and fruit of the senna plant. Sennosides irritate the lining of the bowel which causes a laxative effect, helping to ease constipation.

What you should do when taking Senokot Max Strength

• Drink plenty of water (6-8 cups a day)
• Eat plenty of high fibre foods
• Do not take Senokot Max Strength tablets for more than one week. If they haven't been effective by this point you should see your doctor.

Sources

• https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/files/pil.622.pdf
• https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/senna/

How to take Senokot Max Strength

Adults, the elderly and children over 18 years: 1 tablet taken at night before bedtime. They should not be used for more than 1 week. Usually it is sufficient to take Senokot Max Strength up to two to three times during that week.

Senokot Max Strength should not be used in children or adolescents under the age of 18 years.

You can take the tablets with or without food.

If the symptoms persist after using this product for a week, you should speak to your doctor or a pharmacist.

Senokot Max Strength ingredients

Each tablet contains powdered Alexandrian Senna fruit (pods) (Cassia senna L. (C. acutifolia Delile)) and Tinnevelly Senna fruit (pods) (Cassia angustifolia Vahl) equivalent to 15mg hydroxyanthracene glycosides, calculated as sennoside B.

The inactive ingredient that make up Senokot Max Strength tablets are: Calcium phosphate, maize starch, lactose monohydrate, magnesium stearate.

Senokot Max Strength side effects

Like all medicines, users of Senokot Max Strength may experience side effects.

Although they tend to be uncommon, the are most likely to include gastrointestinal side effects such as abdominal pain, abdominal spasm, or diarrhoea.

Taking senna can cause your urine to turn a red-brown colour. If this happens, it is nothing to worry about and will disappear when you stop taking the tablets.

Ensure you read the Patient Information Leaflet before you start taking this medicine so that you are aware of all the possible side effects.

Senokot Max Strength warnings

When should you not take Senokot Max Strength?

• If you have a hypersensitivity to the active substance or to any of the excipients.
• Not to be used at the same time as other laxative agents.
• In cases of intestinal obstructions and stenosis, atony, appendicitis, inflammatory colon diseases (e.g Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis), abdominal pain of unknown origin, severe dehydration state with water and electrolyte depletion.
• To treat constipation in children and adolescents under 18 years of age.

Warnings and precautions for using Senokot Max Strength

• If the symptoms worsen during the use of the medicinal product, or there is no bowel movement after three days, a doctor or pharmacist should be consulted.
• The product contains lactose monohydrate. One tablet contains 15.82mg lactose monohydrate. Patients with rare hereditary problems of galactose intolerance, the Lapp lactase deficiency or glucose-galactose malabsorption should not take this medicine.
• Do not exceed the stated dose.
• Patients taking cardiac glycosides, antiarrhythmic medicinal products, medicinal products inducing QT-prolongation, diuretics, adrenocorticosteroids or liquorice root, have to consult a doctor before taking senna leaf preparation concomitantly.
• Like all laxatives, Senokot should not be taken by patients suffering from faecal impaction and undiagnosed, acute or persistent gastro-intestinal complaints, e.g. abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, unless advised by a doctor, because these symptoms can be signs of potential or existing intestinal blockage (ileus).
• Long-term use of stimulant laxatives should be avoided, as use for more than a brief period of treatment may lead to impaired function of the intestine and dependence on laxatives. If laxatives are needed every day the cause of the constipation should be investigated. This product should only be used if a therapeutic effect cannot be achieved by a change of diet or the administration of bulk forming agents.
• Prolonged use may precipitate the onset of an atonic, non-functioning colon. Prolonged excessive use may lead to fluid and electrolyte imbalance and hypokalaemia.
• Patients with kidney disorders should be aware of possible electrolyte imbalance.
• Intestinal loss of fluids may promote dehydration. Symptoms may include thirst and oliguria. In patients suffering from fluid loss where dehydration may be harmful (e.g. renal insufficiency, elderly patients) Senokot should be discontinued and only be restarted under medical supervision.
• When products containing senna/sennoside preparations are administered to incontinent adults, pads should be changed more frequently to prevent extended skin contact with faeces.
• Should not be used in children or adolescents under the age of 18 years.
• Stimulant laxatives (including Senokot) do not help with weight loss.

Senokot Max & other medicines

Hypokalaemia (resulting from long-term laxative abuse) potentiates the action of cardiac glycosides and interacts with antiarrhythmic medicinal products, with medicinal products which induce reversion to sinus rhythm (e.g. quinidine) and with medicinal products inducing QT-prolongation. Concomitant use with other medicinal products inducing hypokalaemia (e.g. diuretics, adrenocorticosteroids and liquorice root) may enhance electrolyte imbalance

Senokot Max Strength in pregnancy & breastfeeding

Pregnancy

There are no reports of undesirable or damaging effects during pregnancy and on the foetus when used at the recommended dosage.

However, as a consequence of experimental data concerning a genotoxic risk of several anthranoids, e.g emodin and aloe-emodin, use is not recommended in pregnancy.

Breastfeeding

Use during breastfeeding is not recommended as there are insufficient data on the excretion of metabolites in breast milk.

Small amounts of active metabolites (rhein) are excreted in breast milk. A laxative effect in breast fed babies has not been reported.

Fertility

There are no data on the effects of the product on fertility.