Anxiety can be described as an uncomfortable mental state where the mind is constantly in a restless and tensed condition for no explainable reason. It gives a lot of uneasy feelings and the person suffering from anxiety fails to enjoy life. There are no well-defined cause of anxiety. Some common anxiety symptoms are depression, chest pain, shortness of breath, heartburn, hallucination, insomnia, nightmares, etc. Along with various forms of therapy like cognitive-behavioral therapy, some medicines are also prescribed by the doctors in order to obtain some kind of relief from anxiety. Side effects are due to the chemical imbalance caused by them in the body.
Side Effects of Anxiety Medication
There are various categories of anxiety medications that are often administered for the purpose of anxiety cures. Doctors prescribe one or more of these medicines after studying the symptoms and health condition of the patient. After medication, the patient is monitored by the doctor to check anxiety medication side effects.
Benzodiazepines
This is one of the most popular antianxiety medicines because it starts showing effect very fast. As compared to other anxiety medications, benzodiazepines have fewer side effects. Drowsiness, fatigues, mental slow down and confusion are quite often observed after the intake of this class of medicines. Due to drowsiness, it should not be taken while driving or during operating any heavy machinery. These side effects get aggravated if taken with pain killers, anesthetics, muscle relaxants or alcohol. The main disadvantage of this class of medicines is that the patients tend to get dependent on them and may lead to drug abuse if not checked on time. For this reason, it should not be taken for a long time continuously. If it is required to be used for a long term, then the dosage is controlled by the physician. Use of benzodiazepines should not be stopped suddenly. This is because these medicines when stopped show up certain adverse symptoms referred to as withdrawal symptoms. Some of the common withdrawal symptoms include anxiety, headache, loss of appetite and sleep deprivation. It is not recommended for pregnant women. Therefore, it should be done under medical supervision only who will slowly lower the dose before completely stopping it.
Azapirones
This medicine is considered to be one of the most effective medications for treating anxiety. Many doctors feel that it can be a suitable alternative for benzodiazepines for those who cannot take it due to its adverse effects. It can be given to the elderly as well. It starts showing positive effects quite late, almost after two weeks of taking the medicine. The most common side effects that are seen in patients are weakness, muscle pain, nervousness, excessive sweating, abnormal sensations like numbness and tingling, blurred vision, increase in anger and aggressiveness and so on.
Antidepressants
There are different types of antidepressant medicines that are used for treating anxiety. They are: selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), tricyclic antidepressant, etc. These medicines are often given to control the depression associated with anxiety disorder. They act quite slowly as compared to benzodiazepines. They are usually taken before going to bed so the immediate side effects are not quite obvious as they occur during sleep. However, the side effects that become visible after a few days of taking these medicines are as follows:
- Dizziness and headache
- Cardiac side effects like heart palpitation
- Digestive problems like diarrhea, stomach upset and constipation
- Tremors or shakiness while making movements of hands and legs
- Inability to speak properly or speech disorder
- Difficulty in breathing
- Low sexual desire
- Sedation
- Irritability
- Weight gain
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