good otc medicine for anxiety, panic attacks, mood swings?
363740
try 5-htp.  it increases seritonin.  you can find it at health food stores.
970585
St. Johns is not a good idea to take.. It's been a long time but I used to take that and had bad side effects. (dizzy, sick, headaches)  I've been on Prozac and gain weight with that... I've also been on Effexor XR.  If the DR ever prescribes you Effexor XR do not take it! It was the worst feeling I have ever had when trying to get off of it!!!  I have been on others and after the Effexor incident I will not take prescriptions anymore... I did a lot of research on what would be safe and I found a herbal pill called 5-HTP, it works I've noticed I've been calmer, happier, I can sleep at night, and I don't have panic attacks anymore.  You can find it online... I buy it from an online company Swanson... I've been using them for years for vitamins and such. They are trustworthy.  I've also seen it in CVS.
16210
As a student nurse, I've just gone thru my psych clinicals, so I feel confident enought to offer this advice:  There are many new antidepressant meds available today. If it was your regular doctor who prescibed your current meds, then I suggest seeing a psychiatrist. A psychiatrist will be completely up to date on all the meds out there, and will have vastly more experience with your specific issues.  I truely believe that 99% of mental illness is biochemical in nature and can be managed by pharmacology.  \n   As for your sleep problems, remember, depression is the cause of irregular sleep patterns and not vice versa.  Ambien and Lunesta are great drugs for most people, but just not you.  People with depression often experience anxiety as well, so perhaps another drug like Xanex will work better at night.  Also you could just try 50mg of diphenhydromine hydrochloride, which is the generic name for Benadryl. That should get you to sleep fast. But be aware that it will dry out your nasel passages and if you take more that 50 mg., it could make you agitated.  My mom did that (she thinks that if 1 pill works good, than 3 or 4 pills will work better). \nGood Luck
449702
i works really well, i know loads of people who kept trying all the herbal rememdies such as st johns wort and wouldnt do anything for them, and it also reacted with other meds they where on! Citalopram is the one that worked wonders for my partner, but all the anti-depressants in the drug group SSRI's work well, its just finding one that doesn't give you bad side effects. \n\nGood luck what ever you choose
184868
First off, the best way to find out about drug/supplement interactions is to ask your pharmacist.  They have the most current and accurate information about such things.  \n\nThis sould be okay for you to take them together. \n\nBe aware that HRT is an excellent way to combat mood swings and depression so make sure you let that modality have some time to take effect before adding anything else to the mix. \n\nSaint Johns Wort is an herbal supplement used by people to fight the symptoms of depression.  It has an effect on the chemistry of the brain associated to the chemical Serotonin.  As far as I know, it is counter indicated for people who are on the class of drugs known as MAOI's and SUI's or Mono-amine Oxidase Inhibitors, Serotonin Uptake (re-uptake) inhibitors.  They are given for depression, mood, and anxiety and include medications such as: Zoloft, Paxil, Anafranil, Prozac, Serzone, etc.  \n\nYour medication is a combination of estrogin and progesterone which are common female hormones and you are recieving Hormone replacement therapy to replace or boost your normal levels.  You already know why.  \n\nA good source of information about this medication is a package insert (which you can request from the pharmacy) or a information printout which pharmacies also provide.\n\nHere is a link for you to find out a little more.\n\n\nhttp://www.novonordisk.com.au/Images/HRT_CMI_AUST/Tricmi3.pdf
1070246
I tried Zoloft and it gave me a lot of anxiety and agitation. Paxil helped alot tho.
667123
I have suffered from the same problem since I was 17 and I am now 22. At 20 I saw a therapist and then a doctor. I tried Xanex first. It was basically "spot treatment." It only worked for about 10 minutes. Paxil CR is the best for this disorder in my opinion. It doesn't have any bad side effects and I haven't had a panic attack in about two years.
625696
You can also go to health food store & buy vitamin B Complex 100 mg. \nTake 1 two times daily.\nAlso, ginseng is good for stress. Ginseng is an herb.
524593
Prescription pills can help many people.\n\nBut since you're asking on an alternative medicine website, I suppose you're asking for alternatives.\n\nI'd suggest natural remedies first. In my opinion, plants are less harmful to the body than concentrated synthesized chemicals.\n\nI would suggest first taking one St John's Wort pill in the morning after breakfast and one at night before bed. Keep a journal of how you feel, for an objective, precise observation of how it is affecting you. (All medicines, both natural and chemical affect every person a little differently.) Give it a week or two to build up in your system, and see how you feel. Then either drop down to one tablet a day, or try the same regimen with something stronger: kava kava or Valerian Root.\n\nJust stay away from Kava Kava if you have a personal or family history of liver disorder.\n\nThe St. John's Wort worked wonders for my brother, and I had great success with Valarian root. My husband uses Kava Kava as needed to destress from a high-pressure job.\n\nAnd natural remedies pose a MUCH smaller risk of dependancy than most prescribtion medicines.\n\n\nAbove all, get those anxious thoughts out of your head. Talk to someone you can trust, or journal your thoughts. You'd be suprised how thoughts stop repeating in your head once you give voice to them. If you know you're suffering with anxiety, then you are self-aware enough to help yourself through this.
577106
U could try Ginkgo.\n\nAsk @ your Health Food shop 4 dosage.
590023
Go to your doctor, get a prescription for either Valium or Klonapin.  If you start getting a panic attack, just pop a pill and you'll be fine..
60839
No, not if by OTC products you mean drugs. However, you can buy relaxation tapes over the counter. Those work.  Exercise is even better. You can buy exercise gear over the counter.
1116230
Nothing to do with depression and homeopathy..Unfortunately.,if you suffer from OCD( Obssesive Compulssive Disoreder) you need to be patient and the best working SSRI antidepressants in those cases is Venflaxin..Prozak don't give satisfying results on OCD..Also of help is the Cognitive and Group Therapy..Wish you luck!!
330573
Discuss with your doctor if Lexapro would be a good choice for you.  I was diagnosed with full-blown post-partum depression with anxiety, panic attacks, overwhelmed by daily tasks etc. about 18 months ago, and my doctor gave me a sample of Lexapro 10 mg.  She told me it could take up to 4 or 6 weeks to start feeling better, but in rare cases one could feel better within the first week.  I was one of those lucky people!  I live a normal, stress-free life (well, there's always some stress, but it doesn't control me), I sleep great, my relationships with my family and friends are back to normal, and life is as it should be!  \n\nShould you go this route, you may want to cut the pill in half and take 5 mg to start with.  I found that the full 10 mg at first made me very sleepy (I started taking it at night), then I would be wide awake after 3 hours.  So once I took 5 mg it was better.  Then I built up my tolerance to 10, I started taking it in the morning.  After about 2 weeks I felt no side effects whatsoever, and the ones I did feel in those two weeks were so mild I hardly knew they were there.  \n\nI understand that there are many who can get through this disorder with natural remedies, but I tried vitamin therapy and found that nothing worked.  It is not a crime or a sign of weakness to go to your physician and get medical help for stress/anxiety/depression.  The medications that are coming out now have little to no side effects, and are very helpful.  \n\nGood luck to you!!
1115294
The meds may not be what's best for you and honestly with the side effects, the cure may be the poison. So many of these drugs have been known to cause thyroid disease, diabetes, liver damage, etc.\n\nI would suggest trying alternative therapies and learn how to control your stress through healthy outlets. I know for a fact that taking fish oil helps, there are legitimate reports, all positive, including from Harvard who has clinical studies that show it greatly reduces anxiety and mania in bipolar people.\n\nExcercise vigorously, that also helps reduce stress. I can understand where your anxiety comes from, with a little one and a hubby at war, my heart goes out to you and I really hope you have a good support system in place. If not, you might consider a good therapist to help you work through the stress. They can also help you find a support group, so you can meet others in your situation. \n\nAgain, I really hope you steer clear of the pills, they can make you very sick and end up causing all sorts of problems. \n\nGood luck and God Bless your family for the sacrifice you are all making.
415504
B complex vitamins will help with anxiety and stress a lot.  You make even want to ask your doctor to give you a series of B12 shots.  Eliminating caffeine will make a huge difference, as well as cutting back on sugar, fried foods, and white flour products. Valerian root, chamomile and ginseng may help to calm and relax you.
434912
I've tried zoloft but I can't take that because I stay in bed all day and I naturally have a temper but have learned to control it. But when I take zoloft I stay grouchy and on the edge. I've also tried Wellbutrin-XL. And the Wellbutrin works for me. It doesn't make me sleep all day or grouchy. I'm always in a good mood and can deal with everyday life and problems. I'm not as stressed for no reason. I'm more sociable. One of my friends was taking paxil for years. And the last year he took the paxil it didn't help out any so his doctor switched him to Cymbalta. And I tell you what he's like a whole new person. Cymbalta is a antidepressant and pain killer combined. He says it works he's not depressed lately or grouchy he's more open minded to things again and it also got rid of his pain from being depressed. You might have to try 1 antidepressant or you might have to try 3 or 4 different kinds until you find the one that's rite for you.