Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Anxiety medications

Anxiety medications can be very useful for treating anxiety disorders if used in combination with other therapies such as cognitive-behavior therapy. One needs to have an honest discussion with their physicians along with an ongoing evaluation process while taking anxiety medications. Anxiety medications though extremely useful in treating a variety of symptoms including, panic attacks, worry and difficulty concentrating, they often have their limitations. Anxiety medications alone are not sufficient to resolve all these symptoms of an anxiety disorder.

Along with medication people suffering from anxiety disorders need either individual or group psychotherapy treatment. Anxiety medications are known to work only if taken in the manner instructed by your physician. You should provide your doctor all the information about any other medication that you may be taking. This could include any dietary supplement or over-the-counter medication. When your doctor prescribes a particular medication you should make sure that get all the information that you need. This includes information on you developing any possible side effects also. Find out from your doctor on whether you need to stop in case of them. The common side effects of taking anxiety medications include nausea, stomach upset, headaches, sexual side effects and dizziness. Just in case you are not sure of any symptom after having the medication you should immediately get in touch with your doctor.

When it comes to anxiety medications, Benzodiazepines are perhaps the most commonly prescribed drugs. Benzodiazepines include drugs such as Valium and Xanax. Usually these fast -acting drugs start taking effect within an hour or sometimes even less. The most common side effects of these drugs include fatigue, drowsiness and coordination problems. Often these drugs can cause tolerance and dependence issues. These drugs have the potential for abuse too. In some cases withdrawal problems are also found. Doctors often advise a structured program of gradual withdrawal for these reasons. Some of the withdrawal symptoms may include shakiness, dizziness, fever, seizures or sometimes psychosis.

Antidepressants such as MAOIs are also often used for treating anxiety disorders. These drugs can have certain serious side effects and therefore are to be used only in consulting with a physician. Yet another type of antidepressant is the SSRI which is also prescribed for anxiety disorders. The side effects of these drugs are known to be less severe.

Azapirones are another category of medication used for treating anxiety disorders. One can find them being sold under the brand name 'Buspar'. They are known to be slow actin when compared with the other drugs such as Benzodiazepines. They are also not known to cause any sedative effect as in the case with other drugs.

There are other anxiety medications such as beta-blockers that are also widely prescribed for treating anxiety disorders. For those who are taking these anxiety medications it is often reiterated that no matter what medication they are taking, it is not the complete solution for their problem. These medicines are to give temporary relief from acute symptoms. A combination of anxiety medications along with psychiatric treatment holds the key for complete recovery from anxiety disorders.

One can find a lot of valuable information on the various types of anxiety medications that are available in the market, over the internet. You can also learn a lot about the benefits and commonly occurring side-effects of these medications at online sources.