Senna
CASRN: 8013-11-4
For other data, click on the Table of Contents
Drug Levels and Effects:
Summary of Use during Lactation:
Although an early uncontrolled report using an old senna product found increased frequency of diarrhea in breastfed infants, several controlled studies using modern senna products found no effect on the infant. Usual doses of senna are acceptable to use during breastfeeding.
Drug Levels:
Maternal Levels. After administration of 3.6 mL of senna fluidextract on day 5 postpartum, senna was undetectable (<2.8 g/L) in the breastmilk of 10 women.[1]
Twenty five nursing mothers averaging 4.7 months postpartum (range 2.5 to 15 months) were given a single 100 mg of Senokot tablet containing 8.6 mg of sennosides a and b. Milk was expressed every 30 minutes for 6 hours. Sennosides a and b were undetectable (<0.34 mg/L) in all samples of breastmilk. Three mothers whose infants reportedly had loose stools were subsequently give a double dose of Senokot, but sennosides a and b remained undetectable. [2]
Twenty postpartum mothers were given a laxative containing plantango seeds (psyllium) and senna equivalent to 15 mg of sennosides a and b daily on days 2 to 4 postpartum. A median of 5 samples of breastmilk were taken during the 26 hours after the last dose. Rhein, a metabolite of the sennosides, was measured in milk. Peak rhein milk levels generally occurred 10 hours after the dose. The authors estimated that all breastfed infants would have received at most 500 ng/kg of rhein.[3]
Infant Levels. Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Effects in Breastfed Infants:
After administration of 3.6 mL of senna fluidextract on day 5 postpartum, a laxative effect on the bowels was observed in 6 of 10 infants.[1]
In another observational study, no cases of diarrhea were observed among the breastfed infants of 148 mothers who received 2 teaspoonfuls of Senokot (equivalent to 700 mg of senna pod) on day 3 postpartum.[4] Fifty mothers who were in the first day postpartum received senna equal to 450 mg of senna pod. Additional doses were given on subsequent days if needed. None of their breastfed infants were noted to have any markedly abnormal stools, although all of the infants also received supplemental feedings.[5]
In a randomized, nonblinded study, 35 mothers were given tablets containing a total of 14 mg of standardized senna extract once daily for 2 weeks starting in the immediate postpartum period. Six of the 37 breastfed infants were reported to have diarrhea which was a higher percentage than with other nonabsorbable laxatives in the study.[6]
Sixteen women were given 800 mg of powdered senna containing 24 mg of sennosides. None of their breastfed infants had any abnormal stools.[7]
A randomized, double-blind trial compared Senokot tablets in a dose of 2 tablets (14 mg sennosides a and b) twice daily for 8 doses started on the first day postpartum to placebo. Of the women in the study, 126 breastfed their infants and took senna while 155 control mothers breastfed their infants. There was no difference in the percentages of infants in the active and control groups with loose stools or diarrhea.[8]
Twenty postpartum mothers were given a laxative containing plantango seeds (psyllium) and senna equivalent to 15 mg of sennosides a and b daily on days 2 to 4 postpartum. Of the 11 infants who were breastfed, none had any loose stools.[3]
Possible Effects on Lactation:
Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Alternate Drugs to Consider:
Bisacodyl, Docusate, Magnesium Hydroxide, Psyllium
References:
1. Tyson RM, Shrader EA, Perlman HH. Drugs transmitted through breast milk. Part I: laxatives. J Pediatr. 1937;11:824-32.
2. Werthmann MW Jr, Krees SV. Quantitative excretion of Senokot in human breast milk. Med Ann Dist Columbia. 1973;42:4-5. PMID: 4511106
3. Faber P, Strenge-Hesse A. Relevance of rhein excretion into breast milk. Pharmacology. 1988;36 (Suppl 1):212-20. PMID: 336852
4. Duncan AS. Standardized senna as a laxative in the puerperium. A clinical assessment. Br Med J. 1957;1:439-41. PMID: 13396280
5. Baldwin WF. Clinical study of senna administration to nursing mothers.:assessment of effects on infant bowel habits. Can Med Assoc J. 1963;89:566-7. PMID: 14045350
6. Greenhalf JO, Leonard HSD. Laxatives in the treatment of constipation in pregnant and breast-feeding mothers. Practitioner. 1973;210:259-63. PMID: 4570522
7. Dubecq JP, Palmade J. Etude clinique de l'administration de Tamarine chez la mere qui allaite. Gaz Med Fr. 1974;81:5173-5.
8. Shelton MG. Standardized senna in the management of constipation in the puerperium. A clinical trial. S Afr Med J. 1980;57:78-80. PMID: 6996138
Substance Identification:
Substance Name: Senna
CAS Registry Number: 8013-11-4
Drug Class:
Cathartics
Gastrointestinal Agents
Administrative Information:
LactMed Record Number:
474
Last Revision Date:
20071227
Disclaimer: Information presented in this database is not meant as a substitute for professional judgment. You should consult your healthcare provider for breastfeeding advice related to your particular situation. The U.S. government does not warrant or assume any liability or responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the information on this Site.
Summary of Use during Lactation:
Hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa) flowers contain anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, flavonols, as well as various pigments, oils and acids. Other Hibiscus species are also used medicinally. Hibiscus is a purported galactogogue and is included in some proprietary mixtures promoted to increase milk supply;[1] however, no scientifically valid clinical trials support this use. Galactogogues should never replace evaluation and counseling on modifiable factors that affect milk production.[2] No data exist on the excretion of any components of hibiscus into breastmilk or on the safety and efficacy of hibiscus nursing mothers or infants. Hibiscus is "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS) as a food by the US Food and Drug Administration. Hibiscus flowers appear to be generally well tolerated, although allergic reactions are possible, including cross reaction with other members of the Malvaceae family (e.g., ambrette, marshmallow).
Dietary supplements do not require extensive pre-marketing approval from the US Food and Drug Administration. Manufacturers are responsible to ensure the safety, but do not need to prove the safety and effectiveness of dietary supplements before they are marketed. Dietary supplements may contain multiple ingredients, and differences are often found between labeled and actual ingredients or their amounts. A manufacturer may contract with an independent organization to verify the quality of a product or its ingredients, but that does not certify the safety or effectiveness of a product. Because of the above issues, clinical testing results on one product may not be applicable to other products. More detailed information about dietary supplements is available elsewhere on the LactMed Web site.
Drug Levels:
Maternal Levels. Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Infant Levels. Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Effects in Breastfed Infants:
Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Possible Effects on Lactation:
Sixty-six postpartum mothers (22 in each of 3 groups) with no concurrent illnesses were randomly assigned to receive an herbal tea, placebo, or nothing after delivering healthy, full-term infants. Mothers in the herbal tea group received at least 3 cups daily of 200 mL of Still Tea (Humana-Istanbul, Turkey; containing hibiscus 2.6 grams, fennel extract 200 mg, fennel oil 20 mg, roobios 200 mg, verbena [vervain] 200 mg, raspberry leaves 200 mg, fenugreek 100 mg, goat's rue 100 mg, and, vitamin C 500 mg per 100 grams, per manufacturer's web site November 2011). A similar-looking apple tea was used as the placebo. All women were followed by the same nurse and pediatrician who were blinded to what treatment the mothers received. Mothers who received the Still Tea produced more breastmilk with an electric breast pump on the third day postpartum than mothers in the other groups. The infants in the Still Tea group had a lower maximum weight loss, and they regained their birth weights sooner than those in the placebo or no treatment arms. No long-term outcome data were collected. Because many of the ingredients in Still Tea are purported galactogogues, including hibiscus, no single ingredient can be considered solely responsible for the tea's effects, although the authors attributed the action to fenugreek.[3]
An herbal tea containing hibiscus, fenugreek, fennel, rooibos, vervain, raspberry, goat's rue, and vitamin C (Humana Still-Tee, Humana GmbH, Herford, Germany) or water was randomly given to nursing mothers in a dosage of 3 cups daily beginning on the day of delivery. Several markers of antioxidant capacity were measured in breastmilk on day 1 and again after 7 to 10 days. No difference was found in the markers between mothers who received the tea and the water.[4]
References:
1. Scott CR, Jacobson H. A selection of international nutritional and herbal remedies for breastfeeding concerns. Midwifery Today Int Midwife. 2005;75:38-9. PMID: 16320878
2. The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine Protocol Committee. ABM clinical protocol #9: use of galactogogues in initiating or augmenting the rate of maternal milk secretion (First revision January 2011). Breastfeed Med. 2011;6:41-9. PMID: 21332371
3. Turkyilmaz C, Onal E, Hirfanoglu IM et al. The effect of galactagogue herbal tea on breast milk production and short-term catch-up of birth weight in the first week of life. J Altern Complement Med. 2011;17:139-42. PMID: 21261516
4. Kavurt S, Bas AY, Yucel H. The effect of galactagogue herbal tea on oxidant and anti-oxidant status of human milk. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2013;26:1048-51. PMID: 23363373
Substance Identification:
Substance Name: Hibiscus
Scientific Name: Hibiscus sabdariffa
Drug Class:
Complementary Therapies
Food
Phytotherapy
Plants, Medicinal
Administrative Information:
LactMed Record Number:
963
Last Revision Date:
20130801
Disclaimer: Information presented in this database is not meant as a substitute for professional judgment. You should consult your healthcare provider for breastfeeding advice related to your particular situation. The U.S. government does not warrant or assume any liability or responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the information on this Site.