15 Unanticipated Twists and Turns of Anxiety Medication Side Effects
Anxiety disorders are one of several subtypes of mental health disorders out there, and within this category, there are several different disorders. Generalized anxiety disorder occurs when an individual experiences generally heightened anxiety about day-to-day life. A panic disorder occurs when someone has panic attacks. Obsessive-compulsive disorder refers to anxiety that centers around repetitive obsessions and compulsions. Social anxiety is anxiety that manifests in social situations, while specific phobias are extreme fears of specific things. Several medications are used to treat anxiety disorders, and each has different potential side effects. If patients are experiencing side effects as a result of your anxiety medication, it can help to talk to a doctor about them to see if the medication can be adjusted. We've expanded our list to take a look at 15 unexpected twists and turns of anxiety medication you should always be aware of.
1. Fatigue Or Drowsiness
Individuals who take anti-anxiety medications often experience fatigue or drowsiness. The two types of anxiety medication that most often cause drowsiness and tiredness are benzodiazepines and tricyclic antidepressants. The most common tricyclic antidepressants to cause tiredness are amitriptyline, imipramine, trimipramine, and doxepin. If these medications are making patients feel tired, they should talk to their doctor about whether they should change their dose or try another medication. Patients should not, however, stop taking their medication without first talking to their doctor. Benzodiazepines that can cause tiredness include lorazepam, diazepam, clonazepam, and alprazolam. Because benzodiazepines can cause dependence when taken for long periods, they should be prescribed only on a short-term basis until the anxiety is better managed. Patients might feel weak and drowsy immediately after taking their medication, and this feeling might last for anywhere from a couple of hours to multiple days. The exact levels of fatigue and time they last varies depending on the type of benzodiazepine a patient takes.
2. Confusion
Confusion is a potential side effect of many medications for anxiety. Serious confusion can be a sign of a serious medical condition, so if individuals are suddenly experiencing confusion about where they are, what they're doing, or even who they are, they may need to seek emergency medical treatment. Other types of confusion are milder. Anxiety medications might cause impaired cognitive function on a few different levels. Patients might have trouble with short-term and long-term memory. It may also be difficult to focus on the tasks at hand, and patients may lose track of where they are in a task and need to start over. When reading a book or article, patients might need to reread the same passage several times for it to sink in. It might also be difficult to follow threads of different conversations, and patients might feel like they're missing things they normally wouldn't. When the confusion is serious enough to impact day-to-day functioning, patients need to talk to their doctor about potential ways to mitigate it.
