Sennosides 7.5mg tablets
Available from a pharmacy with pharmacist advice
Sennosides (also known as senna glycoside or senna) is a medication used to treat constipation[FDA Label][L771] and empty the large intestine before surgery.
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Pregnancy
Breastfeeding
Always consult your doctor or midwife before taking any medicine during pregnancy or while breastfeeding. Source: DrugBank (CC BY-NC 4.0).
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5 branded products available
MHRA licensed products
View all licensed products for Sennosides on the MHRA register
Cenlax 7.5mg tablets 12 Years Plus
Senease Eighteen Years Plus 7.5mg tablets
Senease Twelve Years Plus 7.5mg tablets
Sennosides 7.5mg tablets 12 Years Plus
Sennosides 7.5mg tablets 12 Years Plus
Therapeutically similar medicines
Similarity is based on WHO Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification and on a factual NHS dm+d therapeutic-grouping code prefix. Source data: NHS dm+d via TRUD (OGL v3.0), WHO ATC/DDD Index.
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SNOMED CT and dm+d codes from NHS TRUD (Technology Reference data Update Distribution), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. ATC codes from the WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology (whocc.no).
Active and completed clinical studies from ClinicalTrials.gov
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health (NIH). Data accessed via ClinicalTrials.gov API v2. Trial information is provided for research purposes and does not constitute medical advice.
Academic studies and reviews for this medicine's active substance
Showing the 50 most relevant studies.
Reviews & meta-analyses: 6 · Randomised trials: 2 · 1970–2026
Showing the 50 most relevant studies, sorted by most relevant.
Rosa B, Donato H, Cúrdia Gonçalves T, et al.
2023
- Cathartics
- Capsule Endoscopy
- Polyethylene Glycols
BackgroundThe rate of adequate cleansing (ACR) and complete examinations (CR) are key quality indicators in capsule colonoscopy (CC) and pan-intestinal capsule endoscopy (PCE).AimsTo evaluate the efficacy of bowel preparation protocols regarding ACR and CR.MethodsWe conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis, search terms regarding colon capsule preparation, publication date from 2006/01, and date of search 2021/12, in six bibliographic databases. Multiple steps of the cleansing protocol were assessed: diet, adjunctive laxatives, purgative solution, use of prokinetic agents, and "booster". The meta-analytical frequency of ACR and CR was estimated, and subgroup analyses performed. Strategies associated with higher ACR and CR were explored using meta-analytical univariable and multivariable regression models.ResultsTwenty-six observational studies and five RCTs included (n = 4072 patients). The pooled rate of ACR was 72.5% (95% C.I. 67.8-77.5%; I2 = 92.4%), and the pooled rate of CR was 83.0% (95% C.I. 78.7-87.7%; I2 = 96.5%). The highest ACR were obtained using a low-fibre diet [78.5% (95% C.I. 72.0-85.6%); I2 = 57.0%], adjunctive laxatives [74.7% (95% C.I. 69.8-80.1%); I2 = 85.3%], and split dose 2 = 47.3%]. The highest CR were observed using routine prokinetics prior to capsule ingestion [84.4% (95% C.I. 79.9-89.2%); I2 = 89.8%], and sodium phosphate (NaP) as "booster" [86.2% (95% C.I. 82.3-90.2%); I2 = 86.8%]. In univariable models, adjunctive laxatives were associated with higher ACR [OR 1.81 (95% C.I. 1.13; 2.90); p = 0.014]. CR was higher with routine prokinetics [OR 1.86 (95% C.I. 1.13; 3.05); p = 0.015] and split-dose PEG purgative [OR 2.03 (95% C.I. 1.01; 4.09), p = 0.048].ConclusionsMain quality outcomes (ACR, CR) remain suboptimal for CC and PCE. Despite considerable heterogeneity, our results support low-fibre diet, use of adjunctive sennosides, split dose < 4L PEG, and routine prokinetics, while NaP remains the most consistent option as booster.
Abstract licence: CC BY-NC
Kistemaker KRJ, Sijani F, Brinkman DJ, et al.
2024
- Analgesics, Opioid
- Narcotic Antagonists
- Laxatives
BackgroundCancer-related pain often requires opioid treatment with opioid-induced constipation (OIC) as its most frequent gastrointestinal side-effect. Both for prevention and treatment of OIC osmotic (e.g. polyethylene glycol) and stimulant (e.g. bisacodyl) laxatives are widely used. Newer drugs such as the peripherally acting µ-opioid receptor antagonists (PAMORAs) and naloxone in a fixed combination with oxycodone have become available for the management of OIC. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to give an overview of the scientific evidence on pharmacological strategies for the prevention and treatment of OIC in cancer patients.MethodsA systematic search in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and the Cochrane Library was completed from inception up to 22 October 2022. Randomized and non-randomized studies were systematically selected. Bowel function and adverse drug events were assessed.ResultsTwenty trials (prevention: five RCTs and three cohort studies; treatment: ten RCTs and two comparative cohort studies) were included in the review. Regarding the prevention of OIC, three RCTs compared laxatives with other laxatives, finding no clear differences in effectivity of the laxatives used. One cohort study showed a significant benefit of magnesium oxide compared with no laxative. One RCT found a significant benefit for the PAMORA naldemedine compared with magnesium oxide. Preventive use of oxycodone/naloxone did not show a significant difference in two out of three other studies compared to oxycodone or fentanyl. A meta-analysis was not possible. Regarding the treatment of OIC, two RCTs compared laxatives, of which one RCT found that polyethylene glycol was significantly more effective than sennosides. Seven studies compared an opioid antagonist (naloxone, methylnaltrexone or naldemedine) with placebo and three studies compared different dosages of opioid antagonists. These studies with opioid antagonists were used for the meta-analysis. Oxycodone/naloxone showed a significant improvement in Bowel Function Index compared to oxycodone with laxatives (MD -13.68; 95 % CI -18.38 to -8.98; I2 = 58 %). Adverse drug event rates were similar amongst both groups, except for nausea in favour of oxycodone/naloxone (RR 0.51; 95 % CI 0.31-0.83; I2 = 0 %). Naldemedine (NAL) and methylnaltrexone (MNTX) demonstrated significantly higher response rates compared to placebo (NAL: RR 2.07, 95 % CI 1.64-2.61, I2 = 0 %; MNTX: RR 3.83, 95 % CI 2.81-5.22, I2 = 0 %). With regard to adverse events, abdominal pain was more present in treatment with methylnaltrexone and diarrhea was significantly more present in treatment with naldemedine. Different dosages of methylnaltrexone were not significantly different with regard to both efficacy and adverse drug event rates.ConclusionsMagnesium oxide and naldemedine are most likely effective for prevention of OIC in cancer patients. Naloxone in a fixed combination with oxycodone, naldemedine and methylnaltrexone effectively treat OIC in cancer patients with acceptable adverse events. However, their effect has not been compared to standard (osmotic and stimulant) laxatives. More studies comparing standard laxatives with each other and with opioid antagonists are necessary before recommendations for clinical practice can be made.
Abstract licence: CC BY
Butsarin Nate-anong, Jiraporn Khorana, Sireekarn Chantakhow, et al.
Pediatric Surgery International, 2025
- Constipation
- Magnesium Hydroxide
- Polyethylene Glycols
K. Noppakun, Tichanun Narongchai, R. Chaiwarith, et al.
Annals of Medicine, 2021
- Peritonitis
- Lactulose
- Gastrointestinal Agents
Abstract Background To the best of our knowledge, the effectiveness and safety of lactulose in comparison to sennosides, for the prevention of peritoneal dialysis (PD)-related peritonitis, has never been tested in a randomized study. Methods We conducted an open-label, randomized, active-controlled trial in a PD-center in Northern Thailand. Adult patients on PD were enrolled and randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio into two groups; one group received lactulose 15 mL once daily (n = 50) and the other group received sennosides two tablets daily (n = 50). The primary outcome was time-to-first bacterial peritonitis. The secondary outcomes included a composite of bacterial peritonitis and all-cause mortality. Cox proportional hazards regression was calculated and presented as hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results One hundred PD patients were recruited (50.0% men; mean age 55.5 ± 13.0 years) in this study. The baseline characteristics of the study participants were similar in both groups. No significant trend towards a higher risk of PD-related peritonitis was observed in the lactulose group (HR, 2.32 [95% CI, 0.92–5.83]; p = .051) compared to the sennosides group. Nevertheless, the secondary outcome was significantly higher in the lactulose group (HR, 2.77 [95% CI, 1.20–6.41]; p = .010). The incidence of adverse events was not substantially different between the two groups; however, diarrhoea was more frequent in the lactulose group (38.0% vs. 18.0%; p = .030) than in the sennosides group. Conclusions Treatment with lactulose is not more effective than sennosides and cannot be routinely recommended for the prevention of peritonitis among the PD population. TRIAL REGISTRATION Thai Clinical Trial Registry (clinicaltrials.in.th); ID: TCTR20171012001 KEY MESSAGE To the best of our knowledge, no randomized controlled trial that compares the efficacy and safety profiles of lactulose versus sennosides for the prevention of PD-related peritonitis among the PD population has been conducted. In this open-label, randomized, active-controlled trial, treatment with lactulose is not more effective than sennosides in the prevention of PD-related peritonitis, and it could increase the risk of bacterial PD-related peritonitis. Further studies with a larger sample size by incorporated real-world evidence are needed to confirm our findings and to explore strategies to prevent peritonitis among PD patients.
Abstract licence: CC BY 4.0
Teresa Ruston, Kathleen F. Hunter, G. Cummings, et al.
Canadian oncology nursing journal = Revue canadienne de nursing oncologique, 2013
J. Hardcastle, J. Wilkins
Gut, 1970
J. Fioramonti, G. Staumont, R. Garcia-Villar, et al.
Pharmacology, 1988
A. N. Kumar, A. Sneha, K. Srinivas, et al.
Industrial Crops and Products, 2023
G. Staumont, J. Frexinos, J. Fioramonti, et al.
Pharmacology, 1988
Ashish Kumar, Anil Kumar Gupta, Saba Siddiqui, et al.
Ecological Genetics and Genomics, 2024
Sources: aggregated from Europe PMC (EMBL-EBI), OpenAlex, Crossref, PubMed and other open scholarly databases. Retracted articles are excluded. Study information is provided for research purposes and does not constitute medical advice.
Pharmacology and chemical data from DrugBank
Key facts
Drug status
Approved
Major interactions
None known
Half-life
0.651h
Mechanism
Sennoside A and B, the components of senna, are metabolized by gut bacteria into…
Food interactions
1 warning
Human targets
1 target
Data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
Pharmacokinetics at a glance
Absorption
10%
[L771]
Half-life
0.651h
[A176990]
Protein binding
[A19235]
Volume of distribution
0.124L/kg
[A176990]
Metabolism
2.6%
[A19239]
…
Elimination
3-6%
[L771]
Clearance
0.007L/h
[A176990]
Pharmacokinetic data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
[L771]
Known interactions with other medicines. Always consult a healthcare professional.
Showing 50 of 396 interactions
[A19236]
This is normally reversed after 18 hours however chronic use has been shown to be associated with p53 resistance and potential carcinogenicity leading to colon cancer.
[A19236]
The LD50 value in rats was 5000mg/kg. Subacute studies in rats receiving 20mg/kg and dogs receiving 500mg/kg did not produce signs of toxicity.
[A19238]
Tests for mutagenicity and reproductive toxicity do not indicate toxic effects.
[A19238]
Sennosides are not recommended for use in pregnancy due to genotoxic risks associated with chemically similar compounds.
[L771]
The active metabolite of sennosides is excreted in breast milk, though there are no reports of the laxitive effect in breast fed babies.
[L771]
There is no data on the effects of sennosides on fertility.
[L771]
How the body processes this drug — absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination
[L771]
[A176990]
[A19235]
[A176990]
[A19239]
Sennidins A and B are further metabolized to rheinanthrone DB13175 by gut bacteria using beta-glucosidase.
[A19235]
Rheinanthrone DB13175 is absorbed into systemic circulation where 2.6% is metabolized to rhein DB13174 and sennidins A and B via oxidation.
[A19237][A19248][A19235]
Rheinanthrone DB13175 is the major active metabolite of sennosides A and B which produces the laxative effect of the medication.
[A19235]
Rhein DB13174 is also an active metabolite known to have many protective effects.
[A19247]
[L771]
[A176990]
Proteins and enzymes this drug interacts with in the body
PMID:12239222 PMID:30420639
Could also be permeable to urea (By similarity). Also participates in cell permeability to H2O2 and H2O2-mediated signaling .
PMID:20724658
In skin, transports glycerol to the epidermis and stratum corneum, where it maintains hydration, elasticity, and supports lipid biosynthesis for barrier repair (By similarity). In kidney, contributes to the reabsorption of water, helping the body maintain proper fluid balance (By similarity)
ATC A06AB56
ATC A06AB06
Chemical identifiers
CAS, UNII, InChI Key and database cross-references
Show
Chemical identifiers
CAS, UNII, InChI Key and database cross-references
Linked compound data from DrugBank Open Data (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Sennosides
Additional database identifiers
Drugs Product Database (DPD)
5190
Drugs Product Database (DPD)
8798
ChemSpider
5010
BindingDB
92481
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:636
GeneCards
AQP3
Guide to Pharmacology
690
UniProt Accession
AQP3_HUMAN
GenBank Gene Database
U28646
GenBank Protein Database
896047
UniProt Accession
Q72547_HV1
DrugBank citations
If you use DrugBank data in your research, please cite:
- DrugBank 6.02024Recommended citationKnox C., Wilson M., Klinger C.M., et alDrugBank 6.0: the DrugBank Knowledgebase for 2024Nucleic Acids Res. 2024 Jan 552(D1):D1265-D1275
- DrugBank 5.02018Wishart D.S., Feunang Y.D., Guo A.C., et alDrugBank 5.0: a major update to the DrugBank database for 2018Nucleic Acids Res. 2017 Nov 846(D1):D1074-D1082
- DrugBank 4.02014Law V., Knox C., Djoumbou Y., et alDrugBank 4.0: shedding new light on drug metabolismNucleic Acids Res. 2014 Jan 142(1):D1091-7
- DrugBank 3.02011Knox C., Law V., Jewison T., et alDrugBank 3.0: a comprehensive resource for 'omics' research on drugsNucleic Acids Res. 2011 Jan39(Database issue):D1035-41
- DrugBank 2.02008Wishart D.S., Knox C., Guo A.C., et alDrugBank: a knowledgebase for drugs, drug actions and drug targets.Nucleic Acids Research2008 Jan36(Database issue):D901-6
- DrugBank 1.02006Wishart D.S., Knox C., Guo A.C., et alDrugBank: a comprehensive resource for in silico drug discovery and exploration.Nucleic Acids Research2006 Jan 134(Database issue):D668-72