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Valerian root


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Valerian:

 

 

Valerian has an affinity for GABA receptors, likely due to the relatively high GABA content in valerian itself. The amount of GABA present in valerian extract is sufficient to induce release of GABA in synaptosomes and may also inhibit GABA reuptake.

 

Valerian is used for insomnia and other disorders. Other believed mechanisms of action in valerian include inhibition of the catabolism of GABA by valerenolic acid and acetylvalerenolic acid and affinity for the 5-HTA receptor by another constituent of valerian, called hydroxy pinoresinol.

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http://www.ehow.com/list_7209991_dangers-valerian.html

 

The Dangers of Valerian

 

 

Sumei FitzGerald has been writing professionally since 2008 on health, nutrition, medicine and science topics. She has published work on doctors' websites such as Colon Cancer Resource, psychology sites such as Webpsykologen and environmental websites such as Supergreenme. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in sociology from the University of Connecticut where she also studied life sciences.

 

By Sumei FitzGerald, eHow Contributor

updated September 30, 2010

 

 

 

Valerian root is often used as a calming tea tincture.

Valerian, also known as all-heal and garden heliotrope, has been used as a medicinal treatment since ancient times, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM). It is used to treat anxiety, depression, headaches, heartbeat irregularity, sleep disorders and trembling.

 

Valerian hasn't been well-studied, so the possible side effects aren't well understood. There is little information regarding its interaction with other drugs and herbs, and no research has been done regarding the long-term effects of valerian.

 

Some people may be allergic to Valeriana officinalis. The Irritable Bowel Syndrome Treatment Center of Seattle, Wash., includes valerian on its allergy test panel.

 

Common Side Effects

 

Valerian may cause headaches. headache

Valerian has been reported to cause gastrointestinal upset. Dizziness, headaches and itchiness are other common side effects, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS). Medline Plus reports that excitability, uneasiness and unsteadiness are other commonly reported valerian side effects.

 

Sedation

 

Valerian may make driving dangerous.

Valerian is used as an anti-anxiety and sleep aid but it may affect the ability to concentrate or operate machinery. Research concerning such effects is conflicting: one study found that valerian increased daytime sleepiness and another found that it didn't affect alertness, concentration or reaction time, according to ODS.

 

Some people don't gain sedative effects from valerian. Instead, they may become restless and sleepless, reports naturopath Beth Burch. Chronic and long-term use of valerian may result in insomnia, according to Medline Plus.

 

The ODS warns that valerian may increase drowsiness when combined with other sedatives or supplements.

 

 

Addiction

 

Valerian may have addictive qualities.

Valerian side effects may include addiction similar to that which occurs with drugs, reports Medline Plus. Valerian withdrawal has been noted in chronic users: confusion, delirium and rapid heartbeat. Another side effect of valerian use is a drug "hangover," reports Medline Plus.

 

 

Heart and Liver

 

Valerian has the potential for negative side effects on the heart and liver, according to Aetna Intelihealth. Liver toxicity has occurred with the use of herbal preparations that contain valerian, reports Medline Plus. Also, valerian may interact with anti-seizure medications.

 

 

 

Read more: The Dangers of Valerian | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/list_7209991_dangers-valerian.html#ixzz1PRrR91dA

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http://wiki.medpedia.com/Accredited:Ask_the_Doctor_Q&A:_Addiction_and_Sleep_Aids

 

Ask the Doctor Q&A: Addiction and Sleep Aids

Content from Harvard Medical School

 

 

Question:Is the sleep aid valerian (400 mg) addictive?

 

 

Answer: Valerian is an herbal remedy often used to help people sleep. Herbal medications are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration in the way prescription medications are. Valerian has not been studied in the same way prescription drugs are, and how iot may work is not well understood. In addition, the exact amount of valerian in a given dose may vary widely, since herbal medications are not held to the same standards as prescription medications.

 

Many prescription sleeping medications can cause physical dependence. Addiction can also develop. There has been at least one case reported of a person developing withdrawal symptoms after suddenly stopping valerian. This occurred in a person who had used valerian for a long time. The symptoms in this person were very similar to those observed in people withdrawing from prescription sleep medications.

 

With the limited amount of research available, there is not a definitive answer to the question of whether valerian is addictive. Based on the available research and the case report of valerian withdrawal, it seems possible that valerian can create physical dependence.

 

If you are concerned that you have symptoms of physical dependence or addiction associated with valerian, talk to your doctor about other treatment options.

 

- Added to Medpedia December 2008

 

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http://www.buzzle.com/articles/valerian-root-side-effects.html

 

Valerian Root Side Effects

 

 

Valerian root side effects range from drowsiness throughout the day to complicated liver problems. Many people use Valerian extract to treat sleeplessness, but eventually tend to get addicted to it. Over a period of time, Valerian roots are known to trigger a series of side effects in an individual.

 

Valerian, also known as the garden Valerian and garden heliotrope, is a perennial flowering plant, characterized by sweetly scented flowers, either pink or white in color. The plant native to Europe and northern Asia was introduced in North America by Europeans. It adapted to the damp areas of the American continents very well. In the northern hemisphere, the plant blooms between June and September. The herb is used to treat various medical conditions, prominent one being insomnia.

 

 

Valerian Root Uses

 

With several benefits to its credit, Valerian plant has been used by mankind for over a 1,000 years. In pharmacology, the roots of this plant are processed to produce capsules, which can be used for various effects including sedation and anxiolytic. Being in the concentrated form, the capsules are quite beneficial to health. The root of the Valerian plants tends to relax the central nervous system and decrease the levels anxiety and stress. One of the most prominent benefits of Valerian roots is its use as sleep enhancer. This benefit is acknowledged by millions of people across the world.

 

 

Valerian Root Side Effects

 

Although it's one of the best natural sleep aids, not everything is good about the herb! Valerian side effects are also very popular among individuals. The very fact that the herb tends to relax the central nervous system shows that the herb can have side effects when the individual gets used to it and also upon withdrawal.

 

Although the herb is non-toxic, studies have revealed that long term use of valerian can trigger a series of side effects in an individual. Valerian root side effects may vary from person to person.

 

The common side effects of Valerian are:

 

Drowsiness.

Inability to concentrate.

Sleepiness during the day.

Diminishing short-term memory.

Headaches

 

In order to avoid these side effects of Valerian, the person should ensure that he gets sleep for at least 6 to 8 hours after taking it.

 

 

More Severe Side Effects of Valerian

 

 

More importantly, people who are taking prescription medications, such as Xanax and Valium, should avoid Valerian, as it tends to interact with such medications.

 

One of the most common Valerian root side effects, liver damage is most often noticed in people who indulge in alcohol abuse while taking Valerian root extract to tackling sleep disorders. Owing to lack of evidence, medical science doesn't support some Valerian root side effects.

 

Dreams and hallucinations are important examples of this. Being in concentrated form, Valerian root extract side effects are more severe than Valerian side effects. An individual can experience Valerian tea side effects, which include loss of muscle function and heart problems, when he is addicted to Valerian tea.

 

Dependence of Valerian roots can be harmful for the body, but sudden withdrawal from the same can also trigger some serious complications.

 

Valerian side effects do tend to disturb your healthy lifestyle, but that is not a compulsion. At times, you may observe some side effects of Valerian, which would not disturb you at that point of time, but may prove to be harmful over the course of time. And hence, it's important to consult a doctor when any of the aforementioned Valerian side effects are observed.

 

Valerian root is indeed one of the most effective herbs when it comes to calming the central nervous system and anxiety symptoms, but owing to the above mentioned Valerian root side effects one should be cautious when taking it. For instance, either taking it continuously for 2 weeks or abruptly ceasing the use of the same, both tend to have adverse effects on the body and hence are best avoided.

 

Many people are affected by these side effects of Valerian roots, but being a bit cautious with the usage of the same can make it an incredible herb.

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http://www.medicinenet.com/valerian_valeriana_officinalis-oral/page3.htm

 

GENERIC NAME: VALERIAN (Valeriana officinalis) - ORAL

 

 

USES: Valerian root has been used for sleep problems (insomnia).Some herbal/dietary supplement products have been found to contain possibly harmful impurities/additives.

 

Check with your pharmacist for more details about the brand you use.The FDA has not reviewed this product for safety or effectiveness. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for more details.

 

 

HOW TO USE: Take this product by mouth, usually 30 minutes to 2 hours before bedtime or as directed. Follow all directions on the product package. If you are uncertain about any of the information, consult your doctor or pharmacist.This herbal product should not be used for more than 4 weeks.

 

To reduce the chance of possible side effects when stopping extended use of valerian, do not suddenly stop taking it. Your dose may need to be gradually decreased over 1 to 2 weeks before stopping completely.

 

Consult your doctor or pharmacist for more details.If your condition persists or worsens, or if you think you may have a serious medical problem, seek immediate medical attention.

 

SIDE EFFECTS: Headache, restlessness, upset stomach, or drowsiness/tiredness after waking up may occur.

 

If any of these effects persist or worsen, contact your doctor or pharmacist promptly.Tell your doctor immediately if any of these rare but very serious side effects occur: persistent nausea/vomiting, stomach/abdominal pain, yellowing eyes/skin, dark urine, extreme tiredness.A very serious allergic reaction to this product is rare.

 

However, seek immediate medical attention if you notice any of the following symptoms of a serious allergic reaction: rash, itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat), severe dizziness, trouble breathing.This is not a complete list of possible side effects.

 

If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor or pharmacist.In the US -Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.In Canada - Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to Health Canada at 1-866-234-2345.

 

PRECAUTIONS: Before taking valerian, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to it; or if you have any other allergies. This product may contain inactive ingredients, which can cause allergic reactions or other problems. Talk to your pharmacist for more details.

 

If you have any of the following health problems, consult your doctor or pharmacist before using this product: liver problems. Liquid forms of this product may contain sugar and/or alcohol. Caution is advised if you have diabetes, alcohol dependence, or liver disease.

 

Ask your doctor or pharmacist about using this product safely.This product may make you drowsy. Do not drive, use machinery, or do any activity that requires alertness until you are sure you can perform such activities safely. Avoid alcoholic beverages.

 

This product is not recommended for use during pregnancy. Consult your doctor before using this product.It is unknown if this product passes into breast milk. Consult your doctor before breast-feeding.

 

DRUG INTERACTIONS: Before using this product, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all prescription and nonprescription/herbal products you may use, especially of: drugs removed from your body by certain liver enzymes (such as simvastatin, lovastatin, atorvastatin, drugs to treat erectile dysfunction including sildenafil, azole antifungals including ketoconazole).

 

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you also take drugs/other products that cause drowsiness such as: certain antihistamines (e.g., diphenhydramine), anti-seizure drugs (e.g., carbamazepine), medicine for sleep or anxiety (e.g., alprazolam, diazepam, zolpidem), muscle relaxants, narcotic pain relievers (e.g., codeine), psychiatric medicines (e.g., chlorpromazine, risperidone, amitriptyline, trazodone), other herbal/dietary products (e.g., kava, melatonin).

 

Check the labels on all your medicines (e.g., cough-and-cold products) because they may contain ingredients that cause drowsiness. Ask your pharmacist about using those products safely.Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with your doctor or pharmacist first.This document does not contain all possible interactions.

 

Therefore, before using this product, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all the products you use. Keep a list of all your medications with you, and share the list with your doctor and pharmacist.

 

OVERDOSE: If overdose is suspected, contact your local poison control center or emergency room immediately. US residents can call the US National Poison Hotline at 1-800-222-1222. Canada residents can call a provincial poison control center. Symptoms of overdose may include: unusual tiredness, stomach cramping, chest tightness, shaking of hands/feet.

 

NOTES: Keep all regular medical and laboratory appointments. Liver function tests should be performed if this product is used for an extended time.

 

MISSED DOSE: Not applicable.

 

STORAGE: Refer to storage information printed on the package. If you have any questions about storage, ask your pharmacist. Keep all medications and herbal products away from children and pets.Do not flush medications down the toilet or pour them into a drain unless instructed to do so. Properly discard this product when it is expired or no longer needed. Consult your pharmacist or local waste disposal company for more details about how to safely discard your product.

 

 

Last Editorial Review: 5/24/2011

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http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Valerian-HealthProfessional/

 

Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet:

 

ValerianKey points

 

This fact sheet provides an overview of the use of valerian for insomnia and other sleep disorders and contains the following key information:

 

Valerian is an herb sold as a dietary supplement in the United States.

Valerian is a common ingredient in products promoted as mild sedatives and sleep aids for nervous tension and insomnia.

 

Evidence from clinical studies of the efficacy of valerian in treating sleep disorders such as insomnia is inconclusive.

 

Constituents of valerian have been shown to have sedative effects in animals, but there is no scientific agreement on valerian's mechanisms of action.

Although few adverse events have been reported, long-term safety data are not available.

 

What is valerian?

 

Valerian (Valeriana officinalis), a member of the Valerianaceae family, is a perennial plant native to Europe and Asia and naturalized in North America [1]. It has a distinctive odor that many find unpleasant [2,3]. Other names include setwall (English), Valerianae radix (Latin), Baldrianwurzel (German), and phu (Greek). The genus Valerian includes over 250 species, but V. officinalis is the species most often used in the United States and Europe and is the only species discussed in this fact sheet [3,4].

 

 

What are common valerian preparations?

 

Preparations of valerian marketed as dietary supplements are made from its roots, rhizomes (underground stems), and stolons (horizontal stems). Dried roots are prepared as teas or tinctures, and dried plant materials and extracts are put into capsules or incorporated into tablets [5].

 

There is no scientific agreement as to the active constituents of valerian, and its activity may result from interactions among multiple constituents rather than any one compound or class of compounds [6]. The content of volatile oils, including valerenic acids; the less volatile sesquiterpenes; or the valepotriates (esters of short-chain fatty acids) is sometimes used to standardize valerian extracts. As with most herbal preparations, many other compounds are also present.

 

Valerian is sometimes combined with other botanicals [5]. Because this fact sheet focuses on valerian as a single ingredient, only clinical studies evaluating valerian as a single agent are included.

 

 

What are the historical uses of valerian?

 

Valerian has been used as a medicinal herb since at least the time of ancient Greece and Rome. Its therapeutic uses were described by Hippocrates, and in the 2nd century, Galen prescribed valerian for insomnia [5,7]. In the 16th century, it was used to treat nervousness, trembling, headaches, and heart palpitations [8]. In the mid-19th century, valerian was considered a stimulant that caused some of the same complaints it is thought to treat and was generally held in low esteem as a medicinal herb [2]. During World War II, it was used in England to relieve the stress of air raids [9].

 

In addition to sleep disorders, valerian has been used for gastrointestinal spasms and distress, epileptic seizures, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. However, scientific evidence is not sufficient to support the use of valerian for these conditions [10].

 

 

What clinical studies have been done on valerian and sleep disorders?

 

In a systematic review of the scientific literature, nine randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trials of valerian and sleep disorders were identified and evaluated for evidence of efficacy of valerian as a treatment for insomnia [11]. Reviewers rated the studies with a standard scoring system to quantify the likelihood of bias inherent in the study design [12]. Although all nine trials had flaws, three earned the highest rating (5 on a scale of 1 to 5) and are described below. Unlike the six lower-rated studies, these three studies described the randomization procedure and blinding method that were used and reported rates of participant withdrawal.

 

The first study used a repeated-measures design; 128 volunteers were given 400 mg of an aqueous extract of valerian, a commercial preparation containing 60 mg valerian and 30 mg hops, and a placebo [13]. Participants took each one of the three preparations three times in random order on nine nonconsecutive nights and filled out a questionnaire the morning after each treatment. Compared with the placebo, the valerian extract resulted in a statistically significant subjective improvement in time required to fall asleep (more or less difficult than usual), sleep quality (better or worse than usual), and number of nighttime awakenings (more or less than usual).

 

This result was more pronounced in a subgroup of 61 participants who identified themselves as poor sleepers on a questionnaire administered at the beginning of the study. The commercial preparation did not produce a statistically significant improvement in these three measures. The clinical significance of the use of valerian for insomnia cannot be determined from the results of this study because having insomnia was not a requirement for participation. In addition, the study had a participant withdrawal rate of 22.9%, which may have influenced the results.

 

In the second study, eight volunteers with mild insomnia (usually had problems falling asleep) were evaluated for the effect of valerian on sleep latency (defined as the first 5-minute period without movement) [14]. Results were based on nighttime motion measured by activity meters worn on the wrist and on responses to questionnaires about sleep quality, latency, depth, and morning sleepiness filled out the morning after each treatment.

 

The test samples were 450 or 900 mg of an aqueous valerian extract and a placebo. Each volunteer was randomly assigned to receive one test sample each night, Monday through Thursday, for 3 weeks for a total of 12 nights of evaluation. The 450-mg test sample of valerian extract reduced average sleep latency from about 16 to 9 minutes, which is similar to the activity of prescription benzodiazepine medication (used as a sedative or tranquilizer). No statistically significant shortening of sleep latency was seen with the 900-mg test sample.

 

Evaluation of the questionnaires showed a statistically significant improvement in subjectively measured sleep. On a 9-point scale, participants rated sleep latency as 4.3 after the 450-mg test sample and 4.9 after the placebo. The 900-mg test sample increased the sleep improvement but participants noted an increase in sleepiness the next morning. Although statistically significant, this 7-minute reduction in sleep latency and the improvement in subjective sleep rating are probably not clinically significant. The small sample size makes it difficult to generalize the results to a broader population.

 

The third study examined longer-term effects in 121 participants with documented nonorganic insomnia [15]. Participants received either 600 mg of a standardized commercial preparation of dried valerian root (LI 156, Sedonium?*) or placebo for 28 days. Several assessment tools were used to evaluate the effectiveness and tolerance of the interventions, including questionnaires on therapeutic effect (given on days 14 and 28), change in sleep patterns (given on day 28), and changes in sleep quality and well-being (given on days 0, 14, and 28). After 28 days, the group receiving the valerian extract showed a decrease in insomnia symptoms on all the assessment tools compared with the placebo group. The differences in improvement between valerian and placebo increased between the assessments done on days 14 and 28.

 

(*The mention of a specific brand name is not an endorsement of the product.)

 

The reviewers concluded that these nine studies are not sufficient for determining the effectiveness of valerian to treat sleep disorders [11]. For example, none of the studies checked the success of the blinding, none calculated the sample size necessary for seeing a statistical effect, only one partially controlled prebedtime variables [15], and only one validated outcome measures [13].

 

Two other randomized, controlled trials published after the systematic review described above [11] are presented below.

 

In a randomized, double-blind study, 75 participants with documented nonorganic insomnia were randomly assigned to receive 600 mg of a standardized commercial valerian extract (LI 156) or 10 mg oxazepam (a benzodiazepine medication) for 28 days [16]. Assessment tools used to evaluate the effectiveness and tolerance of the interventions included validated sleep, mood scale, and anxiety questionnaires as well as sleep rating by a physician (on days 0, 14, and 28). Treatment result was determined via a 4-step rating scale at the end of the study (day 28). Both groups had the same improvement in sleep quality but the valerian group reported fewer side effects than did the oxazepam group. However, this study was designed to show superiority, if any, of valerian over oxazepam and its results cannot be used to show equivalence.

 

In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study, researchers evaluated sleep parameters with polysomnographic techniques that monitored sleep stages, sleep latency, and total sleep time to objectively measure sleep quality and stages [17]. Questionnaires were used for subjective measurement of sleep parameters. Sixteen participants with medically documented nonorganic insomnia were randomly assigned to receive either a single dose and a 14-day administration of 600 mg of a standardized commercial preparation of valerian (LI 156) or placebo.

 

Valerian had no effect on any of the 15 objective or subjective measurements except for a decrease in slow-wave sleep onset (13.5 minutes) compared with placebo (21.3 minutes). During slow-wave sleep, arousability, skeletal muscle tone, heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory frequency decreased. Increased time spent in slow-wave sleep may decrease insomnia symptoms. However, because all but 1 of the 15 endpoints showed no difference between placebo and valerian, the possibility that the single endpoint showing a difference was the result of chance must be considered. The valerian group reported fewer adverse events than did the placebo group.

 

Although the results of some studies suggest that valerian may be useful for insomnia and other sleep disorders, results of other studies do not. Interpretation of these studies is complicated by the fact the studies had small sample sizes, used different amounts and sources of valerian, measured different outcomes, or did not consider potential bias resulting from high participant withdrawal rates. Overall, the evidence from these trials for the sleep-promoting effects of valerian is inconclusive.

 

 

How does valerian work?

 

Many chemical constituents of valerian have been identified, but it is not known which may be responsible for its sleep-promoting effects in animals and in in vitro studies. It is likely that there is no single active compound and that valerian's effects result from multiple constituents acting independently or synergistically [18,reviewed in 19].

 

Two categories of constituents have been proposed as the major source of valerian's sedative effects. The first category comprises the major constituents of its volatile oil including valerenic acid and its derivatives, which have demonstrated sedative properties in animal studies [6,20]. However, valerian extracts with very little of these components also have sedative properties, making it probable that other components are responsible for these effects or that multiple constituents contribute to them [21]. The second category comprises the iridoids, which include the valepotriates. Valepotriates and their derivatives are active as sedatives in vivo but are unstable and break down during storage or in an aqueous environment, making their activity difficult to assess [6,20,22].

 

A possible mechanism by which a valerian extract may cause sedation is by increasing the amount of gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA, an inhibitory neurotransmitter) available in the synaptic cleft. Results from an in vitro study using synaptosomes suggest that a valerian extract may cause GABA to be released from brain nerve endings and then block GABA from being taken back into nerve cells [23]. In addition, valerenic acid inhibits an enzyme that destroys GABA [reviewed in 24]. Valerian extracts contain GABA in quantities sufficient to cause a sedative effect, but whether GABA can cross the blood-brain barrier to contribute to valerian's sedative effects is not known.

 

Glutamine is present in aqueous but not in alcohol extracts and may cross the blood-brain barrier and be converted to GABA [25]. Levels of these constituents vary significantly among plants depending on when the plants are harvested, resulting in marked variability in the amounts found in valerian preparations [26].

 

 

What is the regulatory status of valerian in the United States?

 

In the United States, valerian is sold as a dietary supplement, and dietary supplements are regulated as foods, not drugs. Therefore, premarket evaluation and approval by the Food and Drug Administration are not required unless claims are made for specific disease prevention or treatment. Because dietary supplements are not always tested for manufacturing consistency, the composition may vary considerably between manufacturing lots.

 

 

Can valerian be harmful?

 

Few adverse events attributable to valerian have been reported for clinical study participants. Headaches, dizziness, pruritus, and gastrointestinal disturbances are the most common effects reported in clinical trials but similar effects were also reported for the placebo [14-17]. In one study an increase in sleepiness was noted the morning after 900 mg of valerian was taken [14].

 

Investigators from another study concluded that 600 mg of valerian (LI 156) did not have a clinically significant effect on reaction time, alertness, and concentration the morning after ingestion [27]. Several case reports described adverse effects, but in one case where suicide was attempted with a massive overdose it is not possible to clearly attribute the symptoms to valerian [28-31].

 

Valepotriates, which are a component of valerian but are not necessarily present in commercial preparations, had cytotoxic activity in vitro but were not carcinogenic in animal studies [32-35].

 

 

Who should not take valerian?

 

Women who are pregnant or nursing should not take valerian without medical advice because the possible risks to the fetus or infant have not been evaluated [36].

Children younger than 3 years old should not take valerian because the possible risks to children of this age have not been evaluated [36].

Individuals taking valerian should be aware of the theoretical possibility of additive sedative effects from alcohol or sedative drugs, such as barbiturates and benzodiazepines [10,37,38].

 

 

Does valerian interact with any drugs or affect laboratory tests?

 

Although valerian has not been reported to interact with any drugs or to influence laboratory tests, this has not been rigorously studied [5,10,36].

 

 

What are some additional sources of scientific information on valerian?

 

Medical libraries are a source of information about medicinal herbs. Other sources include Web-based resources such as PubMed available at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?holding=nih.

 

For general information on botanicals and their use as dietary supplements, please see Background Information About Botanical Dietary Supplements (http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/botanicalbackground.asp) and General Background Information About Dietary Supplements (http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/dietarysupplements.asp), from the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS).

 

References

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Pereira J: Valeriana officinalis: common valerian. In: Carson J, ed. The Elements of Materia Medica and Therapeutics. 3rd ed. Philadelphia: Blanchard and Lea, 1854: 609-616.

Schulz V, Hansel R, Tyler VE: Valerian. In: Rational Phytotherapy. 3rd ed. Berlin: Springer, 1998: 73-81.

Davidson JRT, Connor KM: Valerian. In: Herbs for the Mind: Depression, Stress, Memory Loss, and Insomnia. New York: Guilford Press, 2000: 214-233.

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Hendriks H, Bos R, Allersma DP, Malingre M, Koster AS: Pharmacological screening of valerenal and some other components of essential oil of Valeriana officinalis. Planta Medica 42: 62-68, 1981 [PubMed abstract]

Turner W: Of Valerianae. In: Chapman GTL, McCombie F, Wesencraft A, eds. A New Herbal, Parts II and III. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995: 464-466, 499-500, 764-765. [Republication of parts II and III of A New Herbal, by William Turner, originally published in 1562 and 1568, respectively.]

Culpeper N: Garden valerian. In: Culpeper's Complete Herbal. New York: W. Foulsham, 1994: 295-297. [Republication of The English Physitian, by Nicholas Culpeper, originally published in 1652.]

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Jellin JM, Gregory P, Batz F, et al.: Valerian In: Pharmacist’s Letter/Prescriber’s Letter Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. 3rd ed. Stockton, CA: Therapeutic Research Faculty, 2000: 1052-1054.

Stevinson C, Ernst E: Valerian for insomnia: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials. Sleep Medicine 1: 91-99, 2000. [PubMed abstract]

Jadad AR, Moore RA, Carroll D, et al.: Assessing the quality of reports of randomized clinical trials: is blinding necessary? Controlled Clinical Trials 17: 1-12, 1996. [PubMed abstract]

Leathwood PD, Chauffard F, Heck E, Munoz-Box R: Aqueous extract of valerian root (Valeriana officinalis L.) improves sleep quality in man. Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior 17: 65-71, 1982. [PubMed abstract]

Leathwood PD, Chauffard F: Aqueous extract of valerian reduces latency to fall asleep in man. Planta Medica 2: 144-148, 1985. [PubMed abstract]

Vorbach EU, Gortelmeyer R, Bruning J: Treatment of insomnia: effectiveness and tolerance of a valerian extract [in German]. Psychopharmakotherapie 3: 109-115, 1996.

Dorn M: Valerian versus oxazepam: efficacy and tolerability in nonorganic and nonpsychiatric insomniacs: a randomized, double-blind, clinical comparative study [in German]. Forschende Komplementärmedizin und Klassische Naturheilkunde 7: 79-84, 2000. [PubMed abstract]

Donath F, Quispe S, Diefenbach K, Maurer A, Fietze I, Roots I: Critical evaluation of the effect of valerian extract on sleep structure and sleep quality. Pharmacopsychiatry 33: 47-53, 2000. [PubMed abstract]

Russo EB: Valerian. In: Handbook of Psychotropic Herbs: A Scientific Analysis of Herbal Remedies in Psychiatric Conditions. Binghamton, NY: Haworth Press, 2001: 95-106.

Houghton PJ: The scientific basis for the reputed activity of valerian. Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology 51: 505-512, 1999.

Hendriks H, Bos R, Woerdenbag HJ, Koster AS. Central nervous depressant activity of valerenic acid in the mouse. Planta Medica 1: 28-31, 1985. [PubMed abstract]

Krieglstein VJ, Grusla D. Central depressing components in Valerian: Valeportriates, valeric acid, valerone, and essential oil are inactive, however [in German]. Deutsche Apotheker Zeitung 128:2041-2046, 1988.

Bos R, Woerdenbag HJ, Hendriks H, et al.: Analytical aspects of phytotherapeutic valerian preparations. Phytochemical Analysis 7: 143-151, 1996.

Santos MS, Ferreira F, Cunha AP, Carvalho AP, Macedo T: An aqueous extract of valerian influences the transport of GABA in synaptosomes. Planta Medica 60: 278-279, 1994. [PubMed abstract]

Morazzoni P, Bombardelli E: Valeriana officinalis: traditional use and recent evaluation of activity. Fitoterapia 66: 99-112, 1995.

Cavadas C, Araujo I, Cotrim MD, et al.: In vitro study on the interaction of Valeriana officinalis L. extracts and their amino acids on GABAA receptor in rat brain. Arzneimittel-Forschung Drug Research 45: 753-755, 1995. [PubMed abstract]

Bos R, Woerdenbag HJ, van Putten FMS, Hendriks H, Scheffer JJC: Seasonal variation of the essential oil, valerenic acid and derivatives, and valepotriates in Valeriana officinalis roots and rhizomes, and the selection of plants suitable for phytomedicines. Planta Medica 64:143-147, 1998. [PubMed abstract]

Kuhlmann J, Berger W, Podzuweit H, Schmidt U: The influence of valerian treatment on “reaction time, alertness and concentration” in volunteers. Pharmacopsychiatry 32: 235-241, 1999. [PubMed abstract]

MacGregor FB, Abernethy VE, Dahabra S, Cobden I, Hayes PC: Hepatotoxicity of herbal remedies. British Medical Journal 299: 1156-1157, 1989. [PubMed abstract]

Mullins ME, Horowitz BZ: The case of the salad shooters: intravenous injection of wild lettuce extract. Veterinary and Human Toxicology 40: 290-291, 1998. [PubMed abstract]

Garges HP, Varia I, Doraiswamy PM: Cardiac complications and delirium associated with valerian root withdrawal. Journal of the American Medical Association 280: 1566-1567, 1998. [PubMed abstract]

Willey LB, Mady SP, Cobaugh DJ, Wax PM: Valerian overdose: a case report. Veterinary and Human Toxicology 37: 364-365, 1995. [PubMed abstract]

Bounthanh, C, Bergmann C, Beck JP, Haag-Berrurier M, Anton R. Valepotriates, a new class of cytotoxic and antitumor agents. Planta Medica 41: 21-28, 1981. [PubMed abstract]

Bounthanh, C, Richert L, Beck JP, Haag-Berrurier M, Anton R: The action of valepotriates on the synthesis of DNA and proteins of cultured hepatoma cells. Journal of Medicinal Plant Research 49: 138-142, 1983. [PubMed abstract]

Tufik S, Fuhita K, Seabra ML, Lobo LL: Effects of a prolonged administration of valepotriates in rats on the mothers and their offspring. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 41: 39-44, 1996. [PubMed abstract]

Bos R, Hendriks H, Scheffer JJC, Woerdenbag HJ: Cytotoxic potential of valerian constituents and valerian tinctures. Phytomedicine 5: 219-225, 1998.

European Scientific Cooperative on Phytotherapy: Valerianae radix: valerian root. In: Monographs on the Medicinal Uses of Plant Drugs. Exeter, UK: ESCOP, 1997: 1-10.

Rotblatt M, Ziment I. Valerian (Valeriana officinalis). In: Evidence-Based Herbal Medicine. Philadelphia: Hanley & Belfus, Inc., 2002: 355-359.

Givens M, Cupp MJ: Valerian. In: Cupps MJ, ed. Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacology of Herbal Products. Totowa, NJ: Humana Press, 2000: 53-66.

Disclaimer

The mention of a specific brand name is not an endorsement of the product. For general information on herbs and botanicals and their use as dietary supplements, please see General Background Information About Dietary Supplements and Background Information About Botanical Dietary Supplements from the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS), available at http://ods.od.nih.gov. Reasonable care has been taken in preparing this fact sheet and the information provided herein is believed to be accurate. However, this information is not intended to constitute an "authoritative statement" under Food and Drug Administration rules and regulations.

 

About ODS

The mission of the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) is to strengthen knowledge and

understanding of dietary supplements by evaluating scientific information, stimulating and

supporting research, disseminating research results, and educating the public to foster an

enhanced quality of life and health for the U.S. population.

 

General Safety Advisory

 

The information in this document does not replace medical advice.

Before taking an herb or a botanical, consult a doctor or other health care provider -- especially if you have a disease or medical condition, take any medications, are pregnant or nursing, or are planning to have an operation.

Before treating a child with an herb or a botanical, consult with a doctor or other health care provider.

Like drugs, herbal or botanical preparations have chemical and biological activity. They may have side effects. They may interact with certain medications. These interactions can cause problems and can even be dangerous.

If you have any unexpected reactions to an herbal or a botanical preparation, inform your doctor or other health care provider.

To Face My Trials with "The Grace of a Woman Rather Than the Grief of a Child". (quote section by Veronica A. Shoffstall)

 

Be Not Afraid of Growing Slowly. Be Afraid of Only Standing Still.

(Chinese Proverb)

 

I Create and Build Empowerment Within Each Time I Choose to Face A Fear, Sit with it and Ask Myself, "What Do I Need to Learn?"

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  • 9 months later...

Hello!

 

I've been having such a hard time getting going in the mornings with the extreme a.m. anxiety. Hard time having the desire to get up, seeing a need to get up, seeing a way to get out of the house. Just crappy mood I think. I'm 3.5 weeks out and pray my experience will be shorter than the suffering many others have been through. I have to get through this all by August when I start grad school.

 

I just purchased Valerian pills because I found one that is "standardized." Taking one pill early this am and one about 11 has done a lot to help me keep going today. I definitely see a difference. Read it is used to reduce anxiety in some european countries.

 

I read bubbles posting about benzos. Although I have some around I don't want to risk a new problem. Everyone convinced bubbles not to use them and I want to follow that good advice

 

Is Valerian safe to use for a while, to help ease symptoms? Anything I should be concerned about? Any affect on fertility? Any warning about how much to take?

 

many thanks!!!

Years:150mg Wellbutrin (to concentrate) 20-30 mg Celexa (rumination).

CT 8/2011 during a pregnancy attempt under MD orders. (Idiot!!!) Pregnancy hormones allowed it.

Felt great with 6 mg of melatonin per night to sleep plus preggo hormones-didn't last:(

Best time of my life. Botched IVF in Dec 2011.Stress.

Bone chilling exhaustion and told to go back on celexa and wellbutrin.

4/9/2012 Back on celexa wb for some relief, wb gave me heart palps so dropped and only need 6.6 mg celexa and 1/4 melatonin pill...IMPROVEMENT because my doses are much lower!

REMEMBER to get your thyroid and hormones checked/out of whack ones can appear LIKE MOOD DISORDERS!!

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I have long used Valerian...and found it entirely benign... Indeed over time took less and less... It gives me a better quality of sleep, rather than just knocks me out..

 

I take a local formulational which included passionflower and lavender... all very sweet...(I find melatonin leaves me feeling hungover...)

 

It works so well for me, I cant believe I wasnt offerred it originally rather than a benzo..

 

Definitely, reintroducng benzo today would do nothing to a braid recovery startegy..

Ativan: quite 1990

96-2001: Aropax (Paxil), Luvox. two CTs (bad)

2001-2012: 300 Effexor

Nov 2011: 25%, 2 week reduction (v bad)

Dec:2011" reinstate to 300mg

(Chronic pain condition, well managed)

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  • 7 months later...

My doctor has given me xanax to take at night and i have had to for the past two weeks or less 0.5 mg. I really am concerned about this because of having another thing to withdraw from . Can i take valerian root instead and can i just switch it one night or will i have to taper the xanax . He only told me to use the xanax if i had needed it . well having withdrawal symptoms from 15 years of being antidepressants. My Psychiatrist is not really in favor anything that has not been passed by the FDA. Also i had taken before when i was on antidpressants and had no bad response. What is your take on this? Asking him may be futile. Any ideas i will not see him till the beginning od Decemeber.

Anna

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I was only on .5 mg of Xanax as well. It's just as hard, if not harder, to get off of than the Paxil. I'm having to reduce it only by 5% every month. It'll take a year at this rate. Half a milligram doesn't sound like much, but it is indeed a lot and very hard to get off of. If I were you, I'd stay far far away from it!

 

I haven't tried Valerian since I've been in w/d. I used to take it in the past and I liked it. But I don't know how it is with w/d symptoms. Maybe someone else can help you with that.

Taper from Cymbalta, Paxil, Prozac & Antipsychotics finished June 2012.

Xanax 5% Taper - (8/12 - .5 mg) - (9/12 - .45) - (10/12 - .43) - (11/12 - .41) - (12/12 - .38)

My Paxil Website

My Intro

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My doctor has given me xanax to take at night and i have had to for the past two weeks or less 0.5 mg. I really am concerned about this because of having another thing to withdraw from . Can i take valerian root instead and can i just switch it one night or will i have to taper the xanax . He only told me to use the xanax if i had needed it . well having withdrawal symptoms from 15 years of being antidepressants. My Psychiatrist is not really in favor anything that has not been passed by the FDA. Also i had taken before when i was on antidpressants and had no bad response. What is your take on this? Asking him may be futile. Any ideas i will not see him till the beginning od Decemeber.

Anna

 

You're right to be concerned about xanax. I would not take it for any longer than recommended on the patient info leaflet.

I think it's two week but it's worth a check cos I may be wrong.

It's an evil drug and according to the many experiences I have read, a ***** to get off.

pregan taper 600mg down to 240mg, daily cuts since xmas

valium, just over 75mg, tapering 0.1 a day, will keep this more udated, cos amounts going down

i have borderline personality, chronic ptsd, and suspected adhd and substance misuse as a symptom, which i am addressing with help of medical staff, drugs agencies & mh sta

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Valerian is risky in withdrawal for those of use who become hyper-sensitive to medications and supplements etc.

 

Because of it's affinity to GABA receptors its somewhat like a benzo and it can act as a harsh reintroduction into bad withdrawal symptoms in some cases.

 

It's one of those things that if people used it judiciously BEFORE ever getting strung out on drugs...it would most likely be totally safe...

 

but once we're in withdrawal we definitely run the risk of it going paradoxical and harming us.

 

that said, people do use it successfully coming off benzos, but it's a risk and people need to know it can throw some of us right back into ugly withdrawal symptoms. Once people become sensitized it's best avoided and/or eliminated.

Everything Matters: Beyond Meds 

https://beyondmeds.com/

withdrawn from a cocktail of 6 psychiatric drugs that included every class of psych drug.
 

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  • 2 years later...
  • Moderator Emeritus

Similar topics merged.

 

I had a bad reaction to Valerian in early withdrawal.  I tried it because I wasn't sleeping, but not only did it not help with sleep, it seemed to be activating and caused more anxiety.  I tried it for several nights, but then stopped.

I'm not a doctor.  My comments are not medical advise. These are my opinions based on my own experience and what I've learned. Please discuss your situation with a medical practitioner who has knowledge of tapering and withdrawal...if you are lucky enough to find one.

My Introduction Thread

Full Drug and Withdrawal History

Brief Summary

Several SSRIs for 13 years starting 1997 (for mild to moderate partly situational anxiety) Xanax PRN ~ Various other drugs over the years for side effects

2 month 'taper' off Lexapro 2010

Short acute withdrawal, followed by 2 -3 months of improvement then delayed protracted withdrawal

DX ADHD followed by several years of stimulants and other drugs trying to manage increasing symptoms

Failed reinstatement of Lexapro and trial of Prozac (became suicidal)

May 2013 Found SA, learned about withdrawal, stopped taking drugs...healing begins.

Protracted withdrawal, with a very sensitized nervous system, slowly recovering as time passes

Supplements which have helped: Vitamin C, Magnesium, Taurine

Bad reactions: Many supplements but mostly fish oil and Vitamin D

June 2016 - Started daily juicing, mostly vegetables and lots of greens.

Aug 2016 - Oct 2016 Best window ever, felt almost completely recovered

Oct 2016 -Symptoms returned - bad days and less bad days.

April 2018 - No windows, but significant improvement, it feels like permanent full recovery is close.

VIDEO: Where did the chemical imbalance theory come from?



VIDEO: How are psychiatric diagnoses made?



VIDEO: Why do psychiatric drugs have withdrawal syndromes?



VIDEO: Can psychiatric drugs cause long-lasting negative effects?

VIDEO: Dr. Claire Weekes

 

 

 

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  • 6 months later...
  • Moderator Emeritus

Punarbhava shared an article:

 

 

The Irritable Bowel Syndrome Treatment Center of Seattle, Wash., includes valerian on its allergy test panel.

 

Wow.  Maybe this is the trigger for my "getting sick."  Every now and then I take valerian to help with sleep.  I will tend to take a big dose (1-3g), but I don't use it often.  I will pay attention more, now, to see if it is a factor.

 

So far, I've been looking at dairy and grains - but this is a "random" factor that I hadn't really accounted for!

 

And it is the most common ingredient in Australian sleep aids.  I used to grow it, in Indiana, intending to tincture it - but it became an evil noxious weed which took over half the side-yard and I had to kill it off.  Never made any tea or tinctures from it.  Plus - as a tincture it smells like a cat's arse.

 

No really.  Cats have an affinity for this stuff and I found out why one morning when I woke up smelling valerian - and there was my cat, sitting on my nose!  (this was in the late 1980's, so not my current cat)

 

More, on valerian's dangers and interactions from our Aussie Yolande Lucire:  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3513220/

 

The article talks about the dangers of certain genetic methylation pathways, and that valerian can be hazardous when combined with other psych drugs.  Here are some (complex, can't say I understand them, but I get the gist, that she places responsibility for death on the combination of valerian and a tricyclic drug:

 

 

My husband was drinking. I took small doses of valerian for a month and had weird dreams and premonitions. When I took nortriptyline, I immediately wanted to kill myself, talked myself out of it. I’d never had thoughts like that before. My husband was angry, shouting. I walked outside a lot, with palpitations, trouble breathing, and became more depressed. My smoking went up to 25 a day, no alcohol. I didn’t sleep for two nights, dreamt, then slept maybe three hours, felt awful. I dreamt that my daughter had dark teeth and I saw a black halo around her head, a spear hanging over it. I felt like a zombie. I believed I had to help my daughter, that a bad spirit possessed her. I picked up a knife and stabbed her and woke up. I was not myself. I was looking on from the outside, controlled by dark forces. She said: “Mum, what are you doing here?” I realized what I’d done. I asked my husband to kill me. He called the police. I felt better in the police cells without the pills, but the pills started again and thoughts of killing myself returned.

Nortriptyline is extensively metabolized in the liver, primarily by hydroxylation.24,25 There is a strong correlation between total plasma clearance of nortriptyline and 2D6 enzyme activity.2528 Reduced clearance resulting from this subject’s 2D6 genotype alone would lead to a build up of serum nortriptyline, which has been shown to be associated with loss of efficacy, toxicity, and increased adversity in several studies.2931 Nortriptyline is also significantly metabolized through 3A4 as an additional pathway, according to in vitro32 and in vivo data.3336 In the case of severely reduced metabolism through 2D6, as in this subject, 3A4 would have been the major pathway for metabolism. However, the nortriptyline was superimposed on valerian, which has been shown to be a 3A4 inhibitor in vitro and to significantly increase the maximum serum levels of a 3A4 substrate in vivo.3739 The addition of a substrate to an inhibitor is one drug–drug interaction scenario (Pattern 2), as described in Armstrong et al.40 The addition of nortriptyline to valerian immediately provoked a toxic delirium in this subject; she became akathisic and suicidal and 3 days later she committed the homicide.

 

she quotes as references:

 

 

 

38. Lefebvre T, Foster BC, Drouin CE, Krantis A, Livesey JF, Jordan SA. In vitro activity of commercial valerian root extracts against human cytochrome P450 3A4. J Pharm Pharm Sci. 2004;12:265–273. 7(2)[PubMed]
39. Donovan JL, DeVane CL, Chavin KD, et al. Multiple night-time doses of valerian (Valeriana officinalis) had minimal effects on CYP3A4 activity and no effect on CYP2D6 activity in healthy volunteers. Drug Metab Dispos. 2004;32(12):1333–1336. [PubMed]

"Easy, easy - just go easy and you'll finish." - Hawaiian Kapuna

 

Holding is hard work, holding is a blessing. Give your brain time to heal before you try again.

 

My suggestions are not medical advice, you are in charge of your own medical choices.

 

A lifetime of being prescribed antidepressants that caused problems (30 years in total). At age 35 flipped to "bipolar," but was not diagnosed for 5 years. Started my journey in Midwest United States. Crossed the Pacific for love and hope; currently living in Australia.   CT Seroquel 25 mg some time in 2013.   Tapered Reboxetine 4 mg Oct 2013 to Sept 2014 = GONE (3 years on Reboxetine).     Tapered Lithium 900 to 475 MG (alternating with the SNRI) Jan 2014 - Nov 2014, tapered Lithium 475 mg Jan 2015 -  Feb 2016 = GONE (10 years  on Lithium).  Many mistakes in dry cutting dosages were made.


The tedious thread (my intro):  JanCarol ☼ Reboxetine first, then Lithium

The happy thread (my success story):  JanCarol - Undiagnosed  Off all bipolar drugs

My own blog:  https://shamanexplorations.com/shamans-blog/

 

 

I have been psych drug FREE since 1 Feb 2016!

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I tried Valerian for insomnia years before AD. One 1 pill, the effects were very similar to my single dose of Effexor--I felt like I'd had about 20 cups of coffee and did not sleep for several nights. I was shaky and sweaty..and spent my time praying for the stuff to leave my system. Have never wanted to try it again, especially in WD.

Remeron for depression. Started at 7.5 mg. in 2005. Gradual increases over 8 years, up to 45 mg. in 2012.Began tapering in June 2013. Went from 45 to 30 mg in the first 3-4 months. Held for a couple of months.Started tapering by 3.75 mg every month or 2, with some longer holding periods. Eventually went down to 3.75 mg. about April 2014. Stopped taking Remeron August 2014. Developed issues with histamine a week after stopping--symptoms reduced through diet and a few supplements. Currently having issues with a few foods. Most of the histamine intolerance has resolved or is at least, in remission.

Current Medications:

Current Supplements: Cannabis (CBD and THC), Vitamin C, D, Quercetin, CoQ10, Tart Cherry, Probiotic, Phytoplankton oil, magnesium, Methyl B. What has helped me most: spending time in nature, qi gong, exercise, healthy diet, meditation, IV vitamins, homeopathy, massage, acupuncture, chiropractic, music, and cuddling my cats..

My introduction: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/8459-mirtazapine-withdrawal-freespirit/#entry144282

Please note: I am not a therapist or medical practitioner. Any suggestions offered come solely from my personal experience in recovering from childhood trauma, therapy, and AD use. Please seek appropriate care for yourself.

 

“After a cruel childhood, one must reinvent oneself. Then re-imagine the world.”
Mary Oliver
 

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

I took Valerian root liquid form for 2 weeks and it worked wonders. I was calm during the day and slept at night. But after two weeks one morning woke up with severe anxiety, those are the worst. I have a feeling Valerian had triggered it, now I have been feeling anxious and depressed for the second week. I stopped taking it. I think I am sensitive to it and it has negative effects on me, cause I am having pretty bad withdrawal syndrome after 10 yrs of Paxil intake. So sad, I have not found site like this 10 yrs ago to prevent this disaster....

~ 2004 was started on Paxil 40 mg

~ 2004 reduced dose to 10 mg by cutting pills (without dr advice)

~ 2006 reduced dose to 7.5 mg and started taking Paxil every 3d day 

~ 2014 (June) started feeling anxious (symptoms of restlessness and anxiety severe)

~ 2014(July) was placed on Buspar and Xanax, stopped after 1 week, could not tolerate

~ 2014 (September) started on 12.5 mg of Zoloft, stopped in December 2014

~ 2014 (December) restarted Paxil 5 mg/day

~ 2015 (February) fast taper from Paxil due to severe restlessness and anxiety

~ 2015(March) 0 Paxil, severe WD symptoms

~ 2015 (April) placed on 5 mg Lexapro by Dr, but split pill in 4, 1.25 mg/day

~ 2015 (May) started tappering, symptoms started getting worst

~ 2015 JUNE 26th completely off Lexapro till present day~

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  • 3 months later...

I just started tapering off 40mg of paxil after taking it for about a month and one of my W/D symptoms is anxiety and insomnia.. I just want to know if Valerian root really does work to ease up the symptoms??

Edited by KarenB
merged similar topics
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I found that it gave me a bit of restless Leg syndrome. Have u tried melatonin with chamomile and hops. I sleep rather poorely and have found this helps. I stay on the very light side of melatonin..no more than 2 mgs. I have been on effexor for 2 years and it gives me insomnia horribly. Hope this helps

Approx 2 years on 35 mg then 75 mg Effexor ER for depression and IBS that was leading to severe weight loss. 1 day a week 10 mg of ambien so I get a little sleep..very strict on not using more as I want it to work. Stopped cold turkey on effexor and ambien.

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  • 7 months later...

I tried Valerian years ago - I can't remember if it was during the insomnia before taking AD or for insomnia during WD after stopping AD. The effect was I felt very very dopy in an unsettled way and felt heavy like I could not move - it feeling lasted hours and while I certainly felt drugged (I took at night to try to sleep) I could not sleep and felt some what alert at the same time. I couldn't wait for it to get out of my system and never took it again. Sometimes I have wondered if I just took a bad brand? Perhaps if I tried a small amount for WD anxiety during the day it might help? I don't know. I googled passion flower and did not see a topic on it in surviving antidepressants - only saw it mentioned here or there. Is this a reason to start a topic - to see how others have fared trying passion flower for anxiety and insomnia during WD?

Medicine History

June 2011 I was put on 10 mg Olanzapine. I stayed on that for 7 months then went down to 5 mg for 3 months and then went down to 2.5mg and slowly went down to less than .3 every few days. I have tried to come off 4 times, each time getting down to less than .3 before having to go back on at 5mg or 2.5mg. I would cut by 50% each taper. From Jan 2015 to June 2015 I reduced from about 5mg to .3 mg. This last time I went on 2.5 mg last June 2015 until July 2, 2016. July 3, 2016 I went down to 1.25mg - withdrawal hit. Up dosed to liquid 2 mg July 23, 2016.

Medicine Current

2 mg Olanzapine as of July 23, 2016

Supplements

Omega 3 1000mg, Vitamin E 400 UI, Vitamin C 1000 mg Time Released, 200 mg Magnesium Bisglycinate, Multi Probiotic, .25 mg melatonin for 3-5 days as needed

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  • Moderator Emeritus

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/10793-passion-flower/

 

Tip:  Google Surviving Antidepressants passion flower (or whatever subject you are wanting) as our search button isn't so effective.

2010  Fluoxetine 20mg.  2011  Escitalopram 20mg.  2013 Tapered badly and destabilised CNS.  Effexor 150mg. 

2015 Begin using info at SurvivingAntidepressants.  Cut 10% - bad w/d 2 months, held 1 month. 

Micro-tapering: four weekly 0.4% cuts, hold 4 weeks (struggling with symptoms).

8 month hold.

2017 Micro-tapering: four weekly 1% cuts, hold 4 weeks (symptoms almost non-existent).

2020 Still micro-tapering. Just over 2/3 of the way off effexor. Minimal symptoms, - and sleeping well.
Supplements: Fish oil, vitamin C, iron, oat-straw tea, nettle tea.

2023 Now on 7 micro-beads of Effexor. Minimal symptoms but much more time needed between drops.

 'The possibility of renewal exists so long as life exists.'  Dr Gabor Mate.

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Prior to AD'S I tried Valerian tablets.I found it hard to fall asleep after taking it.

It did not calm my anxiety.

I have also tried passion flower and Kava.

Nothing to rave about.

My Chinese Herbalist told me that both Passion flower and Kava can be toxic to the liver.

No warning label on these supplements, yet you can purchase it freely from the pharmacy or the "health food", shop.

DRUG HISTORY:

 

November 2013- Zoloft, ( Bad reaction).

January 2014 - March 2014 Seroquel.( Quit Cold Turkey).

January2014- Mirtazapine, I was taking 15mg at one stage, reduced to 7.5mg, Pgad reactions to Mirtazapine. Doctor kept increasing it to 37.5mg, until July 2014. No improvement, experiencing panic attacks, on 37.5 mg. I had enough by October 2014. Began tapering.

October 2014- Started tapering Mirtazapine from 37.5mg.

September 2015- Down to 4mg of Mirtazapine. Crashed.

September 16th- Up dosed to 5mg. Held this dose for almost 5 months. Stabilised.

February 2016- Began tapering again. From 5mg to 4.5mg of Mirtazapine. (Rocking the boat, again)! Lol. :(

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Thanks KarenB,

I had tried it in my search engine and that did not bring it up so I specifically went to google and it worked.

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/10793-passion-flower/

 

Tip:  Google Surviving Antidepressants passion flower (or whatever subject you are wanting) as our search button isn't so effective.

Medicine History

June 2011 I was put on 10 mg Olanzapine. I stayed on that for 7 months then went down to 5 mg for 3 months and then went down to 2.5mg and slowly went down to less than .3 every few days. I have tried to come off 4 times, each time getting down to less than .3 before having to go back on at 5mg or 2.5mg. I would cut by 50% each taper. From Jan 2015 to June 2015 I reduced from about 5mg to .3 mg. This last time I went on 2.5 mg last June 2015 until July 2, 2016. July 3, 2016 I went down to 1.25mg - withdrawal hit. Up dosed to liquid 2 mg July 23, 2016.

Medicine Current

2 mg Olanzapine as of July 23, 2016

Supplements

Omega 3 1000mg, Vitamin E 400 UI, Vitamin C 1000 mg Time Released, 200 mg Magnesium Bisglycinate, Multi Probiotic, .25 mg melatonin for 3-5 days as needed

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  • 2 months later...

I have some of this valerian root i dont know whether to use it. Anyone else use it??

I am off all meds 16 months I had been on olanzapine, Effexor zanex and assorted sleeping meds for approx 2 years.

Weaned off 375 mg effexor over two years, I had previously come off xanax, rivotrill and olazapine. Reinstated 75mg of effexor on the 22/12/16

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I have some of this valerian root i dont know whether to use it. Anyone else use it??

 

I used valerian tincture when I was going on Effexor and had terrible side effects. Also, at the same time I was coming off Oxazepam. It really helped me fall asleep. I mixed the tincture with honey and took it right before going to bed. It knocked me out, but I must say I also took a pretty hearty amount.

History:

Escitalopram 10mg Nov - Jan 2016 (switched to Effexor XR)

Effexor XR 37,5mg Jan - Feb 2016; 75mg Feb - April 2016; 37,5mg for one week in April, 75mg April-July 2016 (started tapering, took my last beads on Sept 11.)

The fluctuations happened because my GP mistakingly prescribed me the wrong dosage.

Oxazepam 2x10mg Dec 2015 - Jan 2016 (basically CT but no apparent symptoms); June 2016 - Feb 2017 (c/o to Valium)

 

Current:

Valdoxan 25mg Dec 2015 - Sept 2016. 12.4mg (Sept - Nov '16) -> 11.86mg (Nov '16) -> 10.75mg (Dec '16) -> 9.75mg (Jan '17) -> 8mg (March '17) -> 7mg (April '17) -> 4.5mg (May '17) -> 4mg (Jan '18) -> updosed to 4.5mg in the end of January

Valium (liquid form) 8.5mg Feb 2017. 7.6mg (June '17) -> 7.2mg (June '17) -> 6.8mg (July '17) -> 6.4 (Sept '17) -> 6.2 (March '18) -> 6 (April 7 '18) -> 5.8 (April 17 '18) -> 5.6 (April 26 '18) -> 5.4 (July 16 '18) -> 5.2 (March '20) -> 5 (March '20)

What to take away from all this: if you feel extremely sick only after a few doses of an AD, please tell your doctor and just stop. Adding medications is no bueno.

 

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  • 1 year later...

Valerian extract help me very much for my crisis at sunset. 

If i am very bad 1000mg stop crisis immediatly. I will try 200mg in prevention at sunset.

(i am french)

1998 prazépam, citalopram /1999 paroxetine prazepam /2000 paroxétine /2001venafaxine, alprazolam, clomipramine * 2002 (dont remember)/2003 clomipramine, alprazolam /2004 clomipramine /2005 alprazolam /2006(dont remember) * 2007citalopram, alprazolam, prazépam, venlafaxine /2008(dont remember) /2009 venlafaxine /2010 venlafaxine *All precedent withdrawal were very fast. I tried many times to stop but didn't know what happened. *2011 mirtazapine (22,5 mg) , norset , risperdal (cold turkey for risperdal and norset, analysis by doctor say that my body does not support and i was in danger) /2012 mirtazapine / 2013 mirtazapine  *october 2014 mirtazapine (15mg) - putting down slowly.   *when i was good for one month i  down 1ml. (1ml of 100ml of water in which there was 1 pill of 15mg of mirtazapine. At the end i remove 1ml of 50ml of water but with 0,5 pill it does the same concentration.) (i down more like "how i feel, because at the beginning i had a calendar tapping 10% every 15 days and i was really bad, so i decided to see one month and after if i was trust in my body, i remove 10% of the dose at the beginning; and at the end i remove 1ml (when the 10% was lower than 1ml). It was more how i feel. (it is just the last 1 ml that i remove rapidly because i think i was attached mentally and i need to break. and 1ml of 50ml of 15/2mg is just 1ml correspond to 0.15mg. ).  -juillet 2017 stop all. 

nov 2017 tetany and gastritis. I found "euphytose", "spasmine", "phyto-stress" from Govital(the more efficient if crisis because more concentrated)  efficient. If very bad i take valerian extract 1000mg (stop crisis). 

january 2022: I survive. Still having no hunger sensation.

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I have a question if someone know, what is half life of root extract?

(i am french)

1998 prazépam, citalopram /1999 paroxetine prazepam /2000 paroxétine /2001venafaxine, alprazolam, clomipramine * 2002 (dont remember)/2003 clomipramine, alprazolam /2004 clomipramine /2005 alprazolam /2006(dont remember) * 2007citalopram, alprazolam, prazépam, venlafaxine /2008(dont remember) /2009 venlafaxine /2010 venlafaxine *All precedent withdrawal were very fast. I tried many times to stop but didn't know what happened. *2011 mirtazapine (22,5 mg) , norset , risperdal (cold turkey for risperdal and norset, analysis by doctor say that my body does not support and i was in danger) /2012 mirtazapine / 2013 mirtazapine  *october 2014 mirtazapine (15mg) - putting down slowly.   *when i was good for one month i  down 1ml. (1ml of 100ml of water in which there was 1 pill of 15mg of mirtazapine. At the end i remove 1ml of 50ml of water but with 0,5 pill it does the same concentration.) (i down more like "how i feel, because at the beginning i had a calendar tapping 10% every 15 days and i was really bad, so i decided to see one month and after if i was trust in my body, i remove 10% of the dose at the beginning; and at the end i remove 1ml (when the 10% was lower than 1ml). It was more how i feel. (it is just the last 1 ml that i remove rapidly because i think i was attached mentally and i need to break. and 1ml of 50ml of 15/2mg is just 1ml correspond to 0.15mg. ).  -juillet 2017 stop all. 

nov 2017 tetany and gastritis. I found "euphytose", "spasmine", "phyto-stress" from Govital(the more efficient if crisis because more concentrated)  efficient. If very bad i take valerian extract 1000mg (stop crisis). 

january 2022: I survive. Still having no hunger sensation.

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Just over an hour.

20 years on Paxil starting at 20mg and working up to 40mg. Sept 2011 started 10% every 6 weeks taper (2.5% every week for 4 weeks then hold for 2 additional weeks), currently at 7.9mg. Oct 2011 CTed 15oz vodka a night, to only drinking 2 beers most nights, totally sober Feb 2013.

Since I wrote this I have continued to decrease my dose by 10% every 6 weeks (2.5% every week for 4 weeks and then hold for an additional 2 weeks). I added in an extra 6 week hold when I hit 10mg to let things settle out even more. When I hit 3mgpw it became hard to split the drop into 4 parts so I switched to dropping 1mgpw (pill weight) every week for 3 weeks and then holding for another 3 weeks.  The 3 + 3 schedule turned out to be too harsh so I cut back to dropping 1mgpw every 4 weeks which is working better.

Final Dose 0.016mg.     Current dose 0.000mg 04-15-2017

 

"It's also important not to become angry, no matter how difficult life is, because you can loose all hope if you can't laugh at yourself and at life in general."  Stephen Hawking

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whow very short. I didn't know ^^. Thanks !

 

(i am french)

1998 prazépam, citalopram /1999 paroxetine prazepam /2000 paroxétine /2001venafaxine, alprazolam, clomipramine * 2002 (dont remember)/2003 clomipramine, alprazolam /2004 clomipramine /2005 alprazolam /2006(dont remember) * 2007citalopram, alprazolam, prazépam, venlafaxine /2008(dont remember) /2009 venlafaxine /2010 venlafaxine *All precedent withdrawal were very fast. I tried many times to stop but didn't know what happened. *2011 mirtazapine (22,5 mg) , norset , risperdal (cold turkey for risperdal and norset, analysis by doctor say that my body does not support and i was in danger) /2012 mirtazapine / 2013 mirtazapine  *october 2014 mirtazapine (15mg) - putting down slowly.   *when i was good for one month i  down 1ml. (1ml of 100ml of water in which there was 1 pill of 15mg of mirtazapine. At the end i remove 1ml of 50ml of water but with 0,5 pill it does the same concentration.) (i down more like "how i feel, because at the beginning i had a calendar tapping 10% every 15 days and i was really bad, so i decided to see one month and after if i was trust in my body, i remove 10% of the dose at the beginning; and at the end i remove 1ml (when the 10% was lower than 1ml). It was more how i feel. (it is just the last 1 ml that i remove rapidly because i think i was attached mentally and i need to break. and 1ml of 50ml of 15/2mg is just 1ml correspond to 0.15mg. ).  -juillet 2017 stop all. 

nov 2017 tetany and gastritis. I found "euphytose", "spasmine", "phyto-stress" from Govital(the more efficient if crisis because more concentrated)  efficient. If very bad i take valerian extract 1000mg (stop crisis). 

january 2022: I survive. Still having no hunger sensation.

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  • ChessieCat changed the title to Valerian root
  • 2 years later...

Extra Sleepytime tea has valerian root in it. I had a cup of the tea a couple of times last night and it did seem to help me sleep. I didn’t notice any adverse reaction to it.  Now, after reading this article, I don’t know if I should drink it or not?  


Can you develop physical dependence if you don’t take it every day?  I was planning on only drinking the tea 2 or 3 times a week to avoid becoming dependent on it.  Anyone know if it interacts with Effexor?

1993-2000: Zoloft few months CT, Prozac 1-2 yrs, Ritalin PRN

2002/2003: Wellbutrin,  Paxil 25mg FT, and Xanax PRN CT (all 3 to 6 months), Adderal 40mg, Strattera 40mg

2003- 2016: Effexor XR 75 mg to 150 mg., Strattera (2002-2008)

2017: Effexor XR 225 mg. Gabapentin 300 mg. Elavil 25 mg.

2018: (Sept.) Effexor XR 187.5 mg, Zoloft 10 mg. (OCT.) FT off Gabapentin (NOV.) FT off Elavil (DEC) FT Effexor to 150 mg.

2019: (JAN.) D/C Zoloft, added Viibryd 10mg (FEB) CT Viibryd, (MAR) Prozac bridge, Effexor xr 112.5mg, (Sept.) Effexor XR 112.5 mg + 0.4 mg (1 bead), (Oct.) Effexor XR 112.5mg, (Dec.28) start 10% taper Effexor XR 101.25 mg, 

2020: (Jan. 25) Effexor XR 91 mg., (Feb. 22) Effexor xr 82 mg., (Mar. 21) 75 mg. 

Supplements:  Vitamin D 5000 IU topical, Probiotic 6 billion CFU, Epsom salt bath 1C 2 to 3 X week, California Poppy 2 droppers, various essential oils 

https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/topic/21446-superwoman-effexor-taper/page/8/?tab=comments#comment-475779

 

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No more Extra Sleepytime tea for me.  I had some of the worst GI trouble after drinking a cup of Extra Sleepytime tea before bed.  Not sure if it was the tea, Lucky Charm Cereal or almond milk.  It did make me sleepy. But I could not sleep since I was burping and had acid reflux and sharp chest pains all night.  I took the next day off of work.  This morning I had almond mild with Special K cereal and I got diarrhea so I don’t know maybe it is the almond milk.  I do have an extremely touchy stomach and tons of allergies.  This was so even before withdrawal.  Withdrawal just made it worse.  Maybe regular Sleepytime tea will be okay, but I’m not gonna touch Extra Sleepytime tea. 

1993-2000: Zoloft few months CT, Prozac 1-2 yrs, Ritalin PRN

2002/2003: Wellbutrin,  Paxil 25mg FT, and Xanax PRN CT (all 3 to 6 months), Adderal 40mg, Strattera 40mg

2003- 2016: Effexor XR 75 mg to 150 mg., Strattera (2002-2008)

2017: Effexor XR 225 mg. Gabapentin 300 mg. Elavil 25 mg.

2018: (Sept.) Effexor XR 187.5 mg, Zoloft 10 mg. (OCT.) FT off Gabapentin (NOV.) FT off Elavil (DEC) FT Effexor to 150 mg.

2019: (JAN.) D/C Zoloft, added Viibryd 10mg (FEB) CT Viibryd, (MAR) Prozac bridge, Effexor xr 112.5mg, (Sept.) Effexor XR 112.5 mg + 0.4 mg (1 bead), (Oct.) Effexor XR 112.5mg, (Dec.28) start 10% taper Effexor XR 101.25 mg, 

2020: (Jan. 25) Effexor XR 91 mg., (Feb. 22) Effexor xr 82 mg., (Mar. 21) 75 mg. 

Supplements:  Vitamin D 5000 IU topical, Probiotic 6 billion CFU, Epsom salt bath 1C 2 to 3 X week, California Poppy 2 droppers, various essential oils 

https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/topic/21446-superwoman-effexor-taper/page/8/?tab=comments#comment-475779

 

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  • Moderator

Hi SW-- I also posted on your intro thread, I think that you should stop drinking the almond milk, because the symptoms you describe are consistent with an allergic reaction, and that quite possibly will get worse if you continue to take it.  Google "almond milk side effects" and you'll get quite an eye full.

20 years on Paxil starting at 20mg and working up to 40mg. Sept 2011 started 10% every 6 weeks taper (2.5% every week for 4 weeks then hold for 2 additional weeks), currently at 7.9mg. Oct 2011 CTed 15oz vodka a night, to only drinking 2 beers most nights, totally sober Feb 2013.

Since I wrote this I have continued to decrease my dose by 10% every 6 weeks (2.5% every week for 4 weeks and then hold for an additional 2 weeks). I added in an extra 6 week hold when I hit 10mg to let things settle out even more. When I hit 3mgpw it became hard to split the drop into 4 parts so I switched to dropping 1mgpw (pill weight) every week for 3 weeks and then holding for another 3 weeks.  The 3 + 3 schedule turned out to be too harsh so I cut back to dropping 1mgpw every 4 weeks which is working better.

Final Dose 0.016mg.     Current dose 0.000mg 04-15-2017

 

"It's also important not to become angry, no matter how difficult life is, because you can loose all hope if you can't laugh at yourself and at life in general."  Stephen Hawking

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  • 7 months later...

@GiaK - Hi, reviving this Valerian thread, due to your post in it from 2012. 

 

On 11/15/2012 at 11:49 PM, GiaK said:

Valerian is risky in withdrawal for those of use who become hyper-sensitive to medications and supplements etc.

 

Because of it's affinity to GABA receptors its somewhat like a benzo and it can act as a harsh reintroduction into bad withdrawal symptoms in some cases.

 

It's one of those things that if people used it judiciously BEFORE ever getting strung out on drugs...it would most likely be totally safe...

 

but once we're in withdrawal we definitely run the risk of it going paradoxical and harming us.

 

that said, people do use it successfully coming off benzos, but it's a risk and people need to know it can throw some of us right back into ugly withdrawal symptoms. Once people become sensitized it's best avoided and/or eliminated.

 

Curious what you might think --

 

I've taken Valerian for the last six months (one capsule, 450mg) each night for sleep, while tapering Mirtazipine.

This has actually gone swimmingly, I was able to keep sleep stable and I felt 100% together during the taper.

 

But in the last six weeks I've been thrown into some sort of Gabapentin-induced adverse reaction/WD.

(Doctors put me on a fresh course of Gabapentin back in mid-July to try to calm down a pinched nerve....)

It has unleashed neuromuscular weakness/muscle cramping/muscle pain, burning nerve pain, anxiety, major sleep issues.

Was on Gabapentin a total of 25 days, 12 of which were a taper to get back off once the adverse reaction symptoms appeared.

 

Reading this thread, and your comments about Valerian affinity for GABA, I'm wondering if I shouldn't be considering getting it slowly tapered out of my system. Curious if it isn't possibly part of the problem now that I'm hypersensitized. Does this make any kind of sense? Or is that more playing with fire. 

 

Currently at 1mg Mirtazipine, 450mg Valerian, and 3mg Melatonin each night to try to "sleep." (isn't happening.)

 

Also hoping @brassmonkey might have persective/insight, I've seen you speak knowledgeably to Valerian.

Appreciate any thoughts, thank you so much. 

 

Rx History:

"Early short-term meds" - Diazepam 10mg / day - July 2018 (total of two weeks) / Nortryptyline 10 mg / day  - Oct 2018 (total of one week) / Citalopram - 20mg/day - Oct 2018 (took for one day) / Lorazepam 1mg/day - Oct 2018 (took for one month)

These meds all taken concurrently onward from November 2018: * Gabapentin (initially 400 mg / day, eventually peaked at 1200mg / day) * Lexapro (10 mg / day) * Clonazepam (1 mg / night) * Mirtazipine (15 mg / night)

Tapering history:  (all three of these tapered with no significant WD or other issues)

* Tapered off from Clonazepam (last dose March 4, 2019) * Tapered off from Lexapro (last dose July 8, 2019) * Tapered off from Gabapentin (last dose September 24, 2019)

Mirtazipine CT / Withdrawal / Reinstatement History: * CT'd 15mg/day Mirtazipine October 16, 2019......Withdrawal effects began October 24/25, 2019......Reinstated (3.75mg) November 2, 2019

* Stabilized one month later. Held @3.75mg for four months, then resumed taper. Currently tapered down to 1.0mg/day. Last two drops were almost certainly too big and too fast. (2.0mg-->1.5mg, 1.5mg-->1.0mg)

NEW: RESUMPTION OF GABAPENTIN / Adverse Reaction - July 16, 2020 started at 100mg/day (At Doctor's suggestion for pinched-nerve pain in arm and neck), quickly titrated up to 600mg/day. July 28, 2020 - full-body warm/electrical buzzing sensation and muscle twitches begin. With Dr. support, 12-day taper concluded as of August 9, 2020. Head-to-toe burning skin, muscle burning/cramping/weakness/twitching remain as of August 27, 2020.

CURRENTLY: 1 mg/day Mirtazipine, 450mg/day Valerian Root, 3mg Melatonin

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Hello😊

I don’t have no Idea...

sorry

I have been off any meds for 5 years. I supplement with magnesium, fish oil, lemon balm, turmeric.

I drrink a lot of green smoothies every day.

And I feel almost 100 % back to normal.

Valerian root never worked for me.

I need write my success story.

Wishing healing and all the best.

~ 2004 was started on Paxil 40 mg

~ 2004 reduced dose to 10 mg by cutting pills (without dr advice)

~ 2006 reduced dose to 7.5 mg and started taking Paxil every 3d day 

~ 2014 (June) started feeling anxious (symptoms of restlessness and anxiety severe)

~ 2014(July) was placed on Buspar and Xanax, stopped after 1 week, could not tolerate

~ 2014 (September) started on 12.5 mg of Zoloft, stopped in December 2014

~ 2014 (December) restarted Paxil 5 mg/day

~ 2015 (February) fast taper from Paxil due to severe restlessness and anxiety

~ 2015(March) 0 Paxil, severe WD symptoms

~ 2015 (April) placed on 5 mg Lexapro by Dr, but split pill in 4, 1.25 mg/day

~ 2015 (May) started tappering, symptoms started getting worst

~ 2015 JUNE 26th completely off Lexapro till present day~

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  • Moderator

Firstly 3mg of melatonin is an unnecessarily high dose. It's one of those supplements where more is not better. Between .25 and .5mg is a much better dose.

 

Having been taking Valerian for six months, it probably isn't doing much for you. It frequently reaches tolerance in just a few weeks.  It will need to be tapered though, I wouldn't stop CT. Because of the gabapentine  problems it will have to be a slow taper to keep from causing any more problems.

20 years on Paxil starting at 20mg and working up to 40mg. Sept 2011 started 10% every 6 weeks taper (2.5% every week for 4 weeks then hold for 2 additional weeks), currently at 7.9mg. Oct 2011 CTed 15oz vodka a night, to only drinking 2 beers most nights, totally sober Feb 2013.

Since I wrote this I have continued to decrease my dose by 10% every 6 weeks (2.5% every week for 4 weeks and then hold for an additional 2 weeks). I added in an extra 6 week hold when I hit 10mg to let things settle out even more. When I hit 3mgpw it became hard to split the drop into 4 parts so I switched to dropping 1mgpw (pill weight) every week for 3 weeks and then holding for another 3 weeks.  The 3 + 3 schedule turned out to be too harsh so I cut back to dropping 1mgpw every 4 weeks which is working better.

Final Dose 0.016mg.     Current dose 0.000mg 04-15-2017

 

"It's also important not to become angry, no matter how difficult life is, because you can loose all hope if you can't laugh at yourself and at life in general."  Stephen Hawking

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  • 2 years later...

Hello, a friend takes Valerian because she wants to avoid going on psych drugs.  How many times per week can she take it without becoming addicted?  Is there a risk of addiction if she takes it a few times per week?  Or would she need to take it daily for a few weeks to develop tolerance and become dependent?

1993-2000: Zoloft few months CT, Prozac 1-2 yrs, Ritalin PRN

2002/2003: Wellbutrin,  Paxil 25mg FT, and Xanax PRN CT (all 3 to 6 months), Adderal 40mg, Strattera 40mg

2003- 2016: Effexor XR 75 mg to 150 mg., Strattera (2002-2008)

2017: Effexor XR 225 mg. Gabapentin 300 mg. Elavil 25 mg.

2018: (Sept.) Effexor XR 187.5 mg, Zoloft 10 mg. (OCT.) FT off Gabapentin (NOV.) FT off Elavil (DEC) FT Effexor to 150 mg.

2019: (JAN.) D/C Zoloft, added Viibryd 10mg (FEB) CT Viibryd, (MAR) Prozac bridge, Effexor xr 112.5mg, (Sept.) Effexor XR 112.5 mg + 0.4 mg (1 bead), (Oct.) Effexor XR 112.5mg, (Dec.28) start 10% taper Effexor XR 101.25 mg, 

2020: (Jan. 25) Effexor XR 91 mg., (Feb. 22) Effexor xr 82 mg., (Mar. 21) 75 mg. 

Supplements:  Vitamin D 5000 IU topical, Probiotic 6 billion CFU, Epsom salt bath 1C 2 to 3 X week, California Poppy 2 droppers, various essential oils 

https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/topic/21446-superwoman-effexor-taper/page/8/?tab=comments#comment-475779

 

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  • 1 month later...
  • Mentor
On 6/5/2023 at 10:36 AM, Superwoman said:

Hello, a friend takes Valerian because she wants to avoid going on psych drugs.  How many times per week can she take it without becoming addicted?  Is there a risk of addiction if she takes it a few times per week?  Or would she need to take it daily for a few weeks to develop tolerance and become dependent?

Anecdotal: But I knew a guy who had aggression problems, a short temper and loose tongue.

He started taking Valarian Root capsules from the store. (Sorry I don't know the Mg. But it was OTC, Probably the common Canadian OTC Dose 400Mg)

 

He couldn't praise it enough. It helped him more than any drug/herb. He said he had ADD/ADHD. (There's a can of worms)

 

It really made him more mellow, and easy-going. Nothing extreme, his personality was the same. He took it everyday, twice. I don't think he consulted a Dr.

Tolerance develops with most drugs/herbs/exc. "Receptor Down regulation" ... He did stop daily dosing, started taking it at night, after only after a few months. It still helped him calm a lot.

 

He never mentioned dependance or any problems with Valarian Root. He used all kinds of drugs.

Edited by CharlieBrown
Paragraph creation

I Am Not A Medical Professional! 👨‍⚕️

 

Prescribed Various SSRI's/SNRI, Benzos and One Anti-Psychotic at 16, in 2009.

Fluoxetine 10mg - 1 Month. Switch to Venlafaxine 75-150mg for 3-5 months. Switch to Sertraline 50-100mg for 6-9 months. Risperidone added. (Suicide attempt, Akathisia) Cold turkey. Eventual taper of Sertraline.

Clonazepam 0.5mg 1X daily for 1 month, as I switched from Venlafaxine to Sertraline. About 3 months of Sertraline with no improvement, Risperidone was added @ 0.25mg-0.5mg for one week. Then raised to 0.75 and 1mg after another week. With 100mg Sertraline daily. Then raised to 1.5Mg after a check-up.

Sudden stop of Risperidone. After suicide attempt.

A self-taper, because I didn't trust doctors. Removing Sertraline XR beads from 100mg capsules, over 5-9 months. Which I would consider too hasty, in retrospect. I am recovered from all medication side effects!

My success story: 

I have taken many prescriptions/drugs, with/without a script. Most any prescription/illicit/grey market drug type. Searching for relief from/as, anxiety/Sleep-aids. All drugs are long ago. By God's will, I will stop smoking.

He's saved me more than once.

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  • Mentor
On 8/30/2020 at 12:14 AM, brassmonkey said:

Firstly 3mg of melatonin is an unnecessarily high dose.

Ja-ja! I can't believe the 10Mg XR Melatonin tablets that are OTC here.

If you can't sleep without 10mg you are hooked! Or have some serious problems.

No one should be taking 10Mg Melatonin XR or IR. That's a lot. That will cause dependence!

 

I have taken Valarian Root. Everyday for about a month. I didn't find it helpful. I was completely off medications.

Again, everyone is different.

 

What's in my drawer? 3Mg tablets, split in half (1.5mg) I never take them, as I usually have worse nightmares after taking them.

Plus, they don't keep me asleep.

What else is in here? 8mg Ephedrine for days when I don't sleep. Caffeine makes me anxious. Ephedrine does not. Weird?

Ah, some behind the counter Pseudo-Ephedrine. 30mg for nasal decongestion. Vit B6 and B12, D3. And some Robo gel caps for a cough. Because I hate syrup. I'll drink it if I have to. Most Cough syrup has too many ingredients and makes me phlegm-up, cough and almost puke.

Oh, I found some Benadryl, I very rarely take if I can't sleep. 25mg.

Edited by CharlieBrown
Benadryl / V. Root Taken

I Am Not A Medical Professional! 👨‍⚕️

 

Prescribed Various SSRI's/SNRI, Benzos and One Anti-Psychotic at 16, in 2009.

Fluoxetine 10mg - 1 Month. Switch to Venlafaxine 75-150mg for 3-5 months. Switch to Sertraline 50-100mg for 6-9 months. Risperidone added. (Suicide attempt, Akathisia) Cold turkey. Eventual taper of Sertraline.

Clonazepam 0.5mg 1X daily for 1 month, as I switched from Venlafaxine to Sertraline. About 3 months of Sertraline with no improvement, Risperidone was added @ 0.25mg-0.5mg for one week. Then raised to 0.75 and 1mg after another week. With 100mg Sertraline daily. Then raised to 1.5Mg after a check-up.

Sudden stop of Risperidone. After suicide attempt.

A self-taper, because I didn't trust doctors. Removing Sertraline XR beads from 100mg capsules, over 5-9 months. Which I would consider too hasty, in retrospect. I am recovered from all medication side effects!

My success story: 

I have taken many prescriptions/drugs, with/without a script. Most any prescription/illicit/grey market drug type. Searching for relief from/as, anxiety/Sleep-aids. All drugs are long ago. By God's will, I will stop smoking.

He's saved me more than once.

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