Anxiety Health Conditions

by John Dewey

ANXIETY

Introduction

We've all experienced symptoms of anxiety at some point in our lives. A pounding heart, tense muscles, rapid breathing, perfuse sweating, or an upset stomach characterize a few of the many symptoms associated with the illness. Perhaps you've felt anxious when you've given a speech, taken a test, or driven in heavy traffic. While this kind of tension may have felt uncomfortable, it also helped you cope. You had a reason to be anxious, and the tension it caused kept you aware and ready to react. Now imagine feeling anxious for no apparent reason. See for yourself how your medication interacts with other drugs - use our Drug interaction Checker.

Anxiety What is it?

Generally, anxiety is a complex but normal emotional state that occurs when an individual senses an unclear danger. When anxiety ceases being a protective response, the patient suffers from an anxiety disorder, which can have a debilitating effect on the patient?s lifestyle. Anxiety disorders arise from an individual?s brain chemistry, genetics, personality, and life events. Within the brain, cells communicate with one another through the intake and discharge of chemical substances known as neurotransmitters. Imbalances in neurotransmitter production produce the severe symptoms that accompany anxiety disorders. The neurotransmitters that are associated with anxiety disorders are norepinephrine, serotonin, and GABA. Use our Pill Images to check the color, shape, and size and be sure you got the right medication.

There are five general types of anxiety:

• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
• Exaggerated Fears (Phobias)
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Panic Disorder
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Anxiety What causes it?

There are several theories about what causes anxiety disorders. They include the following:

• Family history
• Drug use or withdrawal
• Traumatic events
• Severe or long-lasting stress
• Medical or psychiatric illnesses

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Anxiety Who has it?

According to the National Institutes of Mental Health, 40 million American adults suffer from anxiety disorders every year. Of those 40 million, 6.8 million suffer from Generalized Anxiety Disorder, GAD, while 6 million American adults suffer from panic disorder. GAD and panic disorder affect twice as many women as men.

Specific phobias, which are intense and irrational fears of things that pose little or no actual danger, affect 19.2 million adult Americans. Specific phobias are twice as common in women as men. Obsessive-compulsive disorder affects both genders equally and is seen in about 2.2 million American adults. Though it is seen in about 7.7 million American adults, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD, can occur at any age and affects more women than men. Visit our Cautionary Drugs section to learn more about medications that may be poor choices for seniors.

Anxiety What are the risk factors?

Risk factors are characteristics that increase the likelihood that you will develop a particular condition. Common risk factors for anxiety disorders are:

• a family history of anxiety disorders
• past negative experiences (e.g. family conflict or sexual abuse)
• buildup of stress
• medical illness, such as heart or respiratory ailments
• psychiatric illness, such as depression or dementia
• medication use or discontinuation
• withdrawal after discontinuing certain substances, such as alcohol
• drug abuse

Anxiety What are the symptoms?

Physical symptoms include blushing, sweating, dizziness, abdominal discomfort, sleep disturbances, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, chest pain, and fatigue. Mental symptoms include poor concentration, feeling out of control, sense of fear or dread, and feelings of panic. Behavioral symptoms include inability to be still or calm, avoidance of stressful situations, and poor coping skills.

Anxiety How is it treated?

A number of different medication classes are used to treat anxiety disorders. Certain drug classes have greater effectiveness on specific anxiety disorders than others. For an acute anxiety attack, short-term treatment with benzodiazepines is generally used first. To help prevent episodes of anxiety, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, or buspirone are generally tried first. Other choices may include tricyclic antidepressants, beta-blockers, and, rarely, monoamine oxidase inhibitors. Some of these drugs may be used together if needed to control anxiety.

Each drug class has their benefits and risks. For instance, elderly patients may have to take different doses compared to younger patients due to changes in how the body metabolizes medications. Some medications may have dietary restrictions, while other medications may have important drug interactions that the patient needs to be aware of. In addition, there are sometimes side effects with the use of anti-anxiety medications. With all of these precautions, doctors must carefully evaluate the patient?s condition before prescribing an anti-anxiety medication. Additionally, because treatment may take several weeks to work best, the physician should closely monitor the patient?s condition and treatment strategy for effectiveness, side effects, and toxicity. Make a personal Emergency Contact and Medication Member Newsletter Subcribe so important information is easy to find in an emergency.

Drug classes used to treat Anxiety or depression:

Amitriptyline, Bupropion, Celexa, Cybalta, Effexor, Elavil, Fluoxetine, Lexapro, Paxil, Proxac, Remerom, Wellbutrim, Zoloft.

Sincerely, John Dewey 1-305-396-0986 jonhdewey@pharmacyhealthcareexpress.com To Your Success:
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About the Author
johndewey@pharmacyhealthcareexpress.com

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