Benzos Valium and probably other benzos and chamomile

[BourbonMac]

I find this combo ridiculously sedating. It increases the effect of the benzos to the point where I start full on nodding. My chamomile also happens to have 5mg CBD per bag and I use 2, and supposedly water soluble CBD has very high bioavailability, so maybe that plays a factor. Just posting this in case nobody else has tried it, I think it's great. I always try to stay awake the best I can in this nodding state where I'm super messed up, but it's hard, and I tend to fall asleep within seconds of putting my head on the pillow. Sometimes I'll take a millagram of meltaonin as well because apparently this can help reduce tolerance? But it obviously adds to the sedation a lot as well. Just a recipe for passing out though.

 

[Conky]

If you find it really sedating it's probably because you're just taking too much Valium as there's really nothing in chamomile that would significantly add to the effects you get from benzos

I find fresh Valerian tincture to be better

 

[BourbonMac]

Nah, it distinctly happens after the tea.

Valium by itself doesn't make me very drowsy anymore, and I only take 7.5-10mg, not high doses. Chamomile does have GABA activity though it's probably unrelated. Though it contains apigenin which is a sedative by itself, and CBD apparently potentiates Valium the same way Cimetidine does (inhibits the same liver enzyme). I would have to try non CBD chamomile to see if there's a difference, but probably not. The CBD just chills me out a little more, I never found CBD very sedating.

Never liked valerian personally.

 

[BourbonMac]

If you find it really sedating it's probably because you're just taking too much Valium as there's really nothing in chamomile that would significantly add to the effects you get from benzos

I find fresh Valerian tincture to be better

In fairness I only tried them in capsules, they were fucking terrible. Made my burps taste like balloon rubber. I saw some valerian tea from the same brand as the chamomile/CBD blend (also got passionflower the other day and it's bomb). These three alone almost rival a benzo in terms of sedation. I assume the valerian tea would be similar to a tincture, probably not as potent. I'm trying to get more into herbal stuff and until I saw the tea I didn't realize the capsules probably weren't the best choice. I'd just picked them up to try and "potentiate" kratom a few years back

 

[nznity]

Valium is lovely , haven't had some in a while. Gonna buy some 30 10mgs this week, clonazepam isn't doing the trick anymore.

 

[BourbonMac]

I only just discovered the joy of crushing it. I've been sublingualing it all wrong for months basically, to the point where it's no better than taking it oral. Wow. Instant difference, it kicked in before it was fully dissolved. I just crushed it with a locker padlock knob

 

[Conky]

In fairness I only tried them in capsules, they fucking terrible. Made my burps taste like balloon rubber. I saw some valerian tea from the same brand as the chamomile/CBD blend (also got passionflower the other day and it's bomb). These three alone almost rival a benzo in terms of sedation. I assume the valerian tea would be similar to a tincture, probably not as potent. I'm trying to get more into herbal stuff and until I saw the tea I didn't realize the capsules probably weren't the best choice. I'd just picked them up to try and "potentiate" kratom a few years back

You'll like the tincture, it's concentrated compared to the tea and especially to the capsules

I have permanent tolerance to any GABA substance so it takes a lot of the tincture to get an effect but it's still quite evident when I consume around 50ML

See if you can find this:

 

[Snafu in the Void]

I've experienced very real effects from valerian when I made a very potent tea/extract from a large amount of fresh valerian root.

Felt like a benzo!

I don't remember how much I used, but it was quite a lot.

I never could get used to the smell, though... half kilo bag of valerian made my whole kitchen smell like dirty sweaty socks for awhile

 

[Snafu in the Void]

Also wanted to add that Ashwagandha has an effect on GABA and noticeably potentiates benzos as well

 

[Pickledlemons]

As far as I know chamomile's effects haven't been proven in the lab. Yet I am currently taking valium to get off xanax with the plan of eventually tapering off. However, its not quite cutting it. A cup of tea couldn't hurt. Maybe I'll give it a try!

​

 

[Pickledlemons]

I never could get used to the smell, though... half kilo bag of valerian made my whole kitchen smell like dirty sweaty socks for awhile

Valerian is used in stink bombs. That stuff smells nasty!

 

[BourbonMac]

I'd use a couple bags in the tea, not just one. I personally use buddhatea's brand which has 5mg CBD per pouch and find this really relaxing. Apparently water soluble CBD has some of the highest bioavailability, edible bioavailability is terrible, like 6% or something.

 

[BourbonMac]

Also wanted to add that Ashwagandha has an effect on GABA and noticeably potentiates benzos as well

I've heard of ashwaganda and it's potential but apparently it takes weeks to really become noticeable, aka reverse tolerance. You can find more info on it here

I couldn't find any sources saying that it has any involvement with potentiating benzos, so you might have been experiencing a placebo effect, or been taking it for weeks and noticed an interaction. That's not the same as potentiation, though.

 

[Snafu in the Void]

I've heard of ashwaganda and it's potential but apparently it takes weeks to really become noticeable, aka reverse tolerance. You can find more info on it here

I couldn't find any sources saying that it has any involvement with potentiating benzos, so you might have been experiencing a placebo effect, or been taking it for weeks and noticed an interaction. That's not the same as potentiation, though.

I can confirm right now that it does not take weeks for it to potentiate benzos. However, I would also advise against long term use due to some things I've been through recently with it, but that's a different story.

When I first started using it I was tapering benzos at the same time and taking it absolutely caused a boost in the benzos, a significant one.

This study is correct in that the anxiolysis/sedation of using ashwagandha alone increases after 7-14+ days of use, I experienced that (this probably has more to do with it's other effects and not GABA), but in terms of potentiation when added to benzos I noticed it right away

Half the alkaloids in ashwagandha are fat soluble, and thus take time to build up in the system.

 

[FuckinAcidMan]

Chamomile is Surprisingly good as an addition to existing sedative properties from pharma/otc sleep aids and so on

I find the fresher Flowers not pre bagged to be better than bags but tea is tea

You can find chamomile In Mexican groceries/health food stores where I'm at most of the time it's much better than like bagged tea

 

[BourbonMac]

I can confirm right now that it does not take weeks for it to potentiate benzos. However, I would also advise against long term use due to some things I've been through recently with it, but that's a different story.

When I first started using it I was tapering benzos at the same time and taking it absolutely caused a boost in the benzos, a significant one.

This study is correct in that the anxiolysis/sedation of using ashwagandha alone increases after 7-14+ days of use, I experienced that (this probably has more to do with it's other effects and not GABA), but in terms of potentiation when added to benzos I noticed it right away

Half the alkaloids in ashwagandha are fat soluble, and thus take time to build up in the system.

I guess I'll give it a try tonight or something. I have ksm-66 tablets and ashwaganda gummies, the tablets would probably be better off taken a few hours before? The gummies are just way too sugary. Apparently ksm can have stimulating qualities too it so maybe I'd just rub off the sugar and eat them before sublingualling my valiums. I can't really say, every other person on the internet describes either ksm-66 or ashwaganda giving them either effect. I really couldn't find any sources on this interacting with benzos though, whether here, reddit or anywhere else. Only that it has been used during tapers. But then again so has just about anything. The only two "sources" mention something called Exhilarin which is not just ashwaganda itself.

Again it only seems that it could help add sedation, which isn't necessarily potentiation. It's like saying benedryl potentiates benzos.

 

[Snafu in the Void]

I guess I'll give it a try tonight or something. I have ksm-66 tablets and ashwaganda gummies, the tablets would probably be better off taken a few hours before? The gummies are just way too sugary. Apparently ksm can have stimulating qualities too it so maybe I'd just rub off the sugar and eat them before sublingualling my valiums. I can't really say, every other person on the internet describes either ksm-66 or ashwaganda giving them either effect. I really couldn't find any sources on this interacting with benzos though, whether here, reddit or anywhere else. Only that it has been used during tapers. But then again so has just about anything.

take 300-600mg KSM-66 an 60-90 minutes before

Ashwagandha does a lot of things to the body

I mostly used KSM, the regular bulk root is kinda weak in effects

 

[Skorpio]

I really enjoy drinking loose leaf (loose bud?) chamomile tea as a way to signal to myself that i intend on going to bed soon.

I've never gotten recreational effects from any herbal GABAergics, so I tend to stick to things that taste good like chamomile, as I feel the ritual of consuming these is as valuable as the pharmacological effects.

 

[BourbonMac]

take 300-600mg KSM-66 an 60-90 minutes before

Ashwagandha does a lot of things to the body

I mostly used KSM, the regular bulk root is kinda weak in effects

I updated my post, but basically, I wasn't sure if this would count as potentiation if it's just adding to the drowsiness/sedation of benzos. Rather than feeling a more concentrated effect of said benzo, but Idk. I personally feel like the chamomile/passionflower teas I have bring out immense sedation I don't otherwise get from valium. Valium was sedating for me at first, but now it's more stimulating. Gabapentin was the same way, but that drug is more versatile and unpredictable in effects.

At least based on like, 2 sources, it just causes more drowsiness. If it was a common potentiator you'd think there would be more on it. I'll still give it a try tomorrow, I forgot to take the tablets tonight. I'll see if there are KSM-66 gummies I can find tomorrow, I have the sensoril gummies but they're way too damn sugary.

 

[BourbonMac]

take 300-600mg KSM-66 an 60-90 minutes before

Ashwagandha does a lot of things to the body

I mostly used KSM, the regular bulk root is kinda weak in effects

So I got ksm-66 "goli" brand gummies, serving size is 600mg. Since it's in gummy form I assume 30 minutes before should be OK. I've heard more about it potentiating opiates than benzos, but others have said it makes the benzo feel more "clear" which isn't exactly my goal lol. But Idk, there are so many conflicting reports about it. Apparently it's very helpful during taper but can prolong withdrawal at the same time. Either way my supply is low and I'm not sure my doc will be in to refill tomorrow (he never checks his patientportal when he isn't in the office for whatever reason, pretty dumb). So I'll try this out. people who took closer to 1g seem to have negative effects like irritability