Senna has been used as a cleansing herb and as a laxative for hundreds of years. Senna leaves contain sennosides, which are types of hydroxyanthracene glycosides that stimulate the colon and provide laxative effects. Senna is most commonly used as a medicinal remedy in southwestern Asia and northern Africa, but the herb is also found as an ingredient in some commercial laxative products. If you take senna leaves, you may experience some side effects, especially if you take too much of the herb or use it for a prolonged time period.
Diarrhea
Due to their laxative actions, senna leaves can cause diarrhea, says the University of Michigan Health System. Chronic diarrhea can lead to excessive fluid loss and dehydration. Taking senna can also cause stomach cramps, also due to the herb's laxative effects, notes Drug Digest. Additionally, chronic senna use can make you dependent on the herb in order to have bowel movements, warns the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Senna could also affect the color of your urine, turning it pinkish, reddish or brownish, or darken your intestinal lining, Drug Digest adds. These pigmentation changes occur due to the anthraquinones contained in senna, but the side effects aren't harmful or permanent.
Reduced Potassium Levels
If you take senna for a long period of time, typically more than 10 days in a row, you could experience low potassium levels, says the University of Michigan Health System. The decreased potassium levels can cause muscle weakness and negative effects on your heart, Drug Digest says. Taking senna along with certain drugs that lower potassium, like loop diuretics and thiazide, can worsen this side effect, notes the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Also, if your potassium levels are already low from prolonged overuse of senna, taking digoxin drugs can cause cardiac arrythmias.
Liver Damage
Ingesting large amounts of senna leaves could cause serious liver injury. One case report involved a woman who drank a tea containing a whopping 70 grams of dried senna leaves each day for three years and developed liver failure, says the University of Michigan Health System. Another report alleged that chronic senna use led to hepatitis, notes the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Decreased Appetite
Taking senna leaves can cause your appetite to decrease, which may lead to other side effects like weakened bones and weight loss, Drug Digest says. These side effects are potentially dangerous to your health if you use senna over a long period of time. Due to a reduced appetite, you could also experience muscle loss, "clubbing" of your fingers or toes and joint aches. Because of these potential side effects, lactating women and women who are in their first trimester of pregnancy should avoid taking senna, cautions the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Worsening of Colonic Diseases
Due to senna's laxative effects, you shouldn't take the herb if you have ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, appendicitis or intestinal obstructions, warns the University of Michigan Health System. Senna leaves can worsen these diseases and their symptoms.
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