How long does it take to take medicine to cure anxiety disorder?

Anxiety disorder, also called anxiety disorder, is a disorder that is easily "underestimated" by people. Once you realize that you need to seek help from a doctor, you often need medication. It probably needs to go through three stages: acute phase, consolidation phase, and maintenance phase. If the whole course of treatment is treated, it will take about a year and a half, but it must be understood that this time is not absolute.

Medication times for specific periods

•Acute phase: Drug treatment lasts for 8-12 weeks, with regular evaluation of treatment effects and observation of adverse drug reactions.

•Consolidation period: After treatment in the acute phase, consolidation treatment needs to be continued to prevent recurrence. After 3-6 months of continuous treatment, the dose can be appropriately reduced for observation or after the patient's symptoms are completely relieved, the dose can be gradually reduced and then discontinued.

•Maintenance period: However, if the patient's anxiety symptoms recur after stopping the drug, long-term maintenance doses should be considered. Generally, the drug needs to be continued for about 12 months.

•If anxiety symptoms recur, patients may need to take medication for a longer period of time.

It should also be noted that when stopping the drug, it is advisable to gradually reduce the dosage and not to stop suddenly to prevent withdrawal reactions.

References

[1] Li Dakui, editor-in-chief. Chinese Medical Encyclopedia of Pharmacy and Clinical Pharmacy [M]. Beijing: China Union Medical University Press, 2018(12):91.

[2] Shen Shourong, editor-in-chief Jin Longyu; Tang Yuxin, deputy editor-in-chief Lin Hua; editors such as Chen Jing, Chen Liangjian, Deng Zhihong and others. Newly compiled clinical physician series quick reference manual for common disease prescriptions revised edition [M]. Changsha: Hunan Science and Technology Press, 2014(08):174.