Anxiety and Medication - What You Don"t Know Can Hurt You
The most effective treatment for anxiety disorders has been shown to be therapy and the most effective form is Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy or CBT for short. The primary focus of CBT is to change thinking and behavior patterns that fuels anxiety. Therapy is the best option for treating anxiety and medication may be prescribed as well.
If you have talked to your physician or therapist about treating your anxiety and medication was suggested, you will want to know the answer to these questions:
* What are the potential side effects?
* How will it help?
* Is it safe to combine it with other prescription or over the counter medication?
* Can you stop using the medication right away if you don't like it?
* Will your anxiety come back if you stop taking it?
* How long will you need to take it?
* Are there certain foods you will need to avoid?
If you are satisfied that your health care provider has developed the right plan to treat your anxiety and medication is agreed upon, the more you know about your prescription, the better. This will better enable you to cope with possible side effects, avoid drug interactions which could be dangerous as well as other potential harmful effects.
The most prescribed medications used for anxiety disorders, along with their potential side effects, are shown below.
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) - These are the antidepressants which are most widely used for anxiety disorders. They go under brand names like Prozac, Zoloft, Lexapro and Paxil and are not as likely to have as many side effects as some of the older antidepressants.
Potential side effects include headaches, insomnia, nausea, dizziness, upset stomach, sexual dysfunction, nervousness and drowsiness.
Tricyclics - These are antidepressants as well and have been around since the 1950's. The most commonly prescribed ones are Norpramin, Tofranil and Pamelor. These are not prescribed as often anymore because SSRI's have fewer side effects.
Potential side effects include low blood pressure, blurred vision, increased heart rate, sexual dysfunction, disorientation, confusion, sensitivity to sunlight, constipation, drowsiness, nausea, dizziness and weakness.
Just so you know, the FDA forces all antidepressant medications to carry a warning label about the additional risk of suicidal thinking and behavior especially in adults under 25 years of age and in teens. There is also the chance they may increase anxiety and depression instead of lowering it.
Benzodiazepines - Another name for this group of drugs is sedatives, these are nothing more than tranquilizers. It's no surprise, therefore, that these are the number one medication prescribed for anxiety. Major brand names include Valium, Xanax and Ativan.
Potential side effects include impaired thinking, blurred vision, disorientation, confusion, depression, drowsiness, nausea, dizziness, memory loss and slowed reflexes. The most serious side effect is drug dependency. Benzodiazepines are only for short term use as they can become addictive. In rare cases, they can have serious side effects like mania, hallucinations and rage.
Beta-blockers - These drugs were originally designed to help people with certain heart conditions and high blood pressure. In anxiety sufferers, they can relieve symptoms like irregular heartbeat, trembling and dizziness. Major brand names are Inderal and Tenormin.
Potential side effects include fatigue, weakness, dizziness, cold hands and feet, difficulty sleeping, shortness of breath and drowsiness.
Regardless of which anxiety medication you use, it is not a cure. Medication can relieve or eliminate your symptoms but they do nothing to treat the underlying cause of your anxiety. If you stop using the meds your anxiety is back. Keep this in mind, along with potential side effects, when treating your anxiety and medication sounds like the cure-all.
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If you have talked to your physician or therapist about treating your anxiety and medication was suggested, you will want to know the answer to these questions:
* What are the potential side effects?
* How will it help?
* Is it safe to combine it with other prescription or over the counter medication?
* Can you stop using the medication right away if you don't like it?
* Will your anxiety come back if you stop taking it?
* How long will you need to take it?
* Are there certain foods you will need to avoid?
If you are satisfied that your health care provider has developed the right plan to treat your anxiety and medication is agreed upon, the more you know about your prescription, the better. This will better enable you to cope with possible side effects, avoid drug interactions which could be dangerous as well as other potential harmful effects.
The most prescribed medications used for anxiety disorders, along with their potential side effects, are shown below.
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) - These are the antidepressants which are most widely used for anxiety disorders. They go under brand names like Prozac, Zoloft, Lexapro and Paxil and are not as likely to have as many side effects as some of the older antidepressants.
Potential side effects include headaches, insomnia, nausea, dizziness, upset stomach, sexual dysfunction, nervousness and drowsiness.
Tricyclics - These are antidepressants as well and have been around since the 1950's. The most commonly prescribed ones are Norpramin, Tofranil and Pamelor. These are not prescribed as often anymore because SSRI's have fewer side effects.
Potential side effects include low blood pressure, blurred vision, increased heart rate, sexual dysfunction, disorientation, confusion, sensitivity to sunlight, constipation, drowsiness, nausea, dizziness and weakness.
Just so you know, the FDA forces all antidepressant medications to carry a warning label about the additional risk of suicidal thinking and behavior especially in adults under 25 years of age and in teens. There is also the chance they may increase anxiety and depression instead of lowering it.
Benzodiazepines - Another name for this group of drugs is sedatives, these are nothing more than tranquilizers. It's no surprise, therefore, that these are the number one medication prescribed for anxiety. Major brand names include Valium, Xanax and Ativan.
Potential side effects include impaired thinking, blurred vision, disorientation, confusion, depression, drowsiness, nausea, dizziness, memory loss and slowed reflexes. The most serious side effect is drug dependency. Benzodiazepines are only for short term use as they can become addictive. In rare cases, they can have serious side effects like mania, hallucinations and rage.
Beta-blockers - These drugs were originally designed to help people with certain heart conditions and high blood pressure. In anxiety sufferers, they can relieve symptoms like irregular heartbeat, trembling and dizziness. Major brand names are Inderal and Tenormin.
Potential side effects include fatigue, weakness, dizziness, cold hands and feet, difficulty sleeping, shortness of breath and drowsiness.
Regardless of which anxiety medication you use, it is not a cure. Medication can relieve or eliminate your symptoms but they do nothing to treat the underlying cause of your anxiety. If you stop using the meds your anxiety is back. Keep this in mind, along with potential side effects, when treating your anxiety and medication sounds like the cure-all.
To find out more information about anxiety and medication [http://www.anxietycuresite.com/anxiety-and-medication/], visit [http://www.anxietycuresite.com/anxiety-and-medication/].
