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I just want to confirm your question. Are you saying that you take one valerian root everyday (most days)? And you want to know if that is a safe practice?

Do you grow the valerian yourself, or do you buy the root at a healthstore etc? The reason for this question is that there are 2 main types of valerian used for therapeutic vale; Mexican valerian (Valeriana edulis), and Valerian (Valeriana officinalis). The 2 share most actives in differring proportions, but have one key therapeutic difference which i won't go into right now. In terms of weight, approx how much DRY (or approx. equivalent) root do you take everyday? And do you know which one it is? Did anyone prescribe this to you, or are you self treating?

And most importantly, why are taking valerian root everyday? Sleep? Nerves? Anxiety? I know i ask alot of questions, but by asking these questions I answer more of your unasked questions, such as..Is this the best herb for what I suffer?

There is much misinformation about Valerian. Valerian is a well studied herb, there have been many randomized, double blind, placebo controlled trials involving it, particularly for sleep disorders. It is not addictive. There are no known precautions or warnings for herbalists to heed when prescribing valerian. Valerian may attenuate benzodiazepine withdrawal symptoms , based on animal models, but no evidence exists of this in human cases.

Valerian is safe to take everyday, but no herb should be taken indefinately without medical advice. Safety is only guaranteed within a certain dosage range, and this is where you self treating with herbal root you grow MAY be dangerous. Liver, kidney, and GIT damage may result, particularly with long term use.My advice would be to see a herbalist or naturopath personally for your health problem and get the advice and proper medical service and prescription you deserve.

John

Unpleasant side-effects (headaches, muscular spasms, and palpitations) can occur with long-term use or with excessive doses. In extreme cases, it has been known to cause coma or even death. Poisoning may result if large amount of the tea are taken for more than 2 to 3 weeks. Do not boil the root. Consuming large amounts of valerian may cause headache, giddiness, blurred vision, restlessness, nausea. Seek expert advice before using, and use ONLY under expert supervision.

About 10% of the population cannot take full-strength valerian; they get headaches and feel groggy in the morning, after taking the tea as a sleep aid in the evening. They might benefit from lower doses. Mid- to long-term use of this plant (~ 2 weeks) might result in emotional upsets. Bouts of hysterical laughter, deep sadness, or rage, without any seeming cause, are symptoms.

I only use it in rare occasions of sleeplessness. My husband tried it a few times, but every moring after, his muscles got so relaxed, that his back went out. This happened 3 times, so it is not just a coincidence.
Good luck, Lynn

I can understand your initial concerns when reading portaljuice.com. In my studies I have found that looking up and scrutinizing references given by authors is a valuable way of determining the credibility of evidence used to make thier claims. So i looked up potaljuice.com, then searched for "valerian", and read the article you refer to in good faith.

Then I saw at the bottom of the page that they referenced the article to Wikipedia, the online encyclopaedia. I have included the link to Wikipedia at the bottom of the page for you.

The clear inaccuracy by portaljuice.com is the crucial addition of the words "About 10% of the population cannot take full-strength valerian; they get headaches and feel groggy in the morning, after taking the tea as a sleep aid in the evening. They might benefit from lower doses. Mid- to long-term use of this plant (~ 2 weeks) might result in emotional upsets. Bouts of hysterical laughter, deep sadness, or rage, without any seeming cause, are symptoms."

As you can see, these words do not in fact appear in the article they referce to thier website. This is inaccurate to say the least, and clearly misinforms information seekers such as yourself.

The article on Wikipedia actually reads (in full).."Valerian (Valeriana officinalis, Valerianaceae) is a hardy perennial flowering plant, with heads of sweetly scented pink or white flowers. Note that this "sweet" smell is quite overpowering when you put the flower into a vase.

Other names used for this plant include garden valerian (to distinguish it from other Valeriana species, garden heliotrope (but it is not related to Heliotrope, Heliotropum) and all-heal.

Valerian has uses in herbal medicine as a sedative. It has in the past been recommended for epilepsy but that has not been supported by modern research. The main current use of valerian is as a remedy for insomnia. Large doses are known to cause withdrawal symptoms when stopped and those with liver disease are advised not to use valerian.

An unusual feature of valerian is that pieces of the dried root affect the domestic cat in the same way as catnip. If valerian root is left in a place where cats have access to it they will roll in it, drool on it, and chew it. However some cats won't touch valerian root. Rats are also attracted to valerian.

Valium is not derived from and does not contain valerian"

Unquote.

I'm sorry to hear of your husband putting his back out, but this is possible because valerian is a spasmolytic (muscle relaxant), and another good reason to consult a herbalist for your husband's sleep problems as alternative herbs without a spasmolytic action are available to help him.

I hope this post is received with the goodwill it was written,

John

John.

At a local healthfood/ herbal shop, I've purchased a few different types of tea....for stress and stomach upsets. Valerian tea does have a "stinky" smell...but seems to chill me out too!

Besides this, I would say that these statements about valerian shouldn't be made because 1) they are not true, based on experienced people's knowing. and 2) because this only makes people who are nervous... well let's just say more nervous!

I speak for myself when I say that I've tried over-the-counter meds for insomnia, depression, and nervous disorder. But nothing works better than Mother Nature's cabinet of healing medicines. Let's not forget a healthy diet to boot.

Anyways, that's my two cents.

By the way, I just recently stopped taking valerian root after about 5 months continual use, and had no problems.
I feel it has therepeutically healed me in some ways after prolonged use, unlike many over-the-counter drugs which only wear out over time.

Peace.

"Besides this, I would say that these statements about valerian shouldn't be made because 1) they are not true, based on experienced people's knowing."

A poster in this thread who cautioned people about possible side effects with long-term use of valerian is an herbalist who has contributed a great deal of useful information to this forum for years.

I have suggested previously in this forum that a poster interested in an herbal sleep aid look into valerian, and while some physicians recommend it based on research backed by experience, not everyone is convinced that there's enough good information (as opposed to testimonials) to validate it as a good remedy for insomnia. This doesn't indicate that there's some government plot against herbs, but shows that people with responsibility for our health are cautious about approving what drugs/supplements/herbs we take.

*this includes the new prescription sleep med that supposedly is not habituating. What that probably means is "we haven't used it clinically long enough to see this problem occur".

Most herb literature suggests herb use for 2-3 weeks/6 weeks max because most symptoms will have resolved by then if the herb is going to impact them. If they haven't you probably need to change your treatment plan.

While there are "general" usages of herbs, ALL of them have histories of very specific use via specific preparations for specific periods of time-- learn them. AND learn your body & be aware of its needs. As this topic has confirmed, herbs affect everyone differently.