Valerian
Other Names: All-Heal, Amantilla, Baldrian, Baldrianwurzel, Belgium Valerian, Common Valerian, Fragrant Valerian, Garden Heliotrope, Garden Valerian, Grande Valériane, Guérit Tout, Herbe à la Femme Meurtrie, Herbe aux Chats, Herbe aux Coupures, Herbe de Notre-Dame, Herbe de Saint-Georges, Herbe du Loup, Indian Valerian, Mexican Valerian, Pacific Valerian, Rhizome de Valériane, Tagar, Tagar-Ganthoda, Tagara, Valeriana, Valeriana angustifolia, Valeriana edulis, Valeriana jatamansii, Valeriana officinalis, Valeriana Pseudofficinalis, Valeriana Rhizome, Valeriana sitchensis, Valeriana wallichii, Valerianae Radix, Valeriane, Valériane, Valériane à Petites Feuilles, Valériane Africaine, Valériane Celtique, Valériane Commune, Valériane de Belgique, Valériane des Collines, Valériane Dioïque, Valériane du Jardin, Valériane Indienne, Valériane Mexicaine, Valériane Officinale, Valériane Sauvage.
Special Precautions of Valerian
- Pregnant or nursing women and children should not use valerian.
- People taking medications for insomnia or anxiety, such as benzodiazepines, should not combine these medications with valerian.
- Side effects of valerian may include headache, dizziness, itchiness, upset stomach, drowsiness during the daytime, dry mouth and vivid.dreams.
- Rarely, liver damage has been associated with the use of valerian. It's not certain whether the cause of the liver damage was due to valerian itself or to contaminants in the product. Until we know more, people should use valerian only under the supervision of a qualified health care practitioner and those with liver disease should avoid it. Although liver damage doesn't always produce noticeable symptoms, if excessive tiredness, intense itching, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, pain or discomfort in the upper right side of the abdomen, or a yellowing of the whites of the eyes or skin occurs, see your doctor immediately.
- Valerian may cause excessive sleepiness or daytime drowsiness if combined with other drugs that cause drowsiness, such as the benzodiazepines Ativan (lorazepam) or Valium (diazepam), some antidepressants, narcotics such as codeine, and barbituates such as phenobarbitol, or with over-the-counter sleep and cold products containing diphenhydramine and doxylamine.
- It may also cause excessive sleepiness if taken with herbs thought to have a sedative effect, such as hops, catnip and kava.
- Valerian is broken down in the liver. Theoretically, it could interfere with the effectiveness of medications that are broken down by the same liver enzymes, such as:
- allergy medications like Allegra (fexofenadine)
- cholesterol medication such as Mevacor (lovastatin)
- antifungal drugs such as Sporanox (itraconazole) and Nizoral (ketoconazole)
- cancer medications such as Camptosar (irinotecan), Etopophos, Vepesid (etoposide), Gleevec (STI571), Taxol (paclitaxel), Velbe (vinblastine) or Oncovin (vincristine)
The benefits of Valerian are
This herb has been highly esteemed since medieval times and used to be called 'all heal'. It has been used in the West for a variety of complaints, especially where there is nervous tension or restlessness, such as insomnia, migraine, dysmenorrhoea, intestinal colic, rheumatism and as a pain reliever. On the continent the oil has been used for cholera, epilepsy and for skin complaints. In China it is used for backache, colds, menstrual problems, bruises and sores. The root is current in the British Herbal Pharmacopoeia as a specific for 'conditions presenting nervous excitability.
- Valerian is one of the premier sedative herbs used to aid anxiety, stress, and insomnia. Valerian also acts as a muscle relaxant. Valerian is one of the herbs of choice in smoking cessation to deal with insomnia, restlessness, and anxiety.
- Inability to sleep (insomnia). Valerian does not relieve insomnia as fast as “sleeping pills.” Continuous use for several days, even up to four weeks, may be needed before an effect is noticeable. Valerian seems to improve the sleep quality of people who are withdrawing from the use of sleeping pills. Not all evidence is positive, however. Some studies have found that valerian doesn’t improve insomnia any better than a “sugar pill” (placebo).
- Restlessness. A specific combination product, providing valerian root extract 160 mg and lemon balm leaf extract 80 mg (Euvegal forte, Schwabe Pharmaceuticals), has been tried to reduce symptoms of serious restlessness (dyssomnia) in children under the age of 12. Early results show it might be effective, but more research is needed.
- it also said to be effective in alleviating high blood pressure. The Valerenic acid hinders a certain enzyme in the body that is responsible for the breakdown of Gamma-amino-butyric-acid or GABA which is the main controller of blood pressure.
- Valerian is sometimes paired with other herbs such as lemon balm or skullcap to help overcome daytime anxiety.
- For emotional balance.
Main Combinations
- Eczema + Psoriasis = Borage Seed Oil + Valerian
- Fatigue with problematic sleep : Panax Ginseng + Valerian
- Insomnia : California Poppy + Valerian
- Smoking : Green Coffee + Valerian
