Azapirone drugs

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1. What are azapirone drugs?
2. How are they meant to work?
3. Do they work?
1. 3.1. GAD
2. 3.2. Social Phobia
3. 3.3. Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia
4. 3.4. Other Anxiety Disorders
4. Are there any risks?
5. Recommendation
6. References

What are azapirone drugs?

Azapirones (AZPs) are drugs that are used to treat a range of mental health problems, including anxiety disorders, depression and psychosis. They can be used on their own, or along with another drug (such as an antidepressant). The most commonly used AZP is buspirone (brand name Buspar). These drugs can only be prescribed by a doctor.

How are they meant to work?

Azapirones work on chemicals in the brain. These drugs act in a similar way to benzodiazepines (see anti-anxiety drugs) by working relatively fast to reduce anxiety symptoms. However unlike benzodiazepines, these drugs can be used for longer periods of time as they are not addictive.

Do they work?

GAD

Four good quality studies have compared AZPs to placebo (dummy) pills for reducing GAD symptoms. Three of these studies showed that AZPs were better than placebo and one found no differences in anxiety symptoms between the groups.

Social Phobia

One study gave 30 patients with social phobia either an AZP (buspirone) or placebo for three months. The results showed no difference between groups in anxiety symptoms at the end of the study.

Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia

Three high quality trials have compared an AZP (buspirone) to placebo. In each study, the AZP was found to be no better than placebo in reducing panic attacks and anxiety symptoms.

Other Anxiety Disorders

There is no evidence on whether azapirone drugs alone work for specific phobias, PTSD or OCD.

Are there any risks?

Azapirones can cause a number of side effects, including drowsiness, dizziness, nausea, weakness, insomnia and lightheadedness.

Recommendation

There is mixed evidence for the effectiveness of azapirones for the treatment of anxiety disorders. These drugs appear to be effective for patients with GAD. However they are not helpful for panic disorder. There is not enough evidence yet as to whether they are useful for social phobia.