Anxiety medication dosage can differ depending on person's general health and the condition being treated. The typical anxiety medication dosage at the beginning of treatment for those aged 65 and over is usually half the adult dose. The reason for this is that medications are generally metabolised at a slower rate in elderly patients. The following table represents frequently used benzodiazepine medications and the anxiety medication dosage for each condition:
| Benzodiazepine | Conditions that can be treated | Relevant dosage recommendations |
|---|---|---|
| Diazepam (Valium) |
Anxiety and anxiety disorders | 5 mg to 30 mg per day in divided doses |
| Muscle spasms | 5 mg to 15 mg per day in divided doses | |
| Insomnia | 5 mg to 15 mg at bedtime | |
| Alcohol withdrawal | 5 mg to 20 mg which may be repeated again after 2 to 4 hours if necessary | |
| Alprazolam Xanax) |
Anxiety and anxiety disorders | 0.25 mg to 0.5 mg three times a day, which may be increased to a maximum of 4 mg |
| Panic disorder | 0.25 mg to 0.5ng three times a day, which is often increased to 5 mg to 6 mg per day | |
| Insomnia | 0.25 mg to 0.5 mg just before bedtime | |
| Lorazepam (Ativan) |
Anxiety and anxiety disorders | 2 mg to 6 mg per day in divided doses |
| Insomnia | 2 mg to 3 mg just before bedtime | |
| Clonazepam (Klonopin) |
Panic disorder | 1 mg to 2 mg each day |
| Muscle spasms | 1 mg per night at the start of treatment |
There is a wide variety of medications available, so deciding which one is right for you is important. If you are experiencing persistent levels of anxiety, a long-acting benzodiazepine like diazepam is usually the preferred treatment to use. In contrast, if you are suffering from episodes of anxiety that reoccur periodically, a shorter-acting benzodiazepine like lorazepam may be a more suitable choice.
The dosage can be increased, depending on your individual response to the anti-anxiety medication and how well you tolerate the medication. If you forget to take a dose during treatment, do not take two doses at the same time to make up for a forgotten dose. Simply skip the dose that was missed and continue with your dosing schedule as usual.
There is not enough clinical evidence to suggest that the benzodiazepine medications are safe to use during pregnancy. Regular use of these medications should be avoided, as it may be harmful to the unborn baby. In addition, there is a chance that the baby could become dependent on the medication if used during pregnancy, resulting in withdrawal symptoms at birth.
If benzodiazepines are taken at a late stage during pregnancy, it may result in the baby having a low temperature. It can also cause the baby to have feeding or breathing difficulties after birth so it is always advisable to avoid these medications if you are pregnant. Furthermore, women who are breastfeeding are also advised to avoid the use of benzodiazepine medications.
Medications for the relief of anxiety should be taken at a low dosage at the beginning of treatment. Most often, patients are advised to start treatment on the lowest dose and this can be increased slowly over one or two weeks until you reach the most suitable dosage. The dosage is also dependent on what your needs are as an individual, your weight, age, medical history, and existing treatments should all be taken into account.
Medications like clonazepam, alprazolam and lorazepam have a low dose in comparison to diazepam. For example, a 0.5 mg dose of clonazepam and alprazolam is considered the equivalent of a 10 mg dose of diazepam. Similarly, a 1 mg dose of lorazepam is considered to be the equivalent of a 10 mg dose of diazepam.
The three most potent treatments for anxiety are therefore alprazolam, lorazepam and clonazepam. So for example, if 0.5 mg of clonazepam (Klonopin) sounds like a low dose compared with 10 mg diazepam, it is not. In fact, the potency of these doses is equivalent. Therefore, long-term use of low dose alprazolam, clonazepam and lorazepam should be used with caution as this can lead to tolerance and dependence.
Depending on the type of anxiety treatment you take, it is possible to develop a dependency to certain medications. For example, beta-blockers can be used to treat anxiety and even heart conditions, but they do not have a tendency to become habit-forming.
Benzodiazepines, on the other hand, are essentially sedatives, which can cause dependence in some patients, particularly when used for long periods of time. In addition, higher doses can lead to tolerance and dependence as well as anxiety medication side effects. For this reason, it is always advisable to take these treatments at the lowest effective dose for the shortest possible duration.
Discontinuing treatment with benzodiazepines at the end of long-term use should be a gradual process. A report was released in 2015 offering general advice for best practices when discontinuing treatment with benzodiazepines. The report found little evidence for the use of additional medications when stopping treatment. Instead, it placed importance on the following simple interventions:
The report found these points were associated with a two to three fold higher probability of successful withdrawal from treatment, compared with usual treatment. Decreasing your current anxiety medication dosage gradually and eventually stopping the treatment will significantly reduce the chance of withdrawal symptoms.
Withdrawal symptoms that may happen in a relatively small percentage of people if treatment is discontinued abruptly include muscle stiffness, irritability, anxiety and sleeping difficulties. The severity of withdrawal symptoms will depend on several factors such as the type of benzodiazepine used, the dosage level and duration of treatment and your general health.
If you are looking for an anxiety treatment that is suitable for your specific condition, you may want to know how to get anxiety medication. Simply visit a reputable online pharmacy and complete the following ordering process:
If you would like to know more or have any queries, you can contact customer support on a day-and-night basis. For optimal results, always ensure that you adhere to dosage guidelines if you buy anxiety medication in the UK to treat your relevant condition.
At our online pharmacy, cheapsleepingtablets.net, we stock a wide range of medication for treating anxiety, along with a variety of fact acting sleeping pills and strong painkillers without a prescription.
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Since graduating from the University of Nottingham with a Master’s degree in English literature Annabelle has followed her dream and pursued a career as a content writer. We are confident that Annabelle’s love for life, as well as her passion and dedication to help others will be reflected in her blogs and will offer our readers new and alternative ways to improve their sleep pattern and the health benefits associated with getting a good night's sleep.
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