Dr. Keith Roach
October 28, 2026, 5:03 a.m. ET
Dear Dr. Roach: I have a sensitive subject that I would like to ask you about. I am a 79 year old woman who is dealing with a lot of stress and anxiety due to my husband’s recent suicide, the trauma of finding him, and all the trauma that followed. I’m in therapy and I’m healthy and active. I do not take any prescribed medication.
I recently had my annual physical and asked my doctor about an over-the-counter supplement for stress and anxiety. I will not take any prescribed medication for anxiety/depression. My husband was taking medication for this and he committed suicide. My doctor suggested a B complex supplement.
I bought a good brand, but when I started reading all the ingredient amounts, they seemed excessive – like 25 mg of niacin, 100 mg of thiamine, and 20 mg of riboflavin. All of this far exceeds the recommended daily allowance. I also read that too many B vitamins can affect the liver. I’m totally confused now. What would you recommend to a patient in my situation?
— SLM
Dear SLM: I’m so sorry about your husband. I don’t think supplements are very effective for anxiety, especially the high level you’re likely to experience after the deep trauma of losing a spouse.
Of the supplements recommended for anxiety, the one with the best evidence is lavender extract, of which there is one brand (made from English lavender) that has been well-studied at 80 mg. I don’t recommend kava extract, which doesn’t have strong evidence and has been linked to liver damage. Chamomile may have some benefits and is very safe, although the evidence is not as strong as that for lavender.
The doses of B vitamins you take are at levels generally considered safe. We used to prescribe much higher doses of niacin to treat high cholesterol, but newer options are safer and more effective. A dose of 35 mg or less is considered safe by the National Academy of Medicine, although our European counterpart says 10 mg.
A dose of 100 mg of thiamine is considered safe. Much higher doses are sometimes used (although doses above 100 mg are probably ineffective since the remainder is excreted by the kidneys). Likewise, 25 mg of riboflavin is safe, and higher doses, again, come out directly in the urine.
Liver disease associated with any of the vitamins you mentioned is extremely unlikely at the doses you are considering. Water-soluble vitamins are mainly excreted by the kidneys. However, I don’t think they are helpful for anxiety.
I understand your concern about antidepressants (many of which are also used for anxiety and prolonged or severe grief reactions). But there is very clear evidence that the most commonly used SSRI medications, particularly in older men, reduce the risk of suicide. So I’m really sorry that he committed suicide despite treatment.
There is a temporary increase in the risk of suicide in children and adolescents taking SSRIs. Psychiatrists and other prescribers should therefore carefully consider the risks and benefits for this age group. Unfortunately, depression, like most other illnesses, can be so serious that sometimes we cannot treat it effectively, or we may not have implemented our most effective treatments early enough. Readers can email questions to ToYourGoodHealth@med.cornell.edu.
Gn Health
