# Over the counter medications?



## SurvivingTheDream (Feb 5, 2017)

Hi all,

Just a quick post to see if anyone has had any good past experiences with over-the-counter medications.

I tried St. Johns Wort a while back, and saw little to no improvement despite the fact that others have said it greatly reduced their symptoms. I came to the conclusion that perhaps I wasn't on a high enough dosage, and that's why, so now I'm willing to try some over-the-counter medications again.

Has anyone purchased any medications or herbal treatments which have had a positive affect? I'd be very grateful for all recommendations and feedback. Thank you!!


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## TDX (Jul 12, 2014)

Unfortunately there are only very few if any over-the-counter medications that could be worthwhile. I think in the USA you can get naloxone over the counter, but the route of administration probably won't put enough into your brain. The supplement Acetylcysteine was used in some clinical trials against various mental disorders and based on it's proposed mechanism of action there is some theoretical chance it could also work against depersonalization symptoms. Interesting is also sarcosine, which has some evidence for reducing negative symptoms of schizophrenia.


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## SurvivingTheDream (Feb 5, 2017)

TDX said:


> Unfortunately there are only very few if any over-the-counter medications that could be worthwhile. I think in the USA you can get naloxone over the counter, but the route of administration probably won't put enough into your brain. The supplement Acetylcysteine was used in some clinical trials against various mental disorders and based on it's proposed mechanism of action there is some theoretical chance it could also work against depersonalization symptoms. Interesting is also sarcosine, which has some evidence for reducing negative symptoms of schizophrenia.


Thank you for your reply. Unfortunately I failed to mention that I'm in the UK, so I'm not sure as the availability of these medications in my country.

I hadn't heard of Sarcosine, however it sounds very interesting and I shall definitely look into that. Thanks again!


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## eddy1886 (Oct 11, 2012)

Alot of herbal remedies and over the counter remedies are simply snake oil....Thats probably the reason they are over the counter...

To be honest at best you will get a placebo affect from an over the counter treatment (If you are lucky)

Ive been visiting this site for many years now and read many posts as regards freely available treatments......I still havent come across any posts where anybody had any success with anything that isnt prescribed by a psychiatrist....

Maybe its out there waiting for us all....

Treatment for DP in any shape or form is total trial and error guess work......


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## HopingCat36 (Jun 17, 2017)

I spent over 1,000 bucks on natural remedies and going to a holistic doctor that got me absolute nowhere. I am still in this hell no matter how hard I try to stay away from medications. I have come to the conclusion that whatever imbalance my brain has I can't fix alone. And it's taken a damn long time to fix itself so I am now going to try medication. I am willing to try anything to get out this damn hell. Keep trying to find what works and don't give up!


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## Phantasm (Jul 16, 2017)

Most meds are derived from plants, so the original sources can be effective. Milder maybe, but also safer. St John's wort is a recognized anti-depressant, and 5-HTP is also helpful. As with anything, I guess it just depends on what's required.


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## drewr007 (Sep 21, 2017)

Natural products are not necessarily safer. Rx drugs have much more rigorous standards for development and manufacturing (at least in U.S). That's one of the reasons they cost more.

St John's wort for example has a lot more drug interactions than any other anti depressant. Not saying it's a bad option but anything prescription or over the counter has potential side effects and you should talk to your health care provider. If you don't trust your current health care provider find one that you do trust.

That said I personally take OTC and natural things as well as prescription drugs so I'm not saying they don't have benefit. The best protection against side effects of any sort is educating yourself and reaching out to trusted providers.


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## 106473 (Feb 7, 2017)

After many many many wasted thousands.. 5-HTP if you aren't taking something for depression is like a mild SSRI but you may as well get the real thing and I take Fish Oil based on trials and the fact I don't eat fish, but you take it away tomorrow i'd probably never notice. DMAE did something but stopped working and what the something was I couldn't even put my finger on. Alpha GPC is good for memory and I cycle this but that's mainly because of a Benadryl incident, never touch that stuff. Taurine made me get a good sleep for about a week and stopped working. Other than that, I never noticed a thing from anything.

What a giant waste of money.

EDIT: Magnesium is good

Key though, your mileage may vary, i'd buy a few good things than go the route me and some people did, of trying the whole shelf.


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## HopingCat36 (Jun 17, 2017)

I spent thousands of dollars on a holistic doctor desperate for her to fix this hell and it didn’t work. She would give me supplements that would make this hell even worse. I decided to stop wasting my money and go to a doctor. Whatever imbalance my brain has can’t be fixed with no supplements. You can take magnesium and a daily multi vitamin but I honestly think people with this need real medication.


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## Phantasm (Jul 16, 2017)

I think supplements have their place and it's good to have the option. Not everyone can or wants to take prescription medications and there are arguments and counter-arguments. There is a relatively small pool of over-the-counter remedies to try that are likely to be effective and you can buy sample packs for just a few £/$.


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