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652671 tn?1353712165

Valerian Root is awesome

I was wondering if anyone in here has had any experience with Valerian Root. I have been searching for something that could give me the slightest smidgen of relief to terrible general anxiety ... I got tired of the idiot doctors I'm forced to confer with telling me that I just need to "tough it out". They told me not to try herbal remedies since they can't be prescribed and blah blah blah. I went and bought Valerian Root pills today and took 3 just to see if it would do what I kept hearing about. I think I'm in love. I feel so calm, so content, so ... relieved. Another plus is that Valerian root also quiets heart palpitations down and regulates heart beat. I've been so wound out over those stupid SVT episodes and PVC's all the freaking time ... I haven't had one ALL DAY. I've only had 2 doses but I will recommend this flower extract to anyone who suffers from terrible unrelenting anxiety and heart palpitations as a result. I couldn't be happier.
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Avatar universal
It sounds to me like you're experiencing a very natural reaction to this horrifying information you recently found out. It can be very difficult to calm yourself down after hearing such news, especially when your body's reaction wants to he different than what your head is telling it. Your body wants to explode and your head says "no". There inlies the rub! You can't just calm down because the nature of what you learned is upsetting, so let your body be upset for a little while. If in 24 hours, you've experienced little to no relief, THEN, you can resort to other methods. OR if other methods have provided relief, then I suggest you seek out whatever you think can quell this anxiety for you. Just know you are not alone, and your body reacted appropriately to the information it was given! Now we just have to find a way to help you feel better longterm! Trust me, it's not always easy! I am a family crisis therapist with panic disorder! Very unusual combination but it can happen to anyone! Good luck
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi all im 19 year old male suffering from some type of anxiety, so my doctor says. Firstly she doesnt seem to care a great deal so i just went with it. She prescribed Extine 20mg this after noon and before taking one i did a little of my own research online and found out its not all its cracked up to be. I later looked into some natural remedies like Valerian and so far people seem to be all good about it, exept a few! As they do.

Either way i was just curious if anyone has actually gradually gotten over anxiety with these remedies or does it only help while ur taking it?

Im young and suffering with this problem and it just makes dealing with big situation hard for me! An example: My gf of 14 months is in Bali for schoolies and i was told by one of her 'friends' a few days ago that she was with another bloke. Since then all i can think about is that, while thinking about it i get very very strong  rapid heart beats along with sweats, normally my palms and feet. Just today i woke up with pain in my chest, rapid heart and sweats which is what made me run to the doc. She gets home in a few days and i cant clear my head long enough to even think what im going to say to her or if i should just cut my loss!

Sorry guys this post was just meant to be about the Valerian but ive turned into a psyc case lol im just desperate for some REAL help and you all seem like very nice people.

Any help will be awesome :)
Thanks in advance


p.s: i still have not been told of any 'good' way of dealing with this other then Extine so it just makes matters worse. :( i just dont want to live the rest of my life like this
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hey there!  Kava Kava is brilliant for anxiety but do not order the capsules as they contain hardly any of the real Kava Kava.  The best way to order it is by the root from www.realkava.com they also do ready ground powders to put into your tea or sodas.  Holy Basil is also amazing & the best way to buy this is through New Chapter, they do capsules which are most effective by chewing rather than swallowing so the herb gets straight into your system!

Hope this will help! :-)
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Avatar universal
whats a difference between standarised and non standardised .....?
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Avatar universal
Kava was found to have damaged five people's livers.  One was drinking it by the gallon.  The other four were on prescription meds and were former drug abusers, but the kava was blamed.  All were taking standardized kava; nobody has been found to have liver disease who used non-standardized kava except the one guy who was drinking gallons of it.  And no liver disease problem has been found on Vanatu, where kava is native and the people use it daily as a traditional drink.  I would exercise caution if you have liver problems or are on medication that adversely affects the liver.
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Avatar universal
thanks guys......you guys re great....lavender.....i have heard that kava kava is harmful for liver.....are you aware of it......i wanna take it too....but i am little scared....please advise....should i take it.....
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Avatar universal
I like to buy from trusted brands, and only from health food stores, not from drug stores or Walmart.  Those supplements often test poorly for listed ingredients.  A good company for extracts is Herb Pharm, and a good company for pills is Gaia if they have them -- they're extracts in gel caps -- or Solaray or Nature's Way.  Also keep in mind there are standardized and non-standardized versions of most herbs.  If you know what you want, you can get anything on line if you have no decent health food store in your area.
Helpful - 0
194555 tn?1264286923
I read up on valerian root, and the reason why i not bought it yet is because it can cause irrigular heart palpitations? OR not to take if you suffer with irrigular hrt palps?

I am weary of buying of the net, rather get from a trusted store like boots or holland and barret :-)...

I am weary of benzo's too, because valium (only thing doc will prescribe in uk) doesnt make me feel calm, it has the opposite affect on me, will valerian root be the same?

I been taking Kalms now for a few weeks, i think i might be a little calmer, but still get my hypo episodes!! Grrrr
Helpful - 0
652671 tn?1353712165
I don't know where you live, but you can order all of these things online. I bought Valerian root capsules from Walmart. I bought Kava Kava capsules today from a natural remedies and herbs store called Nature's Pantry. I saw that www.Amazon.com had almost everything in the way of natural herbs. pretty much anything you want. but you have to know exactly what you want. I just took a Kava Kava capsule for the first time and I feel ... funny. not anxious, not sleepy, just ... weird. like i'm spaced out or something. I can still think or i wouldn't be able to type this, :) i'll post later to update how the kava has worked for me.
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Avatar universal
please advise from where did you buy valerian capsules....i know holland and barratt sell it....also please give me the direction of how to use it.....
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
True.  Cats love it.  Valerian smells awful, but catnip is also a relaxant, so it makes sense.  5-HTP is a metabolite of tryptophan, the amino acid that the body uses to manufacture serotonin in combination with cofactors such as B6.  Some find it very helpful.  Relora is a hormone balancer, but appears to be mild and probably takes longer to work, as does 5-HTP, than valerian or kava or other relaxants.  
Helpful - 0
368646 tn?1208393887
Also, as a sidenote, if you have a cat and a Valerian Root capsule, open it and watch your cat LOVE it!  (t's like catnip to them.)
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652671 tn?1353712165
Yes, I've noticed QUITE an improvement in the frequency and severity of my heart palpitations. I read that it is believed that Valerian root works on GABA in the brain and therefor can control heart beat. I didn't know that until after i had already been taking it, so it wasn't like i "believed it" into happening. there is definitely a difference. I also read that Valerian root is used to treat mild depression. I too have GAD and mild depression. I haven't heard of the last two meds you listed. hope this helps.

and thanks to everyone else who responded! it really helps because the docs won't give ANY advice on this and try like hell to steer you away from natural remedies.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thanks for sharing your experience mate....i have suffered from GAD with mild depression....two things that really hit me are constant heart palpitation and not feeling relax...please advise....does valerian help in controlling heart palpitation.....
Also have you tried Relora or 5HPT because i have heard they are good two.......
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
The aromatherapy won't do as much for you as taking it internally.  The stuff about liver disease was tied to five cases.  One guy was drinking it by the gallon, so we can pretty much count that case out.  The other four were taking prescription meds, illegal drugs, and kava, and of course they only blamed the kava.  But it was also standardized kava, which might work better but you can get non-standardized and no problems have been reported with the non-standardized.  The traditional way of using it is drinking a drink made of the root, and there's no liver disease reported among the people on Vanatu who use it the most.  I'd be cautious, but the proof is not very solid.
Helpful - 0
652671 tn?1353712165
I actually have kava pills ordered through amazon already :) I tried valerian first because it was pretty much the only one I could get at a store around here. I CAN tell a difference with Valerian root, so maybe the Kava will work even better. I have been on benzos, so i guess i know what to compare it to. thanks for your input! do you know about using kava oil in the bath? i read that can also help but the oil is like 25 bucks an ounce.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Kava is better than Valerian. Kava can work as good as a benzo in my opinion, but can be hard on your liver supposedly. I used to take it before I started antibiotics (which are hard on the liver as well).

All the other herbs and formulas (Chamomile, Skullcap, Hops, GABA, etc) are mild and I don't notice really notice any effects. I used to order organically grown Kava root from the South Pacific, but you can get extracts at health food stores. If you want to start with something mild, I suggest Kava Stress Relief Tea by Yogi. It tastes pretty decent compared considering it contains kava. Straight kava kind of has a nasty taste and numbs your mouth/tongue/lips.
Helpful - 0
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