List of Medications for Anxiety

Several different types of medications can be prescribed to provide temporary relief of anxiety. These include conventional tranquilizers and medications that are often prescribed for other conditions but also have an antianxiety effect, such as antidepressants and sometimes beta blockers. Because they are often addictive, can have serious side effects and do not solve the underlying problems that cause anxiety, tranquilizing antianxiety medications are usually prescribed only for short-term use. Antidepressant medications may be used for longer term treatment of anxiety.

Tranquilizers

The most common class of tranquilizing antianxiety medications prescribed are the benzodiazepines, which includes alprazolam (brand name Xanax), lorazepam (Ativan) and diazepam (Valium). Generic versions of all these drugs are now available. Benzodiazepines are fast-acting medications that usually bring feelings of calm and relaxation within an hour. Benzodiazepine tranquilizers are prescribed for general anxiety disorder (GAD), seasonal affective disorder (SAD), panic disorder (PD) and social phobias. It is not known exactly how this class of drugs relieves anxiety, but it is known that they generally reduce brain activity.

Benzodiazepines are known to have side effects and most often include drowsiness and dizziness. Other reported side effects include headache, blurred vision, confusion, nightmares and upset stomach. Benzodiazepines can be addictive and may cause withdrawal symptoms if the medication is suddenly stopped.

Antidepressants

Low doses of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) commonly prescribed for depression are also used to treat posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), GAD, SAD and PD. Some of the more common SSRIs used include citalopram (brand name Celexa), escitalopram (Lexapro), sertraline (Prozac or Zoloft) and fluoxetine (Paxil). SSRIs interfere with the activity of serotonin, a brain chemical associated with anxiety disorders and depression.

Other types of antidepressants, such as tricyclic antidepressants, are sometimes used to treat specific types of anxiety. GAD and PD can be treated with imiprimine (Tofranil) and OCD may be treated with clompiramine (Anafranil).

Antidepressants may have side effects, such as weight gain, fatigue, dry mouth and sexual dysfunction, but they are generally less serious and more easily managed than those of tranquilizing antianxiety medications.

Beta Blockers

Beta blockers such as propranolol (brand name Inderal) and atenolol (Tenormin) that are normally prescribed to treat high blood pressure and heart conditions are also used to treat specific anxiety disorders such as performance anxiety ("stage fright"), social phobias and PD. These medications are now available in generic form.

Beta blockers used to treat anxiety are generally prescribed for very short-term use to help prevent physical symptoms such as sweating and trembling. Possible side effects of these drugs include cold hands, weakness, fatigue and dizziness.

Other

GAD is sometimes treated with an antianxiety medication called busprione (brand name Buspar), which is also an antidepressant and can be used for longer periods of time than tranquilizing medications. Unlike tranquilizers, however, busprione is slow-acting and can take up to a couple of weeks to provide relief. Possible side effects include light-headedness and, less commonly, headaches, nervousness and insomnia.