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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 10 of 10. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Bob12 on April 10, 2010, at 0:40:08
Hi,
I take valium 2 mg at night to help me sleep.
Has anyone tried treating insomnia with valerian root instead of valium?
I also take ativan 0.5 mg during the day for anxiety around every other day. Has anyone tried valerian root instead of ativan?Any info would be appreciated.
thanks
Bob12
Posted by tensor on April 10, 2010, at 0:40:09
In reply to Replacing Ativan or Valium with Valerian Root?, posted by Bob12 on April 9, 2010, at 11:23:15
> Hi,
> I take valium 2 mg at night to help me sleep.
> Has anyone tried treating insomnia with valerian root instead of valium?
> I also take ativan 0.5 mg during the day for anxiety around every other day. Has anyone tried valerian root instead of ativan?
>
> Any info would be appreciated.
> thanks
> Bob12Yes, I have tried it. I found it completely useless. But, as always, it is individual. Here atleast, it's cheap, so it's worth a try.
/Mattias
Posted by morganator on April 10, 2010, at 0:40:09
In reply to Re: Replacing Ativan or Valium with Valerian Root? » Bob12, posted by tensor on April 9, 2010, at 11:30:35
There are many other supplements you can try.
GABA
Melatonin
Glycine
Magnesium Glycinate
Taurine
Posted by morganator on April 10, 2010, at 0:40:09
In reply to Re: Replacing Ativan or Valium with Valerian Root?, posted by morganator on April 9, 2010, at 12:28:10
> There are many other supplements you can try.
>
> GABA
> Melatonin
> Glycine
> Magnesium Glycinate
> TaurineActually, you could take all of these together, including valerian.
You should just start off trying each on individually and then add those that help to your sleep regimen.
Posted by Phillipa on April 10, 2010, at 0:40:09
In reply to Re: Replacing Ativan or Valium with Valerian Root?, posted by morganator on April 9, 2010, at 12:30:05
I tried it when going through a horrible time with benzos. I was almost unable to do a thing at the time think it was a combo of new thyroid disease and lymes at same time. Don't know if it contributed to the horribly tired feeling I had and didn't know I wasn't supposed to combine with benzos. Your dose is extremly low on benzos. Why switch if it's working? Phillipa
Posted by manic666 on April 10, 2010, at 0:40:10
In reply to Re: Replacing Ativan or Valium with Valerian Root?, posted by morganator on April 9, 2010, at 12:30:05
i used valerian for a long time //till i read it shouldent be used with anti depressants//to be truthful its stinks like sh*t// an does about sweet F.A//i have tried many, like lemon barm, taurine, magnesium, magnesium citrate.ect, ect///to be honest you want them to work, but like most health store they just dont work ,,its a thing we get in are heads , meds give us side effects //heath crap dont, do you no why//they are placebo like an there is nothing realy in them to give side effects //we are just seduced by the ancient power,s an mistic about them. there are a few eceptions like st johns wort witch taken with AD,s may kill you,so not really a good thing to consider unless on no shrink meds.i have used score,s of arthritis heath meds , green lipped mussels ect ect..nothing //ibruferin rip,s out your guts but at least it works//do you no how i no when something works,//its when i get sh*t side effects like all meds that work give//just my opinion
Posted by ed_uk2010 on April 10, 2010, at 9:18:36
In reply to Replacing Ativan or Valium with Valerian Root?, posted by Bob12 on April 10, 2010, at 0:40:08
I have tried Valerian root for anxiety. It had no effect at all.
Posted by Lao Tzu on April 10, 2010, at 9:32:34
In reply to Replacing Ativan or Valium with Valerian Root?, posted by Bob12 on April 10, 2010, at 0:40:08
I'd be careful trying to replace a strong psychotropic like Ativan with Valerian. They don't work the same in the brain. I took Ativan for many years for anxiety, but I was taking a rather large dose. If you're trying to wean yourself from Ativan do so cautiously and let your doctor know. If you've been taking Ativan for a long time, you may have become dependent on it, and I don't know for sure if Valerian is a good substitute. It's probably better than nothing, but remember Ativan works differently than Valerian in the brain. Still, it is a good option to help you sleep, but you may have a slight withdrawal from Ativan at any rate. If you're on a low dosage of Ativan the withdrawal probably won't be that bad, but you should still tell your doctor what you are doing and see if he can help you.
Posted by Lao Tzu on April 10, 2010, at 9:52:56
In reply to Replacing Ativan or Valium with Valerian Root?, posted by Bob12 on April 10, 2010, at 0:40:08
I agree that maybe Glycine or magnesium glycinate may be good options too. I've had success with these in the past. Be careful not to overdose on these. You could potentially throw yourself into a depression if you take too much glycine. That happened to me. Still, I don't think there is any good substitute for Ativan except perhaps a benzodiazepine with a longer half-life like Valium or Klonopin. Klonopin is milder that Ativan and may be a better option for you. However, all benzodiazepines have the risk of dependence. Once, I took Ativan 1mg for two weeks, then went off of it cold turkey. I had one bad day of withdrawal, then I was okay. Like I said, I don't know if there is anything that can really substitute for Ativan except a weaker benzo with a long half-life. Perhaps the withdrawal won't be as abrupt as it is with Ativan. Talk to your doctor. My doctor wouldn't give me any benzos for sleep. Instead, he tried trazodone which increases serotonin in the brain and is used widely as a sleep med. This may help you without the risk of dependence like the benzos. Whatever you do, don't increase your dose of Ativan. The more you take, the worse the withdrawal and the higher the risk of dependence. There are some other good sleep meds like Ambien. Maybe that's another option for you, but if it were me, I'd get off the Ativan carefully with a doctor's help and either try a non-benzo sleep med or explore different nutritional supplements. However, you could also look at it like this: If the Ativan is helping you sleep, why give it up? I'd only be concerned if you have to increase your dose just to sleep. Then the risk of dependence is higher, and like I said, you could have withdrawal symptoms.
Posted by morganator on April 10, 2010, at 11:57:25
In reply to Re: Replacing Ativan or Valium with Valerian Root?, posted by Lao Tzu on April 10, 2010, at 9:52:56
Klonopin is a good idea. Maybe replace Ativan with a small dose of Klonopin, then eventually get off Klonopin-it would be much easier to get off of being it has a longer half-life. You can you things like GABA, Glycine, Magnesium Glycinate, and maybe Melatonin when you come off Klonopin.
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