I'm curious if anyone here as ever tried Valerian Root and suffered any side effects? From what I've read, side effects are rare but can occur.

Over the past few months I've been dealing with insomnia so I've taken a supplement every night that contains Valerian among other things. While it helps me sleep, a few weeks after taking this supplement I started experiencing heart palpitations in my head. I feel a strong heart beat sensation in my head that seems to make my head sway with the beat at times.

I've had many tests ran and even seen a cardiologist and everything is normal. He thinks it could be related to my supplement usage. If I don't take the supplement I don't sleep but if it's causing the heart palpitations in my head I'd like to find an alternative that would work.

Has anyone else experienced anything similar?

Also, if the effects are from long term usage of Valerian, how long would it take for me being off the supplement to have the palpitations stop?

Can you list all the ingredients in that combination supplement?

Any one of them may be causing problems.

There are studies out there that valerian in supplements is often
not represented accurately. That many don't really have quality valerian in them.

Whenever someone gets reactions from a product it is best to stop it for at least 2 weeks and see if the symptom goes away, and then returns if you restart it.

Another alternative for sleeping is just Melatonin, by itself. Not in a combination product.

Another relaxing thing is magnesium at bedtime. This can be in the form of epsom salt soaks in a bathtub, or a lotion you rub on your wrists and inner arms (where the skin is thin and it can be absorbed well-- Morton's Epsom Lotion is a quality affordable product available at WalMart and Amazon). Or you can use a
magnesium product (other than OXIDE ) during the day. Most people do not eat enough whole foods to provide magnesium.
This website explains how to safely provide enough magnesium daily thru food or quality supplementation:
http://www.slowmag.com/

Often when people cannot sleep, it is caffeine during the day at fault. Or you may be using RX drugs that deplete nutrients that are important for sleep. For example methylcobalamin B12 is the cofactor for your brain to make melatonin from serotonin. So if you are low in B12 you will not sleep normally.

Finding the cause therefore, will then lend to a solution. Just picking up a herbal product at a store, often ignores the potential causes. Getting tested for B12 at the doctors may provide some answers for you. B12 can be low from simple overuse of acid blocking drugs for heartburn.

More on valerian here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valerian_%28herb%29

http://newhope360.com/botanicals/val...ts-vary-wildly

Valerian supplements vary considerably from each other, and there is poor quality control for many of them.

Thanks for the reply!

Here is the ingredient list for the herbal supplement.

Soothing Sleep® Pacific Biologic


Ingredients:
Chamomile flower
L-Theanine
Melatonin (.2 mg)
Velvet bean
Passion flower
Valerian root
Wood betony plant
Calms Center and Aids Digestion:
Induces Relaxation and Sleep/Regulates Circadian Rhythm:
Strongly Calms and Stabilizes the Shen:
Fossilized bone Long Gu
Jujube seed Suan Zao Ren
Skullcap leaves Ban Zhi Lian

I was also drinking Yogi Bedtime Tea with...
Licorice Root
Spearmint Leaf
Chamomile Flower
Skullcap Leaf
Cardamom Seed
Cinnamon Bark
St. John’s Wort Leaf and Flower
Rose Hip
Natural and Organic Flavors
Raspberry Leaf
Lavender Flower
Stevia Leaf
Passion Flower Extract
Valerian Root Extract

I've been taking these supplements for about 5 months now because I cannot sleep without them. From what I've read Valerian is safe for 4-6 weeks at a time.

I no longer drink coffee or any other stimulants. When I lay down to sleep I'm tired but my mind just races. It's not stressful thoughts or anything, just random nonsense that won't stop. I never had this issue until about 6 months ago, but now my mind won't shut off without some sort of supplement.

I didn't want to take prescription drugs for it and chose the natural route but now I'm having heart palpitations in my head. It's a strong feeling of my heart beating in my head that sometimes causes my head to sway with the pulse. This began a few weeks into the supplements. Coincidence?

I'd stay away from herbal extracts. For example, Licorice root can affect blood pressure when used every day. It can affect potassium levels, too.

Why not just use melatonin? I use 3 mg at night with good results.

When you take many herbs there can be reactions to any one of them.

Get a B12 test too. You should be at a minimum of 400pg/ml.
Anything lower is now considered "low". The lab ranges for this have not changed yet, even since the decade old new recommendation. So don't accept normal without the numbers.

Theanine is also available singly, and Doctor's Best brand is good.
You could take that with the melatonin. I'd just skip all the rest.

I've tried melatonin and it didn't help. Maybe it was due to the cheap Vitamin Shoppe brand?

what would cause muy mind to race and not shutdown at night randomly out of the blue if it's not related to stimulants and would melatonin and theanine help with that or just the heart palpitations?

Theanine helps with relaxation.

Also magnesium does too. If you are low in magnesium you won't sleep well.

If you eat too large a meal at night, it will cause your heart to beat faster then. Eat your main meal earlier, or at lunch and only have a small dinner. Avoid alcohol, because too much alcohol will cause the heart to beat faster.

There is alot of controversy about the contents of herbal products.
Either they are from China and may be contaminated, with drugs or other things, or are just maybe not even included.

This new media piece explains:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/05/sc...DDETWgzul45yg&

Who knows what you are really consuming in those teas?
If something is not agreeing with you, you need to stop using it.

I like how they don't state the name of the company or manufacture that had the good and bad ingredients, lol.

I trust nothing said from mainstream media. GL