Читать книгу Anxiety For Dummies - W. Doyle Gentry, Laura L. Smith - Страница 52

Medicines prescribed to treat common conditions, such as asthma, inflammation, and depression, often have side effects. Sometimes those side effects can resemble the symptoms of anxiety. We list a few of the most widely prescribed types of drugs and their anxiety-mimicking side effects in Table 3-1. These medications have many other side effects that we don’t list here.

TABLE 3-1 Angst in the Medicine Cabinet

Drug Name or Category	Purpose	Anxiety-Like Side Effects
Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors	Reduce high blood pressure	Nervousness, dizziness, insomnia, headaches, nausea, vomiting, weakness
Corticosteroids	Treat arthritis, inflammation, and pain	Fatigue, anxiety, dizziness, nervousness, insomnia, nausea, vomiting, sweating, tremors, confusion, shortness of breath, irritability
Bronchodilators	Treatment of asthma	Trembling, nervousness, sweating, shakiness, feelings of panic
Benzodiazepines	Treat anxiety	Dizziness, headache, anxiety, tremors, stimulation, insomnia, nausea, diarrhea, irritability
Beta blockers	Reduce angina and high blood pressure, treat dysrhythmia	Dizziness, nausea, palpitations, insomnia, excessive sweating, disorientation
Novocaine	Still used by some dentists as a numbing agent, but newer agents are becoming more popular due to reduced side effects.	Rare side effects can include anxiety, irregular heart beat, and dizziness, which are especially troubling for patients who already have dentist-related anxiety.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)	Treatment of depression, anxiety, and bulimia	Headache, insomnia, anxiety, tremor, dizziness, nervousness, fatigue, poor concentration, agitation, nausea, diarrhea, decreased appetite, sweating, hot flashes, palpitations, twitching, impotence
Stimulant medications	Treatment of attention deficit disorder	Nervousness, rapid heartbeat, disturbed sleep, panic feelings
Thyroid replacement medications	Treatment of hypothyroidism	Hives, chest pain, irregular heartbeat, nervousness, shortness of breath

Interesting, isn’t it? Even medications for the treatment of anxiety can produce anxiety-like side effects. Of course, most people don’t experience such side effects with these medications, but they do occur. And many other prescribed drugs may have anxiety-like side effects. If you’re taking one or more prescription drugs and feel anxious, check with your doctor.

In addition, various over-the-counter medications sometimes have anxiety-mimicking side effects. These include antihistamines that can cause both drowsiness and insomnia as well as restlessness and rapid heartbeat. Decongestants can also cause rapid heartbeat as well as sweating, dizziness, and blurred vision. Also, many types of aspirin contain caffeine, which can produce symptoms of anxiety if consumed excessively. These medications can cause restlessness, heart palpitations, tension, shortness of breath, and irritability.