Rhodiola Rosea

Rhodiola rosea – called rhodiola, golden root, arctic root, or adaptogen – has been used in Eurasian traditional medicine. Rhodiola promotes good health, strength, endurance, and physical and mental performance.

Evidence for the safety and appropriateness of rhodiola use during pregnancy and lactation is not currently available, and rhodiola isn’t recommended for pregnant women or during breastfeeding. Likewise, safety and dosages for children have not been found.

Rhodiola is effective in treating physical deficiencies such as exhaustion, decreased motivation, daytime sleepiness, decreased libido, sleep disturbances, and cognitive complaints such as concentration deficiencies, forgetfulness, decreased memory, susceptibility to stress, and irritability. Given that rhodiola treats these symptoms, it can help reduce side effects from antidepressants or mood stabilizers.

Drug Interactions

If you are considering continuing the use of rhodiola with psychotropic drugs, you should consult with the prescribing physician, even though there are no documented interactions except for MAOIs. It can also impact the drugs below:

• Caffeine
• Antianxiety drugs
• Antibiotics
• Antidepressants
• Platelet aggregation medication
• Birth control pills
• Diabetic or thyroid medication

Side Effects

• Irritability
• Insomnia
• Increased blood pressure
• Chest pain
• Activation
• Agitation
• Anxiety
• Headache