Valerian (valeriana officinalis)

[PickleNose]

^ Believe it or not, tea is great to drink when you're using Valerian. Just wait a few hours and have a cup of green, black or herbal tea. Though chamomile kind of intensifies the effect of the Valerian, it's extremely gentle. You might think the caffeine in green tea would be counterproductive but the theanine is what helps. It has a weird synergy with caffeine where you get the benefits of a caffeine buzz without the nervousness and other nasty stuff.

[solitarian]

I tried 500mg of Valerian capsules on three separate occasions and it did nothing for my anxiety. I didn't notice any effect on my sleep either.

[Roberto]

I used to take valerian and passion flower tinctures, 2 or 3 drops in a glass of water before class back in the day. I remember it having a calming affect.

[PickleNose]

Originally Posted by solitarian

I tried 500mg of Valerian capsules on three separate occasions and it did nothing for my anxiety. I didn't notice any effect on my sleep either.

It's effects are quite mild and subtle compared to some of the stronger things people take for sleep (particularly) and for things like anxiety. It has a tranquilizing effect but small doses of Valerian don't knock most people out. Though I have to say I've never had trouble sleeping after taking it.

Maybe this particular herb has different effects on different people (for whatever reason). All I can say is there is a definite effect for me and it isn't placebo.

[Anemone]

I give this to my son to help him sleep. It does work. It absolutely stinks vile though. I mix it into juice for him. It does calm him down enough to sleep and he's hyperactive.

[Stormclouds]

I know cats are crazy about valerian, but I've never tried it myself.

[PickleNose]

Originally Posted by Stormclouds

I know cats are crazy about valerian, but I've never tried it myself.

If you have anxiety, you owe it to yourself to at least try it. It costs almost nothing compared to some of the other stuff people use for anxiety and it can be very effective for some people.

[David R]

The SMELL of valarian- It does smell, BUT there are brands that smell less that others. My local health food store told me there are a number of brands that are more purified or something (?) that don't smell as much. I bought one (can't remember the brand) and it didn't smell much at all. it was WAY better than the normal stink.

Now forgetting the smell, valarian works for me/ I take it in the evenings w/ 5htp and low dose melatonin (1mg). That is the "secret" sleep formula a natural-path once reccomended to me and it works great. Actually I should say it doesn't really make me feel tired, but it calms me way down, my mind stops racing and I even find myself smiling sometimes and dozing off to peaceful sleep instead of staying up worrying.

[WaterStone]

I started taking Valerian yesterday and will be taking it a few times a day to reduce general anxiety. Will report back. And yes, it smells like old shoes, old shoes filled with poo.

I read that benefits don't take effect for 2-3 weeks.

[Endorphin]

With valerian, you need to get the fresh root not the crappy supermarket stuff. It definitely works it feels like a low dose valium

[TheGrassIsntGreener]

Valerian has done nothing for my anxiety, but it helps with my insomnia and allows me to fall asleep faster and stay asleep. I just wish it would calm me down during the day.

[baranok]

It gave me nightmares, and the box had label "good sleep"
BTW, valerian increases alcohol subjective effect A LOT.

[thewrestler92]

Worked for me. I've struggled with social anxiety for over 10 years. I'm in my 2nd year of college now. I've been seeing counselors for the past 1 1/2 year, nothing seemed to change. I was getting all the cognitive therapy done. But the anxiety was still there and nothing seemed to be working. I can't take medication for reasons I will not say. So the beginning of this semester my counselor gave me the option, do meditation 5 minutes every morning and it it doesn't work after 60 days then you will have to go on medication. So in addition to the meditation, I started looking into herbal supplements. So then Valerian was the only one I was able to find at the store. I started taking it and in addition to the meditation after about 3 weeks, all I can say is that it's gone. It's a miracle. It doesn't taste or smell very good but it was a life changer for me.

[molefacedmofo]

If anyone lives in a state that has Kroger grocery stores, get your valerian from there. The store has $5 bottles of 100 500mg caps on buy one get one free sale year round. Then that brand always has $1 off coupons attached to the bottles, so 2 bottles (100g) of valerian comes out to $3 - by far the cheapest you can get valerian anywhere. This way it's more affordable to dose up to 10g a day.

The effects are most noticeable when stacked with other mild calming supplements like l theanine, chamomile, etc. But once you've had it in your system daily for awhile, it's noticeable even on its own. It helps my sleep a lot.

[PickleNose]

Originally Posted by WaterStone

And yes, it smells like old shoes, old shoes filled with poo.

Come on. It's not THAT bad!

I read that benefits don't take effect for 2-3 weeks.

Not so. You can feel the effects about half an hour after taking it.

[PickleNose]

Hope the mods don't mind me posting a link to a product. I'm not spamming. I promise. I use this every day and it's good stuff. I just want to share a good brand. It has a "calming blend" that makes it more potent than plain Valerian

[JeniDelight]

I take my Valerian faithfully every day, and i swear by it! Granted, it makes everyone around me throw a fit, but it works...for me. Of course, a large part of it is that i am a strong believer in it, since several ppl in my family have used it, but regardless. It works for me.

[silverwolf94]

Had no effect on me whatsoever

[lucylu85]

Originally Posted by PickleNose

If you have anxiety, you owe it to yourself to at least try it. It costs almost nothing compared to some of the other stuff people use for anxiety and it can be very effective for some people.

How many times a day should i take it?im using it mainly for my anxiety .i do have trouble sleeping but my main use is anxiety.

[lucylu85]

How many times a day should i take if im using for anxiety??