Positives

• A long-hauler with severe constipation found that taking one senna tablet at night kept them regular after intense constipation that developed during a 3-month LC flare Reddit.
  
  

Negatives

• Drugs.com's senna side-effect monograph notes that long-term or repeated use can cause cathartic colon, with diarrhea, cramping, weight loss, and darkened pigmentation of the colonic mucosa, all of which are particularly disabling on top of Long COVID GI symptoms. Drugs.com.
• MedlinePlus warns that frequent or continued use of senna can make the bowel dependent on laxatives and lose its normal motility, and that senna should not be used for more than one week without clinician supervision. MedlinePlus.
• The NHS senna side-effects page lists abdominal cramps and diarrhea as common, affecting more than 1 in 100 users, and notes chronic high-dose use may also drive dehydration and electrolyte loss, a particular hazard for Long COVID patients already managing POTS or dysautonomia. Nhs.

Hurdles & Side Effects

• Dependency is the main concern, with a patient who took senna on and off for nearly 2 months becoming scared they were dependent and experiencing worsening cramps Reddit.