Anxiety Medications (cont.)
Jim Morelli, MS, RPh
Jim Morelli holds a B.S. from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Allied Health in Boston and an M.S. in civil engineering from Tufts University. He is registered as a pharmacist in the state of Georgia.
Gary D. Vogin, MD
Dr. Vogin is a board-certified general internist, having completed his residency in internal medicine at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia in June 1994. Before deciding on internal medicine, Vogin prepared for a career in pathology and was Outstanding Transitional First Year Graduate at St. Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, N.J., in 1991.
In this Article
- What are anxiety medications and how do they work?
- For what conditions are anxiety medications used?
- Which anxiety medication is used depends on the specific diagnosis
- Are there differences among anxiety medications?
- What are the warnings/precautions/side effects of anti-anxiety medications?
- What are some drug interactions for anti-anxiety drugs?
- What are some examples of anxiety medications?
Are there differences among anxiety medications?
Many anxiety medications work in a similar way , but that does not mean they are interchangeable when it comes to treatment. The SSRIs affect brain serotonin levels. They are useful for treating most types of anxiety. But other antidepressants, including the tricyclics (TCAs) and the monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), have more limited use, even though they, too, act on brain serotonin and norepinephrine levels.
The anxiolytics or anti-anxiety drugs, which specifically target these disorders, work in different ways and have specific treatment applications. The benzodiazepines act on the neurotransmitter gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA). Buspirone (BuSpar) enhances the activity of serotonin. The antihistamine hydroxyzine (Atarax, Vistaril), has a sedative effect by blocking certain receptors in the brain.
Medications normally used to treat high blood pressure also have specific off-label uses for treating panic disorders. The beta-blockers propranolol (Inderal) and atenolol (Tenormin) have become a popular remedy for performance anxiety, also known as stage fright. They may also have some use in PTSD. The alpha-blocker prazosin (Minipress) eases nightmares from PTSD. Other alpha-blockers, such as clonidine (Catapres) and guanfacine (Tenex), may also be useful for treating PTSD.
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