Herbal Remedies/vitamins

[sydneysmommy]

im planning to get pregnant and need to get off of Lunesta, which worries me...and im nervous. as i have SEVERE insomnia. this has been a problem since I was around 7-8 yrs old. [i am now 27].

i have been researching herbal remedies and vitamins to help [also with my migraines].

and am wondering if anyone here takes anything they swear by.

b2 riboflavin?

feverfew...magnesium...valerian...jamaican dogwood... are a few i have learned about.

but id like to hear about some experiences.

thanks in advance!!!

[confusedks]

I take calcium/magnesium and melatonin. It helps me sleep. I took ambien for a while and it did nothing! This seems to do the trick for me. Melatonin helps you stay asleep and calcium/magnesium helps you get to sleep.

[gluten15]

Open Original Shared Link

[sydneysmommy]

I take calcium/magnesium and melatonin. It helps me sleep. I took ambien for a while and it did nothing! This seems to do the trick for me. Melatonin helps you stay asleep and calcium/magnesium helps you get to sleep.

thats interesting. thank you!

i got the magnesium... to help with my fibro pain and heard about the melatonin as well. ill try this!

[purple]

Cheap place to buy supplements: www.swansonvitamins.com 1-800-437-4148 call and ask for a catolog

[BRUMI1968]

Did something happen around the time you were 7 or 8 that started this insomnia I wonder? It almost sounds like maybe it could be something from your past trying to stick around, and manifesting itself that way. Wow...did I just write that new agey stuff?

[Wakeboarder]

I also have sleeping issues and I want to try taking some magnesium to see if it will help-I've heard good things about it. But I have no idea how much magnesium to start out taking? Any suggestions?

If it helps, I do have some trouble getting to sleep but it's not horrible. The real problem is that I spend all night waking up every 1-3 hours. Don't know if that would make a difference on how much magnesium I should take. I am also taking a Vitamin B supplement right now.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[holiday16]

I used to use melatonin, but it would not work for me unless it was a slow release tablet. I tried the kind from the health food store and it was terrible. I think the sustained release ones I had were 2 mg. The effect was totally different. It's hard to find the sustained release ones though and you may have to order them on line.

I finally figured out that my sleep issues stem from low vitamin D and low progesterone. If I treat those two things I do pretty well with sleep. Took forever to get it diagnosed though!

[confusedks]

For the magnesium question...I take one 250 mg tablet. (For something other than sleep) It doesn't help with sleep for me. I think you can take as much magnesium as your bowels will tolerate. So start slowly and then once you get watery stools, back off.

[RiceGuy]

Aside from the magnesium, which I do recommend, I believe you should definitely start taking a Open Original Shared Link (B12) supplement. B12 is essential for numerous things, including proper sleep cycles. It turns out that melatonin production is dependent on B12. So I really think that taking melatonin would be sidestepping the true problem.

Other nutrients would also help. Here's an article on the subject:

Open Original Shared Link

[ShayFL]

I normally sleep pretty good. But sometimes an emotional issue will keep me up. I like GABA, it calms me down without any side effects.

Addressing any underlying trauma that might have happened around that age (7-8) could help too. (and that isnt new agey......LOL)

[RiceGuy]

Addressing any underlying trauma that might have happened around that age (7-8) could help too. (and that isnt new agey......LOL)

I don't doubt the possibility that that's when Celiac was triggered too.

[Joni63]

im planning to get pregnant and need to get off of Lunesta, which worries me...and im nervous. as i have SEVERE insomnia. this has been a problem since I was around 7-8 yrs old. [i am now 27].

i have been researching herbal remedies and vitamins to help [also with my migraines].

and am wondering if anyone here takes anything they swear by.

b2 riboflavin?

feverfew...magnesium...valerian...jamaican dogwood... are a few i have learned about.

but id like to hear about some experiences.

thanks in advance!!!

I take my calcium/magnesium supplements before bed and was taking regular melatonin. I would still wake up about 2:00am every night. I started taking time release meletonin made by Natrol and sold at Walgreens, says gluten free right on the bottle. It has helped tremendously. I still wake up to use the bathroom and last night there were thunderstorms, but I stay awake for a much shorter time and feel better when I get up in the morning. Don't know if melatonin is safe for pregnancy though.

[mosaicmom]

Aside from a multi and other specifics which I can't get my kid to take regularly...

I try: slippery elm (go to Godsherbs.com and it's the stomach and bowel formula #2, I believe)

Pumpkin

Fish oil

Quercetin

Coconut oil (extra virgin organic)

Fresh garlic

Probiotics

Prebiotics

and some others

[mftnchn]

After trying a whole list of things that didn't really work for me, what has done the trick was something called Travacor. It is a neurotransmitter support combo that happened to have most of the things that I tested low in. Surprisingly it helped after the first day!

The severe malabsorption caused a lot of deficiences for me...I'd try to get that checked out if the ususal things don't help.

BTW I took as much as 1600 mg of magnesium a day the first few month of gluten-free in order to have BMs. That is a HUGE amount over recommended. My body levels still test low though. I am now giving myself shots of mag. Didn't impact my sleep at all that I can tell.

[bluejeangirl]

After trying a whole list of things that didn't really work for me, what has done the trick was something called Travacor. It is a neurotransmitter support combo that happened to have most of the things that I tested low in. Surprisingly it helped after the first day!

I've tried many things also and found TravaCor to be the best thing that's work so far. It has Taurine, 5 htp (works like typtophan) and Suntheanine (I think this is from green tea that has a calming effect). Then it has all the vit.s to support these three things to make it work better. Those are vir. C, vit. B6, vit.B12, folate, mag., zinc, and selenium.

It's great and I really hope you give it a try. I only take one in the afternoon and one before bed.

Gail

[mslee]

I also take Magnesium (for migraines) and Calcium Citrate (because calcium is good for me). They seem to be helping I have been told Calcium can help with pms pain and also helps to relax you. My GI doctor said they are fine but keep in mind that magnesium can cause diarrhea if you are taking too much.

my herbal healing book recommends:

lemon balm (make tea), ginger( tea or in food), basil (tea or in food), valarian(sup.), and lavender (oil) as the top herbs for insomnia

although if you get pregnant I would make sure your it is ok with your dr.

good luck!

[gwen.8278]

My mother swears on her herbal remedies: ginger and lemon balm tea is what she uses herself and gives to all of her friends who have similar problems!

[Opa3]

I normally sleep pretty good. But sometimes an emotional issue will keep me up. I like GABA, it calms me down without any side effects.

I justed started using GNC's GABA (750mg, 2/day) myself. It helps me to sleep better and during the day I have less nervous stomach symptoms.How do you use your GABA? I'm asking because a competitive product from NOW FOODS (also 750mg) suggested using their product 1/day and "best without protein." The GNC label usage is 1-3/day and no respect to protein. My breakfast consists of 12 grams of protein. Therefore, I wait 30 minutes after taking GABA to eat. The GNC label says it meets UPS 2040 for disintegration.

I wonder if 30 minutes is to long or to short in time for sufficient absorption of GABA. How does protein interfere? Any comments would be appreciated.

[kareng]

I justed started using GNC's GABA (750mg, 2/day) myself. It helps me to sleep better and during the day I have less nervous stomach symptoms.How do you use your GABA? I'm asking because a competitive product from NOW FOODS (also 750mg) suggested using their product 1/day and "best without protein." The GNC label usage is 1-3/day and no respect to protein. My breakfast consists of 12 grams of protein. Therefore, I wait 30 minutes after taking GABA to eat. The GNC label says it meets UPS 2040 for disintegration.

I wonder if 30 minutes is to long or to short in time for sufficient absorption of GABA. How does protein interfere? Any comments would be appreciated.

You are responding to a 4 year old thread, FYI. These posters haven't been around in awhile.