ABCNews.com

How Long Does It Take For Medications To Work For Anxiety Disorders?

Question: How long does it take for medications to work for anxiety disorders?

Answer: Among the two major classes of antianxiety medications, there is a difference in terms of how quickly they tend to start working. Antidepressant medications -- the so-called fluoxetine or Prozac-like drugs -- start to work over a period of weeks -- two, three weeks. Patients may start to feel less anxious and experience improvement in things like sleep and some of their other anxiety symptoms. For patients who take benzodiazepines -- these are the Xanax (alprazolam) or Klonopin (clonazepam)-type drugs -- relief of anxiety tends to be more rapid, often occurring in hours or days.

On Call Plus
ABC News Photo Illustration

Next: Are Medications Always Effective For Anxiety Disorders?

Previous: How Do I Know Which Anxiety Disorder Medication Is Best For Me?

on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook
Commenting on this article is closed.
 
You Might Also Like...
Connect with Us
Social Tools Facebook Twitter Twitter Connect with Us YouTube RSS
ABC News Newsletters
 
Today in ABC News
1