Medicine, Our first line of defense.
Here we will list a load of medicine on you, All of which are connected to Anxiety, depression, PSTD, Psychosis and other related mental health issues.
First Up, The " Benzodiazepines "
First Up, The " Benzodiazepines "
Benzodiazepines are the most common class of anti-anxiety drugs. They include:
Why is this medication prescribed?Lorazepam is used to relieve anxiety. Lorazepam is in a class of medications called benzodiazepines. It works by slowing activity in the brain to allow for relaxation. This is by far the strongest of the anti-anxiety medicine.
Benzodiazepines are fast acting—typically bringing relief within thirty minutes to an hour. Because they work quickly, benzodiazepines are very effective when taken during a panic attack or another overwhelming anxiety episode. But despite their potent anti-anxiety effects, they have their drawbacks.
Side effects of anti-anxiety drugs Anti-anxiety drugs like benzodiazepines work by reducing brain activity. While this temporarily relieves anxiety, it can also lead to unwanted side effects.
The higher the dose, the more pronounced these side effects typically become. However, some people feel sleepy, foggy, and uncoordinated even on low doses of benzodiazepines, which can cause problems with work, school, or everyday activities such as driving. Some even feel a medication hangover the next day.
Because benzodiazepines are metabolized slowly, the medication can build up in the body when used over longer periods of time. The result is oversedation. People who are oversedated may look and behave like they’re drunk.
Common side-effects of benzodiazepines or tranquilizers
If You're Taking a Benzodiazepine
- Xanax (alprazolam)
- Klonopin (clonazepam)
- Valium (diazepam)
- Ativan (lorazepam)
Why is this medication prescribed?Lorazepam is used to relieve anxiety. Lorazepam is in a class of medications called benzodiazepines. It works by slowing activity in the brain to allow for relaxation. This is by far the strongest of the anti-anxiety medicine.
Benzodiazepines are fast acting—typically bringing relief within thirty minutes to an hour. Because they work quickly, benzodiazepines are very effective when taken during a panic attack or another overwhelming anxiety episode. But despite their potent anti-anxiety effects, they have their drawbacks.
Side effects of anti-anxiety drugs Anti-anxiety drugs like benzodiazepines work by reducing brain activity. While this temporarily relieves anxiety, it can also lead to unwanted side effects.
The higher the dose, the more pronounced these side effects typically become. However, some people feel sleepy, foggy, and uncoordinated even on low doses of benzodiazepines, which can cause problems with work, school, or everyday activities such as driving. Some even feel a medication hangover the next day.
Because benzodiazepines are metabolized slowly, the medication can build up in the body when used over longer periods of time. The result is oversedation. People who are oversedated may look and behave like they’re drunk.
Common side-effects of benzodiazepines or tranquilizers
- Drowsiness, lack of energy
- Clumsiness, slow reflexes
- Slurred speech
- Confusion and disorientation
- Depression
- Dizziness, lightheadedness
- Impaired thinking and judgment
- Memory loss, forgetfulness
- Nausea, stomach upset
- Blurred or double vision
If You're Taking a Benzodiazepine
- Make regular appointments with a psychiatrist who specializes in the treatment of anxiety disorders and who is up on the latest research on benzodiazepines and other anxiety medications and therapies.
- DO NOT discontinue your medication without talking to your psychiatrist first. If you’ve been taking benzodiazepines for over a month, you should gradually reduce your dose under your doctor’s supervision.
- Finding the right dosage is a trial and error process, but you should be concerned if it keeps increasing. If you need higher and higher doses to achieve the same effect, this is a sign of a developing drug dependency.
- Note From Justin: Ativan Is extremely addicting and has severe withdraw and should not be taken every single day, be-careful.
Doctors "First line of defense" - Second treatment - First given
Antidepressant medications for anxiety Antidepressant suicide risk All antidepressants are required by the FDA to carry a warning about the risk of suicidal thoughts, hostility, and agitation. There is also the risk that antidepressants will cause an increase, rather than a decrease, in depression and anxiety.
Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Many medications originally approved for the treatment of depression have been found to also relieve symptoms of anxiety. These include certain selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), and the newer atypical antidepressants.
Antidepressants are often preferred over the traditional anti-anxiety drugs because the risk for dependency and abuse is smaller. However, antidepressants take up to 4 to 6 weeks to begin relieving anxiety symptoms, so they can’t be taken “as needed.” For example, antidepressants wouldn’t help at all if you waited until you were having a panic attack to take them. Their use is limited to chronic anxiety problems that require ongoing treatment.
The antidepressants most widely prescribed for anxiety are the SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) including brand name drugs such as Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Lexapro, and Celexa. These work by regulating serotonin levels in the brain to elevate mood and have been used to treat panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).
Common side effects are:
List of all antidepressants - SSRIs, SNRIs, MAOIs, Tricyclics and other types of antidepressants.
SSRIs may increase blood levels and risk of toxicities of certain medications:
Certain drugs may increase toxicities of SSRIs:
Antidepressant medications for anxiety Antidepressant suicide risk All antidepressants are required by the FDA to carry a warning about the risk of suicidal thoughts, hostility, and agitation. There is also the risk that antidepressants will cause an increase, rather than a decrease, in depression and anxiety.
Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Many medications originally approved for the treatment of depression have been found to also relieve symptoms of anxiety. These include certain selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), and the newer atypical antidepressants.
Antidepressants are often preferred over the traditional anti-anxiety drugs because the risk for dependency and abuse is smaller. However, antidepressants take up to 4 to 6 weeks to begin relieving anxiety symptoms, so they can’t be taken “as needed.” For example, antidepressants wouldn’t help at all if you waited until you were having a panic attack to take them. Their use is limited to chronic anxiety problems that require ongoing treatment.
The antidepressants most widely prescribed for anxiety are the SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) including brand name drugs such as Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Lexapro, and Celexa. These work by regulating serotonin levels in the brain to elevate mood and have been used to treat panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).
Common side effects are:
- Nausea
- Nervousness
- Headaches
- Sleepiness
- Sexual dysfunction
- Dizziness
- Stomach upset
- Weight gain
List of all antidepressants - SSRIs, SNRIs, MAOIs, Tricyclics and other types of antidepressants.
- citalopram (Celexa, Cipramil, Cipram, Dalsan, Recital, Emocal, Sepram, Seropram, Citox, Cital)
- dapoxetine (Priligy)
- escitalopram (Lexapro, Cipralex, Seroplex, Esertia)
- fluoxetine (Prozac, Fontex, Seromex, Seronil, Sarafem, Ladose, Motivest, Fluctin (EUR), Fluox (NZ), Depress (UZB), Lovan (AUS))
- fluvoxamine (Luvox, Fevarin, Faverin, Dumyrox, Favoxil, Movox)
- indalpine (Upstene) (discontinued)
- paroxetine (Paxil, Seroxat, Sereupin, Aropax, Deroxat, Divarius, Rexetin, Xetanor, Paroxat, Loxamine, Deparoc)
- sertraline (Zoloft, Lustral, Serlain, Asentra)
- vilazodone (Viibyrd)
- zimelidine (Zelmid, Normud) (discontinued)
SSRIs may increase blood levels and risk of toxicities of certain medications:
- highly protein-bound medications like warfarin (coumadin) and digoxin
- antiarrhythmic agents like propafenone (Rythmol) or flecainide (Tambocor)
- beta blockers like metoprolol (Toprol xl) or propranolol (Inderal)
- Tricyclic antidepressants like amitriptyline (Elavil, Endep) etc.
- triptans like sumatriptan (Imitrex, Imigran) etc.
- benzodiazepines like alprazolam (Xanax) or diazepam (Valium)[citation needed]
- carbamazepine (Tegretol)
- cisapride (Propulsid)
- clozapine (Clozaril)
- ciclosporin (Neoral)
- haloperidol (Haldol)
- phenytoin (Dilantin)
- pimozide (Orap)
- theophylline (Theo-dur)
Certain drugs may increase toxicities of SSRIs:
- alcohol and other CNS depressants
- Methylene Blue dye
- diuretics (water pills)
- MAOIs - possibly fatal serotonin syndrome/toxidrome
- sympathomimetic drugs like pseudoephedrine (Sudafed)
- lithium
- sibutramine (Meridia)
- MDMA (ecstasy)
- zolpidem (ambien)
- dextromethorphan (cough suppressant) - increased risk of serotonin syndrome/toxidrome
- tramadol (synergistic serotoninergic effect said to increase risk of seizure or serotonin syndrome/toxidrome)
- pethidine/meperidine - increased risk of serotonin syndrome/toxidrome