It is intended for general informational purposes and is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. xanax alternative medication Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. If you think you may have a medical emergency, immediately call your physician or dial 911. CBT is typically short-term, lasting between 12 to 20 sessions, and has been shown to produce long-lasting improvements in anxiety symptoms. If you are considering Xanax, looking to switch from Xanax, or are just curious about medication anxiety treatment, this comparison will help you understand your options.
A licensed provider can support you and help ensure you’re taking the necessary precautions. The FDA now requires a boxed warning on all benzodiazepines to improve safety outcomes. The most common side effect that comes with Xanax is daytime grogginess and fatigue because of the ways in which it slows your central nervous system.
Where Can I Learn More About Managing My Mental Health?
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore effective alternatives to Xanax for anxiety, providing you with a range of options to consider in your journey towards better mental health. For reasons both good and bad, Xanax, the brand name for alprazolam, has been a widely known anxiety medication for many years. A rapid onset of action and effectiveness have brought cheers, but the jeers are every bit as loud based on the potential for sedation, addiction, and withdrawal. These negative attributes are why healthcare providers usually recommend an alternative drug for anxiety treatment and why most patients would choose a different option instead. Whatever your reason for wanting another anxiolytic drug, you are in the right place to learn more about your choices. Pregabalin (Lyrica) and gabapentin (Neurontin) are anticonvulsant medications that have also shown promise in treating anxiety disorders.
What are other benzodiazepines?
- They’re not regulated in the same way as prescription medications, so their potency, purity, and safety of herbal supplements especially can vary significantly between brands and products.
- Some people prefer not to take any prescription medications and would rather try natural methods of treatment.
- The FDA now requires a boxed warning on all benzodiazepines to improve safety outcomes.
- Payment of benefits are subject to all terms, conditions, limitations, and exclusions of the member’s contract at time of service.
- Medical treatment from licensed providers is provided by the “LifeMD Affiliated P.C.s,” an affiliated network of medical Professional Corporations and Associations.
Valium is used to treat anxiety as well as seizures and alcohol withdrawal. Like Xanax, Valium is fast-acting, which can lead to misuse and abuse. There are several similar medications available that are considered safer to take over long periods of time. It can also be dangerous to attempt to quit Xanax without tapering off in a healthcare setting.
Effective Alternatives to Xanax
- Since benzodiazepines’ duration of action is relatively short and they have a litany of adverse effects, steering toward a different anxiolytic drug category may be best.
- People with specific phobias are least likely to seek professional help.
- More frequent and structured sessions that incorporates individual therapy, group therapy, and psychiatry to provide you with the support you need.
Paroxetine is used treat depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety disorders. It has a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States. Abuse may lead to limited physical dependence or psychological dependence relative to those in schedule 3.
Holy Basil is believed to help relieve anxiety by reducing stress hormones in the body, such as cortisol. This is especially true if the person has high levels of inflammation. Although both are fast-acting, when comparing Ativan vs. Xanax, Ativan takes longer to start its action.
Related Articles on Anxiety, or Psychiatric Medication Management
More frequent and structured sessions that incorporates individual therapy, group therapy, and psychiatry to provide you with the support you need. Brightside Health can offer help for a full spectrum of conditions and severity levels. A small 2018 animal and clinical trial study found similar results when researchers gave rats and humans matcha (ground-up green tea leaves). The study found that both the mice and humans in the matcha group experienced reduced anxiety when compared with a placebo. The American College of Physicians also recommend CBT as a first-line treatment for insomnia. The clinical services offered through this website are provided by Bicycle Health Medical Group, PA and Bicycle Health Provider Group Inc., that are independent, physician-owned medical groups.
If you’re looking for safe anxiety treatment, Brightside can match you with a licensed provider to prescribe you medication that’s delivered right to your door. We’ll use your data to find the right medication so you can get you back to being you. Withdrawal symptoms are different for everyone, but Xanax withdrawal may include headaches, blurred vision, tremors, sweating, anxiety, panic, loss of appetite, and insomnia. It’s important to remember that the best type of anxiety medication is the one that works for you. You will want to discuss all of your options with your psychiatric provider, who can make recommendations and adjustments based on your unique needs. As an alternative to using Xanax as a sleep aid, a person may want to try different medications, supplements, or routine changes, such as going to bed at the same time each night.
In order to find out which medications might be appropriate, they need to conduct a full evaluation. Exercise is a highly effective non-medical solution to preventing and treating anxiety. This is especially true for cardiovascular exercise, but don’t worry if you’re not a runner.
In individuals with anxiety disorders, GABA imbalance leads to heightened anxiety and excessive worry. Anxiolytic medications help restore this balance by enhancing GABA effects. There are many different types of benzodiazepine and non-benzodiazepine medications used to treat anxiety. All our psychiatrists (and all psychiatrists in general) are medical doctors with additional training in mental health.
TMS is not FDA-approved for treating anxiety, although some research suggests it might help manage anxiety symptoms when other medications haven’t worked. That means that other types of medication are better choices when it comes to treating anxiety. Fast-acting and short-lasting effectiveness is a hallmark of hydroxyzine, making it similar to Xanax in these ways, but hydroxyzine produces anxiety relief via an antihistamine action.
Xanax (alprazolam) belongs to a class of medications called benzodiazepines and works by decreasing abnormal excitement in the brain. SNRIs, such as venlafaxine (Effexor), impact both serotonin and norepinephrine levels. These medications are prescribed for various mood disorders and may be considered as non-addictive alternatives to Xanax for anxiety management.
There is a wide variety of herbal compounds, amino acids, and other supplements that can be tried to treat different mental health conditions. Ativan is a benzodiazepine drug that is also an anti-anxiety medication. It has strong muscle-relaxing, sedative, and calming effects, so it is sometimes used as a pre-anesthetic before surgery. Because of this, it’s important for people with anxiety to have alternatives to benzodiazepines.