Valerian
Question:
Both VERY good points. Just because it’s ‘natural’ doesn’t mean it cannot do harm if you’re not careful. Ian Ian<<atdragoncon<dotnet Yes, always check with your doctor. Both herbs and medications are essentially chemicals, which may interact with or between eachother. In the case of Valerian, it can actually be a stimulant for some people, and may cause paralysis or weakening of heartbeat at high doses. Best Wishes, Arthur
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – The one thing you gotta remember though, is that these herbs are drugs too, so be careful with dosages. I’ve gotten my ass seriously kicked by skullcap. It’s a good thing I didn’t crash while driving. I’m not even gonna take chances with operating any type of machinery under the influence of valerian. The Panicky Guy
Response:
Valerian is a well-tested sleeping potion. At least 6 controlled clinical trials in Europe show that Valerian can shorten the time it takes to fall asleep, prolong sleep time, increase sleep stages, increase dreaming, reduce nighttime awakenings and significantly improve the quality of sleep in both normal sleepers and insomniacs.
Didn’t work for my sleeping problem but then either did sleeping pills, melatonin, or SSRI medication. It made me too groggy during the daytime. Sometimes it had a tendency to speed up my heartbeat. I found I was sensitive to Valerian, so I cut down to 1/3 my regular dosage. When I felt like my anxiety had been diminished enough by luvox, then I got off of xanax and tried valerian and skullcap. These herbs worked just fine for moderate anxiety. If I couldn’t control a major panic attack, then I would reach for the ole xanax. The one thing you gotta remember though, is that these herbs are drugs too, so be careful with dosages. I’ve gotten my ass seriously kicked by skullcap. It’s a good thing I didn’t crash while driving. I’m not even gonna take chances with operating any type of machinery under the influence of valerian. WARNING:Valerian smells like ole stinky gym socks. Not for the prim and proper. Definitely not for people who like their smells of a conservative air. The Panicky Guy
Response:
: I found this info and thought it may be of interest to someone. As with any med : or herb, check with your doctor about drug interactions before starting anything : new. YMMV. Yes, always check with your doctor. Both herbs and medications are essentially chemicals, which may interact with or between eachother. In the case of Valerian, it can actually be a stimulant for some people, and may cause paralysis or weakening of heartbeat at high doses. Best Wishes, Arthur
Response:
I found this info and thought it may be of interest to someone. As with any med or herb, check with your doctor about drug interactions before starting anything new. YMMV. Valerian For thousands of years the root of Valerian, a tall fernlike plant, has served as a mild sedative. From 1820 until 1942 Valerian was listed in the U.S. Pharmacopoeia as a tranquilizer. It is widely used and approved in Europe as a mild Hypnotic to induce sleep and reduce anxiety. More than 5 million units of Valerian are sold in Germany and about 10 million in France every year. In the United Kingdom Valerian is also a popular and government approved sleep aid. It is also approved in Belgium, Switzerland, and Italy as an over the counter medication for insomnia. According to Dr. Varro Tyler, a medicinal plant expert, Valerian is the most effective of all plant sedatives. Over 200 scientific studies on the pharmacology of Valerian have been published in scientific literature (mostly in Europe) in the last thirty years. So convincing is the evidence of Valerian
