Below is a little bit of info I looked up for you. Lorazepam is in a league of its own... but maybe these can help?
Kava, Valerian root, 5-HTP, St. John's Wort, L-Theanine are among the most popular anxiolytic OTCs.
Herbal treatments
Certain natural substances are reputed to have anxiolytic properties, including the following:
- Bacopa monnieri (Brahmi)
- Lactuca virosa (Opium Lettuce)
- Rhodiola rosea (Arctic Weed/Golden Root)
- Hypericum perforatum (St. John's Wort)
- Matricaria recutita (German Chamomile)
- Mitragyna speciosa (Kratom)
- Piper methysticum (Kava)
- Sceletium tortuosum (Kanna)
- Scutellaria spp. (Skullcap)
- Valeriana officinalis (Valerian)
- Salvia splendens (Not to be confused with Salvia divinorum)
- Coriandrum sativum (Coriander)
- Pineapple Sage (salvia elegans)
- Inositol - In a double-blind, controlled trial, myo-inositol (18 grams daily) was superior to fluvoxamine for decreasing the number of panic attacks and had fewer side-effects.
- Cannabidiol
As of 2006, only Kava and Brahmi have shown anxiolytic effects in randomized clinical trials, and only Kava's effect has been independently replicated.
Over-the-counter pharmaceutical drugs
Picamilon is a prodrug formed by combining niacin with GABA which is able to cross the blood-brain barrier and is then hydrolyzed into GABA and niacin. It is theorized that the GABA released in this process activates GABA receptors, potentially producing an anxiolytic response.
Picamilon is sold in the United States as a dietary supplement, while in Russia it is sold over the counter.
Chlorpheniramine (Chlor-Trimeton) and diphenhydramine (Benadryl) have hypnotic and sedative effects with mild anxiolytic-like properties(off-label use). These drugs are approved by the FDA for allergies, rhinitis, and urticaria.
