Do I Need This Treatment
A certain amount of anxiety or insomnia is a normal reaction to what is happening in your life. You may worry or feel stressed, and sometimes these feelings can keep you up at night. Most often, these feelings pass and are not a problem. However, these feelings can become a problem when they continue over a longer term, cause severe distress, make you feel physically ill and affect your behaviour. This kind of anxiety may be triggered by a challenging life event. It can also be a symptom of a mental health problem.
The ability to fall asleep and to sleep through the night can be affected by many types of health problems. These include physical conditions that cause pain or trouble breathing, as well as mental health problems. When sleep is disrupted, health can be further affected.
While each situation is unique and different treatment approaches may be called for, benzodiazepines can help to provide relief.
What Are The Treatments For Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Medication for Anxiety
Medication is useful for alleviating the symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder and is often prescribed in conjunction with other therapies. Some types of anxiety drugs can be habit-forming and are usually prescribed on a short-term or as-needed basis.
Different anxiety disorders have different medication regimens. Some are preventive and some are designed to cure the problem.
Antidepressants, particularly the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors , are widely used to treat and prevent a variety of anxiety disorders. Examples of SSRIs that are commonly used to treat chronic anxiety include citalopram , escitalopram , fluoxetine , paroxetine , and sertraline . The antidepressantsduloxetine and venlafaxine , SNRIs which act on the brain chemicals serotonin and norephinephrine, and some of the tricyclic antidepressants like imipramine , may also help. Novel antidepressants such as mirtazepine are also prescribed at times.Ã
Another anti-anxiety drug is busprirone . It has fewer side effects than the benzodiazepines and is not associated with dependence. Buspar, however, can have its own side effects and may not always be as effective when a person has taken benzodiazepines in the past.
Therapy for Anxiety
Psychotherapy, with or without medication, is often considered a fundamental aspect of treatment for generalized anxiety disorder.
Lifestyle Modifications to Alleviate Anxiety
Drug Interactions And Overdose
While benzodiazepines are relatively safe when taken only occasionally and in small doses, they can be dangerous and even deadly when combined with other central nervous system depressants. Always talk to your doctor or pharmacist before combining medications.
Dont drink on benzodiazepines. When mixed with alcohol, benzodiazepines can lead to fatal overdose.
Dont mix with painkillers or sleeping pills. Taking benzodiazepines with prescription pain or sleeping pills can also lead to fatal overdose.
Antihistamines amplify their effects. Antihistaminesfound in many over-the-counter sleep, cold, and allergy medicinesare sedating on their own. Be cautious when mixing with benzodiazepines to avoid over-sedation.
Be cautious when combining with antidepressants. SSRIs such as Prozac and Zoloft can heighten benzodiazepine toxicity. You may need to adjust your dose accordingly.
Paradoxical effects of benzodiazepines
The benzodiazepines work because they slow down the nervous system. But sometimes, for reasons that arent well understood, they have the opposite effect. Paradoxical reactions are most common in children, the elderly, and people with developmental disabilities. They include:
- Increased anxiety, irritability, agitation, aggression, and rage
- Mania, impulsive behavior, and hallucinations
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How To Know When Its Time To Take Medication For Anxiety
Until a couple years ago, I didnt think I was an anxious person. On the outside, Im easygoing. Im adventurous, spontaneous and social. Im not afraid of flying, public speaking or crowds.
But throughout my entire life, I have worried, silently and constantly, about almost everything. Ive worried about possibilities that I knew, deep down, werent at all rational. Ive always feared that worst-case scenarios would come true even though they hardly ever do.
I didnt realize that these thoughts stemmed from mental illness. Since I never had full-on panic attacks, I didnt think that I had anxiety. I thought it was normal to feel this way. I thought I was fine that is, until I went on anti-anxiety medication at 29 years old. And it changed my life.
Little did I know, I was one of the 40 million Americans adults dealing with an anxiety disorder about 18% of the population. And up until last year, I was also part of the majority of people with anxiety who dont receive treatment.
Finding The Right Medication
There are several different medications on the market that may be used to treat the symptoms of anxiety or panic. They include:
These medications work differently and each comes with their own potential side effects and risks. Your doctor or psychiatrist is the best person to discuss the differences between medication options to find the best fit for you. Be sure to discuss your complete health history and current substance use with your doctor before beginning an anti-anxiety or anti-panic medication.
In general, these medications work by reducing the overall amount of activity in the brain, leading to a calming effect. Antianxiety medications begin working quickly and have relatively few side effects. Drowsiness, poor coordination, and fuzzy thinking are the most common side effects. Doctors often prescribe the lowest effective dose to help minimize these effects. Still, people taking these medications should refrain from operating a motor vehicle until they know with certainty how the drugs affect them. Some prescriptions may call for a once-daily dose of these medications, while others may simply suggest that a patient take the medication only as necessary to control symptoms.
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Why Zoloft Might Work Immediately
Included below is a list of explanations as to why Zoloft may start working immediately . Possible reasons as to why Zoloft may work much quicker than expected include: the placebo response immediate neurochemical action and rapid alteration of neural connectivity. Keep in mind that there may be other reasons as to why Zoloft takes immediate effect besides the few listed below.
How Long Does Clonidine For Anxiety Take To Work
Patients report their anxiety easing up within as little as a week after they start taking clonidine for anxiety. For others, it takes a little longer.
Every patient is unique and responds to the medication differently. Easing sleeping difficulties is one of the earliest signs that the medication is working and this happens within a week of taking the medication. The 0.1 mg dosage is effective for dealing with sleep difficulties in adults.
Improvement of anxiety and anxiety-related symptoms may take a shorter time if clonidine is used in combination with other medications, as well as psychotherapy.
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How Do Medications Help With Anxiety
In our brains, chemicals called neurotransmitters send messages between nerve cells, affecting the way we function both physically and psychologically. Certain neurotransmitters, such as norepinephrine, serotonin, dopamine, and gamma-aminobutyric acid , are associated with mood. Anti-anxiety medications boost the levels of these different neurotransmitters either by increasing their production and release from neurons and/or blocking them from being reabsorbed back into the nerve cells resulting in an overall happier, less anxious feeling for the dog.
Medication isnt a cure for separation anxiety there is no magic pill that will take your dogs stress away. Instead, prescription drugs are a tool that can help decrease a dogs physical response to stress, which is what leads to behavioral issues, such as barking, destructiveness, and even self-harm.
Research and anecdotal evidence have shown that for successful and long-term results, medication should always be used in conjunction with behavior modification and training. Although behavior modification and training can be highly effective when used alone, some dogs make better progress, faster, with the support of medication. Stress can short-circuit a dogs potential to learn new ways to respond. Anti-anxiety medication helps calm their negative emotional response, so theyre more receptive to training while reducing their risk of regression.
Variables That Influence The Onset Of Zolofts Action
There are likely multiple variables that influence the length of time it takes for Zoloft to start working OR a person to notice Zoloft working. Variables that likely influence time it takes for Zoloft to work include: Zoloft dosage user genetics prior medication use concurrent substance use preexisting medical conditions and/or self-awareness.
A person who is very self-aware and medication-sensitive may notice Zoloft kicking in on the first day of treatment. On the other hand, a person who starts treatment at too low of a dose and/or lacks self-awareness might not notice any effect until 4 to 8 weeks of treatment.
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What To Expect From Anxiety Medication
Anti-anxiety medicine is not an instant cure for anxiety. If you do not treat the underlying issues contributing to the anxiety, you may still experience panic attacks and other anxiety symptoms. If you are prescribed long-term medication, you may not feel the effects right away. Many medications take 30 days to fully go into effect. Ask your psychiatrist what to expect from the specific medication you are prescribed, and talk to him or her about any side effects you experience.
If you would like to speak with a therapist or psychiatrist near you, contact one of our counseling centers in Michigan.
Want To Beat Depression For Yourself Or A Friend
W. Nate Upshaw, MD
Dr. William Nathan Upshaw is the Medical Director of NeuroSpa TMS®. Since receiving training from the inventor of TMS Therapy nearly a decade ago, Dr. Upshaw has been a pioneer, champion and outspoken advocate of TMS Therapy. Dr. Upshaws holistic experience in the field has transformed him into Floridas leading advocate for widespread accessibility to TMS Therapy.
All anxiety medications come with a long list of potential side effects. The side effects of anxiety medications, also called anxiolytics, include sleepiness, fatigue, and a slowing of mental functioning. Depending on their class, these medications may also be habit-forming or even addictive. They can help level out panic attacks and reduce anxiety attacks to a manageable level. Some can produce lasting relief, while others shouldnt be used for more than a short-term period.
What Are Common Classes of Anxiety Medications?
If youre exploring how to find the right anxiety medication, its important to learn all you can about them. Physicians prescribe fast-acting anxiety medications to reduce either the immediate effects of an anxiety attack or to work over the long term to reduce day to day anxiety thats uncomfortable but doesnt rise to the urgency of a panic attack or anxiety attack. Some of the most common medications include Valium and Xanax.
Common Anti-Anxiety Medication Side Effects
Benzodiazepine side effects
Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors Side Effects
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What Are Anxiety Medications And How Do They Work
Anxiety is a normal and useful response to potentially stressful or dangerous situations. It increases our awareness of what’s going on around us. For most people, anxiety is short-lived and normally goes away once the situation has passed. This is not the case for an estimated 40 million adults in the United States who have some type of anxiety disorder and experience ongoing and unwarranted psychological distress. That distress may also manifest itself in physical symptoms such as muscletension, headaches, or chest pain.
Anxiety medications include multiple types of drugs that are used to treat the symptoms of anxiety disorders. The three most commonly prescribed types of anxiety medication are
- anti-anxiety medications , and
- beta-blockers.
Antidepressants and anxiolytic medications work primarily by affecting the balance of certain chemicals in the brain known as neurotransmitters. Beta-blockers and other types of drugs are used to address the physical symptoms that may accompany an anxiety attack. First-generation antihistamines are also used to help with anxiety symptoms because they have a sedating effect.
Anxiety disorders are associated with certain chemical imbalances in the brain involving neurotransmitters such as
- norepinephrine, and
- gamma aminobutyric acid or GABA.
These chemicals are associated with an individual’s sense of well-being or with the ability to relax.
Who Needs Medication For Anxiety
Feeling anxious now and then is part of life. It is a component of the bodyâs natural self-defense system and linked closely with the fight or flight response. But there is a difference between feeling anxious prior to performing in front of a crowd, and being afraid to leave your house because you might encounter people outside. Just as there is a difference between jiggling the doorknob once as you leave your home to make sure it is locked, and checking the doorknob two dozen times.
Essentially, anyone who suffers from an anxiety disorder is a potential candidate for anxiety medication. But, just because someone might benefit from anxiety medication, it does not mean they necessarily should take one. They may be served just as effectively by a combination of psychotherapy and exercise. The most important thing is that the decision to use an anxiety medication is arrived at only after careful consultation with your doctor.
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Which Drug Should Someone Try First
Whenever any of the above drugs have been studied head to head, there seems to be no significant difference in how well they work. However, for any given patient, one drug may be very effective, and the others may not. The only way to tell which drug will be the most helpful with the least side effects is to try each drug for about 3 months. Remember! It is important not to give up after failing one or two drugs. Drugs work very differently for each person.
Special Benzodiazepine Risk Factors
Anyone who takes benzodiazepines can experience unpleasant or dangerous side effects. But certain individuals are at a higher risk:
People over 65. Older adults are more sensitive to the sedating effects of benzodiazepines. Even small doses can cause confusion, amnesia, loss of balance, and cognitive impairment that looks like dementia. Benzodiazepine use in the elderly is associated with an increased risk of falls, broken hips and legs, and car accidents. Long-term benzodiazepine use also increases the risk of Alzheimers disease and dementia.
People with a history of substance abuse. Because theyre physically addicting and on their own and dangerous when combined with alcohol and other drugs, anyone with a current or former substance abuse problem should use benzodiazepines only with extreme caution.
Pregnant and breastfeeding women. Benzodiazepine use during pregnancy can lead to dependence in the developing baby, with withdrawal following birth. Benzodiazepines are also excreted in breast milk. Therefore, pregnant women need to have a thorough discussion about the risks and benefits of these medications with their prescribing doctor. If medication is necessary, the goal is the smallest effective dose.
The connection between benzodiazepines and accidents
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