Other reported side effects include depression, disorientation, headache, mental confusion, irritability, aggressiveness, memory loss, and sleep issues.

According to, they commonly make people feel drowsy, dizzy, weak, confused, or unsteady. As the Chinese saying goes, “The bigger the front, the bigger the back.” And these drugs have a very big back.īenzodiazepines like Xanax and Ativan come with a very long list of side effects. While these drugs may at first seem like a miracle if you struggle with anxiety, there are many reasons to avoid taking them if at all possible. Relief is experienced quickly - often within 30 to 60 minutes - and generally lasts 11 to 20 hours. These drugs can stop anxiety or a panic attack in its tracks. Other medications that belong in this group, commonly referred to as “benzos,” include brand names such as Centrax, Dalmane, Klonopin, Librium, Paxipam, Restoril, Serax, Tranxene, and Valium.

The exact mechanism by which benzodiazepines work is not fully understood, but it’s believed they raise levels of the calming neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) or increase GABA receptor sensitivity. They belong to a group of drugs known as the benzodiazepines. Anxiety has reached epidemic proportions in the United States with over 40 million people affected. Anxiety disorders cost the U.S. more than $42 billion a year, almost one-third of the country’s total mental health bill.Įvery year, millions of prescriptions are written for anti-anxiety medications like Xanax and Ativan making them some of the most commonly prescribed drugs.

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