Medications

Several different types of medications are used to treat generalized anxiety disorder.

For some people, medication alone may be enough to relieve your symptoms and help you keep anxiety under control. For others, treatment may involve a combination of medication and therapy.

Currently, the most common medications used to treat generalized anxiety disorder include the following:

• Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). These medications are designed to treat depression, but also work for anxiety disorders. They work by changing the levels of certain neurotransmitters inside your brain.

  Common SSRIs used to treat generalized anxiety disorder include paroxetine (Paxil®) and escitalopram (Lexapro®). These medications don’t work immediately — instead, it usually takes a few weeks before you’ll notice an improvement.

  While SSRIs can cause side effects, they’re relatively safe for long-term use and aren’t addictive. Because of this, they’re often used as long-term and first-line treatments for generalized anxiety disorder.

  You can learn more about how SSRIs work, their effects, side effects and more in our complete guide to SSRIs.

• Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs). Like SSRIs, medications of this type work by changing the levels of certain neurotransmitters in your brain. SNRIs are also often prescribed to treat depression.

  Common SNRIs used to treat generalized anxiety disorder include duloxetine (Cymbalta®) and venlafaxine (Effexor®). Like SSRIs, it can take several weeks for SNRIs to produce a noticeable reduction in anxiety symptoms.

• Benzodiazepines. These medications work by reducing the speed at which your central nervous system works. They can help you feel relaxed and reduce the severity of many anxiety symptoms.

  Common benzodiazepines used to treat generalized anxiety disorder include alprazolam (sold as Xanax®), diazepam (Valium®) and others. These medications generally work quickly and help to limit anxiety symptoms in about 30 minutes to one hour — but also aren’t long-lasting.

  Although benzodiazepines are effective, they can cause side effects and dependence if used too often. Because of this, medications of this type are typically only prescribed to treat generalized anxiety disorder in the short term.

  They’re also not typically prescribed to people with severe and persistent suicidal thoughts, or people with a history of addiction.

• Buspirone. This is an anxiolytic, or anti-anxiety medication, that’s prescribed to treat generalized anxiety disorder. It has relatively few side effects and is often prescribed after other medications aren’t effective. It may also be used with SSRIs.

  Buspirone (Buspar®) isn’t addictive and doesn’t cause physical dependence, meaning it’s often a good option for people prone to substance abuse.Although effective, it can take several weeks to start working as a treatment for generalized anxiety disorder.

No two individuals or cases of generalized anxiety disorder are exactly the same.

As such, your healthcare provider will work with you to choose a combination of medication and therapy that’s best suited to your needs.

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