Question 1

hi, my cousin has been diagnosed with anxiety, but she refuses to use anti-depressants. is there a natural, non addictive medication she can use?

Accepted Answer

Anxiety Treatment: You are a caring cousin.
Have Heart to Heart talk with her to share about her  nervousness, tension, effect on sleep, appetite, energy; restlessness, irritability, her functioning in relationships and at work.
Express your concerns and discuss Breathing and Music relaxation, Meditation, Yoga, and Tai Chi classes; join her in these.
If her anxiety continues, she may be open to take medication.

Question 2

are there any anxiety drugs that are not addictive?

Accepted Answer

Yes: Talk to your primary care physician or an md psychiatrist. There are two that can be used instead of benzodiazepines (xanax, ativan, klonopin) like Lexapro which is an antidepressant nut has anxiolytic effects (anti  anxiety) or buspar (buspirone). The benzos are usually considered as a temporary medication. I also suggest therapy with a psychologist to reduce and manage the anxiety. Both approaches are best.

Question 3

hello dr 
i was given solian for anxiety, i have been taking it for a while whenever i need it, but when i did some research its not the correct medication. what do you recommend for anxiety and is not addictive something just light.

Accepted Answer

Anti anxiety meds:  Please talk with your doctor about a medication in the Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor class. If anxiety is not severe - can consider Buspar.

Question 4

what is the best non-addictive anti-anxiety drug?

Accepted Answer

Buspar, (buspirone) SSRI's, etc.: Buspirone (buspar) anxiolytic drug, ssri and snri antidepressant/antianxiety drugs, and Gabapentin (neurontin) mood stabilizer drug have been used for general anxiety disorder. A person's primary care doctor or psychiatrist can evaluate and judge which drug(s) would work better, because different patients may respond differently to the same drug.

Question 5

what is one medication i can taken that is not addictive to treat anxiety&depression?  or 2 that can take together also not addictive?

Accepted Answer

SSRI: Medications such as Zoloft (sertraline) belong to a group called SSRI which are used in depression/anxiety cases and they are not addictive but their use must be supervised by a MD and they need to be tapered off gradually when symptoms improve ... I suggest you see your PCP for getting into any treatment options ..

Question 6

what is the least addictive prn medication for anxiety & panic attacks?

Accepted Answer

Anxiety: the benzodiazepine class of anxiolytics are all addictive and the SSRI types are not good on  an as needed basis.  The best medication for this would be hydroxyzine which can be effective on an as needed basis and is not addictive.

Question 7

how good is buspirone? i am considering a few anti anxiety medications and i dont want anything addictive.

Accepted Answer

Buspar: Buspar - antianxiety agent used to treat anxiety symptoms &amp; anxiety disorders. It does not have muscle relaxant effects, lead to tolerance &amp; usually doesn't cause sedation. This is one of my favorite medications but I have to warn patients that it works by taking away or reducing symptoms rather then making them feel “different”.  Not addictive.

Question 8

anti-anxiety drugs (nortripteline, lexapro and cymbalta) all have severe urinary retention side effects. what are other choices are there for non-addictive anti-anxiety meds that would be a possibility to try without these undesired side effects? th?

Accepted Answer

: In pr0per doses the urinary side effects are not 'severe' and occur in a small minority of pts. You can discuss alternative treatment with your prescriber as he/she knows your problem best.

Question 9

my doctor has recommended i start taking citalopram for my anxiety.  is it addictive? i have had two episodes of sever anxiety over the past year. i am hoping this new medication will help.

Accepted Answer

Citalopram : Citalopram is not considered addictive. It belongs to ssri class antidepressants and abrupt discontinuation of citalopram (as well as other similar drugs) may cause a discontinuation syndrome. Symptoms are: dizziness (exacerbated by movement), lethargy, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, fever, chills, sweating, malaise, incoordination, insomnia, vivid dreams, muscle aches, "electric shock"-like sensations, visual discoordination, anxiety, irritability, confusion, slowed thinking, disorientation and rarely, aggression, impulsivity or manic-like behavior. This syndrome is most likely to occur 1-7 days after the drug was stopped or its dose drastically reduced, and typically disappears within 3 weeks or less. Therefore, if it becomes necessary to discontinue citalopram after prolonged use it should be withdrawn gradually. A recommended rate of the dose decrease is approximately 25% of the original dose per week. If these symptoms appear, a good strategy is to restart the drug and taper it more slowly.

Question 10

i have diagnosed anxiety disorder and am prescribed medication for it, and sadly developed a rough addiction. im stuck in cross roads because the xanax (what im rxd) takes away anxiety, but im taking either side of 50mg a day (street + rx). help?

Accepted Answer

Inpatient program.: With that amount of daily use, it’s unfortunately doubtful that you’d be able to slowly taper down over a period of time outside of a hospital setting.  I really think you need to enter a program voluntarily and come down from this under strict medical supervision.  Then you can continue with an outpatient program for maintenance of cessation.  I wish you the best - it’s a tough road.

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Doctor answers about:

List non addictive anxiety medications

A member asked:

Hi, my cousin has been diagnosed with anxiety, but she refuses to use anti-depressants. is there a natural, non addictive medication she can use?

A member asked:

Are there any anxiety drugs that are not addictive?

A member asked:

Hello dr i was given solian for anxiety, i have been taking it for a while whenever i need it, but when i did some research its not the correct medication. what do you recommend for anxiety and is not addictive something just light.

A member asked:

What is the best non-addictive anti-anxiety drug?

A member asked:

What is one medication i can taken that is not addictive to treat anxiety&depression? or 2 that can take together also not addictive?

A member asked:

What is the least addictive prn medication for anxiety & panic attacks?

A member asked:

How good is buspirone? i am considering a few anti anxiety medications and i dont want anything addictive.

A member asked:

Anti-anxiety drugs (nortripteline, lexapro and cymbalta) all have severe urinary retention side effects. what are other choices are there for non-addictive anti-anxiety meds that would be a possibility to try without these undesired side effects? th?

A member asked:

My doctor has recommended i start taking citalopram for my anxiety. is it addictive? i have had two episodes of sever anxiety over the past year. i am hoping this new medication will help.

A member asked:

I have diagnosed anxiety disorder and am prescribed medication for it, and sadly developed a rough addiction. im stuck in cross roads because the xanax (what im rxd) takes away anxiety, but im taking either side of 50mg a day (street + rx). help?

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