Comment · Wed, February 11, 2026 · Nootropics Depot & Natrium Health
Ashwagandha almost killed my liver – bilirubin hit 50 mg/dL, severe jaundice & itching for months. My warning story (21M)
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FitComplex2444 · 629 points
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…
What they were answering
MaintenanceOk7855 · 2 points
Probably, for some ppl ash works better than any other nootropics. Companies like this make unsafe supplements probably this will push ppl to sway away from ash. Shoden was among the best supplements I have ever tried in terms of viable effects
u/MisterYouAreSoDumb · Nootropics Depot & Natrium Health
Yes, the shitty supplement brands ruin the supplement market for everyone.