What is the harm of senna leaf tea?

Senna is a kind of herbal medicine commonly used to treat constipation In fact, the FDA has approved Senna as an over-the-counter laxative In addition to being found in tea drinks and health products, this herbal medicine is also a component of many detoxification and beauty tea As senna leaf can stimulate defecation, tea containing this herbal medicine may cause gastrointestinal side effects If it is used in large doses for a long time or in patients with specific diseases, it may even have dangerous adverse effects Senna tea is made from the leaves of senna plants The active components of senna are called glycosides and sennosides, which can be used as stimulants in the colon to enhance peristalsis or intestinal muscle contraction In addition, these active ingredients keep the intestine more liquid, soften the contents of the intestine and stimulate the evacuation of the stool When feces move faster through the intestine, it will induce flatulence, abdominal distention, spasm and diarrhea These are common side effects of senna tea and most other laxatives The drug interaction information can be seen in the manual of senna leaf laxative Senna leaves can cause dehydration and low levels of electrolytes, including life-threatening potassium Use of senna with diuretics or water pills is more likely to cause hypokalemia If digoxin, a heart disease drug, is being used, the stimulating properties of senna leaves can also increase the side effects of the drug Consumption of coumarin, a blood thinner, with this tea increases the risk of bleeding In addition, do not take Senna with other laxatives as it increases the risk of gastrointestinal side effects and dehydration Because senna leaves have the potential to cause gastrointestinal side effects, patients with gastrointestinal diseases such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease and hemorrhoids should not use this herb Patients with abdominal pain, persistent diarrhea or intestinal obstruction should also avoid this herb Due to the lack of clinical research on the use of senna leaf in pregnancy, pregnant women should follow the doctor's advice Short term use of senna during lactation is considered feasible, but doctors should also be consulted before use After using senna leaf tea or health products for more than 10-14 days, the gut may rely on this herb to maintain normal defecation Long term or high-dose use of senna leaves can cause electrolyte imbalance, muscle weakness, liver damage or heart problems due to low potassium levels There is not much data on the safe dose of senna leaves, and it is generally recommended that no more than two cups of tea be consumed per day In addition, although the SFDA approved the use of senna leaf as a cathartic, there was no regulation on senna leaf tea, such as its efficacy, purity and dosage Therefore, in order to ensure safety, it is best to consult a doctor before using Senna as a cathartic or detoxification tea.