Over-the-counter medication · Stimulant Laxative
senna
Also sold as Senokot. Senna treats occasional constipation, which means you have trouble having bowel movements.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 20,197
- FDA reportsModerately reported
- 90% less
- Generic vs brandHuge savings
- $0.24
- Brand price (NADAC)
What the data shows
senna (Senokot) is an over-the-counter Stimulant Laxative, reported at a middle-of-the-pack volume (20,197 FDA reports), whose generic costs a fraction of the brand (about 90% less).
Reporting volume reflects how widely a drug is used and studied, not how dangerous it is, a FAERS report documents a temporal association, never proof of cause.
senna (Senokot) is an over-the-counter Stimulant Laxative. Senna treats occasional constipation, which means you have trouble having bowel movements.
Senna (Senokot) is a stimulant laxative. It helps relieve constipation and usually causes a bowel movement in 6 to 12 hours.
Verify with FDA → · CMS NADAC pricing →
Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Brand Price
$0.24/unit
Generic Price
$0.02/unit
Generic Savings
90%
Generic Available
Yes (0 manufacturers)
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
What it does
Senna treats occasional constipation, which means you have trouble having bowel movements.
Common side effects
Diarrhea, Abdominal pain
Key warnings
No specific warnings noted. Always follow your prescriber's instructions.
The sections below are summarized in plain English from senna's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.
How It Works
Senna is a stimulant laxative. It works by stimulating the muscles in your intestines. This helps to move stool through your body.
How to Take It
Take senna preferably at bedtime, or as your doctor tells you. Adults and children 12 years and older should start with 2 tablets once a day. Do not take more than 4 tablets twice a day. Children 6 to under 12 years should start with 1 tablet once a day. Do not take more than 2 tablets twice a day.
This is a plain-language summary of senna's FDA labeling, not individualized dosing advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber before changing how you take this medication.
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
It is always best to talk to your doctor before taking any medication during pregnancy or breastfeeding. They can help you weigh the risks and benefits.
This is a plain-language summary of senna's FDA labeling, not individualized advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber about pregnancy or breastfeeding on this medication.
Missed Dose
If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. However, do not double your dose.
This is a plain-language summary of senna's FDA labeling, not individualized advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber what to do about your specific missed dose.
Storage
Store senna at room temperature, around 77ºF (25ºC).
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 20,197 FDA adverse event reports.
Most-reported reactions
Adverse reactions in FAERS for senna, by number of reports
- Feeling sick to your stomach
Feeling sick to your stomach
1,390 reports
- Feeling very tired
Feeling very tired
1,358 reports
- Having trouble having bowel movements
Having trouble having bowel movements
1,158 reports
- Difficulty breathing
Difficulty breathing
1,093 reports
- Loose, watery stools
Loose, watery stools
1,064 reports
- Death
Death
1,052 reports
- Throwing up
Throwing up
985 reports
- Lung infection
Lung infection
945 reports
- Falling down
Falling down
885 reports
- Fever
Fever
852 reports
What this shows Bars show how often each reaction was reported, not how likely it is to happen, a report records a temporal association, never proof that the drug caused it.
Reports over time
Adverse-event reports filed for senna each year to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).
Year-to-year volume tracks usage, prescribing, and scrutiny, not a change in per-patient risk. Source: FDA FAERS.
Where senna sits
senna has more FDA adverse-event reports than 55% of the drugs FAERS tracks. A high position reflects how widely a drug is used and watched, not how dangerous it is.
Percentile across all drugs PlainMeds tracks by FAERS report volume. The dot is senna; the line is the median (50th percentile).
FDA Adverse Event Report Analysis
Detailed analysis of 20,197 reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports span 2004–2025.
Total Reports
20,197
Reports Mentioning Death
3,098
15.3% of reports — not proof of cause
Hospitalization Reports
10,339
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)
| # | Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | NAUSEA | 1,390 |
| 2 | FATIGUE | 1,358 |
| 3 | CONSTIPATION | 1,157 |
| 4 | DYSPNOEA | 1,093 |
| 5 | DIARRHOEA | 1,064 |
| 6 | DEATH | 1,052 |
| 7 | VOMITING | 984 |
| 8 | PNEUMONIA | 945 |
| 9 | FALL | 885 |
| 10 | PYREXIA | 852 |
| 11 | HEADACHE | 832 |
| 12 | PAIN | 831 |
| 13 | ASTHENIA | 767 |
| 15 | DIZZINESS | 708 |
| 16 | MALAISE | 660 |
Reactions in Death Reports
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Source: FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) Reports are voluntary and do not establish causation
Common Questions
How long does senna take to work?
Can I take senna every day?
Can children take senna?
What should I do if senna doesn't work?
Can I take senna with other medications?
Does senna have a lot of sodium?
How much calcium is in each tablet?
What is the best time to take senna?
What do I do if the safety seal is broken?
How should I store senna?
What are the common side effects of senna?
What drug class is senna?
Is there a generic version of senna?
Is senna safe during pregnancy?
Related Medications in Stimulant Laxative
Other drugs grouped near senna - same-class peers and common alternatives.
alosetron
Lotronex
Alosetron (Lotronex) is a medicine for women with severe diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Compare with senna →
aprepitant
Emend
Aprepitant (Emend) is a medicine that helps prevent nausea and vomiting.
Compare with senna →
bisacodyl
Dulcolax
Bisacodyl is a medicine that helps you have a bowel movement.
Compare with senna →
bismuth subsalicylate
Pepto-Bismol
Bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol) is a medicine that can treat diarrhea and upset stomach.
Compare with senna →
cimetidine
Tagamet
Cimetidine (Tagamet) reduces stomach acid.
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What the FDA Data Shows for senna
The FDA label for senna (sold under brand names such as Senokot) classifies it as an over-the-counter product in the Stimulant Laxative class. Senna treats occasional constipation, which means you have trouble having bowel movements. Official labeling lists 2 commonly reported side effects, including Diarrhea, Abdominal pain.
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 20,197 voluntary reports. Interaction data is drawn directly from FDA-approved prescribing information. NADAC pricing from CMS shows a generic unit cost of $0.02 versus $0.24 for the brand - a 90% generic savings.
Report counts do not establish causation, a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history, and patent information further shape supply and switching decisions. This page summarizes public FDA data for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, always consult a licensed healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.
Data Sources
Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Pricing: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC).
FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. Always consult a healthcare professional before making medication decisions.
Last updated: October 21, 2023
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Data currency: FDA FAERS adverse-event reports through 2025, CMS NADAC acquisition-cost pricing effective December 2024, compiled and last refreshed May 2026. See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a correction.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FDA Orange Book - approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence. accessdata.fda.gov/cder/ob
- FDA DailyMed - NIH-hosted drug labeling for FDA-approved meds. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) - post-marketing safety surveillance. fda.gov/drugs/faers
- NLM RxNorm - standardized clinical drug nomenclature. nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/rxnorm
- CMS Medicare Part B Drug Average Sales Price Files - federal drug pricing data. cms.gov/medicare/part-b-drugs/asp
- FDA Drug Shortages Database - current and resolved drug shortage tracking. accessdata.fda.gov/drugshortages