SENNOSIDES 7.5 MG TABLETS 12 YEARS PLUS - patient leaflet, side effects, dosage

Patient leaflet - SENNOSIDES 7.5 MG TABLETS 12 YEARS PLUS

Sennosides 7.5 mg Tablets 12 Years Plus

Read this leaflet carefully because it contains important information for you.

This medicine is available without prescription. However, you still need to take Sennosides 7.5 mg Tablets 12 Years Plus 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.
You must contact a doctor if your symptoms worsen, or do not improve.
If any of the side effects get serious or if you notice any side effect not listed in this leaflet, please tell your doctor or pharmacist.
1. What are Sennosides 7.5 mg Tablets 12 Years Plus and what are they used for
2. What you need to know before you take Sennosides 7.5 mg Tablets 12 Years Plus
3. How to take Sennosides 7.5 mg Tablets 12 Years Plus
4. Possible side effects
5. How to store Sennosides 7.5 mg Tablets 12 Years Plus
6. Contents of the pack and other information

1.What are Sennosides 7.5 mg Tablets 12 Years Plus and what are they used for

Sennosides 7.5mg Tablets 12 Years Plus contains Sennosides which work as a stimulant laxative for the short-term relief of occasional constipation. Sennosides 7.5mg Tablets 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 is constipation?

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

What you need to know before you take Sennosides 7.5 mg Tablets 12 Years Plus

Do not take if you:

are allergic to any of the ingredients (for a full list of ingredients, see 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).
you 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 conditions.
are under 12 years of age.

If you are not sure whether any of the above apply to you, consult your doctor before taking this medicine.

Does this help with weight loss?

Stimulant laxatives (including Sennosides 7.5mg Tablets 12 Years Plus) 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.
you suffer from kidney disorders.
you have been told you have an intolerance to some sugars because this medicine also contains lactose monohydrate.

Warnings

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

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

Taking other medicines

You should consult your doctor or pharmacist for advice if you are taking or have recently taken any other medicine, including medicines obtained without a prescription before taking this medicine.

Tell your doctor, pharmacist or nurse if:

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

PHARMACODE

3. how to take sennosides 7.5 mg tablets 12 years plus

For oral use only.

Adults, the elderly and children 12 years and over: Swallow one or two tablets at night.

This medicine should not be used in children under 12 years old.

Do not exceed the stated dose.

New users should start with the lowest dose and increase it to the maximum if necessary. Once regularity has been regained dosage should be reduced and stopped.

Duration of use

Normally it is sufficient to take this medicinal product up to two to three times a week until regularity has been regained.

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 after 3 days of use
you need to take laxatives every day or if abdominal pain persists

Do not take more than the leaflet tells you. Overuse can be harmful.

If you take too many tablets:

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:

A ‚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 fluid 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 heart-beat.
Dehydration, making you thirsty, feel faint and giving you headaches. It can also mean you cannot pass enough urine.

If you miss a dose:

If you miss a dose, take your next dose at the usual time. Do not take two doses at the same time to make up for a missed dose. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist if you need further advice.

4. possible side effects

Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.

If you experience any of the following side effects, stop taking this medicine and immediately contact a doctor or nearest hospital accident and emergency department:

difficulty in breathing, swelling of the face, tongue, neck or throat
severe raised red, itchy skin that may affect part or all of the body.

If any of the following or other side effects occur, stop taking this product and consult your doctor or pharmacist:

Abdominal pain, spasms and diarrhoea, in particular these effects may be experienced by patients with irritable colon. In these cases, a reduction in the dose may be necessary.
Hypersensitivity (allergic) reactions, hives (skin bumps), skin itchiness around the anus or local or more widespread rash.
Chronic use may lead to albuminuria and haematuria which is albumin or red blood cells in the urine.
Yellow or red-brown discolouration of urine may occur which is harmless.
Chronic use may cause pigmentation of the gastrointestinal tract which usually recedes when the product is no longer taken.

5. how to store sennosides 7.5 mg tablets 12 years plus keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.

This medicinal product does not require any special storage conditions.

Store in the original container.

Do not use after the expiry date shown on the pack (EXP month/year).

Return any unused medicines to a pharmacist for safe disposal.

6. contents of the pack and other informationwhat sennosides 7.5 mg tablets 12 years plus containeach uncoated tablet contains sennosides (as calcium salts) 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.

What Sennosides 7.5 mg Tablets 12 Years Plus looks like and contents of the pack

Sennosides 7.5 mg Tablets 12 Years Plus are light green to brown colour round, convex shaped uncoated tablets, plain on both sides.

Sennoside 7.5 mg Tablets 12 Years Plus are available in blister packs of 20, 60 or 100 tablets and in HDPE containers of 100 tablets.

Not all pack sizes may be marketed.

Marketing Authorisation Holder

DAWA Limited,

5 Sandridge Close, Harrow, Middlesex, HA1 1XD, United Kingdom

Manufacturer

Drugsrus Limited,