Panic Attack Medication

Panic attacks are a debilitating affliction that cause suffering great distress, both physical and psychological. Panic attacks are the most extreme and severe form of an anxiety disorder. Fortunately they can be treated with a combination of therapy and appropriate panic attack medication.

Therapy focuses on changing certain thinking and behavior patterns.  This is really what addresses the main underlying problem but medications certainly can be helpful in controlling symptoms and some people do seem to need them long-term.

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 Several different types of medications are used to treat panic attacks or to control the symptoms of panic attacks. In general, medications are intended to reduce the frequency and severity of panic attacks. In addition, they help with one of the more troublesome side effects of having had a panic attack: anxiety about the chance of having another one.

Some of the more common drugs used to treat panic attacks are Prozac, Zoloft or Paxil. These are all selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI).

SSRI are antidepressants and commonly prescribed drugs to treat depression, but they also help control panic symptoms. These types of medications affect chemicals in the brain known as neurotransmitters.

Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers which are released by one nerve and taken up by others. The same nerves that released them can “reuptake” the neurotransmitters. SSRI’s inhibit the reuptake of serotonin, an action which allows more serotonin to be available to be taken up by other nerves.

An older group of antidepressants are called tricyclic antidepressants. Examples of these drugs in this class include Tofranil, Norpramin, or Anafranil were often used to treat panic disorder. Although these drugs can be effective in treating panic attacks, the newer antidepressants seem to work as well with fewer side effects.

An even older classification of drugs is monoamine oxidase inhibitors. These drugs are rarely used today because they are associated with rather serious side effects and in general the newer drugs are much more effective.

Sedatives from the benzodiazepine family are also used as part of the treatment for panic attacks or panic disorders. Valium is the prototypical drug and this group. Others you may hear about include:Xanax, Ativan, and Klonopin.
These medications reduce anxiety and nervous tension through their sedative effect.

They are sometimes prescribed to be taken as needed for immediate relief to symptoms. In addition, they are often used at the beginning of therapy because SSRI’s take days to even a few weeks to reach maximal effectiveness. The sedative drugs help reduce symptoms until the antidepressants have a chance to work.

You can find out more details about these drugs as well as some other classifications of drugs used to treat panic attacks at: Medications for Anxiety and Panic Attacks.

You also need to be aware that any medication carries with the risk of side effects. Since antidepressants are very frequently used to treat panic attacks, you should visit Side Effects of Antidepressants Used to Treat Panic Disorders if you and your doctor are considering using any of these drugs.

The important thing though is realize that drugs are only one part of the equation and really not the most important part. It is possible to be free of panic attacks once and for all, but that takes a therapeutic approach in addition to the simply use of medications.

 The therapies available today are extremely effective. While many people do benefit from using medications as part of the treatment, many others are able to eliminate panic attacks completely without requiring drugs, or if they do needing them for only a very short period of time.

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