Update 3/10/20. Relora? It’s an anti-anxiety-weight loss supplement that is touted to relieve stress and curb stress-related eating. Relora was even featured on the Dr.Oz show which endorsed it as having proof that it worked. The company that makes the product says the supplement has “undergone successful clinical trials”—but does that mean Relora works? Does it have any side effects? By the end of this review, you'll have a better idea if Relora is right for you.
Relora And Weight Loss
Here are the basics of how Relora is supposed to help weight loss: Too much stress keeps people from sleeping properly. This, in turn, might lead to gaining weight —not only from raiding the fridge at night—but also because it might increase levels of a hormone called cortisol.
Cortisol is a necessary hormone and as such, does some useful things. However, elevated cortisol levels over long periods of time, are linked to some bad things, including loss of muscle. Cortisol can also increase appetite. Belly fat also has cortisol receptors so they are influenced by cortisol also. To quote the Relora.com website:
Belly fat “has four times as many [cortisol] receptors, making it particularly sensitive to cortisol. In fact, belly fat responds to stress hormones by increasing in size.”
So, if I understand this correctly, Relora is supposed to block the effects of cortisol and in doing so, reduce stress —and stress-induced eating—helping people sleep better and reduce belly fat.
As an aside, the weight loss supplement Relacore is also touted to reduce cortisol levels. See my my review of Relacore for more information.
For more info on cortisol as it relates to appetite and weight gain, see this page from the University of New Mexico.
All this sounds good —but is there any proof that Relora reduces cortisol levels or helps people lose weight? There is some research on Relora and I will review that research below.
Relora Ingredients
Relora has 250 mg per serving and is composed of these ingredients:
- Magnolia Officinalis
- Phellodendron amurense Bark
Relora also has a little bit of calcium but because its only 38 mg per pill, I won't review it here. I don't think the calcium adds anything to the product. Relora is also Kosher certified.
Relora Research
On the product website, it's said that Relora “has undergone successful clinical trials.”
Here is a summary of the research:
Study 1
Anxiolytic properties of botanical extracts in the chick social separation-stress procedure. The word anxiolytic is science talk for “anti-anxiety.” This study was published in 2001 in the journal, Psychopharmacology.
This study used baby chicks. Researchers injected various herbal extracts into baby chicks and put them in stressful situations and measured how many “distress vocalizations” were heard.
To me, this sounds like they listened to how loudly the baby chicks cried when putting in a stressful situation.
At the end of the study, the baby chicks getting Relora (called “NPS00039” in the study) seemed to have fewer distress vocalizations than those getting other herbal preparations.
It's important to know these facts about this study:
1. Relora was injected into baby chicks.
2. This was not a human study.
3. Researchers did not measure levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
Study 2
Relaxation During Weight Loss: Relieving Stress with an Herbal Combination. This paper relates various past investigations and summaries a new study where researchers took 26 overweight women (age 20-50) with a history of stress eating and gave them either relora or a placebo. It was said that the woman getting the placebo gained weight while those taking Relora lost weight.
But, there are some potential problems with this study:
- I could not tell how much relora the women took
- I could not tell how long the study lasted
- There were more people in the Relora group (16) than the placebo group (10). I wonder if this played a role in the study outcomes?
- It was said that there was a “non significant trend” toward lower average cortisol levels in the Relora group. That's fancy talk for cortisol did not change.
- Also, for the math nerds reading this, the p value was set to p<0.89. This is higher than many other studies.
- The head researcher was the CEO of Next Pharmaceuticals and appears on the Relora patent as one of the inventors of it.
Study 3
This study was published in 2006 in a journal called Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine. As stated in the title, this is a pilot study (preliminary study). In the study, 42 healthy, overweight, premenopausal women were given either Relora (250 mg, 3 times per day, which is 750 mg total per day) or a placebo, for 6 weeks. I could not determine from the study what the placebo was.
All subjects completed a 3-day food journal before and after the study. The majority of people in both groups were Hispanic.
Results:
At the end of the study, researchers noted that:
- Only 28 people completed the study (15 people dropped out).
- Greater dropout rates occurred in the placebo group (unknown reasons why).
- Those getting Relora saw no significant gain in weight. Conversely, there was significant weight gain in the placebo group.
- Those getting Relora saw a significant decrease in systolic blood pressure (5 mm Hg) compared to the placebo group.
- Both the placebo group and Relora group showed significant decreases in anxiety level.
- There were no significant changes in cortisol levels in either group. In the study, researchers said there was “a non significant trend toward lowered cortisol levels in the Relora group.” That's fancy talk for, “we didn’t see any significant changes in cortisol levels.”
Problems With This Study:
- A lot of people dropped out of the study.
- Both placebo and Relora groups showed significant reductions in anxiety.
- They didn’t tell us what the placebo was.
- Relora did not significantly reduce cortisol levels (Remember, Relora is touted to reduce cortisol levels).
Study 4
This study was published in 2008 in the Journal Nutrition and looked at the effects of Relora on stress, anxiety, and sleep in 40 healthy premenopausal women (only 26 women completed the study).
Women were randomly given either a placebo or Relora (250 mg 3 times a day, which is 750 mg total per day) for 6 weeks. We are not told what the placebo was except that it was identical in size, shape, and color.
Results:
- No significant change in cortisol levels in either placebo or Relora groups.
- Both groups reported significantly less anxiety on questionnaires but those in the Relora group reported almost twice as much of a decrease.
- No significant change in blood pressure in either Relora or placebo groups
- No significant change in any lab tests including TSH levels, which are an indication of thyroid function (This is odd. See the side effects section below).
- No significant changes in appetite or calories eaten in either Relora or placebo groups.
- No significant changes in body weight, waist circumference, hip circumference or waist- to- hip ratio in either placebo group or Relora group.
Summary Of Relora Research
Looking at the 4 Relora studies listed on the New Pharmaceuticals website, this is what I see:
1. A study from 2001 of baby chicks noting less anxiety when Relora was injected. No measurement of cortisol was taken.
2. A pre-publication draft of a review paper (2005 study).
3. A pilot study from 2006 with a high dropout rate showing no significant cortisol reduction —but no gaining of weight either —compared to placebo. Both placebo and Relora group showed “significant” reductions in anxiety.
4. A pilot study from 2008 noting no significant reduction in cortisol levels, no change in appetite or body weight.
5. There are 4 studies listed but only 3 seem to be original scientific research.
6. Of the 3 original research studies, only 2 studies involved humans (the 2006 and 2008 studies). Both of these studies are preliminary studies (pilot studies) with small groups of people and both had a high dropout rate.
7. Neither of the 2 human studies of Relora showed that it significantly reduced cortisol levels.
So, where is the proof that Relora reduces cortisol levels? Dr. Oz said there was proof.
Update
In 2013 a new Relora study published. It was titled Effect of Magnolia officinalis and Phellodendron amurense (Relora®) on cortisol and psychological mood state in moderately stressed subjects. This study lasted 4 weeks and involved 56 men and women who randomly received either a placebo or 500 mg of Relora per day.
Note, 500 mg used in this study is less than that used in the 2 studies summarized above (which used 750mg per day).
People were screened for psychological stress, body fat and salivary cortisol levels. Cortisol was measured several times a day. Body fat was determined with the Tanita BDF-300A bioelectrical impedance, a device that, according to the product's website, is said to measure body fat levels within 5% of that obtained with DEXA scan (a very accurate body fat method).
At the end of the study, no significant side effects were reported.
The following changes were seen in those who received Relora compared to placebo:
- 18% reduction in salivary cortisol levels (significant reduction)
- Significant improvements in overall stress, mood, and several other indicators of psychological stress
- No significant change in body weight or percent body fat
The study notes that it was funded by Next Pharmaceuticals (the makers of Relora) but that they had no influence on the outcomes. The researchers had no financial ties to Next Pharmaceuticals. The study was conducted by SupplementWatch.com a website that reviews supplements. The study notes that two of the researchers are employees of MonaVie, which has a product that contains Relora as one of its ingredients.
For more information, here is my review of MonaVie Essential which is different than the product that contains Relora.
Dr. Oz And Relora
Here is the video clip of Relora featured on the Dr. Oz Show (the video has since been removed from the Dr. Oz website). While the clip has been removed from the Dr. Oz website, at about 1 minute into the segment, Dr. Oz says:
“They have done studies that have shown that that you can reduce those cortisol levels I'm speaking about, especially at night.”
But, in my review of research, I saw no good proof that Relora significantly reduced cortisol levels. I know Dr. Oz knows how to read a scientific study so, I believe Dr. Oz was basing his words on an incorrect summary of research his staff provided him.
Dr. Oz goes on to say:
“I want you to remember this. If you're taking these belly busters, you also have to do your part too, but I know you need crutches…”
I think this statement, in a nutshell, summarizes why Dr. Oz talks about weight loss products on his TV show. I believe his hope is that they will be used as “crutches” and not to replace diet and exercise.
I think his hope is that people might use them as something tangible —something that can be seen, touched, and tasted —to help them hold onto when the going gets tough.
In this way, I believe the weight loss supplements Dr. Oz mentions (all of them!) are, mostly like placebos, giving people something to believe in. This is not necessarily bad if the product is safe and does not break bank accounts.
For those who are interested here is Relora on Amazon.com. Be sure to read the reviews for more insights.
Does Relora Reduce Cortisol Levels?
If I look only at the research presented on the product website, there appears to be little evidence that Relora significantly reduces cortisol levels. Neither of the 2 human studies I summarized above, shows any significant reduction in cortisol after 6 weeks of Relora use. This is contrasted by the 2013 study summarized above which did find that Relora reduces salivary cortisol levels (by 18%). Based on these seemingly conflicting results, I believe more research is needed.
Does Relora Reduce Blood Pressure?
Currently, I think this is debatable. In the pilot study from 2006, researchers noted a small (5 mm hg) reduction in systolic blood pressure after Relora use. But, in the 2008 Relora pilot study, no significant change in blood pressure was seen.
Who Makes Relora?
According to the Relora website, the product is made by a company called, Next Pharmaceuticals. Next Pharmaceuticas was purchased by InterHealth Nutraceuticals. InterHealth was eventually purchased by the Swiss company called Lonza (Lonza.com)
Relora Side Effects
Since there is not much published research on humans, side effects are difficult to determine. In the Relora pilot study from 2006, side effects that were noted by one person included heartburn, hands shaking, perilabial numbness (numbness around the lips/mouth), sexual problems and thyroid problems. The physician overseeing this study noted that these effects “were possibly related” to Relora.
Another person in this study reported fatigue and headaches. The physician of the study noted that these side effects were “possibly not related” to Relora.
Heartburn, hands shaking, perilabial numbness, sexual problems and thyroid problems were also mentioned as side effects experienced by some people. The 2008 study above also noted that there were no changes in TSH levels from Relora. TSH is a measure of how well the thyroid if working. So, I'm not sure who was reporting thyroid problems?
In the 2013 study reported in the “update” above no side effects were reported.
People who took Relora and commented at Amazon -and gave it 1 star – noted that it was associated with headaches, feelings of drowsiness/foggy feelings. While some people feel Relora helped them lose weight and feel better, others say they felt no change at all.
In the comments section below, some people have reported vivid dreams and nightmares after taking Relora. See the comments for more information.
How Much To Take?
Dr. Oz said he recommended 250 mg, three times per day (one with every meal). That's 750 mg total per day. This is the same amount that was used in the two human studies I summarized above. In the 2013 study summarized above which did see reductions in cortisol, only 500 mg per day was used.
Tip. I think it's wise to start all new supplements with less than is recommended for the first week to see how you respond as far as side effects are concerned.
Does Relora Work?
I'm sure there will be people who say that Relora worked for them—and that’s great. But, my question is, did Relora work because people thought it worked (by acting as a crutch as Dr. Oz hinted) or because it actually reduced stress levels and cortisol levels? I'm inclined to think Relora may have an effect on your mood.
I’ve used Relora over the years to combat anxiety and sleep issues. It has really helped me. The first time I used it was when a Naturopath recommended it. My cortisol was very high and she combined it with PS (phosphatidylserine). Relora at night and PS 4x a day. It took time but my morning cortisol dropped significantly over the course of several months.
I also took time off work because I was overworked and stressed. As an aide to help it’s fine but it’s not a magic pill. Proper diet, rest and exercise and a more balanced lifestyle is what really works to keep your cortisol down.
Hi Kathie, thanks for sharing. I’m happy to hear Relora helped you.
I see a lot of comments reflecting mostly on sleep and stress, very little about anxiety.
Recently I’ve developed social anxiety here at work. I’m in sales and when I’m with a customer everything will be going ok, but suddenly, right out of the blue and for no reason, it’ll hit so hard that I have to lie to the customer and say I feel really light headed and excuse myself.
For me, the effects are that I can barely formulate a sentence. I see all the words but they’re all mixed up, I can’t organize my thoughts. Occasionally I’ll have mild numbness in the hands and arms or severe trembling in my hands, and, in general, the anxiety makes it really hard to think that I just need to escape/retreat. Forget about looking anyone in the eye and smiling.
Is Relora going to help with this type of anxiety? I’m currently taking Lorazepam which has been helping but as I slowly start to need more and more of it, I understand this is a Benzo and is something I gotta get off of sooner rather than later.
Thank you for any input!
Hi Jay, I wish I had an answer for you. I honestly do not know if Relora would help you or not. Why dont you try this: show Relora to your pharmacist and ask if there will be any interaction with the meds you are already taking. If you try Relora, let us know if it helps or doesn’t. As a sales person, have you read any of the books by Zig Zigler? He was probably the best sales person in America.
That’s a good idea, thank you! In fact yes! I have one of his audio books that I listen to in my car two or three times a year.
(And wow, talk about fast response time! I was only half expecting to ‘maybe’ get a response in a months time)
Hey Jay, glad to help. I try to be good with getting back to people. I’ve asked questions on websites and never got replies so I know what you mean. Zig Zigler also had a podcast on I tunes (called the “Zig Zigler podcast”) that I listen to. This weeks episode is on sales. You might find it interesting too 🙂
So I’ve finally found a local store here where I can buy Relora. It’s 300mg and recommended 3 times a day (as per the bottle). It’s been about 3 weeks now and I do see it helping to an extent. The effects were immediate too, I started the night before my work (so that I wouldn’t be trying it first time at work) and took another one in the morning before work. On average I do take 3 a day… morning, midday/evening, bedtime depending on work schedule.
For me, it does help keep things in check so that during my daily routine I can stay calm during those times that I would normally start to feel the anxiety build up.
Where it fails me is when I have that angry customer that’s ‘all in your face’. For those scenarios I do need to rely on Lorazepam.
So in all, Relora has cut down the frequency in needing to take Lorazepam every day, but it doesn’t completely stop the anxiety. I’ve been taking both with little problems to note. Depending on the day, instead of taking 7 or 8 doses of Lorazepam a week, I’m down to probably 4 or 5 which is a win in my books.
MORNING AND DAYTIME
Regarding drowsiness with Relora, it doesn’t happen, but it’s the same for me with Lorazepam. Although that’s supposed to cause drowsiness, it doesn’t during the day (I only take 0.5mg per dose though).
Lorazepam will affect me later in the day though. If I take Lorazepam at 6pm and get home from work at 9:30, if I don’t find a way to stay active, I’ll fall asleep on the couch for a good 2 hours (Again also note I have bad sleep quality, averaging 5 hours of sleep a night… on a good night).
Relora, on the other hand, doesn’t affect me this way. On the days where I’ve taken only Relora, I have my normal ability to stay awake after my shift ends.
If you’re taking it before bed, it will help because of the calming effect it has. It is a mild effect so if you ignore going to bed in the next hour or so and keep playing that fast action, first person shooter game, you’ll forget about trying to wind down and now you’ve just taken it at night for no reason.
Hey Jay, thanks for adding all that great information. I’m so glad Relora has been helping you. Dealing with those angry people can be a challenge for anyone. I’m sure we’ve all had “Lorazepam days” from time to time.
I started taking a supplement called Cortisolv, the main ingredient is Relora at 250mg. I feel as though I notice a significant decrease in my stress and anxiety levels. I tend to always be very tense and stress out about little things. I also tend to repress all that stress which in turn makes me anxious.
I don’t really know if it is the idea that it works or that it actually works but I do notice I feel generally more relaxed. I also have had very vivid dreams. I take a Garcinia PM supplement as well which has L typtophanwhich at 350mg and 1mg melatonin, and 1000mg Garcinia.
I had noticed that supplement alone gave me vivid dreams. It helped me sleep but didn’t relieve the stress. Hence the Cortisolv. Occasionally I combine the two and the dreams have certainly been out of the world. But I sleep, I’m less stressed and I would rather deal with dreams than be stressed or lacking in sleep.
I really haven’t noticed any weight loss but a possible loss in stress related appetite so maybe weight loss will follow. I work out regularly but this may help control some bad eating habits. My bottom line is so far so good.
Hi Dorothea, I looked up Cortisolv and yes Relora is its main ingredient along with some other things that Ive included in other reivews (type those ingredients into the search bar at the top of this site and those reviews should show up). Thanks for the heads up on that supplement.
Be careful with garcinia cambogia supplements. There have been some reports of garcinia causing liver problems. I’m also not convinced it works. See the garcinia cambogia review for more on this.
Keep us posted on your progress.
I came upon Relora in 2009 when I was under stress because of a lawsuit. The stress was noticeable in my very light sleeping at night and some irritability by day. Most of all, I missed having a good night’s sleep. Relora never put me to sleep, but once I was there, I stayed asleep and got good rest. It really helped me through a difficult 3 months. If I had any weight loss – which I was not particularly seeking, it would have been from the stress.
More recently, now 2017, I’m again in an unusually stressful situation and thought I’d try Relora again because my sleep has been so light and unsatisfying. Ahh… I feel like I’m in heaven now that I can sleep well again.
I started with 1 tablet by day and 2 before bed….now will go down to 2 before bed which is what I did the first go around.
Hi Margaret, thanks for sharing. I’m happy that Relora has helped you sleep better.
Thank you so much for going into such detail and doing so much research and sharing with the public. I found your information extremely useful.
Having said that, I have been taking Relora for about 8 months now. I think the biggest benefit for me is that it took away that “stressed out” feeling I had been experiencing for a couple of years. In turn, it enhanced my mood and helped me snack less. I started taking it at the same time I began taking some daily vitamins and a probiotic. I have, over this period of time, lost about 30 pounds.
I came to your information when I was searching for side effects and possible long term effects of taking Relora. I, myself, have not had any adverse effect from taking Relora.
Thanks again.
Hi Stacie, thanks much for stopping by. I’m glad you found my site helpful and also very happy that Relora has been working for you 🙂
I’ve taken Relief for 4 months and I’ve broken out in a rash with dark spots on my stomach and back. I read that this a side affect of Relora. Has anyone else had this reaction?
I’ve had mixed success with Relora. It does seem to improve my mood – but at the cost of severe headache.
Hi John, did you get headaches every-time you used Relora?
Hi Joe. Pretty much so. If I took Relora during the day then headache would be sure to follow by night time. It is a shame as it does genuinely improve my mood. This isn’t just placebo as I’m pretty sceptical about supplements in general, and other stuff I’ve taken, such as rhodiola, hasn’t had any effect on me.
Hi John, I wish I had an answer for you. if I turn up anything I will let you know.
I just took Relora for the second night in a row. I have a very stressful job and have been under a ton of stress because of life circumstances for the past 10 years. I’m also 51 and perimenopausal so my sleep is pretty bad, and I stress eat a lot leading to a 40 pound weight gain I’m working on losing
So far for the last 2 nights, I’ve taken 500mg about 20 min before bed. I slept better, don’t recall dreams were different. I don’t remember them. But the last two mornings I woke up feeling so chill, really peaceful and happy.
Yesterday that lasted until 10am, a full 12 hours from taking the 500mg the night before. This morning I still feel it but haven’t gone to work yet. At 11am yesterday, I took another 250mg and it only slightly alleviated the stress, but when I left work I noticed I felt more peaceful than usual.
Also it did curb my appetite to snack yesterday. All of these benefits are significant to me, and for the relatively affordable price, I’m going to keep taking this supplement. On days that I work, which is only part time thank God, I might up the dose to 500mg in the late morning, and drop it altogether on days I don’t work, so on work days take 1000mg instead of the recommended 750mg/day.
I read many, many reviews before I ordered this and am thankful that so far I appear to be one of the people that gets only positive results from it. We will see if that continues. Thanks for your article!
Hi MsM, I’m really happy Relora has been helping you!
I have been taking Relora for about 6 weeks now due to stress and weight gain. I have been a lot more calm, and down 9 pounds so far. I had been monitoring my food intake and exercise but believe that due to the cortisol levels in body , I wasn’t dropping. I read on my bottle to not take it longer than 6 weeks? Do you know why? And if so, how many weeks can I resume taking it. I feel Relora has truly helped my overall well-being!
Hi Hilary, that is interesting. I’m not sure why they said not to use Relora past 6 weeks. I took a quick look at other supplements I saw on Amazon and didnt see that warning. Who makes the Relora product you are using?
NPI LLC – Next Pharmaceuticals Industries – a Limited Liability Company. It’s how the business files taxes.
Sparkle Barbie, thanks. Since I wrote this review, Next Pharm has been acquired by another company called InterHealth. Ive updated my review to include this information. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to look at this again.
I tried it to improve sleep and it made sleep more iratic and left me with a lot of fatigue. I tried hydrocortisone instead with favorable results. This seems to me to be the easyest way to determine if the problem is high or low cortisol. In my case, I beleive the low cortisol was due to being hypothyroid for a very long time.
Well, cortisol increases appetite as well as raising your stress levels, so that is probably what they are going on. But as I said in another comment, high cortisol levels can be a symptom of Cushing’s disease, which requires medical care.
If you think you might have excessively high cortisol levels, you need to go to an endocrinologist and get tested for Cushing’s disease.
And if you have Addison’s disease, which causes your body to produce too little cortisol, you probably should not take anything that might decrease your cortisol levels.
Hello there everybody! I came across Relora accidentally and at that time (a year ago) I was on Rosedale diet and decided to try it. I felt like wanting to sleep all the time but I took it because I was always told to have high cortisol without a reason except one: too much stress!
I usually had also difficulties in getting sleep and problems with intestine irritated and Relora helped me with all this and also with food cravings. At one point I was unsure if it was good for me so I dropped it.
Then, a month ago I restarted taking it and I felt the same with all pro and cons without any nightmares. The fact is that I haven’t lost much on a diet that was always successful for me so I am wondering maybe was Relora’s fault?
Can it cause thyroid issues? Well, I started having the same doubts so I dropped it for one day and I was literally starving to death!!! I felt to get crazy literally!! I don’t know what Relora does but I know how damn I felt without taking it!!! It was crazy! I am afraid in taking it cause I don’t want that maybe it lowers cortisol too much since I am taking Phosphatidylserine too. What do you think?
Kle, honestly Im not sure. Have you ever had a blood test to see if you really have high cortisol levels? One thing Id say is sit down with a dietitian to see if you both can make a weight loss died that you can follow that works for you. you can find an RD in your area at this website – EatRight.org
When is the best time to take Relora? Morning, aft, or evening? Is there any drowsy side effect? Thanx- CAROLE
Hi Carole, I’m not sure if Relora makes people drowsy or not (does anyone else know?). I dont know if it matters when you take it. Again, does anyone else have ideas on this?
Took my first Relora tonight, before bed. Had the worse reaction. Within 30 minutes, I started to feel saliva and mucous in my chest, but couldn’t bring it up or swallow. Thought I’d choke on my own saliva.
Blood pressure went to 162/103. Had bloating and gas : extreme burping, and felt very anxious. Had to pace for a long time to calm down. Completely counter to why I bought the product: to ease my anxiety!
To loosen my phlegm, to gargled with warm salt water. I also used Vicks inhaler. It helped the breathing. Afraid to go to sleep, in case I choke. Will not take this product again.
Jen, wow so sorry to hear that! I hope you are feeling better today.
It was a rough night. Had non stop has, my tongue and mouth were to tingling. Drank a ton of water to flush out this supplement out of my body. Does anyone know how long it takes to flush out this product?
Jen, thanks for writing back. If you are no better than you were last night I say go to your doctor. How is your blood pressure now? Is it still as high as before? I am not sure how long it takes to get Relora out of your body. I would expect not a long time but I’m not sure. The tingling of your mouth/tongue do sound something like the side effect I mentioned in one of the Relora studies (perilabial numbness). did you buy Relora at a pharmacy (CVS etc?) or online?
Thanks for staying with me through this. It is nice to be amongst people who understand what I’m going through. My BP is back down to 130/83. Still lots of gas in my chest, but I can breathe better this morning. I just want this supplement out of my system now. The anxiety last night was unbearable.
Jen is that your normal BP? Are you on meds for blood pressure? Have you thought of going to the doctor? I’m happy to help in any small way I can.
Thank you so much for this thorough review. I am taking AMS male fertility pills and they have relora in their ingredients. It might not be much, only 250mg per pill but it was prescribed to take 4 pills a day, two in the morning and two at night, so that’s considerably quite a lot for one dose per day I guess.
Now I won’t take these pills thanks to your review and I’ll seek alternatives with no relora.
Hashim, you are very welcome.
Relora was recommended by my homeopathic doc to help me sleep. It did help with sleep, however, I began having very disturbing dreams from the first night. These dreams were vivid and felt very, very real. At some point I decided my need for sleep was stronger then the need to avoid the dreams, so I kept taking it.
After about 1 1/2 months, I found myself in a full blown depression that I believe was directly related to this supplement. The depression disappeared when I stopped taking it.
I am adding to this post to to let others know of this potential side effect, since I see I am not the only person who experienced vivid, disturbing dreams after taking this product.
Rebecca, wow, I am so sorry to hear about your depression. Are you ok now?
This is way late to be posting to this article, but I thought I would add a bit. I also get terrible nightmares with Relora, but I do sleep better overall with it.
I also track my heart rate and my heart rate will fall as low as 40bpm when on Relora. It usually bottoms out at 50 without the herb.
Also, Relora tends to make me very depressed if I take it too many days in a row. In order to modulate this effect, I take about 500 mg every other night, or every third night. If the depression or nightmares come up, I back off for a day or two.
I definitely get nightmares at 750mg and I get depressed after about three straight days of taking the herb.
Nonetheless, it does seem to be helpful in other ways. I feel calm the next day all day long and can quietly focus more so than if I do not take it. So it works for me somewhat if I use it in moderation and not every single day.
I’ve been taking Relora on and off for a couple years now and find it very effective for alleviating anxiety – I take 1 capsule in the morning, 2 before bed (250 mg capsules), ideally away from food. I read about Relora in the book, The Hormone Diet, by a naturopath. I tend to be tense and worry a lot, and often can’t sleep from obsessive thinking/ worrying.
Used consistently, Relora helps (you may have to take it for a couple weeks to notice a difference). I take metformin (I have to watch my blood sugar/insulin but I don’t have diabetes). I don’t have any blood pressure, heart or other health issues that I’m aware of. I would recommend trying Relora to people who are tense worry wort types. I also do yoga and read novels for relaxation, plus I mostly avoid caffeine.
I think it is a stretch to claim that Relora should be used for weight loss. Relora counters anxiety and stress, which can make it easier to lose weight, but that doesn’t mean Relora is a weight loss supplement per se. If you want to lose weight safely and feel better, you have to start by managing your stress, though. No matter how much you exercise, you cannot lose weight without eating a healthy diet, and it’s hard to stick to a healthy diet if you are stressed a lot and binge on junk to deal with that stress.
So can Relora help weight loss? Maybe indirectly, because it can help reduce stress. But lots of other things can help reduce stress, too, like exercising or just finding time for yourself. If you want to go the supplement route, though, I would highly recommend trying Relora combined with other ways of managing your stress, like relaxation and avoiding caffeine (which increases stress).
I took Relora for the first time last night to help with insomnia. I did sleep pretty well and felt rested this morning but did have vivid dreams and when I woke up during one, I felt anxious. What’s interesting to me is that I have generalized anxiety and also take a Rx Lexapro. Lexapro takes several weeks to work. Many people experience vivid dreams and/or vivid nightmares when first starting Lexapro (I did).
I mention all that because of the comments above about bad dreams with Relora. It makes me think that it does work on stress and anxiety as it must be triggering the same brain area as Lexapro.
Kandy, that’s so interesting. Do keep me posted if your vivid dreams continue.
I’m just starting to take the Relora supplement after watching it on Dr. Oz. I took the first dosage the other day. I have trouble sleeping, and I usually get up randomly at 2/3 am and cannot go back to sleep until right before I need to get up. It usually ruins my entire day.
I have been using lavender essence on my pillow and then over a tea light diffuser by my bed, and I swear I have had the best sleep that I have had since my daughter was born (5 years ago). I am adding supplements that I haven’t been taking, but I need to start building up my energy level up again, so I can start working out in the evenings before bedtime. I’m not sure if this is counterproductive to my sleep issue, but I think I want to do that for a month at a friend’s condo, and then eventually join a gym near to me once I start making it a regular habit.
Perhaps once I make it a habit, I will attempt to work out before dinner, since I am not a morning person, evening is probably better for me than nothing at all or night.
Anyhow, I will try to remember to update after a few weeks using the supplement. I weighed in at 157 today, and I am surprised because I lost 3 lbs, so perhaps that is due to the extra sleep with the lavender.
I’m not sure why I said I started Relora the other day. I started it today.
Ameena, did you lose weight on Relora?
No. I’m still the same weight. I didn’t buy another bottle. I didn’t notice any dream issues, but I’m normally an active dreamer. Thanks. I might try relora again to be more consistent, but one bottle didn’t do anything.