Sennekot or scale? Help please!

chaarlotte289
chaarlotte289 Posts: 84 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
Hi!
Does anyone have any information or knowledge/experience with Senokot? I have been taking Senokot/Sennosides Natural Laxative pills for around 6-8 months every night to help "go." While I do go every night, my stool is not "normal." (TMI.. undigested food, float, or have a weird color.) Nevertheless, I do take it because I have extreme problems with constipation.
Even though the scale has stayed within the same range (except for daily fluctuations), I feel much larger. Is this because of the Senokot maybe making me retain water? Or is my scale actually broken and my weight is going up? (My scale is a Walmart Sunbeam Black Dial Scale)
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sunbeam-Black-Dial-Scale/10264545

I drink around 24oz of coffee a day or 19 oz of unsweetened tea along with 2.5 16oz bottles of water if that helps.
Can anyone help?
Thanks!

Replies

  • iheartinsanity
    iheartinsanity Posts: 205 Member
    Hi!
    Does anyone have any information or knowledge/experience with Senokot? I have been taking Senokot/Sennosides Natural Laxative pills for around 6-8 months every night to help "go." While I do go every night, my stool is not "normal." (TMI.. undigested food, float, or have a weird color.) Nevertheless, I do take it because I have extreme problems with constipation.
    Even though the scale has stayed within the same range (except for daily fluctuations), I feel much larger. Is this because of the Senokot maybe making me retain water? Or is my scale actually broken and my weight is going up? (My scale is a Walmart Sunbeam Black Dial Scale)
    http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sunbeam-Black-Dial-Scale/10264545

    I drink around 24oz of coffee a day or 19 oz of unsweetened tea along with 2.5 16oz bottles of water if that helps.
    Can anyone help?
    Thanks!

    I'd cut back on some of that tea, and up your water. I live in the PNW so I understand the coffee being a culture thing...but if you can cut back. All the coffee and tea is going to land you some kidney stones.
  • simplydelish2
    simplydelish2 Posts: 726 Member
    I am not a medical doctor nor do I have medical training. With that said, it appears to me that you are dehydrated - drink more water (I'd aim for at least 64 ounces on top of your coffee/tea/etc.). I'd stop taking the laxative every day - move to every other day, then every third day, etc. until you can stop it completely. If you are still having undigested chunks - you may need to see a doctor. If you aren't digesting your food - you aren't getting the nutrition.
  • Jim_Barteck
    Jim_Barteck Posts: 274 Member
    It sounds like you're not getting even close to the fiber that you need for normal digestion. The laxatives and caffeine are evacuating the food from your body before it's had a chance to be digested.

    My advice:

    1) Stop with the Senokot. Unless you have a diagnosable condition, then there is no reason on earth why you should be taking a daily laxative. You cannot possibly be retaining any water with that kind of daily diet regimen.

    2) EAT FIBER!!!!! Bananas, apples, several types of berries, oats, fiber supplements, etc., all contain fiber. The fiber will slow down your digestion and stop you from defecating undigested food. The food needs time to sit in your bowels to extract the necessary water and nutrients from it. Otherwise you're going to be wasting away....literally.

    3) Relieving constipation requires 2 main ingredients: water and fiber. The caffeine is a diuretic - meaning it causes your body to lose water. The Senokot is flushing the water out of your system the second you drink any. You *need to stop doing this*. You need to start drinking 64 oz. of water per day or more in addition to upping your fiber.

    It will take a week or more before your digestion begins to regulate itself. During that time, you may gain some temporary weight. DON'T WORRY ABOUT THAT!!! Do it anyway.

    I cannot emphasize enough that what you are doing right now to yourself is *seriously risky*, and you are risking doing long-term damage to your body. Please make changes ASAP.
  • ddkphotos
    ddkphotos Posts: 304 Member
    Yeah daily laxatives don't sound right... What does the package say? Try getting more natural fibre from food... I find 5 or 6 prunes a day helpful. And definitely more water..
  • ddkphotos
    ddkphotos Posts: 304 Member
    Please read... http://www.senokot.ca/en/products/how-to-take/
  • LadyHobbledehoy
    LadyHobbledehoy Posts: 91 Member
    Speaking from experience, it is absolutely possible to have to take a laxative everyday, no matter how much water you drink. Some people have what's called chronic constipation. My doctor (gastroenterologist) just recently prescribed that I take Miralax everyday, twice if needed. And to (hopefully!) wean off when I'm able to.

    Given what the OP said, though, it sounds really serious, especially if this has been going on for a while. Seems like this is something that needs to be brought up to a doctor instead of a message board. Only he/she will know how to handle it. I honestly think you need to talk to a gastroenterologist in particular. A GP (general practitioner) won't have the same in-depth knowledge as the specialist.

    Hope everything turns out okay! Stomach issues suck, I know it all too well!
  • takeadeepbreath
    takeadeepbreath Posts: 19
    You shouldn't be taking sennosides every day unless your doctor has told you to do so. Sennosides are a stimulant laxative, and you can become dependent on them. There are other laxatives that are not as habit-forming. That's a conversation you really need to have with your doctor.
  • LadyHobbledehoy
    LadyHobbledehoy Posts: 91 Member
    You shouldn't be taking sennosides every day unless your doctor has told you to do so. Sennosides are a stimulant laxative, and you can become dependent on them. There are other laxatives that are not as habit-forming. That's a conversation you really need to have with your doctor.

    This^^

    (It's one of the reasons my doctor told me to take Miralax specifically.)
  • justcallmedave
    justcallmedave Posts: 115 Member
    If you have a constipation problem and are keen on losing weight and reducing cholesterol you should consider Psyllium husks . Ive added some links below including some peer reviewed journal articles. I use it as it fills me up and I feel full more often with the added benefit of the fibre in the digestive system. Additionally the cholesterol lowering properties make it a must use supplement for anyone seriously considering effective weight loss and lifestyle improvement
    http://www.herbwisdom.com/herb-psyllium-husk.html
    http://www.bodyandsoul.com.au/nutrition/supplements+az/psyllium,23944
    http://www.webmd.com/drugs/drug-56088-psyllium+husk+fibre+oral.aspx?drugid=56088&drugname=psyllium+husk+fibre+oral
    http://www.epharmacy.com.au/product.asp?id=72551&source=GS&gclid=COfzoYPXjMACFcMJvAodX5kA3w
    http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/supplement/psylliumttp://glutenfreegirl.com/2012/07/what-is-psyllium-husk/
    http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/70/4/466.full
    http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/71/2/472.long
    hhttp://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/72/3/784.fullttp://www.scopemed.org/?mno=3784
  • angelexperiment
    angelexperiment Posts: 1,917 Member
    The coffee is bad bc it dehydrates you and takes away vitamins from your body and too much tea will too. Definitely up the water to 64 oz or more. Get a nice fancy 64 or 36 oz cup and sip all day. This will help your bowels. When they do not move the water get squeezed out ovrr and over. So take a stool softener not a laxative. I know a bunch of tricks to move it without a daily laxitive. Drink smooth move tea it has sennosides in it. This is once in a while. Drink prune juice 1 c a day. Or eat prunes there is a recipe you stew prunes in licorice tea eat two a day you will definately move it. Eat pandas licorice candy not the fake sugared up licorice. Chia seed put a tablespoon in a bowl add a little milk let it set for 10 minutes then eat like cereal its mucilage helps move rhings along flax seed is also mucilagenous. There is a recipe in one cup of grape juice take bone meal 1 tbsp arrowroot flour 1tsp psyllium husk and drink whole cup quick follow it immediately with a glass of water. Not everyone can tolerate psyllium tho. Eat a bowl of bran cereal everyday. Eat quinoa warm cereal you take the quinoa and toast it first then add a little water and cook til the lttle spiral on the out side is poking out. Quinoa is a mucilage too. Do a enema when its really bad . Take olive oil 1/3 c after eating it helps move you too. Do a saltwater flush you can google that you do that first thing when you wake up and do not eat or drink anything before or after until you go to the bathroom. It does work but you need to be close to a bathroom for awhile. There is the magnesium drink by trace minerals about two capfuls w water does work. Occasionally do a colon cleanse when needed. Eat beans lentils and fats like coconut oil and avacado. Add grains like millet amaranth buckwheat wheat germ quinoa bulgher oat groats not the instant oatmeal it has the endosperm removed during processing or the bran part gets removed. Try also creamy oat bran. And buffered vitamin c with that earlier grape juice thing I told you. Or you can use orange juice too. So these are all the things I have done and researched. You do not want to use daily lax bc it makes the con lazy and then when you stop it it will be hard to retrain your colon to go on its own. Exercise like yoga helps too.
  • angelexperiment
    angelexperiment Posts: 1,917 Member
    But also note in some people psyllium husk can cause blockages and not recommended if you have diverticulitis. It is a different type of fiber it is a bulky fiber so it can sometimes make a bad problem worse. There are two types of fiber one is bulky and its called something I don't remember and the other is called something else. One acts like a scrubber and the other like a bulk pushing through.
  • justcallmedave
    justcallmedave Posts: 115 Member
    From my reading, the jury is still out on psyllium and diverticular disease. One study did show no increase in stool transit time compared with a control group on a normal diet , however the sample size was just 67 which is too small to extrapolate meaningful data from. Most studies tend to err to conventional wisdom that high fibre is beneficial. it is recommended that you avoid psyllium if you have narrowing of the gastric tract as for example in a gastric stricture . Irregardless if you have medical issues you should always consult a doctor ( not Dr Oz) prior to commencing any lifestyle changes
  • hearthwood
    hearthwood Posts: 794 Member
    Something you should ask your doctor about.
  • madz0007
    madz0007 Posts: 31 Member
    Senna does discolour your faeces and urine, however partially digested food doesn't sound good. I would suggest you see your doctor.

    In the short term increase your water, cut the tea and coffee both of which can be dehydrating, you need to aim for 2-3 litres daily.

    Eat five portions of fruit and veg.

    You will need to see your doctor your bowel muscle will have become reliant on the stimulant laxative, therefore weaning you off them will require the assistance of other medication.
  • Jim_Barteck
    Jim_Barteck Posts: 274 Member
    Speaking from experience, it is absolutely possible to have to take a laxative everyday, no matter how much water you drink. Some people have what's called chronic constipation. My doctor (gastroenterologist) just recently prescribed that I take Miralax everyday, twice if needed. And to (hopefully!) wean off when I'm able to.

    Which I why I said "unless you have a diagnosable condition".....
  • Happymelz
    Happymelz Posts: 536 Member
    Hi!
    Does anyone have any information or knowledge/experience with Senokot? I have been taking Senokot/Sennosides Natural Laxative pills for around 6-8 months every night to help "go." While I do go every night, my stool is not "normal." (TMI.. undigested food, float, or have a weird color.) Nevertheless, I do take it because I have extreme problems with constipation.
    Even though the scale has stayed within the same range (except for daily fluctuations), I feel much larger. Is this because of the Senokot maybe making me retain water? Or is my scale actually broken and my weight is going up? (My scale is a Walmart Sunbeam Black Dial Scale)
    http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sunbeam-Black-Dial-Scale/10264545

    I drink around 24oz of coffee a day or 19 oz of unsweetened tea along with 2.5 16oz bottles of water if that helps.
    Can anyone help?
    Thanks!

    Is there a medical reason why you are taking laxatives every night?
    (Only asking because I used to abuse laxatives and I know how your "system" can become dependent and make it hard to have regular movements without them.
  • MissMissle
    MissMissle Posts: 293 Member
    +1 on ditching the senecot and taking Miralax daily, for multiple reasons, but ask a Doctor
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    If you have extreme consitipation, you should be talking to your doctor. Talk to him/her about this too.
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,088 Member
    I think you should see a doctor. That does not seem normal at all.
  • knoelledi
    knoelledi Posts: 91 Member
    I'm dealing with similar issues ever since I started eating healthy. I'm eating more fiber than I used to, even eating fiber one cereals. I try not to take laxatives as they drop my blood pressure and I'm known to pass out (once found myself in my trashcan in the bathroom, glasses bent, fortunately the night before was trashnight). I've just started Miralax and hoping it will make things move along more freely.

    **I do have diverticulitis and some scarring/kinking from endometriosis.
  • N0VV
    N0VV Posts: 18 Member
    It's not good for you to take laxatives everyday.
    Some laxatives actually draws water OUT into your stool to allow it to pass, so you are not retaining water, you are likely doing the opposite. Others cause food to pass too quick by stimulating the GI tract, causing ineffective absorption. So you have to be careful in your choice.

    When you stop taking it, you will have a nasty rebound constipation. You need to find something that is more daily basis friendly for long term use. Like a Fiber (i.e Metamucil).

    Source: Super RN
  • icrushit
    icrushit Posts: 773 Member
    In my experience, walking helps, plus if you want a specific exercise for getting things moving through the bowels, try leg raises!

    Just to add to the above, prunes, prune juice, avocados and chia seeds (soaked in water until they resemble caviar), can be helpful too.

    Also, re: the undigested food, I wonder if your body has all the nutrients and enzymes it needs to break down what you are putting into your body fully. If not, a good vitamin b-complex, as well as digestive enzymes you can take with your meals, can help :)

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