In recent weeks I have suffered from constipation to varying degrees. Unfortunately this is a side effect of a specific medication I take, so I have become adept in treating it myself without having to visit the doctor and discuss this rather embarrassing ailment. Usually I will try upping the fruit and vegetables in my diet, perhaps eating a few squares of high quality dark chocolate, to help move things along. This time, however, I was well and truly bunged up - apologies, but there really is no other way to describe it.

I bought these Senokot Max Strength tablets from Boots, I have used the standard Senokot before and have been impressed with them but this time around I felt I needed the extra boost of the higher strength preparation.

They are basically laxatives, you take one tablet at bedtime and while you're asleep it will help loosen your stools in order for you to successfully go to the toilet the following day. According to the box the tablets take 8 - 12 hours to work, so with this in mind I don't see that it's essential to take it at night and in my experience it works just as well if taken in the morning.

The tablets are rather large and bulky, it is recommended you take it with a large glass of water and I would certainly second that as they do have a strange herbal 'fibre' taste which can linger in your mouth if you don't wash the tablet down well enough. Personally I like to take them with a glass of pure orange juice as this will work with the tablets to help you visit the toilet a little quicker again.

I have found with Senokot Max Strength that it is a very gentle way to help get things moving again; if taken at night when you wake up in the morning you will probably have an urge to go to the toilet but these are definitely not like the laxatives of old, where you would have to ensure you were near a lavatory at all times such was the speed of evacuation. They do work slightly quicker than the standard Senokot tablets and also help to empty your bowels as much as possible in order to allow you to begin the day with a clean slate, so to speak.

Do not panic if you wake up and still feel constipated, the tablets will carry on working throughout the day and eventually you will successfully visit the toilet. With these kinds of laxatives there are so many conflicting areas; your overall diet, drinking habits, the length of time it has been since you went to the toilet etc. Personally, I had not 'been' for several days and I was beginning to feel a little poorly due to this. As you probably know, when you have a severe constipation problem this can make you feel extremely lethargic, heavy and generally causes you to feel very unlike yourself.

My only disappointment with Senokot Max is the slight abdominal pain I experienced after taking my second dose, this actually heralded the urge I felt to go to the bathroom and it put me in mind of the slight stomach cramps you suffer when cursed with 'the runs'. Not long after the squelchy, sharp pains began I went to the toilet - and, as I'm sure you can all understand, was very grateful for this! I would, perhaps, consider taking a couple of paracetamol in conjunction with the Senokot Max to counteract this painful side effect of the tablet, although it's by no means severe pain but rather irritating on top of the ache I was feeling as a result of my constipation.

Personally I found I was able to go to the toilet after the second tablet I took, although I didn't feel particularly in control of my own bowels again until I had taken Senokot Max for four consecutive days. By then I felt comfortable enough to stop taking them, although wouldn't have hesitated to go back to the tablets for a few more days if I felt I needed longer.

The active ingredient in Senokot Max Strength is Senna, this is a natural herbal treatment for constipation. You can buy Senna plants and use the leaves and seeds to make your own remedy, although it can be an extremely strong laxative and different plants will have different levels of useable Senna so I personally would recommend you buy something like Senokot where all the guesswork has been taken out of the dosage. Also, the most common way of taking Senna is in a tea-like preparation and this not only tastes very unpleasant and bitter but also can have an explosive effect on the bowels and quite literally have you running for the nearest toilet.

There are not many people for whom Senokot Max Strength is unsuitable, in fact there are no groups who are actually forbidden to take it. Pregnant women or those who are breastfeeding are advised to consult their doctor before taking these tablets, because of the abdominal cramps it is recommended that anyone suffering from any gastric ailments should also speak to a doctor or pharmacist before embarking on a course of Senokot.

It is advised that you take only one Senokot Max Strength tablet in any 24 hour period, personally I have taken two daily during my recent bout of constipation (one in the morning and one at night) and have not suffered any adverse effects. I do feel that I was 'cured' a little quicker doing this, but whether you do this or not will obviously have to depend on your own personal circumstances as it may not be possible to do this if you have a particularly busy life style and are away from your home (and bathroom!) for long periods of time.

Another thing to remember is that if you take any sort of laxative for a long period of time it can result in a health condition known as Lazy Bowel Syndrome, this is fairly uncommon but as I understand can be a rather nasty complaint to treat. In essence it means that you will become unable to evacuate your bowls without artificial help, thereby causing an addiction of sorts. If your constipation has not resolved itself within, say, fourteen days I would certainly recommend you go and speak to your doctor about it as he may wish to prescribe you something a little more medicinal than Senokot - and don't forget that your constipation may be a symptom of an underlying health issue so do not be tempted to self-treat for too long.

Overall, for an effective way to treat occasional constipation I would definitely recommend Senokot Max Strength. I have come to recognise when constipation is rearing it's ugly head so I can begin treatment very early, thus avoiding the awful feeling of being completely 'blocked up' as in matters of the bowel prevention is certainly kinder than cure.

Senokot Max Strength tablets can be bought in Boots and the current price is £3.85 for a box of 24 tablets, which is in effect 24 days supply. Larger boxes are available but frankly if you need more than 24 doses of this laxative then you should really be consulting your doctor to find out what the problem is.