Stopping Ashwagandha, need suggestio... 
hopeblossom
15 y
45,429
I tried this stuff and initially it seemed to be a miracle in helping me feel better, but after a few days it seemed more like a drug. And now I feel like I'm going through withdrawals in trying to get off of it - just like a drug. I feel worse than before I tried it in the first place.
I quit taking it a over a week ago. I feel extremely irritable, have aching legs and arms, swollen glands and no motivation. I was determined to get through it and took some ibuprofen, some 5htp, but gave in yesterday and today and took 1 tablet each day of the Ashwagandha, yesterday and today, (compared to the 3 I was previously taking per day).
I so hate this dependant feeling (having gone through Zoloft and Xanax withdrawals cold turkey years ago).
What I am asking for is some advice to help me get off of the Ashwagandha or some information if you know how long it takes for the body to normalize and these symptoms to pass. I'm afraid to continue taking a lot of ibuprofen for the apparent 'rebound inflammation'. Is there anything else that helps that does not have the same effect as these 'ginseng' type herbs?
Or if you could at least tell me if you know how long it takes to get past the 'withdrawal' symptoms?Advertisement
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- Re: Stopping Ashwagandha, need sugge... HanSolo
15 y
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- Re: Stopping Ashwagandha, need sugge... hopeblossom
15 y
45,090
This is a reply to # 1,461,221
Are you implying that I am not making sense? I'm not surprised if I don't. It is a hard thing to describe, plus I am fasting today and I don't feel as though my brain is functioning correctly.I started taking the herb ashwagandha around 3-4 weeks ago. Initially I felt fantastic taking it, but then I noticed sometimes I had heart palpitations and when I would forget to take it, I felt very tired and my legs and arms would hurt/ache. I also felt irritable. I compare this to how I would feel after trying an energy drink and then experiencing the 'crash' afterwards.
I don't like feeling dependant on anything so I want to quit taking the ashwagandha, but I'd rather avoid these unpleasant sensations if possible.
Feeling worse now, then I felt before I tried the herb in the first place makes me wish I had never tried it in the begining as I felt pretty good before trying it, I just needed some extra energy is all.
But now I feel as though my body has become dependant on it. I was hoping I would find someone else who would be familiar with this.
If at least I could get some suggestions for things to take to help with inflammation that would help with the achiness, I think I could manage the other problems such as energy and irritability.
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- Re: Stopping Ashwagandha, need sugge... HanSolo
15 y
45,759
This is a reply to # 1,461,238Interesting about the ashwandaga. I've never noticed any of the symptoms, from it, you have described.
Perhaps the herb you have has been adulterated with something that is causing the dependence???
Do you have bulk herb, capsule, or tincture?
- Re: Stopping Ashwagandha, need sugge... spudlydoo
15 y
44,758
This is a reply to # 1,461,248Advertisement
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Hi Hope, I've never taken this herb, but from what I've read its not a ginseng, but in fact a member of the same family of plants as tomatoes and potatoes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashwagandha
I wonder if the dose you were taking was maybe too high??
It will be interesting to see Hv's response, as I have been looking at this herb for myself.
As for anti-inflamatories, I use tumeric it works well and quickly. I mix the powdered root with a spoon full of raw honey and eat it off the spoon.
As for adaptogens, I have been using the jiaogulan and the effects have been mild but helpful, I only use 1 tablespoon of the tea in 500mls of water per day.
regards, spud
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- Re: Stopping Ashwagandha, need sugge... hopeblossom
15 y
44,849
This is a reply to # 1,461,248They are 300 mg standardized extract tablets made by Vitamin World.
Maybe I'm just a strange bird. Last year I had to wean myself off of licorice root extract.
I am very sensitive to supplements. Now I'm wondering if it's because I have adrenal fatigue. Do people who are suffering from adrenal fatigue experience sensitivity to supplements?
I just got a book on adrenal fatigue, but haven't read through it much other than the suggested supplements. Maybe I could start out with some Vit C and see how that helps.
I do have a bottle of Jiagulon capsules, but I'm afraid to try them (don't want to be stuck on those either) and some spirulina, green max super food supplement from Swansons (which has a monkey load of stuff in it), blueberry extract, nutritional yeast all of which I'm thinking of trying tomorrow when I go back to eating.- Re: Stopping Ashwagandha, need sugge... HanSolo
15 y
44,709
This is a reply to # 1,461,278Advertisement
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I think the 'standardized extract' part of the story solves the mystery.
I bet if you had regular ashwandaga, that goes for something like 2 dollars an ounce, you wouldn't have any adverse reactions.
Find a whole food vitamin C. Ascorbic acid is not vitamin C. - Re: Stopping Ashwagandha, need sugge... spudlydoo
15 y
44,877
This is a reply to # 1,461,278You may have a point about adrenal fatigue, my friend has severe adrenal fatigue and seems to be quite sensitive to supplements as well. She is also a very small woman and because of this I think she needs less of the supplements than bigger people. I am taking macca, but I take half the dose reccomended on the bottle, if I take the full dose I get headaches and dehydration. I'm not a large person so I tend to cut down the dose of supplements as well. I would be interested in finding out how many of these companies come up with the reccommended dose, what do they base the dose rates on? If your sensitive to supplements, maybe you should try anything new at half dose, just a thought :)
I like the jiaogulan tea because I think its a milder form of the herb than the extracts or capsules.
spud- Re: Stopping Ashwagandha, need sugge... hopeblossom
15 y
45,443
This is a reply to # 1,461,288Hi Spud! ***waves***
Yeah, now I know for future reference to be more careful in trying new things. At this point I just really want to get back to my 'pre-ashwagandha state'.
Everytime I read that it has no side effects or is not addictive it just makes me want to laugh (or cry truthfully)
As much information as there is on the internet, it is still lacking.
When I first tried apple cider vinegar I was very impressed with how much energy it gave me, now while getting off of this standardized ashwagandha it seems to have no affect on me whatsoever.
It's probably going to take me a good month to normalize.Advertisement
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- Re: Stopping Ashwagandha, need sugge... hopeblossom
15 y
45,213
This is a reply to # 1,461,296I just saw your other post Spudly. Thank you! I happen to have some turmeric that I haven't used in forever. I'm going to try some of that with the Jiagulan (sp?) like you suggested. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day for me. I hate feeling like I've lost a day to feeling badly. What a waste of life! I'm not getting any younger you know. My 40th birthday is Aug 4th. : )
Thank you so much for all your help. Me getting advice from you is turning out to be a regular occurance! LOL.- Re: Stopping Ashwagandha, need sugge... spudlydoo
15 y
44,844
This is a reply to # 1,461,299lol, glad to be of help anytime. Hope you are feeling better soon :)
spud
- Re: Stopping Ashwagandha, need sugge... spudlydoo
15 y
44,844
- Re: Stopping Ashwagandha, need sugge... hopeblossom
15 y
45,213
- Re: Stopping Ashwagandha, need sugge... hopeblossom
15 y
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- Re: Stopping Ashwagandha, need sugge... Hveragerthi
15 y
45,061
This is a reply to # 1,461,278
They are 300 mg standardized extract tablets
I would stay away from standarized extracts. The standardization screws up the natural balance within the herbs. As an example alfalfa contains blood thinning coumarins and bloosd clotting vitamin K. If we standardized the alfalfa for a higher coumarin content it could become a dangerous blood thinner. Use herbs the way Nature made them, not the way man manipulates them.
Do people who are suffering from adrenal fatigue experience sensitivity to supplements?
Yes, adrenal fatigue increases sensitivities to a lot of things by increasing allergies.
Maybe I could start out with some Vit C and see how that helps.
Again, stick to natural sources such as amla or acerola cherry, not synthetic ascorbic acid. Foods rich in vitamin C include watercress, papaya, kiwis, and berries.
- Re: Stopping Ashwagandha, need sugge... hopeblossom
15 y
44,537
This is a reply to # 1,461,425I didn't know that about standardized extracts. That's good to know - very interesting.
- Re: Stopping Ashwagandha, need sugge... GrannyCat
15 y
45,620
This is a reply to # 1,461,425Advertisement
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So are you saying I should have NOT bought this????
Planetary Herbals Full Spectrum Ashwagandha -- 570 mg - 120 Tablets
Supplement Facts
Serving Size: 1 Tablet
Servings per Container: 120
Calcium 59 Milligrams 6%
Ashwagandha Root 500 Milligrams *
Ashwagandha Root Extract (25:1) Yielding 5% Withanolides 70 Milligrams *
Other Ingredients: Dibasic calcium phosphate, stearic acid, colloidal silicon dioxide, and modified cellulose gum.
Directions
Take 1 tablet twice a day with meals, or as recommended by your health care professional.
- Re: Stopping Ashwagandha, need sugge... hopeblossom
15 y
44,901
This is a reply to # 1,461,547MamacatPatch,
Don't let MY experience dissuade you from trying Ashwagandha. I know that I react differently to things than probably most of the population.
In fact I may very well try it again someday, but if I do I will not get any standardized extracts and I will try a very small amount and proceed slowly.
Most people I know cant even tell if an herb is working for them or not because they don't notice the effects.
My body is very reactive to any substance. It can sometimes be a good thing when something helps me, but lots of times it seems like a burden. - Re: Stopping Ashwagandha, need sugge... Hveragerthi
15 y
45,003
This is a reply to # 1,461,547Advertisement
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So are you saying I should have NOT bought this????
Planetary Herbals Full Spectrum Ashwagandha -- 570 mg - 120 Tablets
Supplement Facts
Serving Size: 1 Tablet
Servings per Container: 120
Calcium 59 Milligrams 6%
Ashwagandha Root 500 Milligrams *
Ashwagandha Root Extract (25:1) Yielding 5% Withanolides 70 Milligrams *This is not really a standardized extract. It is a concentrate in an base of the powdered herbs. Concentrates are not the same as standardized extracts. Concentrates are made by extracting the whole herb then concentrating it down to a certain strength (4:1, 20:1, 200:1, etc.). So it is more like taking a very strong cup of herbal tea. Standardized extracts take a plant, they guess as to what they think is the active component, then they extract and concentrate that compound. Basically very little difference than the way pharmaceutical drugs are made. And they fail to take in to account that VARIOUS compounds in the plant work together. A great example is with Saint Johnswort (SJW), which was one of the first herbs to be standardized. So they standardized the plant for the hypericin, which they thought was the active component. Then they said, no the active component is hyperforin, so they standardized the product for that. Then they said, no it was neither. The actual active component is its flavonoids....... The fact is that all of these compounds and others are all active, and they all work together. So isolating and standardizing one compound not only makes it less effective, but also increases the risk of side effects. Again this is exactly what happens when they make a pharmaceutical drug from a plant.
So what you are taking is fine since it IS NOT a standardized extract. Although their wording does falsely imply that it is .
- Re: Stopping Ashwagandha, need sugge... hopeblossom
15 y
44,901
- Re: Stopping Ashwagandha, need sugge... hopeblossom
15 y
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- Re: Stopping Ashwagandha, need sugge... Hveragerthi
15 y
44,707
This is a reply to # 1,461,278
They are 300 mg standardized extract tablets
I just got to thinking that it could also be a reaction to the binders or fillers in the tablet. Try to avoid tablets, and stick to either powders (the best) or capsules which have some flow agents though less garbage than tablets.
- Re: Stopping Ashwagandha, need sugge... HanSolo
15 y
44,709
- Re: Stopping Ashwagandha, need sugge... spudlydoo
15 y
44,758
- Re: Stopping Ashwagandha, need sugge... Hveragerthi
15 y
44,707
This is a reply to # 1,461,238
If at least I could get some suggestions for things to take to help with inflammation that would help with the achiness, I think I could manage the other problems such as energy and irritability.
Have you tried yucca root? It is a steroidal anti-inflammatory, but without the high level of polysaccharides that can aggravate some conditions.
- Re: Stopping Ashwagandha, need sugge... herbalbrain
10 y
28,813
This is a reply to # 1,461,238Advertisement
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Sounds like symptoms of low thyroid, tired low energy, fuzzy headed, lack of motivation even when you know there is something you need to do. To me it sounds like what you experienced was the return of your low thyroid as Ashwagandha is good for both high and low thyroid problems. I have dealt with low thyroid my whole life, my holistic Dr. said I have one of the worst cases he's ever seen. Anyway I can't say if low thyroid is your problem but it caught my attention when you said you started herbs because of being tired all the time. You should check out the Stop the Thyroid Madness web site. There is also a section about adrenal problems which you may have.
I can't post the link here but if you Google Stop The Thyroid Madness it will pop up.
Pounding heart is a sign of to much thyroid hormone and flip flops are a sign of to little thyroid. It is hard to tell the difference.
There are many things available for inflamation I like Braggs organic apple cider vinegar, which must be taken with at least 8 ounces of water.
- Re: Stopping Ashwagandha, need sugge... HanSolo
15 y
45,759
- Re: Stopping Ashwagandha, need sugge... hopeblossom
15 y
45,090
- Re: Stopping Ashwagandha, need sugge... Hveragerthi
15 y
45,070
This is a reply to # 1,461,079
I tried this stuff and initially it seemed to be a miracle in helping me feel better, but after a few days it seemed more like a drug. And now I feel like I'm going through withdrawals in trying to get off of it - just like a drug. I feel worse than before I tried it in the first place.
I quit taking it a over a week ago. I feel extremely irritable, have aching legs and arms, swollen glands and no motivation.These symptoms sound more like an active viral infection. Ashwagandha is not going to cause these symptoms. Especially the swollen lymph nodes, which are common with viral infections. Couple that with the other symptoms, which are also common with viral infections I would say this is the most likely culprit. Ashwagandha works primarily on the adrenals and thyroid, and it also has a calming effect due to its effects on the GABA receptors. The Xanax you mentioned also works by increasing GABA activity. So I guess it is possible that your GABA receptors are maybe somehow screwed up from the Xanax use, but this still would not account for the other symptoms you mentioned.
I was determined to get through it and took some ibuprofen,
Ibuprofen is a VERY dangerous drug!!!
some 5htp, but gave in yesterday and today and took 1 tablet each day of the Ashwagandha, yesterday and today, (compared to the 3 I was previously taking per day).
I so hate this dependant feeling (having gone through Zoloft and Xanax withdrawals cold turkey years ago).
What I am asking for is some advice to help me get off of the Ashwagandha or some information if you know how long it takes for the body to normalize and these symptoms to pass. I'm afraid to continue taking a lot of ibuprofen for the apparent 'rebound inflammation'.I would worry more about the other well known side effects of ibuprofen such as kidney failure, hepatitis, loss of vision, tinnitus, aseptic meningitis, heart attack, stroke....... Many of these do not require long term use or overdose. They can occur from a single recommended dose.
Is there anything else that helps that does not have the same effect as these 'ginseng' type herbs?
The only resemblence it has to ginseng is the fact that it is adaptogenic.
Or if you could at least tell me if you know how long it takes to get past the 'withdrawal' symptoms?I really don't think these are any form of withdrawal symptoms. One other possibility though. Are you dealing with any autoimmune conditions?
- Re: Stopping Ashwagandha, need sugge... hopeblossom
15 y
45,524
This is a reply to # 1,461,420Advertisement
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I know, at first I thought I was coming down with something too, but here's the thing... When I would resume taking the ashwagandha the symptoms would go away within an hour or two - ALL OF THEM and when I would quit they would come back. I did this several times over the weeks, take it- feel relaxed and no achiness, some energy, though along with some heart palpitations, not take it and get very irritable, achy legs and arms, a swollen gland under my chin, tired - over and over again.
I do think my neuron receptors are messed up, even though it was 5-6 years ago and I only took the Xanax for 2 months. It took over a year for me to feel more like a normal person after quiting the meds cold turkey (horrific).
No I don't have any autoimmune disease that I know of. Everytime I have gone to the doctor all blood tests come back 'normal.' And I felt very well before taking the ashwagandha.
I even bought a little book on Ashwagandha and have read whatever I could find searching the internet. I was prepared to take it long term, but when I missed a dose and then put it together, I became alarmed that it would have such an effect on me. I get those same affects from Panax Ginseng and if I take Ginseng long enough I start getting migraines.
There is a chance, though I believe it is less likely, that there is something else going on in my body seperate from the Ashwagandha usage. Mostly I believe it's a rebound affect from not taking the Ashwagandha because I have experienced this before with other adrenal stimulating herbs such as licorice and ginseng.
Thank you for the suggestion of Yucca for inflammation. I'll be looking for that to keep around. Like you said, it will definately be better than taking ibuprofen. I never had any other option before, not knowing what helps with pain and inflammation.
- Re: Stopping Ashwagandha, need sugge... hopeblossom
15 y
45,524
- Re: Stopping Ashwagandha, need sugge... alsoalive
11 y
31,016
This is a reply to # 1,461,079Ashwagandha is medicine.
31 pills a day seems very high, whether they are a small pill or a large one.
Also, as with many adaptogenic herbs, it is useful to alternate seasons. a few months on, a few months off. It is important not to continue popping these month after month, as that is not how Ashwagandha wants to be used.
I find excellent results using Withania somnifera (latin name) as a decoction. About two teaspoons of the dried root simmered, not boiled in less than a pint of water until you have about half a pint of sweet, milky tea. I take a sip of this in the morning and before bed. A sip. And if it feels particularly right on that day, I'll take two sips, and don't have to wait for my digestive system to sort through masses of dry pills.
You might try tapering off, yes, resort to a little bit if you're having weird problems. But I recommend you make your goal to take at least 4 months off Ashwagandha once you break this cycle. During this time, forget about the plant and instead of taking lots of supplements, pick an area or two where you need the aid of plant medicines, ask around, do research, and come up with a GENTLE plan.
Here's how I'd taper off:
Find some oat straw (Avena sativa, same plant as oatmeal). I find it safe to take as much as 3 or 4 tablespoons of the dried, shredded green grass, but not every day. Boil a pot of water, up to a quart, and pour it over a small handful of the herb, cover and let steep for hours. This will get you through a few days.
When you absolutely are having a sense of need for Ashwagandha, add a little of your strong root tea (possibly just empty a few of the capsules into the simmer)
Don't go nuts with lots and lots of any herb, or find yourself taking anything every day of your life! Oat straw is diuretic, and too much will make you piss away the very minerals that tea contains.
And talk to herbalists, a few of them. See how different these responses are? Ultimately, your intuition and relationship with the plants you take will guide you.
These plants are living beings with intelligence, which can be felt when they are taken into the body or just looked at.
Good luck!
- Re: Stopping Ashwagandha, need sugge... stephpas
10 y
25,903
This is a reply to # 1,461,079Advertisement
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I had the exact same thing happen. Was trying to fix my adrenal fatigue however it gave me caffine like withdrawls. It gave me headaches and fatigue for like a week after i stopped taking it. The same thing happened when i quit coffee
- Re: Stopping Ashwagandha, need sugge... HanSolo
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