This Article  • Full text  • PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Citing articles on ISI (42)  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in JAMA

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

To the Editor.— Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) root is a widely used herbal product with putative sedative, hypnotic, and anxiolytic benefits^1-4 similar to the benzodiazepines. Preparations recommend dosages ranging from 200 mg to several grams per day taken at bedtime or in divided doses. The optimal duration of use is not well established, although some preparations advise against long-term use. We report a case of serious cardiac complications and delirium associated with withdrawal of valerian root.

Report of a Case

A 58-year-old man with a history of coronary artery disease, hypertension, and congestive heart failure was admitted to the hospital for open biopsy of a lung nodule. Cardiac catheterization 3 months prior to the admission showed congestive heart failure with an ejection fraction of 30% to 35%. On admission, his medications included isosorbide dinitrate, digoxin, furosemide, benazepril, aspirin, lovastatin, ibuprofen, potassium, zinc supplement, and vitamins. The patient was intubated and placed under general . . . [Full Text of this Article]

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Structural Effects and Neurofunctional Sequelae of Developmental Exposure to Psychotherapeutic Drugs: Experimental and Clinical Aspects
Costa et al.
Pharmacol. Rev. 2004;56:103-147.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

The Gamma-Aminobutyric Acidergic Effects of Valerian and Valerenic Acid on Rat Brainstem Neuronal Activity
Yuan et al.
Anesth. Analg. 2004;98:353-358.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Herbals and Botanicals in Geriatric Psychiatry
Desai and Grossberg
AJGP 2003;11:498-506.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

St. John's Wort: A Systematic Review of Adverse Effects and Drug Interactions for the Consultation Psychiatrist
Hammerness et al.
Psychosomatics 2003;44:271-282.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Preoperative Considerations: Which Herbal Products Should Be Discontinued Before Surgery?
Heyneman
Crit Care Nurse 2003;23:116-124.
FULL TEXT  

Dietary supplements and functional foods: 2 sides of a coin?
Halsted
Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 2003;77:1001S-1007.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT