Anxiety Go Away!

Anxiety drugs are used to alleviate sufferings caused by us during excessive anxiousness. Though it is meant to cure this behavior, it can have certain side effects which can prove to be detrimental to our life. There are various medications used to control this behavior but each one of them has its repercussions as is shown below:

Atarax (hydroxyzine hydrochloride) – The common side effects are dry mouth, twitches and in rare cases, tremors and convulsions (in case of an overdose).

Ativan (lorazepam) – It causes clumsiness, dizziness, drowsiness and slurry speech. Sometimes it also leads to abdominal or stomach cramps or pain, blurred vision or other changes in vision, changes in sexual desire or ability, constipation, diarrhea, dryness of mouth, false sense of well-being, headache, increased bronchial secretions, muscle spasm, nausea, problems while urinating, shivering, unusual tiredness or weakness.

BuSpar, Buspirone (buspirone hydrochloride) – This anti-anxiety agent causes dizziness, nausea, headache, nervousness, excitement, and insomnia. When a person is withdrawn from this drug, we can observe irritation, agitation, anxiety, insomnia, tremor, or even seizures in such individuals.

Centrax (pazepam) – A person consuming this drug gets addicted to it and its withdrawal leads to amnesia, Central nervous system (CNS) depression and coma, or paradoxical excitation, sedation, somnolence, diplopia, dysarthria, ataxia and intellectual impairment.

Librium, Libritabs (chlordiazepoxide) – Most common side effects of this anxiety drug are constipation, drowsiness, confusion, fainting, increased or decreased sex drive, liver problems, lack of muscle coordination, minor menstrual irregularities in women, nausea, skin rash or eruptions, swelling due to fluid retention, yellow eyes and skin. In case of abrupt withdrawal or rapid decrease of this medicine, it leads to abdominal and muscle cramps, convulsions, exaggerated feeling of depression, insomnia, excessive sweating, tremors and vomiting.

Miltown, Equanil (meprobamate) – This causes drowsiness and dizziness, diarrhea, blurred vision, headache, impaired coordination, nausea, vomiting, unusual tiredness or weakness. In certain rare cases, it also causes allergic reactions such as rashes, itching, swelling, severe dizziness and breathing troubles. You must consult the doctor if you observe irregular heart beat, sore throat, fever, unusual bleeding or bruising, trembling, trouble sleeping, nightmares or increased dreaming.

Serax (oxazepam) – This is an approved medicine which also has its own side affects such as drowsiness, dizziness, spinning sensations and blurred vision. Some of the rare affects are mood swings, slurry speech, clumsiness, troubled walking, decreased or increased interest in sex, tremor, problems while urinating and sleep disturbances.

Stelazine (trifluoperazine hydrochloride) – Most common ones seen here are constipation, decreased sweating, dizziness, drowsiness, dryness of the mouth, and nasal congestion. Less common side effects are changes in menstrual period in women, decreased sexual ability, skin allergy, swelling or pain in breasts, unusual secretion of milk and weight gain.

Tranxene, Tranxene-SD- Consumption of this drug causes blurred vision, depression, sleep related discomforts, dizziness, drowsiness, dry mouth, double vision, fatigue, genital and urinary tract disorders, headache, irritability, lack of muscle coordination, mental confusion, nervousness, tremors, skin rashes, slurred speech, stomach and intestinal disorders.

It is best to consult your doctor before consuming any of the anxiety drugs and see if you can do without them.