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CBD Oil For Anxiety: Is Cannabidiol An Effective Treatment?

Cannabidiol (CBD) is just one of over 85 scientifically-identified cannabinoids (or chemical compounds) derived from the flowering plant cannabis.  Each of the cannabinoids within cannabis elicit unique neurophysiological effects.  Most people are well-aware of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the predominant cannabinoid within cannabis that is ingested by upwards of 230 million people per year as a psychoactive …

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Valerian For Anxiety Disorders

Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) is a perennial plant named after the Latin term “valere,” which roughly translates to “strong and healthy.”  The plant is considered native to Europe and various regions of Asia and tends to bloom pinkish and/or whitish flowers in the summer seasons.  Upon blooming, its flowers are universally known to have a sweet, …

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Effexor (Venlafaxine) For Anxiety Disorders: An Effective Anxiolytic?

Effexor (Venlafaxine) is a drug that was introduced in 1993 as a pharmaceutical antidepressant by Wyeth; its marketing rights are now owned by Pfizer.  Pharmacodynamically, it functions primarily as a serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) and is understood to be the first-ever “dual reuptake inhibitor” approved by the FDA for the treatment of major depressive disorder.  …

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Propranolol For Anxiety Disorders: A Nonselective Beta Blocker

Propranolol is a beta blocker originally synthesized in the 1960s by James W. Black, a British scientist.  It is a derivative of older beta-adrenergic antagonists dichloroisoprenaline and pronethalol, each of which lacked safety and efficacy to warrant medicinal usage.  Chemically, propranolol is formed upon insertion of an oxymethylene group into the aryl ethanolamine structure of …

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Hydroxyzine (Vistaril, Atarax) For Anxiety Disorders

Hydroxyzine (brand names Vistaril, Atarax) is a first-generation antihistamine of the diphenylmethane and piperazine class.  It was initially synthesized in 1956 and thereafter marketed in the U.S. by the pharmaceutical juggernaut, Pfizer.  Although a relatively ancient medication by today’s standards, hydroxyzine is still commonly prescribed: as a preoperative anesthetic, analgesic, and anxiolytic adjunct; as an …

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Inositol For Anxiety Disorders: An Effective Treatment?

Inositol (cyclohexane-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexol) is a non-essential nutrient synthesized within the body from glucose and is abundant within spinal fluid.  Although inositol exists in the form of 9 distinct stereoisomers, the most abundant format within cellular membranes is myo-inositol, accounting for approximately 95% of free inositol within the body.  Myo-inositol was initially isolated by researchers in 1849, …

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