There are quite a few medications that a doctor or certified health professional can prescribe for you to get through times when you are overly anxious. These times may include when someone close to you passes away, or when you have trouble in a family or friend relationship such as a marriage. There are all different types of anxiety -- from mild to severe. In other words, anxiety can last for a few days or for a few months. It can even last for years. Anxiety can take on the forms of phobias, post-traumatic stress disorders, or severe panic. If you have ever suffered from any type of anxiety, then you know that it is extremely difficult to live with from day-to-day. This is why certain medications can help a great deal to control the problem.



A few of medications that you can take to combat anxiety include Zoloft, Paxil, Xanax, and Prozac. All of these medications are known as SSRI's, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. These medications are all fairly new anti-depressants on the market and often have few side effects. When you begin taking such drugs, you may feel overly nervous, but after several weeks the feeling usually passes. One major side effect of taking an antidepressant is experiencing sexual disfunction. To stop this problem, you should see your doctor. He or she may keep you on the same medication, but simply change the dosage. Other side effects of anti-depressants include drowsiness, fatigue, and confusion. These medications may be taken when needed, or possibly two to three times a day -- whatever your doctor feels is necessary. Your doctor will base his or her judgement on the severity of your anxiety as well as your body type and chemistry.

Another type of medication that will combat anxiety is a tricyclic. Tricyclics are also referred to as MAOI's, or monoamine oxidase inhibitors. Typically, tricyclics have a greater amount of side effects than SSRI's. These medications can often cause you to gain a fair amount of weight, become sleepy, or cause you to experience dizziness. Tricyclics are an older kind of drug than SSRI's, and because of this fact, there has been a great deal more of scientific research done on tricyclics. Scientists have discovered that when mixed with certain foods and drinks such as cheese and wine, tricyclics can cause an increased amount of side effects and dangerous reactions. These reactions range from an increase in blood pressure to other severe problems.

Anti-anxiety medications also come in another form that is used on an "as needed" basis. These types of pills generally include drugs such as Valium, Ativan, and Xanax.

Anti-anxiety medications such as SSRI's and MAOI's can help a great deal to relieve anxiety -- no matter how severe it is. But when taking any of these drugs, you should be careful not to drink much alcohol. Your doctor will most likely warn you that drinking alcoholic beverages while taking anti-anxiety medication can be extremely dangerous to your health. Another thing that doctors warn against is becoming dependent on the drug that you are taking. Your doctor will most likely monitor you often to make sure that you are not abusing or building up a tolerance to that drug that you were prescribed.