Trankimazin is one of the most commonly used anti-anxiety drugs . It is a fast-acting benzodiazepine used for the treatment of acute anxiety states, among other conditions.

We will see in this article what it is and how trankimazin acts, as well as its main side effects and contraindications.

What is the Trankimazin and what is it for?

Trankimazin is the trade name of a psychopharmaceutical called “alprazolam”. This same drug is in some places known as Xanax. It is an anti-anxiety type of medication, that is, it is used to treat the symptoms of anxiety and panic attacks .

The latter include various physiological reactions that are constantly present and beyond the person’s control. It is specifically prescribed for the treatment of clinical pictures such as generalized anxiety disorder and in some phobias such as social phobia.

In the same way, Trankimazin is used for adaptive treatment and in the case of depressive disorders that present comorbidity with anxiety disorders. In the same sense, it is prescribed for the treatment of states of anxiety that accompany medical treatments, such as chemotherapies .

But not only does it have effects as an anti-anxiety drug. As a drug with hypnotic properties, Trankimazin works as a muscle relaxant and anticonvulsant . This is derived from its pharmacological properties which place it in the category of benzodiazepines. We will now see how this type of drug is defined.

Benzodiazepines

In general, anti-anxiety drugs have a depressant action on the central nervous system. At a specific level, they can have different effects depending on the type of anxiolytic. For example, benzodiazepines, prescribed for short-term anxiety attacks, are the most recently marketed anxiolytics, which replaced barbiturates.

Previously, barbiturates were considered the main drug for treating anxiety symptoms, however, they have been gradually replaced in view of the large number of adverse effects they cause.

Among the drugs that have replaced barbiturates is Trankimazin, a benzodiazepine that has an immediate action and therefore acts quickly on the central nervous system .

The latter has been an advantage over other anti-anxiety drugs because, by acting quickly in the body, the need to take large amounts of the drug is reduced. Likewise, having a short duration reduces the probabilities of generating drug dependence .

Mechanism of action

Being a benzodiazepine, Trankimazin acts through the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors. The latter is one of the main neurotransmitters with inhibitory action .

When Trankimazin binds to GABA receptors, such inhibitory action is enhanced, generating sedative or anxiolytic effects in the central nervous system. Therefore, this drug is considered a benzodiazepine receptor agonist.

In other words, Trankimazin reduces the neuronal activation of some areas of the brain where GABA receptors are present; especially in the limbic system, which is the region associated with states of anxiety.

Contraindications

Trankimazin is contraindicated for people with the following symptoms:

  • Narrow-angle glaucoma .

    • .

  • Airway disturbances.
  • Myasthenia (an autoimmune neuromuscular disease that causes weakness in voluntary skeletal muscles)
  • Kidney or liver failure .

    • .

It is also recommended to stop its use during pregnancy and lactation, due to the probability that this drug is transmitted in the placenta and in breast milk. It is also recommended to avoid the use of heavy machinery and to take precautions when driving, due to its sedative effects.

Side effects

Although benzodiazepines have reduced the possibility of suffering adverse effects as well as developing drug dependence (with respect to barbiturates), these drugs still include the possibility of experiencing secondary manifestations.

In this sense, the main adverse effect caused by trankimazin is drowsiness, fatigue and sedation accompanied by intense headaches and dizziness . Therefore, it can cause a decrease in the state of alert, and an alteration of attention or concentration. In the same vein, trankimazin can generate difficulties in retaining information in the short term, i.e. it can cause some memory problems.

On a physiological level, side effects include vomiting, nausea, blurred vision, hypotension, tremors, urinary incontinence and altered libido. Other more serious but less frequent effects are sudden mood swings, hallucinations, suicidal ideation, aggressiveness or irritability and intraocular pressure. In the same sense and as may occur with other psychoactive drugs, there is a possibility of developing paradoxical effects (contrary to what would be expected) such as agitation, hyperactivity, restlessness or elevated states of anxiety.

On the other hand, it is advisable to reduce its intake gradually, to avoid an abstinence syndrome or a sudden return of previous manifestations of anxiety. Also, an excessive intake of this medicine may result in overdose with cardiorespiratory failure.

Bibliographic references:

  • Trankimazin tablet 0.5 mg (2015). Vademecum. Recovered October 23, 2018. Available at https://www.vademecum.es/equivalencia-lista-trankimazin+tablet+0.5+mg-en05ba12-en_1.
  • Stevens, J.C. and Pollack, M.H. (2005). Benzodiazepines in clinical practice: consideration of their long-term use and alternative agents. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry; 66 (2):21-7.