Anxiolytics

**counselor** Mon Oct 15, 2012 11:09 am

Anxiolytics
[drugs]

The control of the symptoms of anxiety (anxiolysis) can be obtained, in clinical practice, with the use of several classes of drugs, exploiting different mechanisms of action (enhancement of inhibitory neurotransmitters, inhibition of excitatory neurotransmitters etc.). The anxiolytic fades into the sedative, usually correlating increase in the dosage of the drugs used: however, some molecules (eg.: Barbiturates, neuroleptics, antihistamines, etc.). Differentiation between anxiolytic and sedative results in a very narrow range and sometimes uncontrollable clinically. Among the anxiolytic-sedative drugs include: a) GABAergic drugs such as barbiturates, benzodiazepines and meprobamati, which at low doses can exert a anxiolytic and higher doses exert sedative and hypnotic. Properties also show muscle relaxants, anticonvulsants, and may result in phenomena of addiction and / or dependence, b) drugs such as antihistamines, tricyclic antidepressants (TCA) and atypical (mianserin, trazodone etc.) And many neuroleptics, especially those sedatives which, together with anxiolytic-sedative action in poorly differentiated, have effects on the autonomic nervous system, through an action mediated by binding to histamine receptors, a-adrenergic and muscarinic receptors. Frequently lower the seizure threshold; c) a third group of antianxiety drugs is represented by azaspirodecanedioni, in particular the buspirone. Such molecules are devoid of sedative action, demonstrate agonist action on the serotoninergic system with a latency of clinical response than GABAergic, such as BDZ; d) on somatic manifestations of anxiety (tachycardia, hypertension, tremors etc.), Through a 'blocking action type noradrenergic, then acting drugs b-blockers that, by presenting a low activity on psychic component of anxiety, find employment in the field of psychiatry circumscribed to certain pathologies anxious with high somatization vegetative such as, for example, social phobia .