Okay...Valerian doesn’t work for me!

Posted , 8 users are following.

Any ideas where to next?

300mg an hour before bed, doesn’t even make me sleepy, in fact, may have reverse effect!

Considering Valerian with Passion flower from H&B...any views ?

Acute insomnia for years now, don’t know what to try anymore for an undisturbed more than 4 hour sleep???

Jx

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  • Posted

    I was told by a paramedic to go back to basics! Have you tried crushing up your valerian and putting them into a bedtime hot drink? Also check your brand of valerian as cheap ones often don't work. Ask your Dr about which one is best as they know which ones are effective. Then make a cup of hot chocolate or vanilla milk drink but use full fat milk as this also helps to aid sleep it works like a babies last night feed nice full feeling tummy, warm cosy feeling and a good quality crushed valerian about an hour or 40 mins before bed. I thought nothing could help me after more than 20 years of cat napping, 2 or 3 hours at night at most but this has worked for me! My Dr has even tried it himself so give it a go, you may be surprised. XXX

    • Posted

      Hi Tina...me again!

      After your last helpful post...I bit the bullet and tried the valerian.  I bought Nature's Aid 150mg (just in case they made me "hung over" in am)  but take two, so 300mg with a little warm Oat milk an hour before bedtime.

      I haven't crushed them though?

      Which brand do you use please?

      I was considering the 300mg H&B Valerian root or their Valerian Plus, 125mg Valerian but with Passion Flower...your opinion?

      I am feeling a little disappointed and needing a settled night's sleep!

      I'm even finding it difficult to drop off these days...so what with this issue and waking lots, plus being a morning person naturally...HELP!

      Thank you for your time jx

    • Posted

      I have started taking melatonin and really seems to help.  I take Passion flower is I am feeling anxious.  It does seem to help.  
    • Posted

      Thank you Sue...we can't buy it here...not licensed!

      Am contemplating taking a valerian pill with passion flower for sleep 

      I envy you having found a solution!

    • Posted

      That sucks.  I am really glad I tried it.  It is also very reasonably priced.  I hope you are able to find a remedy that works for you.  Hang in there.  
    • Posted

      Hi again hun, sorry I didn't come back to you straightaway had a really bad day or rather few days. DWP lost one of our benefit payments and I've been going nuts on the phone at them to sort it out. Grieving has hit me badly too. My mum, then my cat and then my house bunny have all passed away in the space of 6 months and its got on top of me with all this other crap going on. The valerian I use is called NiteHerb and it is 150g root extract per tablet I use 2 crushed up in a pestle and mortar so really powdered. It seems to help me stay asleep once I 've gone off so its worth a try. You do need to be careful though even with herbal remedies as you can reach a saturation level and bring on a tolerance to the product aswell as the risk of poisoning yourself so make sure you stick to the dose. If they still don't work ask your Dr to try you on melatonin as it is available on script here. My kids used to have it due to not sleeping with adhd. It was a godsend I actually managed to get some peace at night thanks to that drug. I say drug but it is naturally produced by the body and due to menopause it may be that you are not producing enough so ask your go. Let me know how you get on. XXX

    • Posted

      Sorry to hear your troubles but Thank you for taking your time to reply.

      Last night, i crushed the same 2 x 150mg valerian and drank in warmed Oat milk an hour prior to bed and did have a better nights sleep!  So, maybe, as you recommended, crushing the tablets works better?

      Or, I was so exhausted from bad sleeps!

      I don't find valerian makes me feel sleepy, even an hour after consuming, but i'll continue to take crushed in warm Oat milk...for now!

      Thank you for all your tips and yes, maybe asking Dr for melatonin (or getting some from US!) could be an alternative.  My brother-in-law did bring me some from HK, years ago, didn't find they helped...but that was a long time ago.

      You get to the stage when you'll try anything natural!

      Hope your days are improving and appreciate your help jx

    • Posted

      Very pleased to hear of some improvement for you - don't give up! As for the melatonin the prescription strength stuff from the Dr does work but does take a while for the right level to build up in your system everyones melatonin level is just as individual as the hormones so you would need to approach your Dr to get the right stuff and the right dose to help you so it is still an option for you to try if all else fails. Keep me posted. XXX

  • Posted

    Hi, have you tried a fairly high( but still under the safe levels)of magnesium? I started taking the rda dose but it didn't work so I now take double the amount. It helps me to get to sleep. If you look online you can see the safe amount to take.

    • Posted

      Thank you Jackie 

      I do take 300mg of Magnesium daily.  Have tried all sorts, even the Calm brand, over years now, but don't find any difference although many people do!

      I'm so envious of those ladies who do find a remedy!  I've been trying so many remedies for so long now sad

    • Posted

      Think 300mg is the RDA for women...how much do you find helps with your sleep, Jackie?
  • Posted

    I think that you need to make sure you're taking standardized herbs.  Most otc herbs are not standardized.  That means you don't get the same dosage when you take a capsule.  The supplements I take are 2 valerian 1,020 mg capsules, 1 hour before bed time. Every once in awhile, I take 2 passionflower 700mg 1 hour before bed time.  There's also melatonin and l-theanine. You can't take them over a long period of time.  But they might help.    

    • Posted

      Hi Lynda, thank you for reply and suggestions.

      My Valerian pills are 150mg of extract but equivalent to 750-900mg Valerian root, and I take two.  So, approx 1,600 mg ... Or are yours much higher?

      I could buy capsules of 337mg extract (as dry extract) from Valerian root (equivalent to 1683mg-2020mg of Valerian root) ... Is this what you mean Lynda?

      We can't buy melatonin here in GB!

    • Posted

      What I'm taking is 4,040 mg of herbal valerian capsules nightly (2). On the bottle it says "standardized." That's why I'm more confident of the exact dosage.  It's interesting to me, that in both instances the products you take give you a dosage amount in a range.  

      Only a few American companies are willing to put the term standardized on their products, which means to me that the products you're taking may not have sufficient valerian in them.

      Too bad about the melatonin. xx

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