Sarpagandha

Rauvolfia serpentina · सर्पगन्धा

Herbs & Roots. Ayurveda.

Also called Indian snakeroot, Rauwolfia, Serpentina

Sanskrit: सर्पगन्धा (Sarpagandha)

Can cause severe depression

The root of an Indian shrub used in Ayurveda for sleep and high blood pressure, whose active compound reserpine is a prescription drug.

Did you know? Reserpine, its main active compound, was one of the first blood pressure drugs in modern medicine, and it was isolated from this plant.

What it may help, and how strong the proof is

Blood pressure. Reserpine lowered blood pressure in trials decades ago. Raw root products are unreliable, and reserpine is rarely used today.
Early proof
Sleep. Traditional use for sleeplessness. Human trials of the root are missing.
Traditional proof

Parts of the body

Heart & vessels, Brain & mind

Traditional use

Ayurveda uses sarpagandha for sleeplessness, anxiety and high blood pressure.

How it is classified

Herbal actions: Sedative, Hypotensive. Energy: warming.
Ayurveda: Neutral for the doshas. Taste (rasa): bitter. Energy (virya): heating. After digestion (vipaka): pungent. Nidrajanana (induces sleep).

How people take it

Not for home use. The purified compound reserpine was prescribed in small daily doses in the past. Raw root products have no standard dose.

Powder and tablet.

Where to get it

Grows in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia, mostly in forests and along streams. Roots are dug and dried. Wild plants are threatened by overharvesting. Products are sold as root powder and tablets, with widely varying reserpine content.

Be careful

Reserpine can cause depression, nightmares, weight gain, a stuffy nose, a slow heart rate and low blood pressure. Products differ widely in strength. Do not use it without a doctor who knows about reserpine.

Avoid if: depression; pregnancy; breastfeeding; low blood pressure; heart disease; bipolar disorder.

Mixing with other things

Don't mix
Antidepressants (Zoloft, Prozac, Lexapro and others)
Reserpine can deplete brain chemicals and worsen depression. It can also interact with antidepressants.
Don't mix
Blood pressure medicine (lisinopril, amlodipine, losartan)
Adds to blood pressure lowering, which can cause dangerously low blood pressure.
Use caution
Sleep or anxiety medicine (Ambien, Xanax, Ativan)
Adds to the sleep-inducing and sedative effects of sedating medicines.
Use caution
Alcohol (beer, wine, spirits)
Alcohol adds to the drowsiness.

Adds up with others that may lower blood pressure: , , , , , , , , , , , , , and 12 more.

Adds up with others that can make you drowsy: , , , , , , , , , , , , , and 14 more.

The honest take

Its active compound, reserpine, is a real drug with serious side effects, including depression. The raw root has no reliable dose or strength, and its sleep and blood pressure claims rest mostly on tradition and older studies. Do not self-treat with this root.