Anxiety

Sometimes anxiety is a side effect of a medication that you are taking. Here are some drugs or groups of drugs that can cause anxiety:

• stimulants, such as Ritalin or amphetamines.
• caffeine in coffee or tea  -- any over the counter medications have caffeine in them (for example, some cough medicines, NoDoz and Excedrin)
• some decongestants (for example, Sudafed)
• psychiatric medications, including antidepressants
• hormones (for example, thyroid medication or birth control pills)
• asthma medications
• seizure medications.

Have your recently started or increased the dose of one of these types of medications? Yes, I have. No, my medications haven't changed.

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Online Medical Reviewer: Faculty of Harvard Medical School Date Last Reviewed: 10/16/2006 Date Last Modified: 10/11/2006 Source: from Harvard Health Decision Guides, Harvard Health Publications, Copyright © 2007 by President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Used with permission of StayWell.

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