Valerian Root Side Effects: The 1 Heart Case Came From Stopping It

Quick Answer: No case of a heart attack caused by valerian root has been published that we could find. The one cardiac case report in the medical literature, a 1998 letter in JAMA, described heart complications and delirium after a patient stopped taking valerian, and the US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) now lists “heart disturbances” among the withdrawal symptoms that can follow stopping abruptly after long-term use. The other side effects on record are mostly mild: headache, stomach upset, mental dullness and vivid dreams. The liver has been linked to valerian only in rare case reports, most of them involving products that mixed valerian with other herbs. In a trial of 102 volunteers, a 600 mg dose taken at night did not slow reaction times the next morning.

This page is about safety: what valerian root can do to the heart, the liver and your alertness, how long it stays in your system, and which medicines it interacts with. It does not try to settle whether valerian helps you sleep; our sleep supplements guide covers that, and ranks valerian among the weaker options.

Valerian root side effects: what the evidence shows

Valerian root and heart attack: what the record actually shows

“Valerian root heart attack” is a common search, so we went looking for the case behind it. Searching PubMed for valerian together with myocardial infarction on 28 October 2026 returned a single result, a 1963 Soviet paper on narcotics in angina that is not about valerian supplements. We found no published report of a heart attack attributed to valerian root.

What does exist is a 1998 letter in JAMA by Garges, Varia and Doraiswamy, titled “Cardiac complications and delirium associated with valerian root withdrawal.” Its opening says that valerian preparations “recommend dosages ranging from 200 mg to several grams per day,” and that “the optimal duration of use is not well established, although some preparations advise against long-term use.” It then reports “a case of serious cardiac complications and delirium associated with withdrawal of valerian root.” The full text is behind a paywall, so we are not repeating details of the patient that we could not read ourselves. The point that matters is in the title: the problems were linked to stopping valerian, not to taking it.

The NCCIH fact sheet, last updated in May 2025, makes the same point in general terms: “Some may experience withdrawal symptoms, including anxiety, irritability, heart disturbances, insomnia, and in rare cases, hallucinations, if stopped abruptly after chronic use.”

Two small dental trials point the other way for blood pressure and pulse during a stressful procedure. In a placebo-controlled study of 20 people having wisdom teeth removed, a single 100 mg dose of valerian given an hour before surgery had “a greater effect on the maintenance of systolic blood pressure and HR [heart rate] after surgery” than placebo. These were single doses in young volunteers, so they say nothing about long-term use or people with heart disease.

What to take from this: if you have taken valerian nightly for months, especially at high doses, do not stop all at once before surgery or a hospital stay. Tell the doctor or anaesthetist you take it.

The liver: rare, and usually in mixed products

LiverTox, the US National Institutes of Health database on drug-induced liver injury, summarises valerian this way: it “has been linked to rare instances of clinically apparent liver injury.” Case reports in medical journals include a case of “valerian-associated hepatotoxicity” (2008), a report titled “Valeriana hepatotoxicity” (2009) and a case of “steroid-responsive valerian-associated hepatitis” (2016).

The NCCIH adds the important qualifier: “In very rare cases, liver injury was reported when taking valerian, most often in combination with other herbals; however, valerian’s long-term effect on liver function is unknown.” A 2021 emergency medicine case shows how hard it is to pin the blame on one herb. A 53-year-old woman developed jaundice after a month of taking a “liver-cleansing” product that included scute root and turmeric root together with a nightly “sleep aid” that included valerian. A liver biopsy was consistent with drug-induced liver injury, and she improved after stopping both products and a course of corticosteroids.

If you develop dark urine, yellowing of the skin or eyes, or pain under the right ribs while taking any herbal product, stop it and see a doctor.

Will valerian make you groggy the next morning?

The best test is a randomised, double-blind trial of 102 volunteers published in 1999. It compared a single evening dose of 600 mg of a valerian root extract (LI 156) with 1 mg of the sleeping pill flunitrazepam and with placebo, then gave 600 mg or placebo every evening for two weeks. Reaction time, alertness and concentration were tested the next morning. The authors concluded that “neither single nor repeated evening administrations of 600 mg of VRE have a relevant negative impact on reaction time, alertness and concentration the morning after intake.”

Two caveats. The first author worked for Lichtwer Pharma, the company that made the extract tested. And the result applies to that standardised extract at that dose; products on the shelf vary widely in what they contain. The NCCIH still lists “mental dullness” among valerian’s side effects.

Drug interactions: the liver enzymes, and the sedatives

Many herbs cause trouble by changing how the liver breaks down medicines. Valerian has been tested for this directly in people, and it did not do much:

• Donovan 2004. Twelve healthy volunteers took 1,000 mg of valerian nightly for 14 days. There was no effect on CYP2D6 activity, measured with dextromethorphan. For alprazolam, a CYP3A4 drug, peak blood levels rose from 25 to 31 ng/ml, with no change in overall exposure or half-life. The authors concluded that typical doses “are unlikely to produce clinically significant effects” on drugs handled by these two pathways.
• Gurley 2005. Twelve healthy volunteers took valerian for 28 days. “No significant changes in phenotypic ratios were observed for valerian” across four liver enzymes, unlike goldenseal, which inhibited two of them by about 40%.

The bigger concern is adding sedation to sedation. A 2001 JAMA review of herbal medicines in surgery listed “potentiation of the sedative effect of anesthetics by kava and valerian” among the interactions anaesthetists should know about. The NCCIH advises that valerian “should not be taken along with alcohol or sedatives.” In 2021, doctors in New York described a patient with encephalopathy (confusion and reduced consciousness) after combining valerian root with a “GABA” supplement.

An Australian analysis of adverse reaction reports for four popular herbs, including valerian, from 2000 to 2015 found that most reactions were mild or moderate, but that “in each life-threatening case, the herbal medicine was taken concomitantly with prescription medications.”

Valerian root for anxiety

Valerian is often sold for anxiety as well as sleep, but the evidence is thin. A Cochrane review found only one eligible trial: a four-week pilot study in 36 people with generalised anxiety disorder comparing valerian, diazepam and placebo. There was no significant difference between valerian and placebo on the main anxiety scale, and the reviewers concluded there is “insufficient evidence to draw any conclusions about the efficacy or safety of valerian compared with placebo or diazepam for anxiety disorders.”

A 2022 network meta-analysis of 29 trials of 12 herbs for anxiety reached a similar place: there was “insufficient evidence to confirm the effectiveness of Valerian” against standard treatments (mean difference 0.95 on the Hamilton Anxiety Scale, credible interval −6.57 to 8.42). The same analysis found signals of benefit for lavender oil (Silexan) and kava, which is a reminder that “herbal” is not one category.

How long does valerian root stay in your system?

Valerian has no single active ingredient, so researchers track valerenic acid as a marker. In a study of six healthy adults given a single 600 mg dose, valerenic acid peaked between 1 and 2 hours in five of the six, was “measurable for at least 5 h,” and had an elimination half-life of 1.1 ± 0.6 hours. One person had a second peak at 5 hours. A follow-up study in older women found “considerable inter- and intra-subject variability,” and that the half-life increased with body weight.

By that measure most of a dose is cleared within a working day. That does not tell you how long any effect on sleep or mood lasts, since valerenic acid is a marker, not a proven cause of valerian’s effects.

Overdose

The first reported valerian overdose, published in 1995, involved about 20 times the recommended dose; the patient “presented with mild symptoms, all of which resolved within 24 h,” and the authors called the overdose “benign.” Not every case is that simple: a 2014 report described a 55-year-old man admitted after a suspected overdose of valerian extracts with altered consciousness, a rash and severe swelling of the larynx, in which an unidentified toxic substance was also suspected. Taking more valerian than the label says is not a safe way to get a stronger effect.

Pregnancy, breastfeeding and children

The NCCIH says simply that “little is known about whether it’s safe to use valerian during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.” The safety record above comes almost entirely from adults, so absence of reported harm is not evidence of safety for these groups.

Who should talk to a doctor first

• Anyone taking sleeping pills, benzodiazepines, opioids, antihistamines that cause drowsiness, or other sedatives.
• Anyone scheduled for surgery or a procedure under sedation, and anyone who has taken valerian nightly for a long time and wants to stop.
• People with liver disease, or anyone taking other herbal products at the same time.
• People who are pregnant or breastfeeding, and children.
• Anyone who drinks alcohol regularly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can valerian root cause a heart attack?

We found no published case of a heart attack caused by valerian root. The one cardiac case report, a 1998 letter in JAMA, linked heart complications and delirium to stopping valerian after use, and the NCCIH lists “heart disturbances” among possible withdrawal symptoms after abrupt stopping following chronic use.

What are the most common side effects of valerian root?

The NCCIH lists headache, stomach upset, mental dullness, excitability, uneasiness and vivid dreams. It describes valerian as “generally safe for short-term use by most adults,” with apparent safety at 300 to 600 mg daily for up to 6 weeks; the safety of long-term use is unknown.

Is valerian root bad for your liver?

Liver injury is rare. LiverTox says valerian “has been linked to rare instances of clinically apparent liver injury,” and the NCCIH notes these cases occurred “most often in combination with other herbals.” Stop taking it and see a doctor if you notice yellowing skin or eyes or dark urine.

Does valerian root interact with medications?

In two studies of healthy volunteers, valerian had little or no effect on the liver enzymes CYP2D6 and CYP3A4, which break down many common drugs. The main risk is extra sedation when it is combined with alcohol, sleeping pills, other sedatives or anaesthesia.

Is valerian root good for anxiety?

The evidence is too thin to say. A Cochrane review found only one small trial of 36 people, with no significant difference from placebo, and a 2022 analysis of herbal anxiety treatments found “insufficient evidence to confirm the effectiveness of Valerian.”

How long does valerian root stay in your system?

In a study of six adults given 600 mg, its marker compound valerenic acid peaked after 1 to 2 hours, was measurable for at least 5 hours, and had a half-life of about 1.1 hours. Levels varied considerably between people.

Will valerian make me drowsy the next day?

In a trial of 102 volunteers, 600 mg of a standardised valerian extract taken in the evening did not impair reaction time, alertness or concentration the next morning, after either one dose or two weeks of use. Other products may differ, and “mental dullness” is a listed side effect.

Is it safe to stop valerian suddenly?

After short-term use, probably yes. After long-term nightly use, the NCCIH warns that stopping abruptly can cause withdrawal symptoms including anxiety, irritability, heart disturbances and insomnia. Talk to a doctor about tapering, especially before surgery.

The Bottom Line

Valerian root’s side effects are mostly mild, and the scarier searches do not hold up the way they are usually framed. There is no published case of a heart attack caused by valerian; the one cardiac case report came from stopping it after use. Liver injury has been reported, but rarely and usually with other herbs in the mix. Valerian did not affect the main drug-metabolising liver enzymes in volunteer studies, but it can add to the effect of alcohol, sedatives and anaesthesia, and that is the interaction to take seriously. If you use it nightly for a long time, taper rather than stopping suddenly, and tell your doctor before any surgery.

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