Antianxiety Medications List

A list of anxiety medications includes several types of medication including antidepressants, antipsychotics, beta blockers, and benzodiazepines. The anti-anxiety medication list below includes all drugs approved by the FDA for the treatment of anxiety disorders as well as those commonly prescribed off-label.¹

Only one drug is of the anti-anxiety medication class: Buspirone (BuSpar). This drug is approved for anxiety disorders (in general).

List of Antidepressant Drugs for Anxiety

Antidepressants are typically the first choice treatment for anxiety. Antidepressants are taken long-term. A list of common, modern antidepressant anxiety medication that works on the brain chemicals serotonin and norepinephrine includes:^2,3,4

• Citalopram (Celexa) –off label for panic disorder, social phobia and trichotillomania
• Duloxetine (Cymbalta) – approved for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
• Escitalopram (Lexapro) – approved for GAD
• Fluoxetine (Prozac) – approved for OCD and panic disorder
• Fluvoxamine (Luvox) - approved for OCD in children (8-17 y) and adults
• Paroxetine (Paxil) – approved for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, social phobia, GAL and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Sertraline (Zoloft) – approved for panic disorder, PTSD, social phobia and OCD
• Trazodone (Desyrel) – off label for panic disorders
• Venlafaxine (Effexor XR) - approved for GAD, panic disorder and social anxiety disorder in adults

List of Tricyclic Antidepressant Drugs for Anxiety

An older type of antidepressant called a tricyclic antidepressant is also sometimes used to treat depression. Tricyclics act on more chemicals in the brain and are more likely to cause side effects so they are not typically a first choice treatment. A list of tricyclic antidepressants used to treat anxiety includes:⁵

• Clomipramine (Anafranil) – approved for OCD
• Desipramine (Norpramin) – off label for panic disorder
• Doxepin (Sinequan) – off label for GAD
• Imipramine (Tofranil)- off label for panic disorder

Another powerful, older class of antidepressants is also used to treat anxiety. These monoamine oxidase inhibitors (moai) are not first choice treatments but may be useful where other treatments have failed. A list of monoamine oxidase inhibitors used to treat anxiety includes:⁶

• Isocarboxazid (Marplan) – off label for social phobia
• Phenelzine (Nardil) – off label for panic disorders and social phobia
• Selegiline (Emsam) – off label for social phobia
• Tranylcypromine (Parnate) – off label for social phobia

List of Benzodiazepines Used to Treat Anxiety

Benzodiazepines are commonly used to treat short-term anxiety or for acute anxiety episodes. They are not typically used long-term due to concerns about benzodiazepine tolerance, dependence and abuse. A list of benzodiazepines includes:⁷

• Alprazolam (Xanax) – approved for GAD, panic disorder; used off-label for agoraphobia with social phobia
• Chlordiazepoxide (Librium) – approved for anxiety (in general)
• Clonazepam (Klonopin) – approved for panic disorder; used off label for anxiety (in general)
• Diazepam (Valium) – approved for anxiety (in general)
• Lorazepam (Ativan) – approved for anxiety disorders (in general)
• Oxazepam (Serax) – approved for anxiety (in general)

List of Anticonvulsants Used to Treat Anxiety

While considered investigational, some anticonvulsants (antiseizure medication) are being used to treat anxiety. A list of anticonvulsants used to treat anxiety off label include:⁸

• Divalproex (Depakote, Depakote ER)
• Gabapentin (Neurontin)
• Pregabalin (Lyrica)

List of Beta-Blockers for Anxiety

These drugs are known as an antihypertensive medication because they lower blood pressure. Beta-blockers and others reduce the physical symptoms of anxiety. A list of beta-blockers includes:⁹

• Atenolol (Tenormin) off label for situational/performance anxiety
• Nadolol (Corgard) – off label for situational/performance anxiety
• Propranolol (Inderal, Betachron E-R, InnoPran XL) – off label for panic disorder, situational/performance anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder and anxiety in general

List of Antipsychotic Drugs Used to Treat Anxiety

Antipsychotic drugs are often used in combination with other anxiety medication. They are a second-line option due to the possibility of severe side effects. A list of antipsychotic drugs used to treat anxiety includes:1

• Molindone (Moban) – research suggests antianxiety properties
• Olanzapine (Zyprexa)–off label use for anxiety (in general)
• Quetiapine (Seroquel) – pending FDA-approval for GAD
• Risperidone (Risperdal) – off label use for anxiety (in general)

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