Anxiety Medications &
Anxiety Medication Side Effects
Anxiety medications are used to treat a variety of anxiety disorders; anxiety disorders are real and they are serious but the good news is that they are also very treatable. Studies show that the root cause is an imbalance in certain brain chemicals, however, certain events can also trigger the onset of one of these disorders, particularly in people who are already genetically predisposed to have them. Although anxiety medications are very effective in getting a particular type of anxiety disorder under control and well managed, here are some basic tips and strategies that can be employed to help cope with some of the stresses and other situations that may trigger the condition: - Eat a balanced diet - this means including foods from all the food groups and not skipping meals. Also, caffeine can trigger an episode of anxiety so try to avoid it as well by limiting coffee and soda intake.
- Exercise - move, move, move and keep on moving. Exercise and physical activity can cause the brain to release endorphins which are known to both relieve/reduce pain as well as improve mood. Endorphins are the body's natural pain killers and mood enhancers.
- Step outside of yourself - no, not in a spooky way... do something for someone else. Get involved in social activities and community activities, this will get you away from your own daily stresses. Take a time-out on yourself too and make sure you do something relaxing during it like getting a masage, reading a book, listening to music... anything that relaxes you.
- Limit alcohol intake - alcohol may lower your inhibitions and relax you initially but it can also aggravate anxiety and possibly even cause panic attacks. The same goes for illegal substances.
- Reframe your thinking - try putting things in perspective, assess whether or not you could possibly be blowing things out of proportion that are really not as bad as you may think they are. Also, don't try so hard to be perfect... just do the best you can and be happy with that. It's not possible to do any better than your best anyway!
- Let it out - say how you feel, talk to family members and friends that you can trust. Keeping things bottled up inside is not a good coping strategy because you run the risk of it all coming out in all the wrong ways. You can even keep a journal and write down your feelings and what you are going through. The nice thing about keeping a journal is that you will be able to track and find trends in what things trigger your anxiety and you can use the information to learn how to avoid your anxiety triggers.
A variety of medications from different drug classes are used to treat the spectrum of anxiety disorders. A discussion of the various anxiety medications and anxiety medication side effects will be discussed for each drug individually.
Anxiolytics
Benzodiazepines: - Ativan (Lorazepam)
- Dalmane (Flurazepam)
- Klonopin (Clonazepam)
- Halcion (Triazolam)
- Librium (Chlordiazepoxide)
- Restoril (Temazepam)
- Serax (Oxazepam)
- Tranxene (Clorazepate)
- Valium (Diazepam)
- Xanax (Alprazolam)
Antihistamines: - Atarax, Vistaril (Hydroxyzine)
Azapirones:
Antidepressants
Please note that the only antidepressants that have been approved by the FDA for the treatment of anxiety disorders are Lexapro, Luvox, Luvox CR, Paxil, Prozac, Zoloft and Effexor. The other antidepresants listed below are also prsecribed routinely in clinical practice for various anxiety disorders but they are not approved by the FDA for such use.SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors): Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs): - Adapin, Sinequan (Doxepin)
- Anafranil (Clomipramine)
- Aventyl, Pamelor (Nortriptyline)
- Elavil (Amitriptyline)
- Ludiomil (Maprotiline)
- Norpramin (Desipramine)
- Surmontil (Trimipramine)
- Tofranil (Imipramine)
- Vivactil (Protriptyline)
MAOIs (Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors): - Marplan (Isocarboxazid)
- Nardil (Phenelzine)
- Parnate (Tranylcypromine)
Other antidepressants: - Cymbalta (Duloxetine)
- Desyrel (Trazodone)
- Effexor (Venlafaxine)
- Remeron (Mirtazapine)
- Wellbutrin (Bupropion)
Noradrenergic Drugs
As with the antidepressants above, not all of these medications have been FDA-approved for the treatment of anxiety. However, they are used routinely in clinical practice to treat certain types of anxiety disorders. In particular, performance anxiety and/or anticipated anxiety, i.e. when you know you are going to be in a situation which triggers anxiety for you. Beta Blockers: - Inderal (Propranolol)
- Tenormin (Atenolol)
Alpha Blockers: - Minipress (Prazosin)
- Catapres (Clonidine)
- Tenex (Guanfacine)
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August 31, 2009
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