816 replies to this topic

[Andrey_81]

I've been taking ashwagandha made by himalaya for the past year and a half without any break with amazing results. Once I contacted himalaya directly and asked about % active withanolides. If I remember corectly they told me it is 2.5%

I decided to try something stronger, just to see the diference. Today I ordered the one made by Jarrows with 8% Withanolides. This should be the most potent ashwagandha available on the market.

http://www.iherb.com...02?rcode=nnt354

I will keep you informed after I try it. As a cronic user I will notice the diference

So Andrey, what did you think of the Jarrow brand compared to the Himilaya brand you've been taking? The Jarrow has a higher withanolide content but I'm not convinced that necessarily means it is any better.

Hi there. Sorry, at the end I ordered only Jarrow Rhodiola Rosea, and I canceled my ashwagandha order. This is because I read on the forum experiences of other users who tried Ashwagandha by NOW foods, which is also much stronger extract, and they had better and more positive effect from Himalaya extract. Not sure why. So I decided to continue with something that works...Is someone here has treid diferent producers please share. I know sensoril is good, maybe the best and maybe I will try it the future.. but my last order was again Himalaya.

So are you saying that he should take it 3 times daily? Once in the early AM, then again at 4PM and then once more before bedtime?

It depends on the extract. I personally take 250 mg extract so I take one every morning after coffee, and another ar 1:00 or 2:00. Sometimes at 5 pm. It depends how I feel. Sometimes even one in the morning is enough whole day. I don' take it anymore before bed. At the begining it helped a lot with sleep problems, but after a while it become worse, so I stopped to take it before bed. My usual dose is 500 mg per day, but sometimes (very rarely) I take 750 mg per day.

I can say that all this depends on the persons needs, and probably on the producer. Maybe if you take some stronger extract you will have to find your best, personal way of taking it. It took a lot of time to find a best way to take it. I just know that higher doses are not good because for one week i tried 1000 mg per day and I felt weard. You have to find your best working dose.

It makes sense to start with lower doses so don't buy extract with more than 300 mg. You can always take more if needed.
I can suggest that you start with 3 per day for one week (morning, afternoon, before bed), and after one week you can listen to your body and take one in the morning and another when needed. I don't take it when I don't feel the need. If I take it in the morning and if I feel normal through the day I will not take another. One in the morning for mi is a must.

Edited by Andrey_81, 07 October 2013 - 09:40 AM.

[jetmango]

It depends on the extract. I personally take 250 mg extract so I take one every morning after coffee, and another ar 1:00 or 2:00. Sometimes at 5 pm. It depends how I feel. Sometimes even one in the morning is enough whole day. I don' take it anymore before bed. At the begining it helped a lot with sleep problems, but after a while it become worse, so I stopped to take it before bed.

you stated it 'become worse' so you stopped taking it before bed- does this mean you were not able to fall asleep [GABA syndrome maybe? ] ?

but overall you find it helpful on the long run I assume?

[Andrey_81]

you stated it 'become worse' so you stopped taking it before bed- does this mean you were not able to fall asleep [GABA syndrome maybe? ] ?

but overall you find it helpful on the long run I assume?

Yes, exactly. I had serious sleep problems but when I 'discovered' ashw. I started to take it only before bed (250 mg), and it worked well and I started to sleep like a baby. After a while, not sure how much time passed, maybe a month, I started to take ashw. 3 times per day but I also started to have sleeping problems. Then I decided to stop with ashw. before bed and from that time all is much better. It helps me through the day (I've been taking it for year and 10 months without any side effects) and I can sleep much better.

I take schizandra before bed (for the past 6 months) and this really helps. I thought that it will bost my energy and I bought it after I read that it's a good replacement for coffee. Don't know why but for me it works completely opposite. I sleep whole night without waking up. Maybe this is because of ashwagandha I take through the day.... nor sure, but I will continue to take it due to its other benefits.

Edited by Andrey_81, 07 October 2013 - 01:40 PM.

[bestbefore]

I've tried Ashwagandha for about 3 weeks now and I've tried 1 cap, 2 caps and even 8 caps, but I notice absolutely nothing from it...I've been using the NOW Ashwagandha.

[unregistered_user]

I am on day 4 of taking the Himalayan brand and noticing some anxiolytic effects. So far I think I am enjoying it. I will report back after I've had more time to experience the effects. Are the effects generally acute/immediate or can they become cumulative?

[Godof Smallthings]

Ashwagandha seems to have both immediate and cumulative effects as far as I can make out from what I've read - several of its positive effects, like inducing nerve growth, will be felt more over time.

I have taken the Jarrow ashwagandha in the past but am now trying the Himalaya brand. Both of them seem to help with mental clarity and stress reduction, but I feel more of an immediate effect with the Himalaya Herbals brand.

[Galaxyshock]

I've tried Ashwagandha for about 3 weeks now and I've tried 1 cap, 2 caps and even 8 caps, but I notice absolutely nothing from it...I've been using the NOW Ashwagandha.

Ashwagandha has lost its effects on me too. Two years ago I could feel it working strongly in half an hour, if I took too much it had a tranquilizing effect. Past two months I've tried huge doses etc but it just doesn't do anything. Same thing has also happened with many other herbs though. I suspect it has something to do with HPA-axis regulation, most adaptogens work through it.

[88LS]

If I take Ashwa daily I start to get super agro and worked up over small things, I wonder if this might be due to the increased testosterone?

[Andrey_81]

Andrey_81 (the thread starter), I messaged you but didn't see a reply yet, so I'll post it here. I look forward to comments from anyone else on this too:

Hi, I read the thread you started a year ago on Ashwagandha, the miracle herb. I'm going through nearly all the negative things you mentioned except sweating. After reading your post it sounds incredibly promising that Ashwagandha might actually work. I purchased some and started taking 1 in the morning 2 days ago. Do you still feel it works as well now as it did a year ago when you started the topic? I bought "Himalaya Pure Herbs" brand. The supplement information is here: www himalayausa com/images/oph_sf_ashwagandha.jpg Am I heading in the right direction with this brand/dose? How long did it take for you to feel the positive effects? Thanks for your help.

I also started taking Jarrow's SAM-e 400 once day for almost a week now.

Hi there! Sorry for late reply, I didn't check this forum for a long time

The anwer is YES, ashwagandha is still working and it's even better than 15 months ago (when I started with it). Don't be afraid to take more because one in the morning cannot last whole day. I cannot remember how long it takes to kick but I remember that I used to take it for one month only before bed (one pill). After that I raised my dose and started to take it early in the morning and again afternoon. Then I realized how good it is. Btw. at the beginning I was mixing it with Brahmi (bacopa moneri) and this was a mistake because brahmi made me feel extremely anxious (once, I wasn't able to speak in front of my whife). I was also taking fish oil which also made me feel worse.

After a while I realized that ashwagandha is the only thing that works for me but I decided to try other adaptogen herbs in order to find a perfect mix.

So, after 15 months I'm still taking asghwgandha, everyday without a day of break. And it still works and I don't need to take more than 500 mg per day (sometimes when I have a hard day with lot's of stress I take 750 mg of extract (250 mg, 3 times/day).

The latest routine I follow every working day is the following and this is the best possible routine I experienced in this 15 months of trying all kind of stuff (this are the brands I'm taking):
- when I get up I take 150-200 mg of rhodiola rosea (the doses are 500 mg, but I open the capsule and take less, cca 150-200 mg)
http://www.iherb.com...35?rcode=nnt354

- together with rhodiola I started to take 1000 mg panax ginseng (this is something new in my everyday routine):
http://www.iherb.com...17?rcode=nnt354

- half hour latter I take strong express (with milk) but only during the working days. During the weekend I don't drink coffee or any other caffeine. This rhodiola+ginseng+caffeine mix makes boost my energy up to heaven and I became extremely focused and prepared for work.

- after the coffee I take ashwagandha made by himalaya. I take the one I bought from ebay directly from India (250 mg caps) because I still have some from my previous purchase but I will continue with this one:
http://www.iherb.com...91?rcode=nnt354

...or with this one
http://www.iherb.com...10?rcode=nnt354

If you decide to try it just make sure it's an extract!

After that I just 'listen' to my body reactions and if I started to feel that I'm losing my confidence I take another ashwagandha at 13:00 or at 15:00. If I know that I have some important meeting or some social situation I take one ashwagandha one hour before this situation, just to be sure that I will remain 'normal' and confident.

If I feel that I need more energy I take 150-200 mg of rhodiola, usually at 17:00 or 18:00. This happens very very rarely because the morning intake makes me energized through the whole day.

A minute before bed I take tho caps of schizandra and I sleep whole night in a deep sleep and with vivid dreams:
http://www.iherb.com...67?rcode=nnt354

I will never make any breaks from ashwagandha and schizandra. Every month I make one week break from rhodiola and after 2-3 months I will make one-two week break from panax ginseng.

This is the best mix I tried so far but there is only one 'negative' effect that I'm experiencing but I can say that I like it

When I started to mix panax ginseng and rhodiola I became more aggressive, not sure why. I have no fear, I'm totally confident and I say what I think to everybody, it doesn't mater who the person I'm talking is (my boss, friend...). I just have no shame to express my thoughts and I feel better than ever in my own body. The problem is that in a second I became aggressive if I'm in some discussions. There's no way that I will turn red (like I used to). I can say that I like this feeling but I have to learn how to control myself.

I read that panag ginseng can make you feel like 'I don't care'. It's also possible that this ashwagandha+rhodiola+ginseng mix boosts testosterone and this could be the reason of this fearless feeling and aggression. Not sure, but I will continue to use all above.

Based on all above, I can say that from the day I discovered ashwagandha my life changed completely in a better way and I feel better then when I was 18. I'm sorry that I didn't discovered it long time ago. In this 15 months period I changed my personality in a better way, all with a help I'm getting from ashwagandha (and lately with other adaptogens). This goes slowly and it takes time, but if I feel so good after 15 moths of use, what will happen after 3 years or more? It's getting better and better as the times go by with the help of nature

And yes, ashwagandha is still my no 1. and I could quit all other adaptogens except ashwagandha. This is a must and all above I tried must be in a mix with ashw. It's good that ashw. goes well with all other adaptogens. It also goes well if taken with beer or any other alcohol and it will turn you into the most talkative and most confident person on a party or when you hang up with friends

Nice!
Have the same problems, especially brain fog and lack of energy.Decided to go with your stack after I read about your positive experience (rhodiola, ashwagandha, schizandra, panax) Will see.I decided to try Ahswagandha by Jarrow after I read that Sensoril should be the best ashwagandha extract.Schizandra is something new for me but ih has a whole list of benefits.

[jetmango]

taking ginseng in longer periods than 2-3 months is not recommended, u shld get tolerance, headaches and so on... might work longer if u combine them with rhodiola, caffeine or gotu kola for example [thats because they r synergistic to each other] but also this should not work good on a long-term basis.

on the other side, u r hung up to caffeine, rhodiola [which mixes up levels of serotonin etc] and ginseng [they're all stimulants] and then u wind them down with ashwa and schizandra..

glad it works for u but I would be afraid of such long term use without any breaks.

[Andrey_81]

taking ginseng in longer periods than 2-3 months is not recommended, u shld get tolerance, headaches and so on... might work longer if u combine them with rhodiola, caffeine or gotu kola for example [thats because they r synergistic to each other] but also this should not work good on a long-term basis.

on the other side, u r hung up to caffeine, rhodiola [which mixes up levels of serotonin etc] and ginseng [they're all stimulants] and then u wind them down with ashwa and schizandra..

glad it works for u but I would be afraid of such long term use without any breaks.

I take breaks from rhodiola and panax, but not from ashwagandha and schizandra. Yes, you are right, I take caffeine and rhodiola in the morning and this boost me up but if not taken with ashwagandha is not that good and I feel anxious and nervous. Ashwaganda 'kills' negative effects of caffeine so im still full of energy but calm and without this anxiety or fear. Rhodiola keeps me going and I never feel tired and never have that brain fog or chronic fatigue like I used to have. Schzandra is before bed, and it somehow helps me to fall in a deep sleep after only few minutes.

[vtrader]

Tried Jarrow brand, wow that is some strong stuff, I got the wide eyed feeling, but it was like being on the edge of that thin line between alert and anxious. It felt like if I took a mg of any stim it would fire my anxiety attacks. It's good but have to be careful what I take with it.

[jetmango]

Tried Jarrow brand, wow that is some strong stuff, I got the wide eyed feeling, but it was like being on the edge of that thin line between alert and anxious. It felt like if I took a mg of any stim it would fire my anxiety attacks. It's good but have to be careful what I take with it.

yeah it is curious... you see now I'm taking it for the 51 day in a row [with maybe 2-3 times when I did not take it for 1-2 days max] and *definitely* I can feel the down regulation of GABA - I feel calm, but there is a thin line between that and a burst of anxiety... exactly as described above by vtrader. Also, I feel the need to increase the dose. Similar as when someone is taking GHB, for example.

So, I will stop taking it - going down to one cap already today, tomorrow also one, then half etc... then stop for 2-3 days, then take one for few days, then half.. and stop.
Aftermath: My anxiety is still here. There were fantastic moments on ashwa and it helped me to sleep better [many vivid deep dreams]. My panic attacks ceased, however, I am currently on holidays so I do not have stress intake from my job.

I will see it more clearly when I will stop and see whether there r any long-term benefits but for now on I can say it has improved my nervous system by like 25%. However, I still got muscle cramps, high nerve impulses in reaction to noise or sudden events [like when you dodge a car when trying to pass the road or when someone burst a balloon behind your head- sadly, I feel them even if there r no such events, and I am considering visiting neurologist as nothing works for me on that weird exhilarating symptom.]

ps and sorry for off-topic - not fully related to ashwa, but maybe someone would have an idea what it might be. On top of the described 'things' with hyper-excitability of the nerves also I have strange patterns of 'cracks'-like sound.

When this happens [no obvious reasons] it goes for hours, and is really exhausting.
It can be stopped when I consciously force myself to do it, it can be started on demand when I want to create these 'sounds' but when I stop paying attention and my mind wonders somewhere else or
I simply get back to daily tasks these r occurring again, which makes me really mentally tired.

It is like tinnitus but I do not believe this is it. I believe everyone can create such sound - it's like crackling sound under your ears when you swallow a saliva. [try it ;) ]

Anyone from u guys ever heard about anything like it?

[vtrader]

I don't not if it is coincedence, but since taking the jarrow brand I've got these strange feeling/pain in my toes and my fingers feel britle/weak, like I could snap them off. Also my rsi in my hand is more frequent.
Anyone have any symptoms like this?

But this stuff has not improved my sleep patterns, I still wake up at 3am, does not matter what time I sleep.

Edited by vtrader, 22 October 2013 - 04:48 AM.

[jonnyD]

If I take Ashwa daily I start to get super agro and worked up over small things, I wonder if this might be due to the increased testosterone?

Probably. I experienced similar effects but they slowly fade away after 1-2 weeks.

[Keynes]

The first few times I took it I felt a rather prominent relaxation, especially of the facial muscles. This passed after a while. Now my noticeable effects are all sexual - higher arousal, better performance, better erections etc. Makes sex more enjoyable overall.

Edited by Keynes, 26 October 2013 - 01:35 PM.

[machete234]

yeah it is curious... you see now I'm taking it for the 51 day in a row [with maybe 2-3 times when I did not take it for 1-2 days max] and *definitely* I can feel the down regulation of GABA - I feel calm, but there is a thin line between that and a burst of anxiety... exactly as described above by vtrader. Also, I feel the need to increase the dose. Similar as when someone is taking GHB, for example.

When taking it long term, I developed some kind of rebound when it wore off.
Now as a remedy in high stress situations I have no such issues it just brings me back to normal.

What works for me in a cumulative, long term way is bacopa where people complain about "lethargy", exactly this lethargy is anti-anxiety for me in times of too much stress.
When on holidays this might manifest as lethargy for me too.
I just take one pill of himalaya brahmi at 8 in the evening because when I messed around with high dose (10 pills a day) I felt impaired (truly tired) one week end.

[vtrader]

Ayur Sante brand
30mg??????????
Thats some strong horse power,

Ashwagandha Root(Withania Somnifera) 600 mg*
Standardized Extract(5% Withanoides-30mg*)

[formergenius]

Is there a maximum dose to this stuff? I've been having bad anxiety and have LEF Sensoril Ashwagandha lying around.
Took 1 capsule just now, but I'm wondering if I can give it an "attack dose" (3-5 capsules) in the morning?

These are the specs:
Sensoril® Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) Extract (root and leaves) [std. to 8% withanolide glycoside conjugates (10 mg) and 32% oligosaccharides (40 mg)]
125 mg

[jetmango]

I would not take the risk... it seems the herb is relatively safe, however I remember when I've 1 take 2 caps of KSM-66 extract [info somewhere above] and on the 2nd day I felt so damn tired.....

So it's better to check how your body react to it, eveyone is different.

I was taking it for 60 days, already coming down to quit as it made me feel more prompt to anger bursts... like sudden argue with ppl etc - definetely GABA downregulation.
Yesterday my heart was beating way too strong, I've took half of a tablet and actually felt much worse. Now I am on a bisocard/bisoprolol betablocker, maybe for day or two to manage this... so - watch out.

[formergenius]

Hmm ok.. Feeling tired isn't a problem for me though. I haven't really ever noticed anything from Ashwagandha, not even when taking 2 capsules at once. This is why I figured perhaps I could use a higher dose. But I'll try 1 capsule twice a day for a week, and see if that makes any difference as opposed to using it on occasion. Thanks for the reply.

[jetmango]

yeah same schedule as mine... ashwa needs some time to build up in your system.. however, sme ppl actually do not feel anything at all

but u should definetely notice results - especially in stresfull situations

[machete234]

These are the specs:
Sensoril® Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) Extract (root and leaves) [std. to 8% withanolide glycoside conjugates (10 mg) and 32% oligosaccharides (40 mg)]
125 mg

This looks like a lot, I read somewhere that you should not exceed 20mg of withanoloids. (One pill by himalaya is supposed to have 3mg)
So one pill shoud give some kind of an effect, but maybe you can try taking more pills as a test.
An overdose of this seemed to produce a very slight nausea and and a longer lasting sedation even until the morning when taken at night.
I had some kind of unspecified extract that was supposed to have 8% and small amounts did produce an effect. I went up till 500mg of this which is 100mg of alcaloids if everything is true.

Im still alive so maybe overdosing isnt that dangerous but you could definately get into the range of GABA withdrawals.

[jonnyD]

Is it possible that Ashwagandha really boosts testosteron?

I am definatly a bit more aggressive and i am getting way better results in gym since i am taking Ashwagandha.

[jetmango]

this is due to GABA mimetic I would say.... same action as GHB. [however, GHB has to do with GH growth hormone also]

anyone can tell me how long GABA withdrawal after ashwa would last ?

I'm not taking it for 2 days now and still on small amount of beta blocker to avoid tachycardia.

[machete234]

Comparing it to GHB that is supposed to release HGH is kind of a long shot in my oppinion.
I havent read about AWG and HGH.

I am definatly a bit more aggressive and i am getting way better results in gym since i am taking Ashwagandha.

Hard to say really because what you describe could be psychological.
Do you get pimples because that can happen when testosteron rises.

Edited by machete234, 01 November 2013 - 09:57 PM.

[vtrader]

Damit after two weeks of using the jarrow stuff the effects have become less noticable to a point I don't notice a difference no more.
Tolerance, I thought this stuff had none?

[jetmango]

I'd say if the mix is stronger, then the tolerance will come faster and will be bigger

[Mens]

Awesome posts here guys! I will get some Ashwagandha today to test it.

[machete234]

I will get some root soon (non grinded) lets see how good that material is.