Antianxiety Drug Therapy

Antianxiety medications are used to treat anxiety disorders, usually in combination with psychotherapy. Three classes of medications commonly used to treat anxiety disorders include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, which are also used to treat depression; benzodiazepines, which are also used for their sedative effects; and lastly, buspirone.

Now, anxiety is a feeling of uneasiness, uncertainty, or dread, which can be caused by real or perceived threats. Generalized anxiety disorder, or GAD, is a condition that causes a person to worry excessively and lasts for 6 months or longer. It can also be accompanied by other symptoms like sweating, trembling, nausea, poor sleep, and impaired concentration.

Although buspirone’s mechanism of action isn’t well understood, it’s thought it reduces anxiety by binding to serotonin receptors, and to a lesser extent dopamine receptors.

Alright, now buspirone does not have the potential for abuse or CNS depression like some of the other antianxiety medications. It’s generally well-tolerated, but some common side effects are headaches, dizziness, changes in dreams, and nausea. Less commonly, it can cause tardive dyskinesia and, rarely, serotonin syndrome.

Buspirone is contraindicated in patients who have been taking monoamine oxidase inhibitors, or MAOIs, within the previous 14 days, because it can increase the risk of serotonin syndrome. It also should be taken cautiously in patients with existing hepatic or renal impairment.