Ashwagandha almost killed my liver – bilirubin hit 50 mg/dL, severe jaundice & itching for months. My warning story (21M)

21M here. Had bad social anxiety, shyness, low self-esteem. Someone said Ashwagandha (Carbamide Forte 500 mg) would help with stress & confidence.
Started 500 mg daily, sometimes 1000 mg. Took it straight for ~4 months.
Then disaster.
Severe fatigue → constant heartburn → whole-body itching so bad I scratched feet, scalp, hands until I had open wounds & scars. Skin underneath was yellow.
Jaundice hit hard. Bilirubin went to ~50 mg/dL (normal <1.2). SGOT/SGPT 400–600+. Liver basically stopped working.
Hospitalized, IV fluids, strict diet, 4+ months of hell. Couldn’t sleep, felt disgusting about myself, thought I was dying.
Everyone blamed “hot food” or “contaminated stuff”. I believed it too. Stopped Ashwagandha, got partial recovery (enzymes dropped, liver size came down from 17.7 cm → ~14 cm).
Then I stupidly started again thinking “maybe it was something else”. Symptoms came back worse.
Finally searched Reddit and saw dozens of similar stories — liver injury, high bilirubin (10–50+), itching scars, same brands.
I hate myself for not searching earlier.
Questions for anyone who’s been through this:
Did high-dose Ashwagandha (500 mg+) cause liver damage/jaundice for you too?
How lo…