Anxiety disorders are among the most common forms of mental illnesses that can occur in people of any age. Some of the best medications to treat anxiety are antidepressants.
Before the start of drug treatment, a patient should be informed about the mechanisms of various forms of anxiety. It is recommended to use brochures describing the typical symptoms of the patient’s condition, treatment options and side effects of antidepressants.
The effectiveness of anxiety treatment can be improved if a person is thoroughly explained the advantages and disadvantages of antidepressants, how better to take them and what to do when occurring side effects.
Symptoms and indications for anxiety treatment
Patients often cannot clearly identify and explain what symptoms and signs of anxiety disorder they have. Anxiety symptoms are revealed in approximately 30-40% of people seeking to the general practitioner for medical help.
People complain of dizziness, difficulty breathing, and hyperperistalsis and do not associate these symptoms with anxiety. This disease may be associated with sleep disorders, irritability, facial flushing, sweating, and decrease in self-esteem.
Antidepressants for anxiety should be taken only after medical examination. The treatment plan should be based on the patient’s preferences, the severity of anxiety disorders, and the history of previous treatment and the presence of comorbidities.
When selecting antidepressants for anxiety, an important factor is price of drugs. Branded antidepressants by known manufacturers can be much more expensive than the similar drugs, and herewith they do not to differ by efficacy and safety.
Antidepressants dosage
Most patients should start anxiety treatment with initial recommended dose of antidepressants. Some patients, for example elderly, should start the treatment with a half of the recommended dose or even less.
The duration of treatment and the use of antidepressants may depend on the increase or decrease of severity of anxiety symptoms. To reduce the risk of relapse, the treatment can be continued even after the remission.
When using some types of antidepressants for anxiety, dosage should be increased every 3-5 days. If the initial use of low or average doses was ineffective, the dose of antidepressants should be increased to the maximum therapeutic level.
The recommended mode of antidepressants administration is one dose per day. If an individual tolerability or pharmacokinetic properties of antidepressants for anxiety do not allow doing so, other dosing regimen is allowed.
For the treatment of elderly patients, lower doses of antidepressants are used. The adjustment of antidepressants dose for anxiety may also be required in children, young people, and patients with hepatic or other pathology. Never change the dosage on your own; this will help to reduce the risk of side effects and other negative reaction.
SSRI antidepressants
For the treatment of anxiety, drugs of various pharmacological groups, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) can be used. Drugs of this group are often used as first-line antidepressants for anxiety treatment.
SSRIs are effective in one or more psychological disorders (depression, pain, worry, panic attacks or anger). These antidepressants for anxiety are generally well tolerated. The disadvantage of SSRIs is that weight gain is quite possible when using them.
Prolonged use of SSRIs may negatively affect libido and potency. In order to avoid insomnia, take SSRI antidepressants for anxiety in the first half of the day. If the morning dose causes daytime sleepiness, discuss with your doctor the dosing regimen.
Typically, SSRIs come in tablets, capsules or solution for oral use. At the US pharmacies, you can buy SSRI antidepressants for anxiety – Fluvoxamine, Fluoxetine, Citalopram, Sertraline, Paroxetine and Escitalopram.
Tricyclic antidepressants
Safety of tricyclic antidepressants for anxiety is proved by a variety of clinical trials. These medications were developed over 50 years ago and they have analgesic properties in small doses.
The efficiency of tricyclic antidepressants, especially at the beginning of anxiety treatment, may be lower than that of other drugs. This is related to the central nervous system, cardiovascular and other side effects of tricyclic antidepressants – anxiety, nervousness, irregular heartbeat, and limitations in the operating complex mechanisms.
You can buy tricyclic antidepressants for anxiety under the international nonproprietary names Amitriptyline and Imipramine. These drugs are supplied in pills for oral administration. The suppliers of these antidepressants in the USA are the companies, such as Accord, Sandoz, Mylan and Vintage.
List of antidepressants for anxiety can be supplemented with a variety of drugs. If desired, reviews of other antidepressants for anxiety can be studied in details. For example, benzodiazepines do not lead to the initial enhancement of nervousness, as well as they are well tolerated.
Benzodiazepines can be used in the combination with other types of antidepressants for anxiety. A combination of several drugs is usually prescribed within the first few weeks, until improvement.
The advantages of modern antidepressants for anxiety are rapid onset of action, relative safety in overdose, lack of physical dependence and minor side effects.
Knowledge of the pharmacokinetic properties of active substances will help to buy antidepressants for anxiety with minimal side effects. If you have never used antidepressants, ask for a professional medical advice.
You should consult your doctor regularly even if you buy antidepressants for anxiety online without a prescription. Proper use of antidepressants will help to cure psychological disorders with minimal risks of unusual reactions.