whats the best medication for panic attacks?
449978
Obviously this is a very important question and it \ndeserves the best possible answer.  There are usually\nsome variations among the symptoms; and among the\nreasons, if any can be identified.  Panic attacks can\nbe treated by a wide variety of meds, sometimes even \nmost successfully as a "side effect" of a certain med.\nSo if a sufferer wants the best chance of relief\nas soon as possible, and wants to avoid multiple trials\nof different drugs which aren't helpful, the individual\naspects of the attacks should be discussed with a\npsychiatrist who is clinically skilled and caring.\nAre such doctors hard to find?  Yes, they can be.\nDon't start by listings in a phone book.  Ask other\nhealth professionals or people who have had similar\nproblems, as long as you trust them and can respect\ntheir opinions.  Your question is much too general\nto answer without good medical help.  And even though\nfinding that may be a job in itself, it's worth \nthe effort.
1070246
I tried Zoloft and it gave me a lot of anxiety and agitation. Paxil helped alot tho.
1115642
Visit a specialist..For anxiety works best Xanax and Valium,but they need to be prescribed to you by a doctor..Luck!!
207874
Panic attacks are a pain. My son gets them all the time. I got him counseling and a good psychiatrist. The counseling helped him deal with his frustration, and the psychiatrist was able to prescribe medication that controls it.\n\nPanic attacks are caused by a brain chemical imbalance. You're not crazy... you just feel that way for a while. What happens is that a normal brain puts out seratonin to make you feel like you can solve your problems, that the world is pretty much okay, etc. But in people with panic attacks, their brain puts out another chemical to kill off the seratonin. So you feel like the world is not right and that you're fighting a losing battle. The medications prevent that second chemical from killing off the seratonin, so in the end, you feel normal. These medications don't make you feel doped up or sleepy or anything like that. They make you feel NORMAL again. They're called Selective Seratonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs). \n\nAsk your doctor about them. I definitely recommend getting them from a psychiatrist rather than from a regular doctor because a psychiatrist is an MD who specializes in problems related to emotions. That's the best person for this. You aren't going crazy. But sometimes it sure feels that way.\n\nAnxiety is a different but related issue. For that, you can take tranquilizers, which work in about 20 minutes. The SSRIs are not addictive and they take about two weeks to kick in. But the tranquilizers can be addictive, so take them only when really necessary. Your best bet is to take an SSRI and then use the tranquilizers only when your anxiety pops up, which should be way less often when you take the SSRIs.
1087431
First of all there is no majic pill or wand to wave to make the panic attack go away. There is a better way. Pet Therapy has helped a number of people with different problems.  I would recommend a service dog. If your doctor or therapist wrote you  a letter needing a service dog, would your manager let you have it? He would have to because the laws states so. The links should help you. or contact me.\n\nYou need to learn to control your panic attacks and anxiety. No one has ever died from panic attacks even though it feels like it when you are going through one. Learn to rate them and know the five stages of panic attacks before it gets to a full blown panic attack. Every one has level one. Some have level two. The trick is learning to stop it before it gets to level 5.
176565
Depends.  If you have generalized anxiety...like just being worried all the time, therapy should help...and you won't need medication. \nIf you have what I have, which is anxiety disorder w/panic attacks...see a psyc who can give you meds in conjunction with therapy.  I've always been a worry wart...but over the past year I've had quite a few actual panic attacks...that are very scary when you first have them.  I can be sitting, doing absolutely nothing...not worrying about anything..and withing 5 mins be shaking, feel like I can't breath, lightheaded, dizzy, a absolutely terrified...for No reason.  That's a true panic attack.  Of course, stressful situations don't help...but usually I don't even have attacks in those situations.  At this point...I can feel when one is coming on, know I'm not dying, and pop 1/2 a xanax.  It's so helpful when you have the true attacks.  If I didn't have meds, I would sometimes pass out from the fear of the attack itself.  Get some help accordingly :)  Good luck!
1141642
I have this disease, as well as severe panic disorder, there are days when it is really difficult to deal with, like you said the meds help, but they don't take it all away, the best thing I have found to do is to keep myself busy, whether it is playing games on the internet, reading books, going outside and doing something around the house etc, it helps, the less you think about it, the less you have to deal with it.  \n\nAs for the meds your taking xanax is good, but highly addictive ( not trying to scare you or worry you )  so just watch how much you take, and only take what is prescribed, as for the lexapro, I have been on all of those meds, and the one that I found helps the best is Zoloft, so you may want to talk to your doctor about changing that med, sometimes it takes a while for the meds to start working like the lexapro, zoloft, wellbutrin, seraquel, etc..  they say as long as 6 to 8 weeks, so depending on how long you have been on the lexapro-xanax combo, you may have to just give it a little time for your system to get used to the meds, and start working.\n\nI have been dealing with anxiety/panic disorder for over 5 years now, so if you need someone to talk to who will understand what your going through, please feel free to e-mail me at dahorndogD013@yahoo.com, I'll be glad to listen,
633011
Look for Zoloft or Paxil. They are second generation SSRI's just like Prozac.
875124
I know of no OTC meds for anxiety. Xanax IS an anti-anxiety med however! If it isn't working, ask your doctor to change you to ativan or vallium.For me Vallium works wonders.Most doctors are hesitant to prescribe them for longer than a few months however due to the risk of addiction to them. Hope this helped. :)
334922
I have anxiety and I take Lexapro and Xanex for mine. They are the best that I have taken so far. I took Zoloft and Paxil, both made me feel manic and zombie like.
997304
Face it, panic attack and all. Don't take this as medical advice, but from personal experience, the only way you can overcome a fear is to face it head on.
163531
With any anxiety the important thing to remember is that medications will only aleviate the symptoms, but the cause will still be there. Regardless of whether you decide to use medications or not, you must also consider a means of psychotherapy. \n\na) With panic attacks and social phobia I suggest therapies that are deep and personal (such as cognitive therapy, psychoanalysis or humanistic psychotherapies). As a psychologist I prefer to use a mixture of all these therapies depending on what the client needs at a time. You need to discover the cause of your anxiety. That doesn't simply mean "what caused it and what experiences you had in your childhood etc" as many people think, although that is sometimes helpful. You have to realise the thought patterns that are causing the problem for you RIGHT NOW. And the underlying experiences, memories, wishes, concerns that cause those thought patterns. It won't be an overnight solution but trust me, you can make it happen. I have done it myself and have helped many others do it.\n\nb)What is the severity of your anxiety? If your anxiety is so severe that it causes you to completely lose grip of your feelings and behavior then I suggest you consider using medications, only as a temporary means of assisting you in the process of psychotherapy, not as a permanent solution on its own. Also with severe anxieties having the support and care of a therapiest you trust is very important. If you are with a therapist that you do not feel that strong personal bond with, try other therapists. You may need to change a few therapists until you find the right one for you. Whatever you do, do not give up because you have had a few unsuccessful experiences with different therapists.\n\nOne last thing that I strongly recommend is natural therapies. Again not as a solution on their own, but as a part of the therapeutic process. In particular try homeopathy and chiropractic. Your body and mind are so closely linked that curing one without the other is meaningless.
1143921
If you know for sure they are panic attacks you must be seeing a psychologist?  Is it not helping?  The medication should help you!\n\nFor about a week just lay down, get comfortable and imagine yourself walking out of your house....walk down the street....stop and walk back.  After you get comfortable just imagining it, than actually do it.  First, walk outside to the sidewalk....if you start to feel uncomfortable then go back inside.  Do this everday until you can actually walk down the street comfortably.  Then, you're cured!
564635
Panic attacks have many causes and yes, phobias are one of them. In fact they're probably one of the biggest causes. I've had panic attacks for 7 years which were initially triggered by smoking marijuana and taking LSD. Stress can also be a factor.\n\nThe first panic attack I ever had was after smoking some pot. I suddenly felt like I couldn't breathe, my hands and feet went numb, and I thought I was going to die. I went to the ER and they just told me it was a gastrointestinal thing (WTF!) and gave me some antacids and sent me home. After visiting my regular doctor I found out the truth.\n\nI quit doing drugs, started going to therapy, and began taking Paxil. It worked great...for a while. I switched to Celexa, then Effexor, then Zoloft, and now Wellbutrin. Wellbutrin makes me feel better but recently my panic attacks have returned, so I also take Ativan or Xanax when they hit.\n\nIf you don't want to take any drugs, there are some breathing exercises you can do to help calm yourself down. You can find them on-line, but one that I use is you close your eyes and take slow deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth. I keep doing this until I feel that I can go back to being normal or until I fall asleep.\n\nIf you're taking any recreational drugs, you should stop because it may be contributing to the problem. I hope this helps you!
222123
Panic attacks often mimic heart attacks. That's why they can be so darn scary. But it's better to go to the hospital just to be sure. They would rather see you there with a panic attack than to have you second-guess and be wrong. Are you male or female? Often doctors don't take female symptoms as seriously because they think only men get heart disease. If you wake up in the middle of the night trying to catch your breath, you may have sleep apnea. That's when you stop breathing for several seconds and up to a minute. This can cause heart problems. So talk to your doctor about testing at a sleep clinic. (Do you snore?? That often accompanies sleep apnea.) I know it's frustrating to go to the doctor so often and to find nothing wrong. To learn more about panic attacks, go to the link below. You can also do a search on sleep apnea. If you think it could be panic attacks, there are medications you can take to control them... the SSRI class of medications. Talk to your doctor, or better, to a psychiatrist. That's a medical doctor with special training in emotional issues. They can diagnose conditions and prescribe appropriate medications. Good luck. You will be fine.
855523
Beta Blockers lower the levels of adrenaline in your body - the hormone released when you have panic attacks, that's probably why you were prescribed them.\n\nOne of the other effects of Beta Blockers is to lower blood pressure. Sometimes when people on them exercise vigorously it can make them feel very light-headed, dizzy and they may even pass out. This is because the drug prevents the heart pumping with too much pressure.\n\nYou will be able to do exercise, but the safest thing to do would be to have a chat with your doctor and discuss how much would be sensible while you're on them. Your doctor will also be able to cover possible side effects in more detail.\n\nOnce you've done that you should be OK to go back to exercising. Just remember to take it easy to start with so that you can find out how far you can push yourself before running into problems.\n\nHope that helps!
81707
I have had panic attacks since I was 17, I'm now 23. There is a book that helped me understand how to relax myself and deal with these attcks. Its called the Anxiety and Phobia workbook by Edmund J. Bourne. \n\nSomething I have noticed that has helped tremondously is to excercise. If your not a gym person, I recommend walking at least 30 mins a day.