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anxiety attacks and valerian root

hello there
i experienced a few anxiety attacks a few days ago and now i keep having this worrying feeling.  i bought valerian root capsules and i was wondering if i can take then during the day as well. or for example i did take one today but didnt do much good, can i take tonight also?how many?
can anyone help?

thanks
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Avatar universal
or could it be from the neck?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
well im just going with the treatment the doctor gave me.i take a pill of 0.25 alprazolam called nalion in my country because i developed fobia and had a few anxiety attacks after a pill i took for 3 days for neck pain gave me fast heartbeating (it also gave me stomach problems).  so now im just thinking im gonna have a heart attack everytime i fell a pain or something. except that i also do physio treatments for neck pain, the doctor i saw said its a disk but i didnt have an mri. and today all of a sudden i have this tingling sansation like something is crawling on me.  what is that now? did have blood and thyroid tests though and everything is normal except low iron.  i also saw a lot of doctors that said my heart is fine and its all in my head. is it the anxiety is it poor circulatory system?  im telling you im going nuts. how can anyone check for poor circulatory system?
Helpful - 0
1067022 tn?1257773762
I take about six capsules three times a day of Valerian Root and it helps my anxiety. I am sleeping better no too. I also take Klonopin and My doctor and I think they enhance each other so I may be able to get off a little more of my Klonoipn.
bbq33
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
If you're taking a benzo, especially valium, you want to be careful with valerian, as they both work on the same GABA receptors.  If you're not on medication, valerian is one of the most used and tested herbs available.  However, the proper treatment of anxiety with natural remedies wouldn't use just remedy, it would use many, as it would attempt to balance the body and strengthen what is weak and causing the problem.  This isn't to say it's a guaranteed fix; it's trial and error, as is medication, though without the addiction problem and far fewer reported side effects.  Your particular valerian is a sleep remedy, but it is also used for anxiety.  The proper way to take it for anxiety would be to take one pill three times a day to keep it in your system, depending on the dosage of each pill and whether it's standardized or not.  It might be two pills three times a day if it's not standardized.  The only major side effect is drowsiness, but that's also a side effect of benzos.  The proper person to ask about it is probably a naturopath or herbalist, as physicians tend to be hostile to the competition of natural medicine and don't study it in medical school, but as Iladvocate said, some physicians have educated themselves in this area.  These are hard to find, but golden when you do.  The normal combination would be something like passionflower and hops or passionflower and valerian or kava if you have no liver problems, adaptogens to deal with the adrenals, and amino acids to affect the neurotransmitters that are thought to regulate mood.  A good book to get started with is Natural Highs by Hyla Cass, a psychiatrist at UCLA.
Helpful - 0
585414 tn?1288941302
Just make sure to speak to your doctor or pharmacist and find out what the side effect profile of valerian is and if there are any interactions with any common medications a person might need to take. I know one of the natural remedies (not valerian) I take (as an example) under clinical supervision from my psychiatrist can have interactions with Motrin and asprin so its best to find out. Natural remedies just like prescription medication do have side effects and medication interactions so its best to find out first.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
hi thanks for replying
its the first day i took it i will try taking two before bedtime and see if it works for me.  the doctors gave me a drug pill to relax and took it for two days and it really works but i wanted to switch to something more innocent so i just went and bought the valerian. im usually afraid to take pills but a lot of posts in this website say they take 3-6 per day and the bottle says 3 before bedtime so i just wanted to make sure. my problem is anxiety attacks during the day feeling im gonna have a heart attack.  it started after i took a pill for my neck pain and send me to er with fast heartbeating. i guess i got scared and now i cant shake the feeling off.
Helpful - 0
585414 tn?1288941302
I don't believe valerian has been shown to have been of much efficacy and it may have some side effects and interactions that are of concern. Before you adjust the dose speak to a doctor who could advise you better (there are doctors who know about natural remedies). My own experience with it was as a sleep aide but instead it kept me up the whole night so I discontinued it. It actually made me feel more strung out than less anxious though I was not taking it for that specific effect.
Helpful - 0
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