Celebrating and unwinding may mean a drink or two. As long as we enjoy the merriest season of all or any occasion (or no occasion at all in any given day) with discipline and responsibility, the joy will bless us with many happy memories we can cherish forever.
In today’s world of seemingly unending stress, people are searching for a shortcut to relaxation, serenity and peace of mind. While some find these in their own home, with attitude and behavioral modification, others who could do it take mini-vacation a day or two a week. Some who are able to “get off” from the dizzying carousel of life, escape to their hideaway as their circumstance allows. Most, however, just grin and bear it and wait for their next planned R & R.
But there are others who are impatient and in a hurry to get a quick “fix” of instant relaxation and calm, or even sleep, and take pills or beverages which are marketed as serenity sips, relaxation drinks, calming brew, besides tranquilizers and sleeping pills.
The question, as always, is: Are these instant “remedies” safe?
There are dozens of cocktails on the market in bottles and cans, looking like regular soft drinks with a different drug in each fot them. Some of these calming beverages on the market are: Unwind (with melatonin), Dream Water (with 5-HTP), MiniChill (with L-thianine), Mary Jane’s Relaxing Soda (with Kava), Relax Zen (with Valerian Root), Slow Cow, Relaxing Soda, Malava Kava, etc.
Melatonin
Melatonin is a hormone that helps control the natural sleep-wake cycle, and is highest in the blood before bedtime. It is a myth that this substance is effective for the management of insomnia. There is no medical evidence melatonin will induce sleep or make it last longer, like sleeping medications. It may help in dealing with jet lag.
It is prudent to consult a physician before taking any of these beverages or pills because some of the ingredients may interfere with other medications, and some of them may be outright toxic and dangerous in themselves.
Some of the potential side effects of melatonin include headaches, daytime sleepiness, dizziness, confusion, abnormal heart rhythm, abdominal aches, sleep walking and nightmares. This drug also interacts with anticoagulants (blood-thinners), medications for diabetes, birth control pills and immunosuppressant drugs.
Articles from the Mayo Clinic and medical centers warn against taking melatonin for more than two months, and stated that melatonin made from artificial ingredients is safer than one made from animals, which can be contaminated with viruses and other toxic agents. To this date, even the best and safe dose of melatonin is not known.
Kava
Kava is the other ingredient in some “relaxing/calming drink.” This substance is from a root found on South Pacific Islands, where it has been used as medicine and in rituals for centuries.
Kava produces a calming effect, which, on electro-encephalograph, appears as brain wave changes that are similar to those found among patients on diazepam (Valium). Kava is also able to act as a pain killer, cause muscle relaxation, and prevent seizures.
This substance should never be used with alcohol, sleeping pills, anti-anxiety drugs, or medications for depression, or other psychotropic drugs.
This drug, in itself, in any form, should not be used by persons who are driving a vehicle or any machinery since it is a sedative which reduces alertness and dexterity.
Kava can cause liver failure even in healthy people as reported by studies from Germany and Switzerland. Deaths have been reported among people who developed liver failure due to kava. The US Food and Drug Administration is investigating this issue, while Britain has already banned kava. Other countries are advising consumers to stay away from kava until it is proven to be safe. Less severe side effects are nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath, puffiness or swelling in the face, and scaly rash.
5-HTP (5-Hydroxytryptophan)
5-HTP is likewise known as oxitriptan (INN) and is a naturally occurring amino acid. This substance is available over-the-counter in the United States, Canada and United Kingdom as a dietary supplement and used as appetite suppressant, sleep aid, as an anti-depressant, and as a treatment for fibromyalgia and Friedreich;s ataxia. In Europe 5-HTP is used for major depression. Some question the lack of quality studies to show it is really effective for depression.
This substance appears in insignificant amount in food. It is usually derived from the seeds of Griffonia simplicifolia.
5-HTP is peripherally metabolized into serotonin, which, in animal studies have shown to increase the risk for the heart valve disease. 5-HTP increases the level of plasma rennin activity, resulting in hypertension (high blood pressure). Other possible side-effects are nausea, vomiting, scleroderma-like illness when taken with carbidopa, a drug for Parkinson’s disease.
Valerian
Valerian comes from a hardy perennial summer flowering plant with sweetly scnted white or pink flowers. The plant, which is native to Europe and parts of Asia, is known as Valeriana officinalis, Valerianaceae) and its flower extracts were used as a perfume in the 16th century.
Historically, valerian has been used as an anti-convulsant, sedative, pain and migraine reliever, anti-intestinal colic and cramps, and for sleep disorders. Pills from valerian roots are marketed as over-the-counter herbal medication. The drug seems to alleviate anxieties but it has also been reported to lead to headaches, agitation and nightmares among some persons. Other adverse reactions may include, apathy, stomach ache, mental fullness, mild depression, dizziness. Liver toxicity has been seen even after short term use in some patients. Taking the drug long term may be followed by withdrawal and delirium.
Unfortunately long term studies about its safety are absent. Its uses in epilepsy are not supported by research. In view of lack of standardization, the proper dosage for this drug is hard to determine precisely. Pregnant women are warned against taking valerian.
According to some reports, “while it’s used for various nervous system disorders, it is noted that excessively, it may dull the mind or cause severe conditions such as central paralysis, thus it is recommended to be used under the supervision of a doctor.”
All drugs, without exception, have potential adverse side-effects, some minor, others moderate, and in some cases, fatal. These “relaxation drinks “are “downers,” and, like the “energy drinks, ”which are “uppers,” are all dangerous and really unnecessary. None of them is healthier than filtered fresh water.
When it comes to relaxation, there is nothing better, safer, and healthier than the drug-free old fashion way of unwinding by communing with nature to achieve and enjoy rest and serenity.
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Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus in Northwest Indiana and chairman of cardiac surgery from 1997 to 2010 at Cebu Doctors University Hospital, where he holds the title of Physician Emeritus in Surgery, is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the Philippine College of Surgeons, and the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society. He is the chairman of the Filipino United Network – USA, a 501(c)(3) humanitarian foundation in the United States. Email: [email protected]
