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Senna

Medication stimulant laxative digestive
Aka: sennosides, Senokot
Brands seen in Singapore: Senokot, Lax-Tab Senna, Senna Tablet (Goldplus Universal)
Not medical advice. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change the timing of anything you take.
How to use
What it’s for
SG label: relief of occasional constipation
When to take
SG label: at night · NHS: about 8 hours to work
Take with
NHS: with or without food · 6–8 glasses of fluid a day
Pros & cons
Pros
  • HSA: all four SG senna rows are general sale list
  • SG label: two to three times a week is usually enough
  • NHS: it works overnight when taken at bedtime
Cons
  • SG label: past 1 week it needs medical supervision
  • SG label: overuse can leave a 'lazy bowel'
  • SG label: overuse can drop blood potassium
Sources
  1. HSA — Listing of Registered Therapeutic Products (data.gov.sg dataset d_767279312753558cbf19d48344577084), Forensicclassification column; all 5,511 rows cached at /tmp/hsa_all.json and filtered locally (never re-fetched), 4 senna rows, 27 Aug 2026 · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “SENOKOT TABLET 7.5 mg SIN04731P, SENNA TABLET 7.5 mg SIN02550P, LAX-TAB SENNA TABLET 7.5MG SIN17578P and SANKAIJO TABLET SIN03486P — all four rows read "General Sale List"; ATC A06AB06 (A06AB56 for Sankaijo)”
  2. MOH National Drug Formulary — SENOKOT TABLET 7.5 MG [SIN04731P], Indication (SG patient information leaflet) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Senokot is used for relief of occasional constipation”
  3. MOH National Drug Formulary — SENOKOT TABLET 7.5 MG [SIN04731P], How to take / overdose · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Adults, the elderly and children over 18 years: Swallow one to two tablets at night … Do not exceed the stated dose … Use for more than 1 week requires medicinal supervision.”
  4. MOH National Drug Formulary — SENOKOT TABLET 7.5 MG [SIN04731P], if you take too many tablets · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “It may be harmful to take too much of this medicine or take it for too long … may lead to: A 'lazy bowel' … Low levels of potassium in the blood (called hypo-kalaemia)”
  5. MOH National Drug Formulary — SENOKOT TABLET 7.5 MG [SIN04731P], Product information block · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Active Ingredient and Strength: SENNA STANDARDISED EQV SENNOSIDES - 7.5 MG · Forensic Classification: GENERAL SALE LIST · Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) code A06AB06”
  6. MOH National Drug Formulary — SENOKOT TABLET 7.5 MG [SIN04731P], Before you take · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Have blockage or narrowing of the … bowel (ileus, intestinal obstruction or stenosis) … a lack of muscle tone in the bowel (atony) … appendicitis, inflammatory bowel disease … Are pregnant or breast-feeding … Have kidney or heart failure”
  7. NHS medicines A–Z — Senna (hub page) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Senna: laxative to treat constipation. Brand name: Senokot. Find out how senna treats difficulty pooing (constipation) and how to take it.”
  8. NHS medicines A–Z — Senna: how and when to take senna · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Take senna once a day at bedtime. You can take it with or without food. Senna takes about 8 hours to work … Drink plenty of fluids (6 to 8 glasses a day) while you're taking senna”
  9. NHS medicines A–Z — Senna: dosage for tablets you buy and tablets prescribed by a doctor · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “you can increase the dose to a maximum of 2 tablets or two 5ml spoonfuls at bedtime … A doctor may prescribe higher doses for adults and children up to a maximum of 4 tablets (30mg) taken once a day”
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Updated 2026-08-29. Every line above traces to a numbered source. Kozen-X is not a medical device and does not give medical advice. It lists what published sources have written down — nothing more. A pair not listed is unrecorded, not cleared. Before you start, stop or re-time anything, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.