What is the most important information I should know about senna?
Do not use senna for longer than 1 week without consulting your doctor or other health
care provider. Prolonged use of senna can be dangerous.
Senna has not been evaluated by the FDA for safety, effectiveness, or purity. All potential
risks and/or advantages of senna may not be known. Additionally, there are no regulated
manufacturing standards in place for these compounds. There have been instances where
herbal/health supplements have been sold which were contaminated with toxic metals or other drugs.
Herbal/health supplements should be purchased from a reliable source to minimize the risk of
contamination.
What is senna?
The use of senna in cultural and traditional settings may differ from concepts accepted by
current Western medicine. When considering the use of herbal supplements, consultation with a
primary health care professional is advisable. Additionally, consultation with a practitioner trained
in the uses of herbal/health supplements may be beneficial, and coordination of treatment among all
health care providers involved may be advantageous.
Senna is also known as Cassia senna, tinnevelly senna, India senna, Alexandrian senna, and
Khartoum senna.
Senna has been used in the treatment of constipation.
Senna has not been evaluated by the FDA for safety, effectiveness, or purity. All potential
risks and/or advantages of senna may not be known. Additionally, there are no regulated
manufacturing standards in place for these compounds. There have been instances where
herbal/health supplements have been sold which were contaminated with toxic metals or other drugs.
Herbal/health supplements should be purchased from a reliable source to minimize the risk of
contamination.
Senna may also have uses other than those listed in this product guide.
Who should not take senna?
Do not take senna without first talking to your doctor if you have
You may not be able to take senna or you may require special
monitoring while taking senna if you have any of the conditions listed above.
Also, talk to your doctor before taking senna if you have any other medical conditions,
allergies, or if you take other medicines or herbal/health supplements. Senna may not be
recommended in some situations.
Do not take senna without first talking to your doctor if you are
pregnant or could become pregnant.
Do not take senna without first talking to your doctor if you are
breast-feeding a baby.
Some forms of senna are formulated for use by children. Talk to the child's doctor
before using this product to treat a child.
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