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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 For Dogs: Potential Uses In Canines

Hydroxyzine is a drug that was initially approved by the FDA in the 1950s as an antihistamine.  Most users know hydroxyzine under the brands Vistaril and Atarax, each of which are still popularly prescribed to treat medical conditions such as: allergic skin reactions, generalized anxiety disorders, and nausea resulting from motion sickness.  In some cases, …

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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 Side Effects & Adverse Reactions (List)

Inositol is a non-essential nutrient and natural sugar present within phospholipids of cell membranes, plasma lipoproteins, and the nuclei.  Chemically, there are 9 subtypes of inositol each with distinctive stereoisomers, the most common of which is known as “myo-inositol.”  Within the human body, myo-inositol is synthesized from glucose and accounts for 95% of total free …

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