A list of anxiety medications includes several types of medication including antidepressants, antipsychotics, beta blockers and benzodiazepines. The antianxiety pills list listed below includes all drugs approved by the FDA for the treatment of anxiety disorders as well as those typically recommended off-label.
Just one drug is of the antianxiety medication class: Buspirone (BuSpar). This drug is approved for anxiety disorders (in general).
List of Antidepressant Drugs for Anxiety
Complete list of anxiety medications consisting of benzodiazepines and beta blockers. Antianxiety medications list with brand name and generic names.Antidepressants are normally the first option treatment for anxiety. Antidepressants are taken long-term. A list of common, modern antidepressant anxiety medication that deals with the brain chemicals serotonin and norepinephrine includes:
- 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) – authorized for OCD and panic disorder
- Fluvoxamine (Luvox) – approved for OCD in children (8-17 y) and adults
- Paroxetine (Paxil) – authorized for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, social phobia, GAL and posttraumatic stress condition (PTSD)
- Sertraline (Zoloft) – authorized for panic disorder, PTSD, social phobia and OCD
- Trazodone (Desyrel) – off label for panic disorders
- Venlafaxine (Effexor XR) – authorized for GAD, panic attack and social anxiety condition in adults
List of Tricyclic Antidepressant Drugs for Anxiety
An older type of antidepressant called a tricyclic antidepressant is also often used to treat depression, according to iytmed.com. Tricyclics act upon more chemicals in the brain and are more likely to cause side effects so they are not usually a first choice treatment. A list of tricyclic antidepressants used to treat anxiety consists of:
- Clomipramine (Anafranil) – authorized for OCD
- Desipramine (Norpramin) – off label for panic attack
- Doxepin (Sinequan) – off label for GAD
- Imipramine (Tofranil) – off label for panic disorder
List of Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor Drugs for Anxiety
Another effective, older class of antidepressants is likewise used to treat anxiety. These monoamine oxidase inhibitors (moai) are not first choice treatments however may work where other treatments have failed. A list of monoamine oxidase inhibitors used to treat anxiety consists of:
- Isocarboxazid (Marplan) – off label for social phobia
- Phenelzine (Nardil) – off label for panic attack 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 frequently used to treat short-term anxiety or for intense anxiety episodes. They are not usually used long-term due to concerns about benzodiazepine tolerance, reliance and abuse. A list of benzodiazepines consists of:
- Alprazolam (Xanax) – authorized for GAD, panic attack; 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 basic)
- Diazepam (Valium) – approved for anxiety (in basic)
- Lorazepam (Ativan) – approved for anxiety disorders (in basic)
- Oxazepam (Serax) – approved for anxiety (in basic)
List of Anticonvulsants Used to Treat Anxiety
While thought about 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 referred to as 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 attack, situational/performance anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder and anxiety in basic
List of Antipsychotic Drugs Used to Treat Anxiety
Antipsychotic drugs are often used in combination with other anxiety medication. They are a second-line choice due to the possibility of severe side effects. A list of antipsychotic substance abuse to treat anxiety consists of:1.
- Molindone (Moban) – research recommends 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 basic)