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Medication is often prescribed for agoraphobia
by doctors and psychiatrists to be combined with behavior
and cognitive therapy. Since medication can be addictive or
have long term side-effects, it
is usually prescribed for temporary symptom relief while the
person with agoraphobia works towards complete recovery.
The main classifications of medications prescribed for agoraphobia
are:
1) Benzodiazepines:
Prescribed for agoraphobia to reduce anxiety symptoms. These
are tranquilizers
and sleeping pills. You have probably heard of some of the
most common types of benzodiazepines which are
Ativan,
Xanax,
Valium, and Restoril. The main drawback with
benzodiazepines is that they can be habit forming and withdrawal can cause the same anxiety
or agoraphobia
symptoms they were meant to relieve.
2) Anti-depressants:
Prescribed to people with agoraphobia because they can
block panic attacks (in addition to treating depression).
SSRIs
(Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors)are the most commonly used because they don't produce
as many side effects as older, less frequently prescribed
types of anti-depressants (Monoamine Oxidase
Inhibitors and Tricyclic Anti-depressants). SSRIs include
Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft.
Recently, SSNRIs
(Selective Serotonin and Noreprenephrine Reuptake
Inhibitors)
like Effexor have increased in
popularity for patients with panic-related disorders.
The main difference between these drugs and SSRI's is that
they effect the brain’s levels of noreprenephrine in
addition to serotonin and aren't as likely to produce sexual
side effects.
Although anti-depressants are not habit
forming like the benzodiazepines, some of them produce
undesirable side effects like weight gain and reduced sex
drive. They also produce harsh withdrawal effects in many
people, especially Effexor.
3) Anti-convulsants:
Most commonly used for epilepsy but
known to stabilize mood and reduce
frequency and intensity of panic attacks.
4) Beta
blockers: most commonly used to reduce high blood
pressure but also known to reduce physical symptoms of
anxiety.
5) Buspar:
a slower acting tranquilizer with fewer side effects than
benzodiazepines.
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