DOSE:

1750 mg

oral

Passion Flower

BODY WEIGHT:

145 lb

I first became interested in passion flower as a sleep aid. I have trouble with persistant and racing thoughts when I try to sleep. Passion flower calms me down and allows me to fall asleep peacefully (700 mg). I also take valerian root at times which I find makes me sleep more soundly - once I fall asleep, but does not help me fall asleep. The passion flower makes it easier to fall asleep. I have never taken passion flower on a regular basis, so I don't know how it works on a daily basis. I take it about once every 2 weeks.

I have also used passion flower in higher doses to calm me down in the evening and create a really mild and mellow, peaceful feeling. It is so mild, that the first couple times I didn't really notice it, but after repeating it I have found the same results every time. I ALWAYS have a better time when I have taken it. For this use I take at least 1750 mg. About 35 minutes later (it hits me very slowly) I am feeling very calm and happy, usually smiling more and wanting to cuddle and be close to others. I am more open and willing to talk about personal things. I enjoy music more and tend to get slightly lost in it. It is similar to the feelings you get when taking MDMA or MDA but on a MUCH smaller scale. This is not something to take to get high or for a trip. It is more comparable to the feelings of warmth and closeness I feel the day after taking MDA. My boyfriend has taken it with me and really enjoys the feeling as well. We are both prone to a little anxiety and it totally erases all traces of a stressful day when we take it. I have also taken passion flower and had several glasses of wine. Both my boyfriend and I are more sensitive to alcohol when we take alot of passion flower, but it is a good feeling. We laugh ALOT and talk alot when we mix passion flower and wine, compared to drinking wine by itself, which usually makes us relaxed, but tired and quiet. (I have never tried it mixed with any liquor or any other drugs.)

I have also taken it when I was in horrible traffic and really stressed out on my way to an evening with friends. I tried to plan it so it would hit about the time I arrived, so I would not be under the influence while driving. Traffic is really stressful for me and I have to deal with it alot, and I found that taking a small dose before I left and a little more as I was getting closer to the destination took all the stress of driving away. I did not feel impared at all driving, but I only took 700 mg until I was 20 minutes away. I took more at that point and felt really good soon after arriving at my destination. If you have road stress I would HIGHLY recommend passion flower in small doses before your commute.

A note for women taking this:

It is amazing for PMS and hormonal mood fluctuations, but it is a natural contraceptive (similar to pennyroyal) and so it should NOT be taken if pregnant. Otherwise it is fine, but be aware, if ALOT is taken menstruation will be induced - just as it would if drinking pennyroyal tea. I find it to be a good preventative measure if I miss a pill. I can take a significant amount once in a week for fun and have no trouble. If I take more than 4000 mg within acouple days it will cause menstruation to begin, even when on the pill. Taking it premenstrally or during menstruation will not have noticable effects, except feeling great!

Exp Year: 2004	ExpID: 38782
Gender: Female
Age at time of experience: Not Given
Published: Dec 18, 2007	Views: 75,038
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Passion Flower (121) : Various (28), Retrospective / Summary (11), Health Benefits (32)