I have recently been suffering from anxiety attacks and tried herbal medicine that did not work.

I don't want to see my GP and am trying to treat it myself. Is there anything that can be done please?

Panic attacks can be caused in a number of ways.

It can be helpful to consider what may be the root cause rather than try to dampen the body's response to anxiety with medication - whether it is herbal or from the doctor. Is there a confidential person you can talk through the possible reasons for feeling like this?

NHS 24 has a confidential telephone service - called Breathing Space - with trained counsellors who will spend time with you helping to look at this problem.

It may be that this service could help you. It is confidential, doesn't share the conversation you have with anyone and the number won't show up on your phone bill.

Please use the number below to contact the service which free to call and is open every evening and all weekend.

Breathing Space - 0800 83 85 87 or www.breathingspacescotland.co.uk

I AM on anti-depressants and have recently changed my dosage from 30mg of Citalopram to 40mg. I am feeling light headed and still quite tearful. Is this normal?

Citalopram is part of a family of medications used to treat a range of conditions including depression and anxiety. They are called SSRIs.

The British National Formulary, which is the book used to tell doctors about side effects, lists dizziness as a side effect of these medications.

If it is the case that you have only just increased the dose to 40mg it should improve within a week or two.

The tearfulness may be related to the background reason for increasing the dose however this is something that you should speak to your doctor about to ensure this is within normal limits for you and the medication

The A-Z Health Library at www.nhsinform.co.uk will give you some general advice about SSRIs. Please note this does not replace the advice of your GP.

WHAT IS... TENNIS ELBOW?

Tennis elbow is a condition that results in pain around the outside of the elbow.

It often occurs after strenuous overuse of the muscles and tendons of the forearm, near the elbow joint.

It's caused by small tears in the muscles of the forearm due to overuse of the muscles or minor injury.

As its name suggests, tennis elbow is sometimes caused by playing tennis. However, it is usually caused by a number of other physical activities. The main symptom is pain and tenderness on the outside of your elbow.

If you have tennis elbow, you should rest the affected arm as much as possible and avoid doing any activities that put more stress on the tendons.