Millions of Americans each day stop anxiety with over the counter medicine. Knowing this it is difficult to believe that finding an over the counter medication that was safe, actually worked, and didn't leave you feeling as if you had just gone the distance with a heavyweight  boxing champion would prove to be so challenging.

Step number one in finding an over the counter medication for anxiety was to call, email, and text a few friend to see what they were taking to calm their nerves during their frequent encounter with anxiety. Beside those taking natural remedies there were those who said they simply had a few extra drinks, others relied on over the counter allergy medications, and still others admitted using pain relievers and cold medications labeled for sleeplessness.

So armed with this information my next step was to visit my local pharmacy, grocery store, and superstore to see what they were selling for anxiety. In most cases you needed to be an expert detective to find any signs of an over the counter medication for anxiety. Most of the products on the shelf were similar to the feedback from my friends. They were chemical over the counter medicines for something other than anxiety combined with a mild sedative.

I must also point out that a couple of these products contained the pain reliever acetaminophen which has been linked to staggered overdose leading to kidney and liver damage when taken over the recommended dosage for a few day in a row.

My next stop was online in search of the perfect remedy to stop anxiety with over the counter medicine. The first product I found was guaranteed to stop anxiety. Okay this has to be the one, or so I thought. It contained choline (a substance similar to vitamin B that no one really knows how it works) and GABA a substance that is thought to slow brain activity.

Another product was very affordable and contained the ingredients calcium carbonate and xylitol.  I am not here to say this product doesn't work but the ingredients certainly could raise a few eyebrows. Calcium carbonate is found naturally in foods and generally associated with bone formation and maintenance. Xylitol is a naturally occurring carbohydrate found in fibrous vegetables and fruits. It also occurs naturally in our bodies. Pure xylitol tastes and looks similar to sugar.

There were also the herbal remedies and teas most of which contained at least one of these ingredients: St.John's wort, passionflower, lemon balm, lavender, valerian, or chamomile.

Lesser known herbs used in over the counter medicine for anxiety attacks are:

 Rhodiola rosea. A herb popular inRussiaused for helping people deal with the bitter cold. It is thought that this herb helps improve dopamine and serotonin levels in the brain and posses similar properties to the harsh prescription medications known as MAO inhibitors.

Winter cherry. This herb is very popular inIndiaas a natural way to treat anxiety and depression but has yet to catch on in theUnited States. Winter cherry should be avoided if you are taking prescription anxiety medications such as MAO inhibitors.

Homeopathy a whole different world

Homeopathy works differently than other over the counter medication for anxiety. It is the science of dilutions combined with like treating like. A typical homeopathic remedy for anxiety would have somewhere between 10 and 25 ingredients stripped of molecular structure and then diluted by a factor of 5, 10, 20, or even 30. The fact that the molecular structure has been stripped away prevents the ingredients from delivering a noticeable amount of anxiety but still leaves enough of the ingredient to trigger anxiety relief. Homeopathy remedies are considered to be very safe, quite effective, and may even produce long-term benefits once in a while. 

In conclusion, there is no shortage of over the counter medication for anxiety attacks. That said, one could argue that someone trying to stop anxiety with over the counter medicine may be faced with a kind of hit and miss scenario. Put another way choosing the right product or herb can be terribly confusing and quite frustrating at times. Probably not the thing someone struggling with anxiety wants to hear or for that matter feel.

On the other hand there are a few products which have consistently received high marks from users. Two examples of herbal remedies would be MindSoothe  and PureCalm. An example of a newer homeopathic remedy would be Anxietin.

Good luck! Hopefully this self-help article will provide you with enough useful, and actionable, information to send your problem anxiety packing once and for all.