How to Change Anxiety Medications Safely

Anxiety medications, the most common of which are benzodiazepines, help patients to control panic attacks and stress levels while they work with a therapist. Unfortunately, it can take several tries before a patient finds the right dosage and brand of anxiety medication, which means that some must switch several times. It is crucial that you follow your physician's instructions and communicate your symptoms if you want to safely change anxiety medications.

Instructions

Time

• 1

  Wait the recommended period of time. In some cases, you must wait for an anxiety medication to work its way through your system before you can start another one. This is to ensure that the two medications don't react negatively with one another, which can sometimes increase anxiety symptoms.

• 2

  Understand how each drug works. Although you should always take anxiety medications under the supervision of a qualified physician, it helps to know what you are putting in your body. Websites such as RxList.com (see Resources below) are excellent at helping you find out everything you need to know about a particular drug.

• 3

  Discuss potential side effects with your doctor. Most anxiety medications will cause different side effects depending on your body chemistry, so there is no way to know exactly how your body will react. However, your doctor can go over the most common side effects so you won't be surprised and might be able to give you advice on how to deal with those side effects should they materialize.

• 4

  Avoid heavy machinery. Since anxiety medications are designed to relax your body and calm your nerves. Some cause drowsiness and slow reflexes. Even if a previous drug didn't preclude you from driving a car or operating a chain saw, a new drug might. Wait until you know how the drug will affect you before engaging in strenuous or a complicated activity.

• 5

  Maintain an anxiety journal. Your physician might recommend this as well because it helps to track the side effects of anxiety medications, as well as the beneficial results. If you know how your state of mind changes when you change medications, you'll be able to evaluate it more accurately.

• 6

  Contact your doctor with concerns. If you start to feel a strange or frightening side effect from anxiety medications, or if you have an increase rather than a decrease in symptoms, contact your doctor immediately. Don't assume that what you are feeling is normal, and if you can't reach your physician, get to your closest emergency room. Better safe than sorry.