Senna is a commonly found weed used in traditional systems of medicine, often as a laxative. Senna poisoning is rarely reported, and its potential for toxicity greatly underestimated. Clinical presentation mimics acute liver failure, which is very difficult to attribute to this seemingly innocuous agent. We report an unusual case of an elderly woman who presented with a hepatoencephalopathic syndrome after ingestion of Senna occidentalis and elucidate the multisystem pathophysiology of this rapidly evolving disease. Most importantly, we attempt to provide some perspective on how this knowledge from the East can help prevent severe consequences in the West.
© 2019 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of The American College of Gastroenterology.