For many people who suffer from anxiety, please be informed that you are certainly not alone, there are several medications for anxiety. Anti-anxiety medications are very common among people suffering from an anxiety disorder because it is believed that medications are fast acting in comparison to other alternative methods.

Doctors usually prescribe medications for anxiety to patients who suffer from an anxiety disorder in order to help them relieve physical symptoms of anxiety attacks. Physical symptoms of anxiety include:

    Headaches
    Stomach cramps
    Excessive sweating
    Trembling or shaking
    Shortness of breath
    Muscle tension
    Dizziness or light headedness
    Feeling of losing control
    Fear of dying
    Racing heart beat
    Nausea
    Feelings of unreality
    Hot flashes or cold chills
    Persistent anxiety
    Shaking or trembling
    Fatigue
    Irritability
    Restlessness
    Chest pains
    Difficulty concentrating
    choking

Although ant-anxiety medications offer effective relief from anxiety symptoms, it does not totally cure anxiety disorder.

Medications for anxiety treatment are:

1)    Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) – This anxiety drug acts on a chemical in the brain known as serotonin. This chemical (serotonin) helps to regulate the mood; it is also known to play huge role in pain, digestion, sleep, and some other bodily functions. They (SSRIs) are THE most popular agents prescribed by doctors all over the world. SSRI’s Include:
-    Fluvoxamine (Luvox)
-    Sertraline (Zoloft)
-    Fluxetine (Prozac)
-    Paroxine (Paxil)
-    Escitalopram (Lexapro)
-    Citalopram (Celexa)

2)    Serotonin and Norepineprine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs) – They are the second most prescribed medications for anxiety and SNRIs include:
-    Venflaxine (Effexor)
-    Duloxetine (Cymbalta)

3)    Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs) – These anxiety drugs are seldom used these days for treating anxiety, only for exceptional cases – they are used (sometimes) in cases where other medications for anxiety have not worked.  TCAs include:
-    Protriptyline (Vivactil)
-    Amitriptyline (Elavil, Limitrol)
-    Doxepin (Sinequan)
-    Nortriptyline (Pamelor Aventyl)
-    Imipramine (Norpramin, Tofranil)
-    Desipramine (Norpramin)

4)    Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor (MAOIs) – These anxiety medications like tricyclic antidepressants is seldom used for treating anxiety in individuals. They are known to be sometimes effective for treating people who do not respond to other anxiety medications. These antidepressants are not very safe to use, because users need to strictly adhere to a particular diet plan.  MAOIs include:
-    Tranylcypromine sulphate (Parnate)
-    Phenelzine (Nardil)
-    Isocarboxazid (Marplan)


These anti-anxiety medications are also known to have not-so-pleasant side effects which include:

    Sleeplessness (Insomnia)
    Dizziness
    Tremors
    Loss of libido (decreased sex dive)
    Dry mouth
    Nausea
    Anxiety
    Sweating
    Weight gain or weight loss
    Restlessness
    Fatigue
    Constipation
    Diarrhea
    Headaches


If you suddenly stop taking anti-anxiety medications, you may experience the following withdrawal symptoms:

    Depression and mood swings
    Tremor
    Muscle spasms
    Dizziness and loss of coordination
    Anxiety
    Irritability and aggression
    Flu-like symptoms
    Nausea and  vomiting
    Insomnia, nightmares

Most people can handle the side effects in return for relief from physical symptoms of anxiety attacks.