How Quickly Do Anxiety Medications Work?
Like any medication, anxiety drugs are not a one-size-fits-all solution. How quickly you feel their effects can vary, which is why it’s so important to discuss treatment options with your doctor or psychiatrist so you know what to expect. With that said, there are some general timelines you can expect.
Short-term anxiety medications
Short-term anxiety medication can treat panic attacks or be used during high-stress trauma situations to offer virtually immediate relief. Some anxiety drugs, like benzodiazepines for example, should only be used short-term. Research shows they have a high risk of dependency and eventually lose efficacy. Anti-anxiety medications like these start to work within 30 to 90 minutes — the rapid onset makes them appropriate for acute cases of anxiety.
Long-term anxiety medications
Long-term anxiety medications are often prescribed for people who experience consistent anxiety that consumes most or all of their days — this might include people with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) or other anxiety disorders, like social anxiety disorder.
According to research, both selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) can be beneficial in treating anxiety long-term. These drugs can take several weeks to months before you experience their full benefits.
Early Effects vs. Long-Term Relief
Almost all anxiety drugs offer a calming effect in a relatively short time period, but this doesn’t mean they’re resolving the underlying issues that contribute to anxiety. The early effects of anxiety medication can begin anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours. You might experience a sense of calm, slowed breathing and heart rate, reduced sweating, and drowsiness.
Full therapeutic effects from a long-term anti-anxiety medication treatment plan can develop slowly as the body and brain adjust to chemical rebalancing due to the drug. Long-term treatment usually means taking a pill daily, and it’s over several weeks that most people begin to notice a steady difference in mood and energy.
Factors Influencing the Timeline
Several variables can impact how quickly anti-anxiety medications work — for example:
- Type of medication
- Dosage
- Individual differences in body and brain chemistry
- Severity of anxiety symptoms
- The condition being treated
Type of anxiety medication
The type of medication your doctor prescribes will affect how quickly it works. Different classes of drugs might be more effective and work more quickly for various types of anxiety.
- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs): Though technically an antidepressant, SSRIs can be used to treat anxiety. It can take between 2 to 6 weeks to notice significant improvement, and it’s important to note that some symptoms — like feeling jittery — may initially increase when first starting on an SSRI for anxiety, but they should subside with time.
- Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs): Similar to SSRIs, you may need several weeks up to a month — or longer — to experience the full effects of SNRIs. Also like SSRIs, anxiety symptoms can worsen for a week or 2 when you start taking an SNRI.
- Benzodiazepines: Known for rapid relief — within 30 mins to 1 hour — “benzos” are only used for short-term anxiety treatment as needed because they have a high risk of dependency.
- Beta-blockers: Beta-blockers are commonly used to treat cardiovascular disease, but they’re also used off-label for situational anxiety in some people. Beta-blockers can quickly alleviate physical symptoms of anxiety — like rapid heart rate and sweating — usually within 1 hour after ingestion.
"From the initial response to the resolution of anxiety symptoms, there is a time duration that varies from individual to individual. Quick-acting rapid response medications like benzodiazepines (Klonopin, Ativan, Xanax) give relief immediately but do not treat the underlying anxiety. Medications with slow start and buildup like SSRIs and SNRIs (Zoloft, Lexapro, Cymbalta, BuSpar, etc.) take time to build up, but they control anxiety throughout the course of the illness."
— Dr. Muhammad Munir, MD
Dosage
Dosage plays a critical role in how long anxiety medications take to work, and it isn’t the same for everyone. Your doctor may start you on a lower dose and increase it as needed.
Individual differences
Body chemistry, age, weight, medical history, other existing health conditions, and any other drugs or supplements you currently use can affect how long it takes an anti-anxiety drug to work.
Severity of symptoms
How severe your symptoms are and how long you’ve had them, can impact a medication’s timeline. Mild anxiety might respond very quickly to a drug, whereas someone with severe anxiety may not find relief as fast.
Type of anxiety disorder
Specific conditions might need different drugs and dosages to treat symptoms of anxiety most effectively. For example, you might treat generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) with one drug and panic disorder with something different.
"Anxiety comes in different forms and severity and impacts everyone differently. A person may have a diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder but might have a different presentation than another individual. From mild occasional symptoms of anxiety to the extreme of panic attacks, treatment with medication and therapy is recommended. The response to medication is dependent on the symptoms, duration, severity, and dose of medication, as well as if used in combination."
— Dr. Muhammad Munir, MD
Adherence to Medication and Treatment Changes
Sticking to the exact medication plan your doctor prescribes is essential. To manage your anxiety most effectively, you should take the exact dose at the same time each day. Missing a dose isn’t the end of the world, but to get the best results, try to keep a consistent level of the drug in your system.
NOTE: It’s vital to contact your doctor first before changing or stopping any medication. Never abruptly stop taking a drug without first discussing what side effects might occur and if you need a taper plan to slowly reduce your intake of a drug safely.
Talk to a Mental Health Provider
Fully understanding the intricacies of anxiety medication can be tricky, which is why you should ask your doctor about what to expect. They can help you find the right drug at the correct dose to treat your anxiety best.
Talkspace is an online platform that makes connecting with a mental health professional simple, affordable, and convenient. If you have any questions related to treating anxiety or other mental health conditions, Talkspace online psychiatrists are here to help. Reach out to Talkspace today to learn how to get anxiety medication.
