Whats the best medicine for anxiety?

[Paigee]

Hey

I know this is a hard question but what's the best medication for anxiety overall?

I have panic attacks but also constant anxiety.

Things lately have got worse coz of a few reasons but overall I was bad with anxiety anyway and am considering medication but there's so many different ones

Thanks for any help

Paige

 

[bin_tenn]

There is no "best", generally speaking. As with therapy, the best method of treatment varies wildly from one case to the next. Lexapro seems to be quite common and has a lot of success stories, and the same can be said for Zoloft and other similar medications. I would recommend speaking to your doctor, psychiatrist, whomever else, about the options available to you.

Not only does it depend on your experiences with anxiety, but another factor is your medical history, any other prescriptions you may be taking, any history of addiction (or risk of addiction), etc. Your doctor can advise on those factors, of course.

I'm glad you're open to medication as an option. Many people refuse to give it a try. I hope you get some answers and some relief soon. In the meantime, we'll be glad to provide help and support.

 

[FinneousRex]

If you’re having constant baseline anxiety along with panic attacks, they are most likely gonna grade your panic attacks and see how severe they are. Typically first step is to put you on some sort of antidepressant (like Zoloft, Prozac or lexapro) keep you on it 4-6 weeks to get past all of the side effects (because most of the times these meds cause side effects) and once you’re in the clear, they will regrade and see if you’re still having panic attacks and how bad your anxiety is, and at that point may prescribe a medication just for the attacks (while staying on the antidepressant, along with suggesting you go to regular counseling/therapy) and this medication could be some sort of benzo, like Valium, Xanax, etc.. these medications are only typically supposed to be taken “as needed” and not typically supposed to be used for daily occurrences (unless you have gone through several drug therapies and this is the only ones that work for you, then doctors may consider it).

The issues with doctors and prescribing benzos is that they are a controlled substance and addictive (as they work SO well) so every psychiatrist is different in whether or not they will prescribe benzos, also largely depends on your age and need of the medication. Typically if you get prescribed any controlled substance, the doctors usually require you see them once a month (it’s a way they can manage to make sure patients aren’t abusing their medications, etc).

I am not a doctor. Don’t take any of what I say as expect advice or medical advice. Make sure you see a licensed professional and discuss your options with them! Hope this helps!