	AllExperts > Herbs for Health
	Search

About Dr. Candice Davis, ScD
Expertise
I specialize in answering questions about children's health and diseases. My answers are very empowering in that I teach home remedies and nutrition first. But also am an expert in pediatric herbal medicine. If you want a natural cure or natural mode of healing common to serious childhood diseases/illnesses--Ask Me!

Experience
I have 5 children and have seen everything--if not in my own family, but in my clinic as well. With that said, I have tons of personal experience. On the academic side, I have years of clinical training and apprenticeship in herbal medicine, specifically Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine. And further education in pediatric herbal medicine. Plus I have been through it all with my own kids and my neices/nephews.

Organizations
I am a member of the American Herbalist Guilde, East-West Herbal Guilde of Arizona, and National Association of Professional Women.

Publications
URTV-Asheville, NC. I was a guest speaker on the Dale Joyner Show LIve on televison. I discussed healthly lifestyles for the Asheville community.

Education/Credentials
I am a certified medical herbalist specializing in Ayurvedic and chinese medicine. From the Asian Botanical College. I have a doctorate from Ashewood University in Health Sciences. Good Manufacturing Procedures (GMP) for health supplements Certified.

Awards and Honors
International Who's Who Award in Medicine--November 2008.

Past/Present Clients
many. one famous one Matt. www.mattannecharico.com

You are here: Experts > Home/Garden > Herbs for Health > Herbs for Health > Herbal sleep aid for Lupus Patient

Herbs for Health - Herbal sleep aid for Lupus Patient

Expert: Dr. Candice Davis, ScD - 10/18/2009

Question
I currently take maintenance meds. including NSAIDS for SLE. I have been told that Valerian Root will help me sleep better at nite. I have recently been experiencing anxiety attacks and had one put me in the hospital last month. I have taken a RX sleep aid for a long time but it isn't helping me now through stressful times. There is a list a mile long of herbal remedies that interact with my meds with include NSAIDS, BP medication and a sleeping pill which seems ineffective now as my stress level deepens. What are your thoughts about Valerian for a restful sleep and is it okay to mix with my RX meds, with exception of my sleep aid?

Answer
Hello Brenda,
The thing about herbal medicine is that herbs are food. They work energetically with your body and are processed differently than a prescription drug. When scientist do research on drug/herb interactions, they isolate a certain constituent within an herb and test it with the pharmaceutical drug. They fail to realize that herbs are a whole food and should be consumed that way. When you isolate the active constituents, you don't get the whole picture of the checks and balances that are in place within the herb. Therefore, I believe there are really just a few, a handful of herbs that are potential dangerous when mixed with certain drugs. Unlike the "long list" of drug/herb interactions, that most western doctors insist on.
As far as Valerian goes, this is what I know.

Valerian officianlis:
*Warm and Drying in nature (so if you run more hot and more dry skin and nails etc, may not be the best herb for you long term.)
*Sedative, nervine, spasmolytic, hypotensive
*Mental and emotional indications: Insomnia due to emotional unrest; nervous irritability
*Head/face indications: Deficient cerebral circulation; hysterical headache; vertigo
*Respiratory indications: Nervous cough; pertussis; influenza
*Cardiovascular indications: Periodic hypertension resulting from suppressed anger
*Digestive indications: Knotting feeling in the stomach (often with elevated gastric-juice levels from suppressed anger or hostility
*Neuromusculoskeletal Indications: Chronic spasmodic conditions; low-back pain; rheumatism; muscular cramps; convulsions; epilepsy
*Contraindications: Concurrently with prescriptions CNS depressants. Caution in Pregnancy.
*Traditional dose for a 150 lb adult: Fresh root tincture (20-40 drops, tid, or 5-15 drops every 2 hours. Necessary night time dose for insomnia can vary from 60 drops to 1.5tsp) with insomnia, one cup of standard decoction (tea) is traditionally drunk 15-30 min. before bed.
*Caution: Not to be used continuously for more than 2 months without a break.

I hope this information is helpful for you. This is all general information, for you to make a better informed decision. Without actually seeing you in the clinic and doing a full evaluation, and knowing what specific meds you are on, it is difficult to say "yes or no" to taking it. Good luck and remember to de-stress as much as possible.
Peace and Blessings,
Dr. C

Add to this Answer Ask a Question