Anxiogenic

An anxiogenic substance is one that causes anxiety. Anxiogenic effects can be measured by, for example, the hole-board test in rats and mice. A number of agents are used to provoke anxiety (anxiogens) or panic (panicogens) in experimental models. Some of the most common substances are: sodium lactate, carbon dioxide (as carbogen), L-DOPA, caffeine, Modafinil, GABA antagonists such as DMCM, FG-7142 and ZK-93426, serotonergic agents such as mCPP and LY-293,284, adrenergic agents such as yohimbine, antipsychotics/dopamine antagonist such as ecopipam and reserpine, and cholecystokinin (CCK) (especially the tetrapeptide and octapeptide fragments CCK-4 and CCK-8). Studies have shown that 10 mL/kg of 0.5 molar sodium lactate infused intravenously over a 20-minute period will provoke a panic attack in most patients with panic disorder but not healthy control subjects.

Antibiotics drugs such as Fluoroquinolones can cause from short-term to long-term anxiety and panic disorders as a side effect. This its due to a posible antagonism of GABA receptor and toxicity of the central nervous system. This effect its potentiated with the combined use of Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

The GABA antagonist, Flumazenil cause panic attacks in patients with panic disorder.

Anxiolytic substances have the opposite effect: they reduce anxiety. The most common class of anxiolytic drugs are benzodiazepines and barbiturates.