Ashwagandha Side Effects: Why You Might Feel Strange After Taking It

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You pop an ashwagandha capsule after reading about all those glowing reviews online—calm nerves, lower stress, better sleep. People call it a miracle herb, but instead of feeling zen, you notice your heart pounding, your thoughts slowing down, or even a weird heaviness in your stomach. You’re left staring at the bottle, thinking: “Did I just swallow a magic potion or a prank?” That weird feeling isn’t just in your head—and you’re definitely not alone. India has a rich history with this herb (my grandma used to put it in warm milk!), but even here, not everyone reacts to it the same way. The truth is, most people don’t talk openly about the downsides or odd reactions, so let’s get real about what’s actually happening.

What Is Ashwagandha—and Why All the Hype?

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) has been pitched as an all-natural fix for modern life. It’s a classic ‘adaptogen’ herb in traditional Ayurvedic medicine. Adaptogens help the body manage stress. In city life—constantly plugged in, always stressed—no wonder people are hunting for a chill pill, or in this case, a chill root. In India, it’s as common in home remedies as turmeric or ginger. But lately, the West has embraced it as a supplement for everything from anxiety to performance in the gym.

It’s known to lower cortisol (the stress hormone), help with sleep, boost immunity, and even increase testosterone in men, if you believe the clinical trials. For example, a small study published in the Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine found it reduced anxiety and stress by up to 44% in participants. Another study in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition recorded increased muscle strength in men after ashwagandha supplementation. Flipkart and Amazon in India are flooded with capsules, powders, and even oat bars infused with ashwagandha, sometimes mixed with other herbs.

So, with all this hype, why does it sometimes have the opposite effect, making people feel tired, weird, or just “off”? Let’s dig into the odd side of this famous herb.

Common Reasons Ashwagandha Makes You Feel Weird

The weirdness people talk about can show up in lots of ways: dizziness, stomach upset, brain fog, increased heart rate, rashes, or just a strange sense of disconnection. Here’s what’s going on:

• Body Chemistry Differences: Not everyone’s body reacts the same way to adaptogens. Genetics, age, weight, even gut bacteria can change how you metabolize ashwagandha’s active ingredients, especially withanolides.
• Dosage Problems: Most studies use specific doses—typically 300–600 mg/day of a standardized extract. But store-bought products might contain wildly different amounts. Overdoing it can quickly backfire. Too much ashwagandha can cause sedation, drop blood pressure, or worsen anxiety in some folks.
• Interactions with Medications: Ashwagandha can mess with drugs for thyroid, diabetes, anxiety, or blood pressure. If you’re on meds for any of these, ashwagandha can intensify or blunt their effects. Stuff like fluoxetine, lorazepam, or levothyroxine doesn’t always play nice with adaptogens.
• Hormonal Shifts: Ashwagandha may raise thyroid hormone (T4) or testosterone. If your system is sensitive to hormonal shifts, you might feel jittery, warm, or out of sorts.
• Gut Sensitivity: The raw herb or powders can seriously irritate your GI tract. And if you have IBS or gastritis, your stomach’s not going to love it. Capsule fillers sometimes trigger allergies too.

This isn’t rare. Around 10–15% of supplement users who try ashwagandha experience “acute intolerance,” according to a 2022 consumer survey in India. Many people report side effects after the first or second dose and chalk it up to something else, so they miss the connection.

Ever wondered how the numbers compare? Here’s a quick look at common ashwagandha side effects reported in real human studies:

If you’re feeling weird after taking ashwagandha, you’re not some rare outlier. Your body’s just trying to tell you something.

Scientifically Explained: What’s Happening in Your Body?

The science is fascinating—and helps explain that weirdness. Ashwagandha works mainly by tweaking the body’s stress response and neurotransmitter balance (the chemical language of your brain). The main stars are withanolides, which act on the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis—the very same circuit that gets fired up during stress.

Here are some things ashwagandha is proven or strongly suspected to do inside the body:

• Reduce cortisol, your main stress hormone.
• Boost levels of GABA, a calming neurotransmitter, making your brain slow down—which can feel relaxing, but also heavy or sedating.
• Raise thyroid hormone (at least T4), sometimes leading to anxiousness or feeling too wired, especially if you already have a borderline high thyroid.
• Enhance testosterone in some men, which can lead to emotional swings or feeling ‘amped up.’
• Modulate serotonin levels—sometimes for the better, sometimes unbalancing them in folks with sensitive brains.
• Reduce inflammation, help lower blood sugar (which is usually good, but in people who already run ‘low’ on sugar, it can cause shakiness).

But here’s where it gets messy. Not everyone needs more of these changes. If your stress levels aren’t that high (maybe you’re just curious about supplements), reducing cortisol can leave you feeling almost sluggish, spaced out, or flat. If you’re sensitive to GABA-like effects (think people who get overly sleepy after a single beer or a mild sleeping pill), ashwagandha may make you groggy or emotionally numb.

Researchers from the University of Madras have published that in a typical trial, about 1 in 15 participants experiences enough side effects to quit the study. Most effects go away when the supplement is stopped, but lingering symptoms, like GI upset, can persist for days. Some rare cases in medical literature describe elevated liver enzymes or abnormal thyroid labs after weeks of use. Nobody talks about these at yoga studios—that’s for sure!

And here’s a twist: the gut-brain link. Some people’s weirdness comes from gut issues (bloating, nausea), which then bounce back to affect their mood. The enteric nervous system (your ‘gut brain’) and your head are always chatting, so if ashwagandha messes up your digestion, your brain might feel it too.

Smart Tips for Ashwagandha: Starting Safely and Listening to Your Body

If you still want to use ashwagandha—or give it another shot—there are smarter ways to do it. Here’s what’s worked for me and for people in my own circle here in Bangalore:

• Start small: Begin with the absolute lowest dose possible. Half a 300mg capsule or even less. See how your body reacts for 2–3 days before ramping up.
• Time it right: Nighttime is usually best, especially if you feel sedated by the herb. But if it amps you up or gives you vivid dreams, switch to morning.
• Pick quality products: Use reputable brands (look for standardized withanolide content). Don’t buy raw powders from unverified vendors at the market—they sometimes sneak in fillers or other herbs.
• Don’t combine with alcohol or sedatives: This is a common mistake—ashwagandha plus whiskey or a sleeping tablet can make you way too drowsy or dizzy.
• Give your gut a break: Take capsules with food, and avoid using it if you have a bad stomach day. If you’re prone to acid reflux or IBS, ashwagandha might just not be for you.
• Check your meds: Run it by your doctor if you take thyroid or diabetes drugs, antidepressants, or antihypertensives. It can change how these work.
• Watch for allergies: If you develop rashes, swelling, or severe stomach cramps, stop immediately and consult your doctor.
• Cycle your use: Some traditional practitioners recommend taking breaks. For example, 6 weeks on, 2 weeks off, to prevent subtle build-up of side effects.

I usually stick to a 2-week test, tracking my sleep, mood, and gut for any ups and downs. If things get weird, I pause. Prefer old-school ashwagandha tea? Brew it weak, and don’t gulp down more than half a cup the first few days.

If you’re a numbers geek and want hard data to compare supplement safety, here’s how ashwagandha stacks up against other common adaptogens:

This doesn’t mean ashwagandha is dangerous, but it’s definitely not side-effect free.

When to Stop Taking Ashwagandha—and Other Ways to Manage Stress

If you’re reading this after a weird experience, know that you don’t have to tough it out. If ashwagandha leaves you feeling unwell after more than 3–4 days, or if your side effects are severe (think: racing heart, stomach pain, skin rash, or anything scary), it’s time to take a break or stop. Usually, your body gets back to normal within two or three days, sometimes sooner. Flush it out with lots of water and avoid similar supplements in the meantime.

You don’t need to rely 100% on an herb for stress or sleep. There are ways to tackle urban burnout that don’t come in capsules. My friends swear by basic mindfulness, deep breathing after a Bangalore traffic jam, or simply going tech-free for an hour. Decent exercise, even taking a walk in Cubbon Park, can give your brain a break from the city noise. Maybe try chamomile tea—milder, fewer side effects, unless you’re allergic to daisies. And nothing beats shutting down your screen an hour before bed if sleep woes are the main issue.

People often underestimate the power of routine, too. Snacking on real, unprocessed food, keeping to regular sleep cycles, or calling an old friend can bring down your stress hormones as effectively as any supplement. Don’t get too carried away by claims on the internet, either—the best research on stress-busting is still about lifestyle, not miracle pills.

But if your curiosity pushes you back to ashwagandha, just keep an open mind and an honest ear to what your body’s telling you. Your version of wellness is yours alone—no influencer or even an Ayurvedic “doctor” on Youtube knows it better than you do.