Comprehensive Guide to Benzodiazepines and SSRIs for Anxiety and Depression

Clonazepam

Klonopin

Interactions of Clonazepam

Do not take while pregnant because your baby could be born with life-threatening withdrawal symptoms. Do not drink alcohols.

Classification of Clonazepam

Benzodiazepine, Anticonvulsants, Benzodiazepines

Indications of Clonazepam

Enhances the activity of certain neurotransmitters on the brain. Used to treat certain seizure disorders and panic disorders.

Education for Clonazepam

Keep out of reach from those with a history of drug abuse or addiction. Swallow the regular tablet whole, with a full glass of water, remove an orally disintegrating tablet from package, and place the tablet in your mouth and allow it to dissolve without chewing.

Complications of Clonazepam

Misuse can cause addiction, overdose, or death. Unusual muscle movement, severe changes in mood or behavior, hallucinations, or seizures.

Other important facts about Clonazepam

Some people have thoughts about suicide while taking clonazepam. Stay alert to changes in your mood or symptoms. Your family or caregivers should also watch for sudden changes in your behavior.

Diazepam

Valium

Interactions of Diazepam

Do not use this medicine with opioid medicine, alcohol, or other drugs that cause drowsiness. Do not use if you are allergic to Diazepam or similar medicines. Do not take when pregnant.

Classification of Diazepam

Benzodiazepine, Anticonvulsants, Benzodiazepines

Indications of Diazepam

Enhances the activity of certain neurotransmitters in the brain. Used to treat anxiety disorders, or alcohol withdrawal symptoms, can also be used to treat muscle spasms, stiffness, or seizures.

Education for Diazepam

Measure liquid medicine with the supplied measuring device, should only be used for a short time. Do not take this medicine for longer than 4 months.

Complications of Diazepam

Unusual muscle movements, being more active or talkative, sudden changes in mood, hallucinations, or seizures.

Other important facts about Diazepam

Some withdrawal symptoms may last up to 12 months or longer after stopping this medicine. Diazepam can slow or stop your breathing, especially if you have recently used an opioid medication, alcohol, or other drugs that can slow your breathing. Do not use this if you have myasthenia gravis, severe liver disease, narrow-angle glaucoma, or sleep apnea.

Alprazolam

Xanax

Classification of Alprazolam

Benzodiazepines

Interactions of Alprazolam

You should not use alprazolam if you have narrow-angle glaucoma, if you take itraconazole or ketoconazole, or if you are allergic to alprazolam or similar medicines. Do not take if you are pregnant because your child could be born with life-threatening symptoms.

Indications of Alprazolam

Enhance the activity of certain neurotransmitters on the brain. Used to treat anxiety disorder, panic disorders, and anxiety caused by depression.

Education for Alprazolam

Measure liquid medicine with measuring device, swallow the extended-release tablet whole and do not crush or chew it. Allow tablet to dissolve in your mouth.

Complications of Alprazolam

Slowness of breath, hives, difficult breathing, swelling, seizures, hallucinations, double vision, jaundice, or drowsiness.

Contraindications/Precautions for Alprazolam

It is dangerous to purchase alprazolam on the Internet or outside the United States. The sale and distribution of medicines outside the U.S. does not comply with safe-use regulations of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Do not take if you take antifungal medicine, if you have a history of allergic reaction to any benzodiazepine, breathing problems, drug or alcohol addiction, or kidney disease.

Buspirone

BuSpar

Classification of Buspirone

Miscellaneous anxiolytics, sedatives and hypnotics

Interactions of Buspirone

Do not use if you have taken an MAO inhibitor in the past 14 days. Don't take if you have kidney or liver diseases. Don't take if you are pregnant or breastfeeding as it is unknown if buspirone can be passed into breast milk.

Indications of Buspirone

An anti-anxiety medicine that affects chemicals in the brain that may be unbalanced in people with anxiety. Used to treat anxiety.

Buspirone Administration

You can take buspirone with or without food but take it the same way each time.

Buspirone Tablet Information

Tablets can be scored so you can break it to take a smaller amount of medicine each dose.

Buspirone Complications

Chest pain, shortness of breath, headaches, dizziness, sleep problems, and nausea.

Buspirone Contraindications

Buspirone is not an antipsychotic medication and should not be used in place of medication prescribed by your doctor for psychotic disorders.

Buspirone Interactions

Avoid taking alcohol, as it may increase certain side effects. Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may interact with buspirone and lead to unwanted side effects.

Duloxetine

Used to treat major depressive disorder in adults, and used to treat general anxiety disorder in adults and children who are at least 7.

Duloxetine Classification

Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors.

Duloxetine Education

Swallow the capsule whole and do not crush, chew, break, or open it. You may take it with or without food.

Duloxetine Complications

Pounding heartbeats or fluttering in your chest, easy bruising, vision changes, unusual bleeding, liver problems, low blood sodium, manic episodes, or mood changes.

Duloxetine Contraindications

You should not take if you are allergic to duloxetine, have heart problems, liver or kidney disease, or seizures.

Duloxetine Other Facts

Some brands of duloxetine are also used to treat fibromyalgia (a chronic pain disorder).

Drizalma

Drizalma is for treating fibromyalgia only in adults.

Venlafaxine

Primarily used to treat major depressive disorder (MDD), and commonly prescribed for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder, and social anxiety disorders.

Venlafaxine Classification

Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI).

Venlafaxine Education

Take with food, it may take a few weeks to feel full benefits, follow your doctor's instructions.

Venlafaxine Complications

Nausea, dry mouth, constipation or diarrhea, drowsiness, dizziness, insomnia, sweating, headache, nervousness, loss of appetite, increase blood sugar, or serotonin syndrome.

Venlafaxine Withdrawal Symptoms

Stopping Venlafaxine abruptly can cause severe withdrawal symptoms, including dizziness, headache, nausea, tingling sensations, and irritability.

Venlafaxine Contraindications

Don't take if you are allergic to Venlafaxine, are currently taking or have recently taken MAOI, have high blood pressure, or a history of heart problems, seizures, or bipolar disorder.

Venlafaxine Alcohol Precaution

Avoid or limit alcohol consumption while taking this medication, as it can worsen side effects and impair your judgment.

Venlafaxine Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

Consult your doctor about the risks and benefits of taking Venlafaxine if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding.

Paroxetine

Paxil

Classification

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI)

Interactions

You should not take with Monoamine Oxidases, Other serotonergic drugs, blood thinners, NSAIDs, or thioridazine.

Indications

Treats major depressive disorder, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Education

Take with food, at the same time of day, do not crush extended-release tablets, and it takes 4-6 weeks for effects to be noticeable.

Complications

Hyponatremia, nausea, dry mouth, headaches, dizziness, insomnia, sweating and tremors.

Discontinuation Syndrome

Stopping Paroxetine abruptly can lead to significant withdrawal symptoms, which are often referred to as 'antidepressant discontinuation syndrome.' Symptoms can include dizziness, electric shock-like sensations ('brain zaps'), nausea, anxiety, and insomnia.

Contraindications/Precautions

Do not take if you are allergic to Paroxetine, currently taking MAOI, have a history of mania or bipolar disorders, or if you have a history of seizures.

Fluoxetine

Prozac, Sarafem

Other important facts

Half-Life: Fluoxetine has a long half-life, meaning it stays in your body for an extended period. This is why the 'washout' period after discontinuing the drug (before starting an MAOI, for example) is so long.

Sertraline

Zoloft

Citalopram

Celexa