Valerian Root vs. Rx's

The first Rx I was able to eliminate thanks to my immeasurable success with all natural valerian root, was Neurontin. 

If you suffer sciatica, neuropathy, etc, and take it, click this link: http://www.spinaltrapb2g.com/sciatica_neuropathy_neuritis__neurontin

The next Rx was Baclofen 10mg BID (BID means every 12 hours).

Baclofen is the prescription pill that my pain doc, Dr. Matt Schocket of Capitol Pain Institute in Austin, TX wrote for me in 2011 to address my painful neck spasms due to my traumatic spinal cord injury.  (It is also written for people with Multiple Sclerosis.)  

Out of the couple of dozen docs at least, that I had seen by then, in multiple specialties related to pain and the spine, he is the only one to have addressed this breathtakingly painful issue with this highly effective prescription. 

I have to say that Baclofen was indeed a blessing for me since I hadn't gone herbal yet.  Baclofen well-managed this very painful issue, without any obvious side effects. 

As nice as it is to suffer no obvious side effects, don't be deluded into thinking that you won't pay a health price down the road eventually, in new health damage, from long term use of any Rx. 

Often times, people end up in a horrible state as a result of such things; which is why I am so grateful to have reduced usage and in some cases, completely replaced my pain management prescriptions thanks to God directing me to go herbal. 

By my definition, no obvious side effects means no nausea, no dizziness, no lethargy, no making my head feel like it is in another room...(like ALL codeine-based Rx's!), and if it added to the constipation challenges that pain pills already gave, who could tell??? 

I started telling my pharmacy that they should hand out a stick a dynamite with every narcotic Rx because that's how constipated you get! 

And that only adds to pain issues because your gut feels like someone poured cement in it.  It also contributed to me getting fat.  Think about it, when you can't release fecal matter, it impacts and stays in you, and you gain weight.

Fast forward to October 2012 when I began taking 225mg of Valerian Root at bedtime, in capsule form, along with 225mg of Holy Basil and Rhodiola.  (BOTH ARE PHENOMENAL FOR NATURAL RELAXATION, ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION!!!)

At some point, I noticed that

not only was I falling asleep better

but I didn't need my Baclofen as before!  

Thanks to all natural, safe and

effective herbs I enjoyed another

HUGE HEALTH VICTORY

in getting off of yet another Rx!  

For the record, I had a Humana insurance plan at that time and to save both themselves and me, money, on my numerous maintenance Rx's (maintenance meaning something a person takes on a recurring basis for a chronic condition), they had me get all of my scripts written in the max dose for 90 day periods and mail them.

When you live with chronic pain,

you also live with lower energy levels by default;

so be sure to tell (not ask*) all of your doctors

for the max quantity allowable by law

for all of your maintenance Rx's. 

*In my vast pain patient experience, I've had too many doctors hold my prescriptions hostage just to get me in so they can keep a full waiting room.  When it comes to maintenance prescriptions, this is offensive!

90 day supplies will save you time, stress and money;

all of which are not only sensible

but essential for anyone living with chronic pain

or other life limiting, energy depleting chronic health issues.

ANY dr. who refuses to write you

the max quantity for a maintenance Rx,

on which you are stable and doing well,
is either so new to practicing medicine

that he/she has doesn't yet have the confidence in themselves to

relinquish that much control

of not seeing you again for 90 days, 

or they are a selfish scheister.

Only you can know for sure what the case may be by objectively assessing your interactions with that doc. 

 If you conclude they have their office billing

as priority number one

over your fair and reasonable patient needs,
then find another doctor IMMEDIATELY.

Case in point, that GOOD doc's know of what I speak:

I saw my cardiologist for a f/u appointment and at it,

she wrote me my BP Rx for 6 months. 

I said, "Wowwww, thank you!" 

She laughed and said:

"I don't hold people hostage on getting their meds by making them come back more than necessary." 

People, that is a direct quote from a great dr. owning that bad doctors do indeed do what I state on this page, that you should never tolerate! 

I smiled and told her that's one of the reasons I love her!  Seriously people, you don't have to love your doctors, but mutual respect in common doc appt situations like this, is non-negotiable!

I love my Walgreen's Pharmacists!

For the record, when I had a different doctor write me a script

for my Zolpidem Rx (generic Ambien),

he wrote it for a quantity of 30 with 0 refills. 

Given that I've been on it over 10 years,

I knew that was B.S. and since I wasn't planning

on seeing him in a month, I said,

"I need you to make it 90, it's a maintenance Rx."

Instead, he left it at a quantity of 30 and gave me two refills! 

Although that was totalling 90,

what it was doing was wasting my money,

by making me pay THREE TIMES more

by getting 30 at a time vs. 90 all at once!

I don't waste my money

so I sure as heck was not going to let him do so.

On principle, I was mad so I called my pharmacist and explained the situation.  She offered a great solution. 

She went ahead and filled the Rx with 90 tablets,

zeroed out the refills and

saved me from paying triple for the same amount! 

If you find yourself in this unnecessary situation with your doctor, call your pharmacist and ask if he/she can do this for you.

Just realize though that rules and laws vary based upon the class of drugs you are receiving so if your pharmacist can't honor this request, don't get mad at them. 

Call your doctor's office and say that there is no reason

to deny you a 90 day supply of a maintenance Rx

on which you are stable and if they are going to,

you want a logical reason why they are doing so

and if they can't give you one,

I hope you will get the Rx adjusted accordingly. 

If you don't, file a complaint with your state's

licensing board for physicians

because they MUST have a medical reason for denying such

a reasonable request and if they don't, they can be censored.

As importantly, CHANGE DOCTORS to one who

respects fair and logical patient needs.

Back to my next point, the manufacturer of my particular brand of Baclofen that was so helpful is listed on the bottle as "Qualitest".  

Fast forward again to April 2014 when I was having a severe neck/shoulder pain flare up and my 2011 Baclofen was long expired.  (I still had some left thanks to going herbal in 2012.)

I got a current Rx and had it filled at my local Walgreen's.  

I actually noticed an increase

in my painful neck spasms.  

I was miserable and at first,

thought I was nuts.  

Then after just a few days,

I was like, uh, even if I am nuts,

THESE PILLS are actually CAUSING

the very issue that they are

supposed to reduce/eliminate!  

I went into the store, explained this issue to the pharmacist and asked if they had Qualitest?  No.  Any other brand?  No.  

I had no choice but to discontinue them and got rid of the spasms with my natural methods above and time.  

The great news is that I've dealt with so much before going herbal that even when I do have them again, I just tell myself to suck it up buttercup and I get through with prayer, herbs, and music meditation.

When I investigated Valerian Root I found out that it handles such painful spasms so well because it is an anti-spasmodic!

Which means that it makes complete sense that it

well manages my painful

spinal cord neck spasms!

FYI, Valerian Root smells like dirty socks.  So if you are going to try it,

have your water handy!  

I know that sounds gross and believe me,

it took me quite a while to get used to!

The great news is that

as soon as you swallow it,

its smell is gone

and unlike when I eat garlic,

no one has ever told me

that I stink like dirty socks....

I just reminded myself that

I got a "2 for 1 heath benefit"

with it; better sleep

and bye bye painful neck spasms!  



To learn more about Valerian Root, click here:

http://www.herbwisdom.com/herb-valerian.html