What do anxiety pills feel like

These drugs may interact with other medications. If your doctor or dentist prescribes any medication, inform him or her about the drug you are taking. Check with your pharmacist before using any over-the-counter medication, including herbal products, cold or allergy tablets, or cough syrups. When taken on their own, the risk of overdose with benzodiazepines is low; however, combining these drugs with other sedatives, such as alcohol, or with medications containing codeine or other opioid drugs, can result in overdose and possible death.

Symptoms of overdose include slurred speech, confusion, severe drowsiness, weakness and staggering, slow heartbeat, breathing problems and unconsciousness.

Benzodiazepines can be dangerous when combined with alcohol. Benzodiazepines increase the effects of alcohol, making you more sleepy, dizzy or lightheaded. One danger of this is the increased risk of stumbling, falling and related injuries. Another is the increased risk of overdose. Both alcohol and benzodiazepines slow down the central nervous system, which controls breathing.

In overdose, breathing can stop. Drinking too many caffeinated beverages i. Street drugs, such as marijuana or cocaine, have effects that can worsen symptoms of anxiety and interfere with sleep—making you feel worse, rather than better. Taking benzodiazepines to enhance the effect of other sedative drugs, such as opioids, is dangerous and increases the risk of overdose and injury.

Benzodiazepines can affect your ability to drive a vehicle and increase the risk of a crash, especially if taken in combination with alcohol or other sedative drugs. The risk is highest when you first start taking benzodiazepines, before you are used to their effect. Avoid driving or operating other machinery if you feel drowsy or slowed down. The risk of birth defects from taking benzodiazepines while pregnant is not known, though it is thought to be very small.

If benzodiazepines are used regularly close to the delivery date, the baby may be born drowsy or may have withdrawal symptoms such as restlessness and feeding problems. Small quantities of benzodiazepines can be passed through breast milk from the mother to the baby. This may cause drowsiness in the baby.

If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or thinking about becoming pregnant, talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of continuing or stopping benzodiazepines. If your doctor recommends that you stop taking benzodiazepines, he or she will help you to slowly reduce your dose over time, to avoid withdrawal symptoms. Benzodiazepines are not recommended for use by children and teens, except to bring sedation prior to surgery or for brief medical procedures.

Extra caution should be used when considering giving benzodiazepines to children as these drugs may cause children to become irritable rather than calm. Sensitivity to the effects of benzodiazepines increases with age. When older adults take these drugs, they may become confused and have reduced muscle co-ordination, putting them at greater risk of falls, hip fractures and motor vehicle crashes.

If an older person has been taking benzodiazepines regularly for a very long time, the process required to stop taking them may be long and difficult. In some cases, a doctor may decide to leave the older person on the medication, with regular assessment of daytime side-effects. For more information on medications, contact your doctor, nurse or pharmacist. Back to top. Your donation will fund the groundbreaking mental health research that is helping people on the path to recovery.

Keep your finger on our pulse — latest CAMH news, discoveries and ways to get involved delivered to your inbox. To unsubscribe at any time click the link in our mailing or email: unsubscribe camh. Overview Anti-anxiety medications help reduce the symptoms of anxiety, such as panic attacks or extreme fear and worry.

Do I need this treatment? What does Anti-anxiety Medications Benzodiazepines do? Side effects of Anti-anxiety Medications Benzodiazepines The side-effects of benzodiazepines are generally mild and may not be noticed when these drugs are used at low doses. Common side-effects include: drowsiness sedation dizziness loss of balance. At higher doses, side-effects can include: confusion disorientation amnesia breathing difficulties depression. Types of Anti-anxiety Medications Benzodiazepines Many types of benzodiazepines are available in Canada.

Frequently Asked Questions How long should I take benzodiazepines? Are benzodiazepines addictive? With benzodiazepines, it is known that: Tolerance to the sleep-inducing effects may develop within a few weeks of regular use; however, tolerance does not usually develop with occasional use.

Tolerance to the anxiety-relieving effects is less likely to develop. Tolerance to the effects of one type of benzodiazepine leads to tolerance to other benzodiazepines, and to other drugs with similar effects, including alcohol. How do I safely use benzodiazepines? Take only as directed by your doctor; do not increase your dose. How do I cut down or stop taking benzodiazepines? Problems are most likely to occur when: the issues that caused you to take these drugs in the first place have not yet been dealt with no other medication or talk therapy has been started.

Back to Generalised anxiety disorder in adults. Generalised anxiety disorder GAD is a long-term condition, but a number of different treatments can help. If you have other problems alongside GAD, such as depression or alcohol misuse , these may need to be treated before you have treatment specifically for GAD. If you have been diagnosed with GAD, you'll usually be advised to try psychological treatment before you're prescribed medication.

Your GP or psychological therapies service may suggest trying a guided self-help course to see if it can help you learn to cope with your anxiety.

This involves working through a CBT-based workbook or computer course in your own time with the support of a therapist. Or you may be offered a group course where you and other people with similar problems meet with a therapist every week to learn ways to tackle your anxiety.

If these initial treatments don't help, you'll usually be offered either a more intensive psychological therapy or medication. Studies of different treatments for GAD have found the benefits of CBT may last longer than those of medication, but no single treatment works for everyone. CBT helps you to question your negative or anxious thoughts and do things you'd usually avoid because they make you anxious.

It usually involves meeting with a specially trained and accredited therapist for a 1-hour session every week for 3 to 4 months. Applied relaxation focuses on relaxing your muscles in a particular way during situations that usually cause anxiety. The technique needs to be taught by a trained therapist, but generally involves:.

As with CBT, applied relaxation therapy will usually mean meeting with a therapist for a 1-hour session every week for 3 to 4 months. Animated video explaining self-referral to psychological therapies services for stress, anxiety or depression. If the psychological treatments above haven't helped or you'd prefer not to try them, you'll usually be offered medication. Some medication is designed to be taken on a short-term basis, while other medicines are prescribed for longer periods.

Depending on your symptoms, you may need medicine to treat your physical symptoms, as well as your psychological ones. If you're considering taking medication for GAD, your GP should discuss the different options with you in detail before you start a course of treatment, including:.

Wondering if it can help you? Learn more about Genomind here. Get a lifetime of smarter mental health treatment guidance. Topics: anxiety. Billing Questions? Call What is Genomind? What is Pharmacogenomics or PGx?

How Do I Get the Test? What is the Test Process? For You and Your Family. For Clinicians. Here are seven signs that you might benefit from a new approach. You Have a Permanent Bellyache When you were a kid, your mom thought you were faking it if you got sick on the day of your math test. You Regularly Fly Off the Handle Do you find yourself getting annoyed or irritated by the smallest little things?

Personalize Your Treatment Plan If your clinician recommends an anti-anxiety medication, ask if pharmacogenetic PGx testing can help personalize your treatment plan based on your genes. Does Your Medication Work for You?