User Reviews for valerian

NOTE: I did not take VR in supplement. I discovered VR is in Celestial Seasonings Sleepy Time tea, which I drink on occasion to help me fall asleep. Unfortunately, I've figured out, thanks to this website and the listed side effects, that the headache I have in the morning, although very minor, is attributed to VR. I will not be drinking any more sleepy time tea. Thank you everyone for your posts!

I took one 500 mg before going to bed.... tried it for about 4 or 5 days... still woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't get back to sleep. It would be helpful if those doing reviews would mention the strength of the Valerian Root pills they are taking/took & how long before bed time they take/took it. On the jar w/the pills serving size of TWO is mentioned, which would be 1,000 mg. (I only took one each night).

As someone who loves herbs and has tried many, Valerian is one of the few that works with no doubt of it being placebo. I use in daytime for anxiety and at night in place of melatonin to help me sleep. I use herb pharm glycerin tincture sublingually, or make tea from dried root. I have never experienced adverse effects from any dosage and take 2 times a week on average, sometimes more sometime none, depending on how I feel.

While this medication was helpful in improving my sleep, I found that after only 12 days of taking it that I had severe heart palpitations and coughing and felt very ill. I stopped taking it immediately and my symptoms after four days off of it have improved significantly, although there are still some lingering palpitations and breathlessness. I am surprised this website does not address this potentially serious side effect, particularly since I found this on another website as I tried to figure out what might have brought on these symptoms so suddenly. In my view, any medication containing Valerian should come with a warning. My fear is that had I not found the connection and continued taking the medication, it could have proved fatal.Read More Read Less

I started taking VR to help with my insomnia. The first few nights it worked. After that, I found that the recommended dose did not help me fall asleep. Thirty minutes after taking it, I started feeling severe anxiety, racing heart, heart burn, and dizziness. I did not think it was the VR initially. The next two nights, I had the same experience. It was terrifying in the moment. I decided to not take the VR after those three nights. I wanted to see if the same thing would happen. That night I had none of these symptoms. I decided to give the VR one more try to see if it was what was causing these symptoms. Sure enough, I was hit with intense panic, racing heart, heart burn, dizziness. I guess I am one of the few that VR does not have a sedative and relaxing affect on. For the record, I will take insomnia over those negative side effects any night of the week. Read More Read Less

I was having trouble sleeping through the night, tossing and turning for 1.5 to 2 hours during the night. My doctor's P.A. recommended valerian root so I decided to give it a try. She warned me that it had a terrible smell but a good night's sleep was worth it. Luck for me, I guess, I found ZzzQuil Pure Zzzs (valerian, passion flower & hops) at the drugstore. These tablets have no smell or after-taste and I only needed one tablet (150 mg), not the two recommeded serving size. After two nights, I was sleeping much better. I still wake up, but usually only once, and am able to get right back to sleep. I have not had any side effects and am feeling more calm during the day. Not sure if this is an additional benefit of the valerian or from just getting a better nights sleep. My research suggests long term use is not verified safe, so I plan to try skipping a night or two, to see if I can get by without it on a nightly basis. In summary, my experience with this product has been positive.Read More Read Less

So I started taking Valerian root because I have bad situational anxiety and social anxiety. But a traumatic event happened to me quite recently and my boyfriend suggested I try some valerian to calm my mind. Before taking it, I was extremely tense, could barely speak and constantly felt like I was in a pit of darkness or however you’d like to explain it lol. Yada yada yada. But after taking the pill for 2 or 3 days, I became much more quiet minded. It made me feel much more peace than I had expected. Now I will be taking it in the mornings to calm my morning anxiety. However, be careful on the doses and potency because too much really can make you sick. One capsule is enough. If you still get sick, take half of a capsule. I keep seeing reviews where people take 2 or more capsules of this stuff which is way too much! The human body can be frail for silly things so consider trying what I suggested first before knocking it out of the picture :). Good luck!Read More Read Less

This definitely helps me sleep if I'm desperate, and for me it works very quickly: I can feel the effects of the pill within ten minutes. However, the after effects of taking valerian are, for me at least, highly unpleasant. So much so, in fact, that following a good night's sleep I would go four or five nights of sleep deprivation before reaching for this again. If you enjoy the feeling that you've forgotten something important combined with how you feel after having a row with a loved one with a 'i wish I hadn't smoked that joint' thrown in for good measure, these are for you. I'm afraid they're not for me.Read More Read Less

First time, I have started to use this supplement but still I can’t sleep easily or deeply with. It doesn’t work for me.

This works better than trazadone. Was up to 200mg a night without that working and felt like I had a hangover the next day. Taking 2 capsules before bed for a WEEK and I sleep ALL night(finally). Vivid dreams but not bad ones. One capsule when I start to feel anxious during the day. Don't care if it's natural ect. Next best thing to Xanax hands down

I tried Valerian tea at bedtime. It has a combination of lemon balm, passion flower, licorice root. After weeks of insomina, I was asleep within minutes. Woke just twice (I usually wake 5 - 6 times) Woke symptom-free in the morning. Love it!

My HBP was high. I took it for insomnia. When I woke up the next the morning. I checked my HBP. It was 127/73. The hissing in my ears went away also. I did take it with a full glass of water.

Capsules did help with my anxiety but sleeping was a nightmare and metallic taste always tired coz of I could not sleep

I noticed no difference in my sleep patterns or my anxiety, , I did however after doubling my dose of the medicine the doctor wanted me on have a nervous break down and lose my job

I’m going to have to agree with a couple of the previous comments I’m going to have to agree with a couple of the previous reviews. .I suffer from anxiety and . insomnia I suffer from anxiety and insomnia Sometimes I will go for five days without a wink of sleep. It’s a Valerian had any effect at all if the Valerian had any effect at all the most noticeable effect it had was giving me horrible indigestion

Went through a period of insomnia, it was very bad, could not get to sleep at all, would be up all night night after night and then feeling sluggish and slow and miserable the following day, but till unable to sleep. Too valerian (also tried it with passion flower and some other mixes). It really did help me sleep. But it also meant that after just a few days I felt even more wide awake and found it even more difficult to sleep than before, and after just a few days taking valerian (or similar hops) did not help at all or just made me sluggish in the day. Am glad I have it in my medicine chest but now sleep better without it.Read More Read Less

It calms my stress

After taking one dose I experienced numbness in my legs. However I have since been diagnosed with late onset MS so that may be why (?)

Helps me relax and sleep. Proven over years. Was used in Europe for many centuries.

My system doesn't filter copper correctly, leaving me anxious. The first time i took this was the last. Over the top anxiety. After reading that pregnant women who took this had babies low in Zinc, Aha! Wish I didnt have copper accumulation issue=