They tend to have fewer side effects than the antidepressants. They are also used as needed before a panic-provoking situation. They block panic attacks quicker than the antidepressants, often in a week or two. The most common benzodiazepines for panic attacks are alprazolam (Xanax), alprazolam XR (Xanax XR), and clonazepam (Klonopin). The serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SSNR) venlafaxine (Effexor) has also been shown to help control panic attacks, as has the mild tranquilizer buspirone (BuSpar). This rate is equal to the success rate of the tricyclic antidepressants that have proven helpful. In studies of patients with panic disorder, 75 to 80% of those placed on an SSRI significantly improve. These include fluoxetine (Prozac), fluvoxamine (Luvox), sertraline (Zoloft), paroxetine (Paxil), citalopram (Celexa) and escitalopram (Lexapro). The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the most commonly prescribed drugs for panic today and offer fewer side effects than the tricyclic antidepressants. The primary medications used today for panic disorder are several types of antidepressants, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and the benzodiazepines (sometimes in combination with these SSRIs). However, if a medication can specifically block the panic attack itself, many patients no longer anticipate events with such anxiety and can overcome their phobias more quickly. Both current research and clinical experience suggest that certain medications may help reduce symptoms during one or both of these stages for some people. The second stage is the symptoms of the panic attack itself. The first stage is anticipatory anxiety: all the uncomfortable physical symptoms and negative thoughts that rise up as you anticipate facing panic. For a drug to help in this area, it must help in at least one of the two stages of panic.
duloxetine (Cymbalta) generalized anxiety, social anxiety, panic, OCD.venlafaxine XR (Effexor XR) panic, OCD, depression, social anxiety, generalized anxiety.venlafaxine (Effexor) panic, OCD, depression, social anxiety, generalized anxiety.SEROTONIN-NOREPINEPHRINE REUPTAKE INHIBITORS (SNRIs) citalopram (Celexa) depression, OCD, panic, PTSD, generalized anxiety.escitalopram oxalate (Lexapro) OCD, panic,depression, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, PTSD, generalized anxiety.paroxetine (Paxil) OCD, depression, panic, social anxiety, PTSD, generalized anxiety.sertraline (Zoloft) OCD, depression, panic, social anxiety, PTSD, generalized anxiety.fluvoxamine (Luvox) OCD, depression, panic, social anxiety, PTSD, generalized anxiety.fluoxetine (Prozac) OCD, depression, panic, social anxiety, PTSD, generalized anxiety.SELECTIVE SEROTONIN REUPTAKE INHIBITORS (SSRIs) tranylcypromine (Parnate) panic, OCD, depression, generalized anxiety, PTSD.phenelzine (Nardil) panic, OCD, social anxiety, depression, generalized anxiety, PTSD.trazodone (Desyrel) depression, generalized anxiety.clomipramine (Anafranil) panic, OCD, depression.doxepin (Sinequan or Adapin) panic, depression.amitriptyline (Elavil) panic, generalized anxiety, depression, PTSD.nortriptyline (Aventyl or Pamelor) panic, generalized anxiety, depression, PTSD.desipramine (Norpramin, Pertofrane and others) panic, generalized anxiety, depression, PTSD.imipramine (Tofranil) panic, depression, generalized anxiety, PTSD.chlordiazepoxide (Librium) generalized anxiety, phobias.oxazepam (Serax) generalized anxiety, phobias.lorazepam (Ativan) generalized anxiety, panic, phobias.diazepam (Valium) generalized anxiety, panic, phobias.clonazepam (Klonopin) panic, generalized anxiety, phobias, social anxiety.alprazolam (Xanax) panic, generalized anxiety, phobias, social anxiety, OCD.(I gratefully acknowledge James Ballenger, MD for his review of this section.)
Then you will see each of the major problems (panic attacks, generalized anxiety, and so forth), with descriptions of the commonly recommended medications for that difficulty. Here you will first find a list of all the major medications and the problems they address.