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514349 tn?1272801633

Can senna laxative not work?

I hadn't had a BM in 2 days, so I made a senna tea beverage which always worked overnight before. All it did was give me sharp pains in my epigastric area which have lasted all day so far and no BM. My abdomen is bloated and hard in the diaphragm area.
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363281 tn?1643235611
Hello~You probably should increase your water intake, I feel that only water is the best way to keep dehydrated, other liquids are OK, but they just aren't water. Up to 60% of the human adult body is water. According to H.H. Mitchell, Journal of Biological Chemistry, the brain and heart are composed of 73% water, and the lungs are about 83% water. The skin contains 64% water, muscles and kidneys are 79%, and even the bones are watery: 31%.

Also, if you make it a habit of taking laxatives, your body starts to depend on them and won't work without them, plus, it will start to get use to the amount you are taking, thus causing you to have to increase the amount for a BM.

So, drink more water, eat more fresh fruit and veggies, exercise, and take a good, pro-biotics. This should have you "going" better and regular in no time.
Helpful - 0
973741 tn?1342342773
That sounds very uncomfortable. Are you well hydrated?  That's one of the biggest reasons for constipation. If you think of your intestinal tract as a big water slide, you have to have water to keep the poop moving down (sorry to be so gross).  If you are dehydrated, it's like they turned the water off on the ride. If you aren't getting any relief, you can try a different laxative but probably should check in with your doctor.  Drink lots of water though to see if it helps.  
Helpful - 0
3 Comments
By the way, do you take a probiotic?  I can't say enough good things about how this helps with digestive help.  
I don't take probiotics of which I am aware  - there could be some in my diet. I eat yogurt a few times a week. I probably drink about a half gallon of liquid a day (tea and seltzer mostly, occasionally fruit juice), but I also take a diuretic. These are nothing new, though.
I finally had a small BM three days after not going. It was very hard,also. Doesn't seem like enough for the amount I ate.
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