Anxiety Go Away!

The treatment regime differs from individual to individual depending on their symptoms and response.

Drugs to alleviate anxiety symptoms can be classified in two groups:

Antidepressants – This class of drugs is used to treat mood-related disorders, specifically depression and anxiety. They increase the brain chemicals that help in transmitting signals from one neuron to another. By increasing the quantity of active brain neurotransmitters they tend to lift the mood. This by itself is not a cure for anxiety; however, it helps in alleviating symptoms of anxiety. As antidepressants do not target the root cause, they work best when coupled with psychotherapy and other alternative treatments.

This class of anti-anxiety drugs usually takes 3-4 weeks of use to be fully effective. Side effects may be mild and tend to disappear with persistent use. Possible side effects include drowsiness, blurred vision, nausea and vomiting. If the discomfort persists, you should report it to your health care provider. Commonly used antidepressant drugs are: Sertraline, Escitalopram, Fluoxetine, Bupropion, Paroxetine, Venlafaxine, Citalopram, Trazodone, Amitriptyline, Duloxetine, Mirtazapine and Nortriptyline,

Anxiolytic Drugs: These anti-anxiety drugs are also referred to as minor tranquillisers. They provide a “calming effect”. They relax the muscles and promote mental calmness by improving the activity of neurotransmitter GABA. Anxiolytics are generally divided into two groups of medication – benzodiazepines and non-benzodiazepines. Benzodiazepines are effective in providing fast relief from severe and disabling anxiety. Non-benzodiazepines are a relatively newer class of drugs that have the same effect as benzodiazepines but differ in constitution. These both provide only symptomatic relief and are not a cure of anxiety. Though they are effective in providing quick relief against anxiety symptoms, their use needs to be restrictive due to their propensity to cause addiction. Dependence caused by these drugs makes them inappropriate for most long-term anxiety disorder cases. Even in physician prescribed doses, they become indispensable if taken for couple of months. Other mild side effects of these drugs include drowsiness, unsteadiness and poor muscle coordination.

For these reasons, today SSRI’s (selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors) are becoming drugs of choice. They offer similar benefits but are not habit forming and thus relatively safer. SSRIs help to regulate mood and anxiety by regulating the responsible neurotransmitter serotonin. SSRI’s modify brain chemistry to slow down the re-absorption of this neurotransmitter. Possible side effects of SSRI’s include sleep problems, sexual dysfunction, skin rashes, dry mouth, headache, nausea, dizziness, weight gain and loss of appetite.

The most commonly prescribed anxiolytics include Alprazolam (Xanax), Chlordiazepoxide (Librium), Clonazepam (Klonopin), Diazepam (Valium) And Lorazepam (Ativan).

The choice of anti-anxiety drug depends on severity of the symptoms and duration of the disease. They should be used under guidance of a medical practitioner. Discontinuation of any anxiety drug should always be gradual to avoid risk of rebound of withdrawal effects and acute withdrawal reactions.