Anxiolytic medication
Like all antidepressant drugs, anxiolytic medications act directly at the level of the brain to restore the chemical imbalance that causes symptoms of extreme anxiety.
- Buspirone works by interacting with receptors for the mood enhancing chemical messengers in the brain or neurotransmitters, particularly serotonin and noradrenaline, also dopamine and acetylcholine. Buspirone does not act on receptor sites in the brain that are targets for various sedation-causing drugs like benzodiazepines, barbiturates and inhaled anaesthetics. Therefore buspirone exerts its antianxiety effects without sedation, muscle relaxation, and without compromising mental alertness.
- Tradazone increases the amounts of serotonin and noradrenaline by inhibiting reuptake as well as increasing their activity in the brain. However, it also has sedative properties, by acting on the histamine receptor, which is why it is helpful for treating anxiety.