Cleveland Clinic. Valerian, valeriana officinalis oral dosage forms. Nunes A, Sousa M. Use of valerian in anxiety and sleep disorders: what is the best evidence? Acta Med Port.
Herbal triplet in treatment of nervous agitation in children. Wien Med Wochenschr. Your Privacy Rights.
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Table of Contents. Side Effects. Do not operate heavy or dangerous machinery until you know how the supplement affects you. Was this page helpful? Even with carefully controlled studies, it is still difficult to compare and combine data across studies.
Some of the reasons for these problems include:. Many of these issues are revealed in a review paper published in the American Journal of Medicine , which carefully analyzed the methods and data of 16 different valerian studies. The paper produced conflicting results about the soundness of these studies. For example, one issue was that only six of the studies used similar methods to measure sleep quality, which meant that sleep quality improvement could not be compared across all studies.
On the other hand, the combined data of these six studies did show a statistically significant improvement in sleep quality for the group of participants using valerian.
These studies also happened to have the largest sample sizes, perhaps giving them more strength than the others. Still, the authors of this review warn that the results should be taken with caution, as there were many flaws in their statistical analyses. A separate issue is that many studies do not explore the use of valerian alone, but instead analyze the effects of valerian combined with other medicinal herbs, such as passionflower or kava.
For example, another literature review analyzed 24 studies about the effectiveness of herbal supplements for anxiety. An individual study explored the impact of herbal supplements on insomnia in participants. Both found robust evidence for the effectiveness of supplements. However, it was hard to tell how responsible valerian was for these effects. Larger, more statistically sound valerian-specific studies are needed to understand how well the supplement actually works in terms of treating insomnia and anxiety.
It is also uncertain how valerian affects the brain. The most common theory is that valerian extract stimulates nerve cells to release a chemical called gamma-aminobutyric acid, or GABA. Preliminary studies suggest that valerian may help improve concentration and impulsiveness among primary school children. DO NOT give valerian to a child without first talking to your doctor. For insomnia, valerian may be taken 1 to 2 hours before bedtime, or up to 3 times in the course of the day, with the last dose near bedtime.
It may take a few weeks before the effects are felt. The use of herbs is a time-honored approach to strengthening the body and treating disease.
However, herbs can trigger side effects, and can interact with other herbs, supplements, or medications. For these reasons, you should take herbs with care, under the supervision of a health care provider. Valerian is generally regarded as safe. Most studies show no harmful effects on fertility or fetal development, but more research is needed.
Experts advise pregnant and nursing women to avoid taking valerian. Some people may have a paradoxical reaction to valerian, feeling anxious and restless after taking it instead of calm and sleepy. For most people, valerian does not appear to cause dependency. Nor does it cause withdrawal symptoms for most. But there are a few reports of withdrawal symptoms when valerian has been used over very long periods of time.
If you want to stop taking valerian, lower your dose gradually rather than stopping all at once. Don't use valerian while driving, operating heavy machinery, or doing other things that require you to be alert. If you are currently being treated with any of the following medications, you should not use valerian without talking to your health care provider.
Valerian may slow down how quickly certain drugs are broken down by the liver. Many medications rely on the liver to break them down, so it's possible that in some cases, too much of these drugs could build up in the body. To be safe, ask your doctor before taking valerian if you are also taking any other medications.
The same is true of other herbs with a sedating effect, such as chamomile, lemon balm, and catnip. Because valerian is broken down by certain liver enzymes, it may interact with other drugs that are broken down by the same enzymes. These may include many different medications, including but not limited to the following:. Valerian may increase the effects of anesthesia. If you are having surgery, it is important to tell your doctors, especially your surgeon and anesthesiologist, that you are taking valerian.
The doctors may recommend you slowly lower the dose of valerian before surgery. Or, they may allow you to use valerian up to the time of surgery, making any needed adjustments to the anesthesia. Herbal medicines and perioperative care. Treatment of insomnia: an alternative approach. Altern Med Rev. Effect of acupressure with valerian oil 2. J Tradit Complement Med. Balderer G, Borbely AA. Effect of valerian on human sleep.
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