Valerian: instruction on the use of the drug, indications, contraindications, effectiveness of the drug

A simple home remedy - valerian , often does not enjoy the worthy attention of afflicted people. And after all, it is a valuable medicinal raw material that can soothe the shaky nervous system of a tired person, return him a full-fledged sleep, remove unnecessary anxiety and tension.

Valerian in tablets or in alcoholic tincture, probably, is available in every home. And today we will study with you detailed instructions on the use of the drug, indications and contraindications to its use, what dosages the agent is better to use, what happens with an overdose of the drug and in general, how valerian acts on the body.

How to use valerian at home

The pharmaceutical industry produces valerian in tablets and tincture. It is clear that the indications and contraindications to its use will be similar, the difference will only be in the scheme of drug use and in its daily dosage.

The main therapeutic component of the drug is a thick extract of valerian officinalis, extracted from the rhizomes of a medicinal plant. The auxiliary substances in the composition will not be considered.

How does the valerian work?

In general, tincture or valerian tablets help to fight with anxiety, violent anxiety, they soothe, improve the process of falling asleep and the depth of sleep. How does it work on the body?

The instructions for use say the following:

1. Valerian acts directly on the nervous system, she just depresses it.
2. With the use of tablets or tinctures of valerian, the rhythm of the heartbeats slows down and the blood vessels expand.
3. Muscular tissue of the urinary and digestive system relaxes.

When the valerian is taken for a long time, besides the above described, bile begins to be intensively produced, that is, the choleretic effect is already manifested;decreases blood pressure. Keep this in mind!

Valerian intake: indications

Many people perceive the action of valerian so - "Drink a tablet and calm down."Instructions for receiving funds are few people reading. But in vain. There are certain indications for the use of this medication, indicated in the official instructions to the drug.

You need to start taking medication under the following conditions.

No.	Status	Necessary explanations
1	Nervous excitation of	This does not mean that valerian use is necessary for any disturbances, experiences - if they proceed within the limits of the norm, then the organism is able to cope with this state independently, and stabilize the work of the nervous system. Only a really strong excitement, when neither a series of deep breaths / exhalations, nor a short-term sleep, nor meditation, can become an occasion for the use of tablets or tinctures of valerian.
2	Insomnia	Here it is worth to clarify that problems with falling asleep and restless sleep at night can be signs of a rather serious condition - it is a chronic fatigue syndrome. Therefore, if the lack of a normal night's sleep has become familiar, then you should not take valerian, and seek help from specialists. Some scientists generally reject the theory that the drug in question has a positive effect on sleep( this will be discussed a little later).
3	Migraine	Many people perceive this pathology as a "nerve disease" and try to restore their health by soothing means, including valerian. But migraine is a complex process in the body, which often proceeds not according to the classical version. Therefore valerian with migraine can appoint only the attending physician - it, as a rule, is simply one of the components of complex treatment.
4	Vegeto-vascular dystonia	Yes, valerian will help cope with seizures / syndromes inherent only for VSD, but again - first visit a doctor, take a survey and only then can safely include the drug in the "diet".

Do not lose sight of the fact that often tablets or tincture of valerian is prescribed by physicians in the treatment of certain cardiovascular diseases and pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract( withdrawal of spasms).At the same time, valerian is not a panacea - it is only one of the drugs that make up the complex therapy.

Contraindications to the intake of valerian

Do not underestimate the effect of valerian on the body - you need to exclude all possible contraindications and only then stabilize your nervous system with tablets / tincture of valerian. The official instructions indicate the following contraindications:

1. fructose intolerance;
2. there is a deficiency of lactase and sugarase;
3. glucose-galactose malabsorption;
4. pregnancy - only applies to the first three months( first trimester) of this condition;
5. children under 3 years.

Do not forget the possibility of the presence of individual intolerance or hypersensitivity to valerian - some people even react to the specific odor of the drug with classic manifestations of an allergic reaction( skin rash, itching, lacrimation, coughing and sneezing attacks).

Know that children are not allowed to prescribe and give this medication even after four years of age!

Valerian is used in the complex treatment of certain nervous and / or psychiatric disorders and other pathologies, but solely on the prescription of a physician.

What are the recommended dosages?

Usually people think that the dose of using the drug is 3-4 tablets or 30-40 drops of tincture at one time, and even 3-4 times a day. However, doctors warn that such a drug regimen can easily tolerate an overdose of the drug.

Keep in mind that the research has established the maximum daily intake of valerian is 200 mg. Do not exceed the dosage!

You can certainly meet from some manufacturers a dose of medication in capsules and 200 - 350 mg. In fact - it's a lot!

In order to obtain a stable good therapeutic effect, do not chase after a single large dosage. Better act according to the scheme that the doctor gives you.

Knowing that one tablet of valerian extract usually contains 20 mg of the main active ingredient, you can say for sure that the maximum possible number of tablets per day is 10 pcs.

However, strictly on an individual basis, the doctor himself sets a single dose and the number of doses per day. Therefore, it is not necessary to use exactly 10 tablets per day in order to feel better.

General recommendations for the intake of valerian:

1. if valerian is used to stabilize the condition and drink by the course, it is enough to take 2 tablets of 20 mg three times a day or 35 drops of tincture 3 times a day;
2. in case of using valerian for emergency sedation( for example, before the exam or interview), it will be enough to take 5 tablets of 20 mg of valerian or 40 drops of tincture;
3. if valerian is given to children aged 7 years and older, then it will be enough ½ tablets of 20 mg, and tincture is completely forbidden to admission;
4. If the given drug is to be given to a child aged 4 to 7 years, then it will take ¼ tablets of 20 mg.

The duration of the use of valerian is likewise set individually. Doctors say that the optimal period for taking tablets or tinctures of valerian is 10 days, and the maximum is 30 days. It may be necessary to prolong the course of taking the drug in question, but without the help of a specialist in this case can not do - only a doctor can determine the appropriateness of further taking valerian.

Side effects of

Even if valerian is used according to the doctor's prescription and strictly according to the recommended scheme, the occurrence of side effects is very high. Pay attention to such conditions:

1. decrease in working capacity;
2. a constant desire to sleep;
3. weakening of muscle tissue( "do not hold the spoon in your hand");
4. inhibition( the reaction is weakening, the person starts to think more slowly about the decisions, the speech becomes somewhat stretched);
5. stool disorder - with prolonged use of valerian constipation is possible.

If at least one of these syndromes occurs, then you should immediately stop taking valerian tablets / tinctures and seek medical advice. Do not forget that every person can have an allergy when taking valerian, even if there was no such phenomenon before.

Symptoms of overdose

Valerian overdose is real! The signs of an overdose considered by the medicine include:

• Problems in the digestive system - there may be constipation or, conversely, unmotivated diarrhea, often patients complain of mild nausea.

The nervous system suffers - it can happen in two directions:

• the person becomes listless, apathetic, he constantly wants to sleep, complaints about dizziness, and possibly depression of consciousness;
• appears excessive excitement, the pupils of the person are dilated, the face is covered with red spots.

Unstable blood pressure becomes unstable - note that if valerian is taken on a strict medical schedule, you can achieve a reduction in blood pressure, and an overdose leads to a significant increase.

Separately it is necessary to consider cases of an overdose of valerian in the tincture - the signs will be slightly different. For example:

1. delayed heart rate( bradycardia);The
2. patient will be tormented by persistent headaches that mimic a migraine attack;
3. heartburn will periodically appear, and the feeling of nausea will become permanent;
4. if there is a history of chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, then their aggravation may occur.

What to do with an overdose of

If you use a tincture of valerian overdose can happen already from the first reception. Therefore, before you start using the drug in question, you should definitely get advice from a doctor. What to do if there are signs of an overdose:

1. Stop taking valerian in any pharmacological form of release.
2. Induce vomiting - this can be done by drinking a large amount of water or by mechanically acting on a small tongue in the pharynx.
3. Call an ambulance - they professionally wash the stomach, introduce specific drugs to reduce the symptoms of poisoning. But pay attention - this help will be appropriate, if after the last reception of a medicine has passed no more than 2 hours.
4. If the condition does not improve, then you should always seek help from doctors - in some particularly difficult cases, you may need to be hospitalized.

The effectiveness of valerian application: the results of the

study The action of the drug under consideration has been studied for a very long time-interesting experiments are being performed, the consequences for the long-term use of valerian are being investigated. Relatively recently, one interesting experiment was conducted by Norwegian scientists.

The purpose of the experiment was to find out how intensively valerian has a hypnotic effect. For this, the TV viewers were brought to the process. .. they simply responded to the announcement of the recruitment of volunteers.

All people were divided into two groups - one was given valerian tablets with a dosage of 200 mg( in one tablet), and the other was an innocuous additive, placebo. It was prescribed to drink 2 tablets in the evening before going to bed and keep a diary of monitoring the quality of a night's sleep. About what tablets were given out, and what is the purpose of the experiment in general, the volunteers were not told.

Results shocked! Only 5% improved sleep in people from the group taking valerian pills. And this indicator only indicated the speed of falling asleep, but the general qualitative characteristics between the two groups of volunteers did not differ at all - both the number of night awakenings, and the duration of sleep, and the state of health during the subsequent working day were the same.

Thus, it can be concluded that valerian has no pronounced effect on the quality of night sleep and it should not be taken as a hypnotic.

BUT!This experiment was conducted not by official medicine, there are no scientific confirmations on the results obtained. Maybe you should try to take a placebo instead of valerian - the main thing is to believe in the strength of the medicine, but if the medicine is prescribed by a doctor and is part of a complex therapy, then you should not experiment.

Valerian is not such an inoffensive medicine, so before using it is advisable to get a consultation about a specialist. This is not required if a person takes valerian from case to case, not systemically, but to exclude hypersensitivity and possible contraindications are still needed.

Source of publication: editorial of the author's article by Tsygankova Yana Alexandrovna, medical reviewer, therapeutist of the highest qualification category from the Internet resource http: //okeydoc.ru/ valeriana-instrukciya-po-primeneniyu-i-rezultaty-issledovanij-effektivnosti-preparata /