Sennosides 7.5 mg Tablets Adults

Always take this medicine exactly as described in this leaflet or as your doctor, pharmacist or nurse has told you.

This medicine is available without prescription.
However, you still need to take Sennosides 7.5 mg Tablets carefully to get the best results from it.

• Keep this leaflet. You may need to read it again.
• Ask your pharmacist if you need more information or advice.
• If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. See section 4.
• You must talk to a doctor if you feel worse or do not feel better after 3 days.

1. What Sennosides 7.5 mg Tablets Adults are and what they are used for
2. What you need to know before you take Sennosides 7.5 mg Tablets Adults
3. How to take Sennosides 7.5 mg Tablets Adults
4. Possible side effects
5. How to store Sennosides 7.5 mg Tablets Adults
6. Contents of the pack and other information

Normal and regular bowel movement is important for most people. However, what is “normal and regular” varies from person to person. Some may have a bowel movement every day, others less often. Whatever it is like for you, it is best that your bowel movement has a regular pattern.

Constipation is an occasional problem for some people. For others, it may happen more often It happens when the normal muscle actions in the bowel (large intestine) slow down. This can mean that material is not easily eliminated from the body.

The cause of constipation is often not known. It can be associated with:

• Sudden change of diet
• A diet with not enough fibre
• Not drinking enough fluids
• Loss of 'tone' of the bowel muscles in older people
• Pregnancy
• Medicines such as morphine or codeine
• Having to stay in bed for a long time
• Lack of exercise

Whatever the cause, constipation can be uncomfortable. It may make you feel bloated and heavy or generally “off colour”. Sometimes it causes headaches.

It is recommended to use changes in diet and bulk forming medicines to control constipation before using this medicine.

These healthy tips are recommended to try to prevent constipation happening:

• Eat a balanced diet including fresh fruit and vegetables
• Drink enough water so that you do not become dehydrated
• Keep up your exercise and stay fit
• Make time to empty your bowels when your body tells you

• are allergic to Sennosides or any of the ingredients of this medicines (listed in section 6).
• have blockage or narrowing of the gastro-intestinal tract or bowel (ileus, intestinal obstruction or stenosis)
• have paralysis or a lack of muscle tone in the bowel (atony)
• have appendicitis, inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis
• have severe dehydration
• have persistent or undiagnosed abdominal complaints e.g. pain, nausea or vomiting
• have faecal impaction or rectal bleeding for which you don't know the cause, or blood in stools.
• have already taken a laxative and you are still constipated
• have had a sudden change in bowel habit that has lasted for more than 2 weeks
• are pregnant or breast-feeding
• have kidney or heart failure

If you are not sure, consult your doctor, pharmacist or nurse before taking this medicine.

Stimulant laxatives (including Sennosides 7.5 mg Tablets Adults) do not help with weight loss. They do not reduce the absorption of calories or nutrients. They can cause watery stools (diarrhoea), abdominal cramps and dehydration. Dehydration can seem like weight loss.

Overuse of laxatives may damage your health by:

• Causing disturbances of electrolyte and mineral balances. Sodium, potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus are electrolytes and minerals that are present in very specific amounts necessary for proper functioning of the nerves and muscles, including those of the colon and heart. Upsetting this delicate balance can cause incorrect functioning of these vital organs.
• Severe dehydration may cause tremors, weakness, blurry vision, fainting, kidney damage, and, in extreme cases, death. Dehydration often requires medical treatment.
• Overuse of laxatives can cause the colon to stop reacting to usual doses of laxatives so that larger and larger amounts of laxatives may be needed to produce bowel movements.
• Laxative dependency occurs from overuse.

Tell your doctor, pharmacist or nurse if:

• you suffer from kidney disorders
• you have been told that you have an intolerance to some sugars because this medicine also contains lactose monohydrate.

When administering this product to incontinent adults, pads should be changed more frequently to prevent extended skin contact with faeces.

Other medicines and Sennosides 7.5 mg Tablets Adults Tell your doctor, pharmacist or nurse before taking this medicine:

• If you are taking medicines for a heart condition (e.g. cardiac glycosides, antiarrhythmic medicines such as quinidine) medicines inducing QT elongation, diuretics, adrenocorticosteroids, liquorice root preparations.

You should also consult your doctor or pharmacist for advice if you are taking or have recently taken any other medicine, including medicines prescribed by your doctor, medicines you have bought yourself and herbal or homeopathic remedies.

This product should not be taken if you are pregnant or breast feeding.

Take one to two tablets at bedtime with a drink of water.

This medicine should not be used by children or adolescents under 18 years of age.

Normally it is sufficient to take this medicine up to two to three times a week.

Not to be used for more than one week. Tell a doctor, pharmacist or nurse if:

• the symptoms worsen or persist during the use of the medicinal product
• there is no bowel movement within 3 days of use
• you need to take laxatives every day, if you are passing blood or if abdominal pain persists.

Do not take more than the leaflet tells you.

Overuse can be harmful.’

It may be harmful to take too much of this medicine or take it for too long.

This is because it may lead to:

• 'lazy bowel', where the muscle in the bowel becomes too relaxed. This means that bowel emptying happens less often. This can lead to long-term constipation.
• imbalance of fluids and salts in the body. This can affect the tightness of muscles such as those in the bowel. It can also affect the salts in the blood.
• low levels of potassium in the blood (called hypokalaemia). This can make you tired, dizzy, make your muscles weak and cause an uneven heartbeat.
• dehydration, making you thirsty, feel faint and giving you headaches. It can also mean that you cannot pass enough urine.

If you have accidentally taken too many tablets, consult your doctor or pharmacist for advice.

If you miss a dose, take your next dose at the usual time. Do not take or give a double dose, just carry on with the recommended dose. If you have any further questions on the use of this product as your doctor or pharmacist.

If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via the Yellow Card Scheme at: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store. By reporting side effects, you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.

Each uncoated tablet contains calcium sennosides equivalent to 7.5mg hydroxyanthracene glycosides, calculated as Sennoside B.

The other excipients are lactose monohydrate, anhydrous calcium hydrogen phosphate, maize starch and magnesium stearate.

Sennosides 7.5 mg Tablets Adults are light green to brown color round, convex shaped uncoated tablets, plain on both sides.

Sennosides 7.5 mg Tablets Adults are available in blister packs of 60 tablets.