The National Institute of Mental Health reports that approximately 40 million American adults are living with an anxiety disorder. While everyone experiences occasional anxiety in the course of daily life, anxiety disorders cause pervasive and disruptive anxiety that is disproportionate to the immediate circumstances. Anxiety disorders include panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia and post-traumatic stress disorder. Along with psychotherapeutic and behavioral therapies, medications can provide substantial relief of anxiety and anxiety-related symptoms.
Benzodiazepines
The benzodiazepines are a large group of drugs that reduce anxiety and its physical effects on the body. These drugs depress overall brain activity often causing drowsiness. Benzodiazepines commonly used for the treatment of anxiety include diazepam, alprazolam, clonazepam, chlordiazepoxide and lorazepam. These drugs are typically used for short-term symptom relief because physical dependence can occur with prolonged use. In this situation, increasing doses are required to produce the same therapeutic effect. Discontinuation of the drug once dependence has developed leads to a physical withdrawal syndrome.
Tricyclic Antidepressants
Although anxiety disorders and depression are distinctly different conditions, antidepressant medications can successfully reduce anxiety and anxiety-related physical symptoms. Specific tricyclic antidepressants may be helpful for particular types of anxiety disorders. Imipramine, nortriptyline and desipramine can be useful for the treatment of panic disorder. Imipramine is also used to treat generalized anxiety disorder. Clomipramine is sometimes used for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, are another group of antidepressant medications used for the treatment of anxiety disorders. SSRIs that may be used for anxiety disorders include fluoxetine, sertraline, fluvoxamine, escitalopram, paroxetine and citalopram. These drugs are variably used for social phobia, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.
SSRI antidepressants carry a warning mandated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) due to an increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors associated with these medications. The risk is greatest in children, adolescents and young adults. Changes in mood or behavior, new onset depression or suicidal thoughts should be reported to your doctor without delay.
Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors
Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) are used to treat depression and anxiety disorders. Generalized anxiety disorder may respond to duloxetine or venlafaxine. The National Institute of Mental Health estimates 6.8 million adults in the U.S. have generalized anxiety disorder.
Panic disorder and social anxiety disorder may also respond to venlafaxine treatment. Post-traumatic stress disorder may respond to the SNRI mitrazapine. SNRIs carry the same FDA-mandated warning regarding increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors as do the SSRIs. People taking SNRIs require careful monitoring by their doctors and health care team, especially during the first weeks after beginning treatment.
Buspirone
Buspirone is an antianxiety medicine that is unrelated to the benzodiazepines or any of the antidepressant drug groups. Buspirone is FDA-approved for the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder. Several weeks of treatment are needed before the full effects of the medication are realized.
About this Author
Tina Andrews has been a medical writer and editor since 2000. She has published in “Cancer,” “Ethnicity & Disease,” and “Liver Health Today,” and was formerly a medical officer with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Andrews holds a Doctor of Medicine degree and a Bachelor of Arts in chemistry.
