Over the counter anxiety medicine

Hello- My middle name should be anxiety!! I use to take St John's Wort and a doctor told me to get off it as it was dangerous. I haven't tried any other over the counter remedies for anxiety. Medicines can be very pricey but since our health is priceless I wouldn't chance taken anything not sanctioned by your doctor. I think that messing with chemicals and some of these are very exotic is very dangerous. Take care

@sews -- I think that @littleonefmohio and @gman007 might be able to provide some information about the type of products they were talking about as far as over-the-counter anxiety medicines.

Have you experienced anxiety, @sews?

Hello @sews. I do not have any personal experience with any OTC product I will mention, but have done a little research. The reason I have not tried any of them is that they are contra-indicated with prescription anxiety medications. St. Johns Wort (https://nccih.nih.gov/health/stjohnswort/sjw-and-depression.htm) is the one that I believe has received the most study and some very small clinical trials. It is suggested more as an anti depressant, but there is often some overlap with anxiety/depression medications. Valerian root (https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-870/valerian). Chamomille, as in tea, is not as strong, but does produce feelings of calm for some. Those are the three I remember, but a quick google for OTC and/or minerals for anxiety will likely show you a few more.
Peace to you, Gary

Thank you Gary for the information.

@merpreb, you may want to type that doctors name into this search site to see whether he had a conflict of interest for the advice he gave you. https://projects.propublica.org/docdollars/ I don't think that means we should ignore their advice, but I sure wish I had known my pain management doctor was being so well paid by a pharmaceutical company when he balked at allowing me to use the generic of a medication. Two of the items I gave info about advise you not to take them if you have certain conditions or take certain other drugs. But, you are right in that if you are going to use a product, at least ask the pharmacist and/or a physician what you can expect?

That doctor was my uncle and he was not my medical doctor-sorry if I implied that. The side effects of St John's Wort can be very damaging to your health and his ealry warnings may have saved me from becoming ill. Thank you though for reaching about about this!!

My doctor had me try L-Theanine 200 mg. It did help. I take it everyday.

I have subscribed to the APP Headspace. It is essentially a meditation and mindfulness series and utilizes breathing techniques like you described. It costs about 12$ per month. I am not on any medications and try really hard to stay that way. This has helped me a lot and I subscribe to the philosophy that I spent my entire career (I am 73 and recently retired) being sort of wired and ready for the work day that it is going to take me several months if not a year or so to deprogram myself from that idea.
LB

Yeah it can cause heart rhythm abnormalities

I agree it is dangerous. I fear taking extra things with the "Big 3" due to potential drug interaction.