Anxiolytic Treatment: Classification, Doses, Adverse Effects
Anxiolytic Treatment: Classification, Doses, Adverse Effects
Mechanisms & classification |
Start dose |
Usual therapeutic daily dose |
Lethality in overdose |
Insomnia |
Sedation |
Nausea or GI effects |
Sexual dysfunction |
Weight gain |
Benzodiazepines |
||||||||
alprazolam |
0.25-0.5 mg tid |
1-4 mg |
No (unless if combined with other CNS drugs) |
++ |
+++ |
++ |
++ |
++ |
chlordiazepoxide |
5 mg qd |
10-100 mg |
No (unless if combined with other CNS drugs) |
Frequency unknown |
++ |
Rare |
Rare |
Frequency unknown |
clonazepam |
0.25 mg bid |
1-2 mg |
No (unless if combined with other CNS drugs) |
+ |
++ |
Rare |
+ |
+ |
oxazepam |
10 mg tid |
30-60 mg |
No (unless if combined with other CNS drugs) |
Frequency unknown |
++ |
Rare |
Rare |
No |
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors |
||||||||
citalopram |
10 mg qd |
10-20 mg |
No |
+++ |
+++ |
+++ |
++ |
+ |
escitalopram |
10 mg qd |
10-20 mg |
No (unless if combined with other CNS drugs) |
++ |
++ |
+++ |
++ |
+ |
paroxetine |
20 mg qd |
20-60 mg |
No (unless if combined with other CNS drugs) |
++ |
++ |
+++ |
+++ |
++ |
Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors |
||||||||
duloxetine |
30 mg qd |
30-60 mg |
Yes |
++ |
+++ |
+++ |
++ |
+ |
venlafaxine |
75 mg qd |
75-225 mg |
Yes |
+++ |
+++ |
+++ |
++ |
++ |
Others |
||||||||
buspirone |
5 mg bid or tid |
15-60 mg |
No |
++ |
+++ |
++ |
No |
Frequency unknown |
hydroxyzine |
12.5-25 mg |
25-100 mg |
No |
Frequency unknown |
+++ |
Frequency unknown |
No |
No |
Frequencies of adverse effects as reported in clinical studies, frequencies are not placebo-corrected.
Rare (> 1/10,000 to < 1/1000): rare
Uncommon (> 1/1000 to < 1/100): +
Common (> 1/100 to < 1/10): ++
Very common (> 1/10): +++
The information on the starting dose and side effects is mostly issued from the European product label of the individual drug