Anti-anxiety medication is any medication prescribed to patients to help with anxiety disorders.
There are several different drugs and classes of drugs that are used for anti-anxiety by mental health professionals, many of which are listed below. This list is neither complete nor designed to replace a discussion with one's mental health care provider regarding the proper medication to be prescribed for anxiety.
Benzodiazepines
- Valium (generic name: diazepam)
- Xanax (generic name: alprazolam)
- Ativan (generic name: lorazepam)
- Klonopin ((generic name: clonazepam)
- Librium (generic name: chlordiazepoxide)
- Serax (generic name: oxazepam)
Antidepressants: Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)
- Prozac (generic name: fluoxetine)
- Zoloft (generic name: sertraline)
- Paxil (generic name: paroxetine)
- Luvox (generic name: fluvoxamine)
- Lexapro (generic name: escitalopram oxalate)
- Celexa (generic name: citalopram)
Antidepressants: Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs)
- Effexor (generic name: venlafaxine)
- Cymbalta (generic name: duloxetine)
Antidepressants: Tricyclics
- Elavil (generic name: amitriptyline)
- Anafranil (generic name: clomipramine)
- Tofranil (generic name: imipramine)
- Aventyl (generic name: nortriptyline)
- Sinequan (generic name: doxepin)
MAO Inhibitors
- Nardil (generic name: phenelzine)
- Parnate (generic name: tranylcypromine)
Beta-Blockers
- Tenormin (generic name: atenolo)
- Inderal (generic name: propranolol)
Again, this is not a complete list. It does not represent all the ways known to mental health care providers for providing relief to their patients who struggle with anxiety. Each of the drugs listed will have a different effect on each patient, and it may take trial and error to determine which drug is best for which patient. Only your health care provider can determine which medication is best according to their diagnosis of your condition.
