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Anti-anxiety medications are drugs used to relieve symptoms of fear and anxiety experienced by some people. They may also be used for other purposes, such as treating transient insomnia and helping patients withdraw from other medications. Anti-anxiety drugs are highly effective and some begin to work in just 30 to 90 minutes.

The benzodiazepines  have the potential to become habit-forming and are usually only prescribed on a short-term basis. In addition, patients whose nervous systems have adapted to the use certain anti-anxiety medications may experience symptoms of withdrawal after they stop using the drug. Sudden withdrawal from benzodiazepines can potentially cause death. 

Anti-anxiety medications are available in a variety of formulations, including tablets, capsules, oral solutions, suppositories and injections. They include:

• Benzodiazepines. Drugs that became popular in the 1960s as an alternative to barbiturates for treating anxiety. Benzodiazepines can relieve anxiety within 30 to 90 minutes in many patients. Because these drugs may be habit-forming, they are usually only prescribed for short periods of time when a patient is highly anxious. Other negative effects include increased depressant effects when taken with central nervous system (CNS) depressants such as alcohol and several medications.
  
  
• Buspirone. An anti-anxiety drug that is sometimes used as an alternative to benzodiazepines. The amount of time it takes to work varies among patients. A main advantage of busipirone is that it does not create dependency in those who take it.
  
  
• Antidepressants. These are among the first-line medications used to treat a number of anxiety disorders. Antidepressants most commonly used to treat anxiety include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and the serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) venlafaxine. Several of the SSRIs and venlafaxine are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment of anxiety disorders.
  
  Patients should be aware that the U.S. FDA has advised that antidepressants may increase the risk of suicidal thinking in some patients and all people being treated with them should be monitored closely for unusual changes in behavior.
  
  
• Beta blockers. These medications block the effects of norepinephrine (a hormone and neurotransmitter) at its receptor and are usually used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension). Although they cannot treat anxiety itself, they are often effective in treating physiological responses to anxiety. These include increased heart rate, sweating and tremors. Beta blockers may also be used to help control performance anxiety that occurs during events such as speaking in public. Because of their side-effects, it is important to monitor heart rate and blood pressure when these drugs are prescribed. These drugs are not FDA approved for the treatment of anxiety disorders.

In addition, some physicians may prescribe other medications such as antihistamines, clonidine and tiagabine, to treat anxiety. However, these drugs are recommended less often than the anti-anxiety medications detailed above and not all physicians support their use for treatment of anxiety. Furthermore, they must be prescribed in an off-label manner (for a purpose other than which they were originally intended) as they have not been approved by the FDA for the treatment of anxiety.

It is important to note that patients should never take an over-the-counter or prescription medication to treat anxiety without first consulting their physician.

Some examples of anti-anxiety medications include: