WHAT YOU SHOULD KKNOW ABOUT ANXIETY MEDICATIONS

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT ANXIETY MEDICATIONS

As research indentifies specific chemical imbalances in the brain that may promote anxiety, medication has become an increasingly important part of treatment. Indeed, much of what we know about these abnormalities comes from studies showing the effects of particular drugs on brain chemistry and anxiety symptoms. Research has found that many different kinds of medications relieve anxiety, and the number of anxiety medications has multiplied.

What medications are effective?
Several decades ago, anxiety was treated mainly with benzodiazepines, drugs that slow the central nervous system. The rationale was that slowing the nervous system would get overanxious people to relax. But in the 1970s and 1980s, it became clear that certain antidepressants were also effective in treating anxiety disorders. Some of the tricyclic antidepressants and clomipramine (Anafranil) benefited people with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

In the 1990s, when selective serotonin inhibitors (SSRIs) became the drugs of choice for depression, researchers found that they were also effective for certain anxiety disorders. Indeed, they’re now the first choice for treating obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, social phobia, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Other drugs—including beta blockers, which are commonly used to treat angina and high blood pressure—may be used for social phobia and other anxiety disorders.

It’s common for more than one drug to be used, either simultaneously or at different times during treatment. Surveys show that 25%-33% of drug therapy for anxiety involves combinations of medications. Combining two drugs, particularly pairing a benzodiazepine and an antidepressant, often yield better results than using either one alone.

During the first 2-6 week of treatment, individuals often take both a fast-acting benzodiazepine and a slow-acting drug such as an SSRI. The idea is to stay on the benzodiazepine just long enough for the SSRI to start working, then to taper off the benzodiazepine. This approach takes advantage of the drugs’ respective strengths while minimizing their weaknesses. Benzodiazepines begin working immediately and are very effective, but when used for extended periods of time, can cause significant withdrawal symptoms. On the other hand, SSRIs have fewer and less severe side effects, but they may take several weeks to start working.

The use of a drug for “maintenance” therapy, which involves staying on the medication even after symptoms fade, has gained favor now that it’s apparent that anxiety usually isn’t an acute problem that can be solved in a few weeks or months. Rather, it’s an ongoing condition that requires long-term therapy. One study found that the average duration of generalized anxiety disorder is 6-l0 years and that more than 40% of patients had symptoms lasting more than 5 years. In addition, 31% of those who’d had generalized anxiety disorder as children or adolescents experienced a reoccurrence at some point. Therefore, it’s best to monitor individuals for a year or more to prevent or treat recurrences.

http://www.everydayhealth.com/emotional-health/anxiety/what-you-s...