Some people try questionable methods of losing weight, such as taking supplements promoted as natural weight loss products when the products actually contain laxatives. A common ingredient in these herbal remedies is cascara sagrada. It may technically be all-natural, but it does not provide a healthy or effective method for losing weight. In fact, some of the individuals who try this type of substance may wind up seeking help at a center for Urgent Care in Maui. That’s because cascara sagrada causes unpleasant and sometimes anxiety-provoking side effects.
In small doses, cascara sagrada is useful for relieving constipation. Chemicals in the bark of the cascara sagrada tree react with bacteria in the colon, stimulating the colon to move and expel waste. Taking the dose recommend in an herbal remedy for weight loss may lead to loose stools and diarrhea that lasts for two or more days. People who weren’t expecting the intense effects of the herb may become dehydrated and start to feel ill. Side effects can include nausea, vomiting, and abdominal cramps.
It’s important to understand that a long bout of diarrhea does not lead to significant weight loss. The only weight removed is the waste in the colon, which would have eventually come out anyway. Some water weight may be eliminated as well, but that is only a temporary effect.
A center for Urgent Care in Maui helps patients who are experiencing these effects after taking an herbal weight loss supplement that actually is a laxative. Depending on the severity of the situation, the patient may benefit from intravenous rehydration at a clinic such as Wailea Medical Center if nausea has become too severe to keep fluids down. A doctor or other qualified health care practitioner may provide medication to stop the diarrhea, but depending on the patient, it may be best to simply wait out the effects.
The health care practitioner will advise the patient not to use this type of product except in small doses to relieve constipation. It should never be used on a regular basis because people can become dependent on laxatives, leading to chronic constipation when they try to stop using the product.
