Very mild, but useful
This is a very mild but helpful little anxiolytic to have in one's medicine cabinet and/or purse (like the elegant lady in that one TV commercial for it, I carry some with me everywhere I go). Whether barely-above-placebo or not, and regardless of the true mechanism of action, it definitely works to calm me down from transitory general anxiety and discomfort that in another time (or culture/language) would've been called "hysteria". Its vaodilatory properties are useful as well, and have helped me with vasoconstriction in my extermities in a pinch when I took too much of my prescribed amphetamines and didn't have access to any other vasodilators. Personally, I adore the taste--it's almost worth it just for that alone--and the way it stimulates cold-sensitive receptors in the oral mucosa is useful for sensory grounding, of the sort practiced in DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy), for example. It's very short-acting--acts to bring one out of agitated ruminations just enough to consider one's next steps, but doesn't sedate one really or act as a sedative beyond that--and I would certainly recommend it to other people who, like myself, suffer from Borderline Personality Disorder and thus experience many such little micro-episodes of visceral distress and agitation throughout the day. It's certainly a preferable, more pleasant and convenient alternative both to the maladaptive coping mechanisms many of us resort to in such instances as well as many of the healthy sensory grounding techniques we're taught (personally, I'd rather take a Validol or two than hold an ice cube in my hand or immerse my face in cold water). Main drawback I've discovered--and it's a big one, unfortunately--is that, at least if the liquid is swallowed after the capsule dissolves under the tongue, it seems to interfere with the absorption of subsequent medications taken orally, so if you're on a lot of meds that's a major downside and it has to be timed carefully. Perhaps (since the main MoA is the activation of cold receptors in the oral cavity when taken sublingually anyway) this can be circumvented by spitting out the liquid/saliva after the capsule (or lozenge) has completely dissolved and been allowed to soak into the tissues of the mouth, but that feels counterintuitive and like a waste somehow. Oh well. It's cheap enough, pleasant enough to use and seems to work well enough that I always have some on hand regardless.
