Senokot 7.5mg/5ml Syrup 150ml

What is Senokot 7.5mg/5ml Syrup 150ml?

Senokot 7.5mg/5 ml Syrup 12 years plus contains Senna/Sennosides which work as a stimulant laxative for the short-term relief of occasional constipation. Senokot 7.5mg/5 ml Syrup 12 years plus contains calcium sennosides. Constipation is a fairly common and uncomfortable complaint. It usually involves difficult or irregular bowel movements, accompanied by hard, dry motions which can be painful to pass. Laxatives do not help with weight loss.

What are the active ingredients?

This medicine contains maltitol liquid (E965). If you have been told by your doctor that you have intolerance to some sugars, contact your doctor before taking this medicine. Caution should be taken if you are diabetic as each 5ml contains 3.2 kilocalories.

This medicinal product also contains: methyl (E218) and propyl (E216) parahydroxybenzoate, which may cause allergic reactions (possibly delayed).

This medicine contains 6.9 mg of alcohol (ethanol) in each 5ml dose. The amount in each dose of this medicine is equivalent to less than 1 ml beeror 1 ml wine. The small amount of alcohol in this medicine will not have any noticeable effects. This medicine contains 0.09 mmol (or 3.51 mg) potassium per 5 ml. To be taken into consideration by patients with reduced kidney function or patients on a controlled potassium diet.

How to use Senokot 7.5mg/5ml Syrup 150ml

New users should start with the lowest dose and increase it to the maximum dose for each age group, if necessary, by one half of the initial dose each day.

1. Once regularity has been regained dosage should be reduced and can usually be stopped.
2. One to two 5 ml spoonful’s at night, unless otherwise advised by a medical practitioner.

Precautions to consider before using Senokot 7.5mg/5ml Syrup 150ml

Do not take if you:

• are allergic to any of the ingredients.
• 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 fecal impaction or rectal bleeding for which you don’t know the cause, or blood in your stools.
• have already taken a laxative and 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.
• are under 12 years of age.

Taking other medicines.

• You should consult your doctor or pharmacist for advice if you are taking or have recently taken any other medicines, including those listed above and any medicines obtained without a prescription.
• Do not take more than the leaflet tells you.
• Overuse can be harmful.

If you take too much Syrup

• Consult your doctor and take this leaflet with you.

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 hypo-kalaemia). This can make you tired, dizzy, make your muscles weak and cause an uneven heart-beat.
• dehydration, making you thirsty, feel faint and giving you headaches. It can also mean that you cannot pass enough urine.

If you forget to take Senokot 7.5mg/5 ml Syrup 12 years plus 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. Always consult your doctor if you need further advice.

Possible side effects

Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. If any of the following or any other side effects occur, stop taking this medicine and consult a doctor or pharmacist: – abdominal pain, spasms and diarrhea, in particular these effects may be experienced by patients with irritable colon. In these cases, a reduction in dose may be necessary.

• hypersensitivity (allergic) reactions, hives (skin bumps), skin itchiness or local or more widespread rash, or asthma, – can make you more likely to catch infections.
• chronic use may lead to albuminuria and haematuria which is albumin or red blood cells in the urine.
• yellow or red-brown discolorations of urine may occur, which is harmless – chronic use may cause pigmentation of the gastroin testinal tract which usually recedes when the product is no longer taken.
• low potassium levels in the blood leading to muscle weakness and/or cramps – severe weight loss.
• changes in the shape of the finger and fingernail, muscular spasms and inflammation of bones and joints.

Reporting of side effects

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

By reporting side affects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.