Nervous / Mental
Anxiety, sleep, migraine, tension headache, stress.
- Mild situational anxietyTime-limited tension without functional collapse. Nervines are adjuncts, not anxiolytic replacements.6
- Insomnia (non-organic)CBT-I first. Valerian is conflicting; combination nervines are traditional. Screen apnea.6
- Generalized anxiety (mild–moderate)Same nervines as situational anxiety, used as adjuncts next to therapy/SSRI — not instead of them.5
- Tension-type headacheIbuprofen/acetaminophen and trigger work first. Peppermint oil on the temples is the plant with data.4
- Stress / burnoutSleep, workload, and mood screen first. Ashwagandha has the stress-scale RCT file.4
- Mild depression (adjunct)St John's wort has the meta-analysis file — and the interaction file that makes unsupervised use reckless.3
- Brain fog / cognitive fatigueFind the driver (sleep, mood, thyroid, meds). Ginkgo is not a thinking pill for young tired people.4
- Restless legs (mild)Ferritin, meds, and sleep apnea first. No plant has a strong RLS indication file.3
- Motion sicknessGinger has the plant RCT file. Timing matters. This is not posterior-circulation stroke.2
- Migraine preventionGuideline preventives still exist. Feverfew and PA-free butterbur have human files. Butterbur identity is the safety issue.4
- Mild age-related cognitive declineRule out B12, TSH, depression, meds, and sleep apnea. Ginkgo is mixed and a bleeding file. This is not a dementia workup skip.4
- Neuropathic pain (adjunct)Gabapentinoids, SNRIs, and the cause own neuropathic pain. Capsaicin is the plant-derived topical with data — not on broken skin.3
- Sciatica (adjunct)Most disc-radicular pain improves. Plants are pain adjuncts. This is not cauda equina.4
- Vertigo (adjunct)BPPV is canalith repositioning. Ginger may help the nausea. Ginkgo is not an Epley maneuver.3
- ADHD (adjunct / warning)Stimulants, atomoxetine, and behavioral therapy own ADHD. Caffeine-plant stacking is not a titration. Bacopa marketing outruns practice-changing data.4
- Fibromyalgia (adjunct)Education, sleep, graded movement, and (when used) SNRIs/gabapentinoids own this. Plants are modest adjuncts for sleep and myofascial comfort.5
- Post-COVID condition (adjunct)Time, pacing, and the named leftover (dysautonomia, cough, mood, PE workup). Rhodiola and ashwagandha are fatigue/stress adjuncts. This is not a hidden clot skip.4
- Jet lag (adjunct)Light and time own this. Melatonin is not a plant. Valerian is a sleep-onset adjunct, not a circadian reset.4
- Tinnitus (adjunct)Hearing test and pulsatile workup first. Ginkgo has mixed tinnitus data and a bleeding file. This is not an MRI skip.3
- Pre-operative anxietyAnesthesia owns the med list the week of surgery. Passionflower has small pre-op human data. Hold the bleeding plants.3
- Shift-work sleep disruptionLight, caffeine timing, and sleep opportunity first. Melatonin is not a plant. Valerian is mixed. This is not untreated OSA.4
- TMJ / masticatory myofascial painBite guard, PT, and NSAIDs first. Topical capsaicin is local. This is not giant-cell arteritis skip.4
- Parkinson disease (adjunct / warning)Neurology owns PD. Mucuna is an L-DOPA seed — not cheaper Sinemet. Do not freelance a carbidopa/levodopa regimen.3
- Carpal tunnel (adjunct)Night splint and, when indicated, steroid or release. Topicals do not decompress a median nerve.3
- Postpartum mood (adjunct)Screen. Treat. Do not let a tincture stand in for an SSRI when an SSRI is indicated. SJW is an interaction bomb in the fourth trimester.4
- Altitude illness (adjunct)Descend. Acetazolamide/dexamethasone when indicated. Ginkgo has mixed AMS data. This is not HACE/HAPE herbal care.3