Make no mistake about it, CAM (complementary and alternative medicine) therapies are big business, and it makes sense right? People are initially more inclined to seek over-the-counter solutions for what’s ailing them, rather than pursue a doctor’s visit for something they believe they just might be able to handle themselves. And although all CAMs are most assuredly not safe, users do typically equate OTC availability with something more benign that may not help them, but more than likely won’t harm them in any markedly serious way. Visit your local pharmacy or big-box chain and you’ll find many a customer perusing the shelves in these CAM sections – particularly seniors.
My longtime beef with alternative medicines is that the vast majority of them simply don’t measure up to their marketing and sales hype from an efficacy perspective, and their risk of drug-drug interactions when combined with common prescription medications.
Silexan
Silexan, on the other hand, in my estimation, is a clear exception. Silexan is essentially an extract of lavender comprised of oils and other compounds from the lavender plant. The aromatherapy form of lavender is what prompted Silexan research in the first place, because the plant’s oils have been used for centuries to provide anxiety relief and to induce sleep. The aromatherapy method seems to work faster than Silexan taken by mouth, but oral Silexan provides more potency particularly after a few weeks of treatment.
So how does Silexan work? Silexan’s pharmacological properties fall more in line with prescription anti-anxiety agents. For example, Silexan activates the neurotransmitter GABA like the benzodiazepines do, and it has serotonin activation effects similar to Buspar.
The most relevant evidence of Silexan’s efficacy in generalized anxiety disorder comes from a large, double-blind controlled trial where Silexan handily outperformed the SSRI antidepressant Paxil as well as placebo on the primary Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, and other secondary parameters that measured depression, overall sleep, and life satisfaction.
Silexan’s therapeutic effects usually begin to manifest within 2 weeks, and the user can expect continuing improvement over the succeeding three months for generalized anxiety disorder. Also, not considered a sedative, Silexan does seem to improve sleep hygiene, but this more than likely results from its anti-anxiety effects.
Silexan is devoid of any currently known withdrawal effects. It has no addictive properties or drug interactions. Burping was the only side effect that surfaced in clinical trials of over 1100 participants, rendering this drug very benign.
Silexan is commercially available over the counter as Nature’s Way “Calm Aid” (approximately $24/per month for 160mg dose). As for dosing, begin with 80mg at bedtime, increasing to 160mg at bedtime after 1 week, if needed (most patients require 160mg at bedtime).
Clients presenting to me – and to psychotherapists everywhere for that matter – are quite prone to seek medication to obtain relief from anxiety syndromes, in spite of our best efforts to treat these clients via a veritable host of very effective behavioral interventions. And so often what people discover is that over the long haul of using certain anxiolytics day after day, (benzodiazepines come to mind), diminishing returns begin to surface and then become rather entrenched, leaving them with little to no relief, and often accompanied by tolerance and possible dependence.
So for what it’s worth, I endorse Silexan as a viable choice for generalized anxiety, whether it for clients who have not adequately responded to FDA-approved medications for this condition, or for those with concerns about side effects or possible dependence issues. And for those who prefer CAM treatments in the first place, it can be used as a first-line agent.
You’ll rarely find me writing about the benefits of natural products, but I’m definitely making an exception when it comes to Silexan. For those I’ve recommended it to so far, feedback has been uniformly positive, with certain exceptions to be expected.
Attribution Statement:
Joe Wegmann is a licensed pharmacist & clinical social worker has presented psychopharmacology seminars to over 10,000 healthcare professionals in 46 states, and maintains an active psychotherapy practice specializing in the treatment of depression and anxiety. He is the author of Psychopharmacology: Straight Talk on Mental Health Medications, published by PESI, Inc.
To learn more about Joe’s programs, visit the Programs section of this website or contribute a question for Joe to answer in a future article: joe@thepharmatherapist.com.