Panic Attack Medication

Panic attacks can be a debilitating trial that causes the individual that is suffering from it great stress and discomfort. They are seen in someone with a panic disorder but luckily can be helped through the use of therapy and medication. Therapy focuses on changing certain thoughts and behavior patterns. Typically when these two therapies are mixed, relapses of panic attacks occur in a far lesser times than when only one treatment is used. Medication can aid the rehabilitation efforts.

Sundry types of medications can be used to treat panic attacks or to control the symptoms of panic attacks. Medications can help reduce the number and severity of panic attacks and, reduce the anxiety of having another attack. There are many effective medications that will treat panic attacks like Prozac, Zoloft or Paxil which are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI). SSRI are antidepressants and popularly a prescribed drug to treat depression. These types of medications affect chemicals known as neurotransmitters that nerves in the brain use to give out messages to one another. Neurotransmitters, are given off by one nerve and taken up by other nerves. The same nerves that released them will “reuptake” the neurotransmitters that are not taken up by other nerves. SSRI’s inhibit the reuptake of serotonin, an action which allows more serotonin to be in handy to be taken up by other nerves. Before SSRIs were available, medications from the group known as the tricyclic anti-depressants (TCAs) such as Tofranil, Norpramin, or Anafranil were always used to treat panic disorder. Despit the fact that TCAs can equally be as effective in treating panic attacks as SSRIs, SSRI’s have been proven to be safer and better tolerated in individuals. Because of that, TCAs have been used less often. Although, when used in the right individual with close monitoring, these medications can be an effective treatment for panic disorders. But like most medications, there is the risk of side effects which can vary from minor to life-threatening in some cases. So, it is imperative to work very well with the prescribing doctor to decide whether treatment with medications is an appropriate intervention and if so, which medication should be administered. Pregnant women should never be treated with these kinds of medications due to the possible risks to the fetus.

A lot of medications from the benzodiazepine families are also approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat panic attacks or panic disorders. These medications include Xanax, Valium, Ativan, or Klonopin. These medications are effective in lessening anxiety and nervous tension. They are sometimes prescribed to be taken as needed for a right away relief to symptoms unlike SSRI’s which have to be taken every day.

Panic disorder symptoms must start to get better within a few weeks after beginning medications. If there is not improvement within 6 to 8 weeks, a greater amount or another medicine may be prescribed by the doctor. Most medications that are used to treat panic attacks need to be maintained for a year or longer. After this one year period, they might be decreased gradually over a period of several weeks. At times after the medications have been lessened, the individual might experience panic attacks again. In that case the medication might have to be maintained for at least a few more months. Some individuals might need to stay on medications for a long time to keep symptoms under management.