Hello, I have a question, what kind of medicine can I buy in Japan to replace Validol(Menthyl isovalerate), It is a soft sedative that I usually use to calm down myself, since I moved from Ukraine to Japan.
I need this kind of medicine, and that it was prescription free. I tried to use Valeriana but it’s not strong enough.
I will much appreciate your help.
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Im not a doctor. I have not heard of this medicine in japan, nor does it readily appear in web searches. Many mental health doctors in tokyo speak english, and can dispense other anti-anxiety medicines like xanax fairly easily. It is covered by japanese national health insurance.
You might also want to try seeking out counseling to figure out a sustainable way to treat your anxiety. I recommend andrew kissane as his network is good and i found him to be very professional, but many people have different opinions about mental health providers, so by all means try to do as much research as you can on your own before you make a decision.
You can get OTC sleep aids, but these usually contain diphenhydramine, which will make you more groggy than relaxed.
In Japan, there are not really effective over the counter stress relievers.
Go to any local doctor (does not need to be a psychiatrist) and ask for デパス (depas), for your anxiety. The doctor will not make a fuss about it, especially knowing the fact that you come from a country in war.
Just make sure not to drop them like candies; this is the surest way to addiction.
Is it some kind of Tranquilizer or anti-anxiety drug? If so, there are some drugs such as パンセダン（Pansedan）, イララック (Ilalack) which you can buy at drug stores without
prescription from a doctor. Also, there are some chinese medicines (漢方薬, Kanpoyaku) which you can buy at drug stores.
But I believe they are not so “strong”.