Conventional Panic Attack Medication And Treatment
By their very nature panic attacks are a very unpleasant and stressful affliction for any person to have to go through and there are two kinds of treatment that can help to relieve this panic disorder. The first being through some kind of emotional therapy that aims to change certain patterns of behavior through thought. The other is through medication and these two things together can be a great combination for curing or at least relieving the individual from this condition.
To treat panic attacks or at least control them to a certain extent there are several medications that can be prescribed and used. The worry of having another panic attack as mentioned in the causes of panic attack can be treated by medication, which in itself can cut down the amount of attacks as this feeling of worry can actually trigger an attack.
Medication can also cut down the intensity of an attack. SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) which are a type of medication known as Paxil, Prozac and Zoloft are antidepressants that are commonly used for the treatment of depression. SSRI type medications will affect the chemical neurotransmitters that are used by the nerves in the brain to send a receive messages.
These chemicals are sent by one nerve and received by another nerve. These forms of medication basically absorb the messages sent by nerves and recycle them to the receiving nerves. They inhibit serotonin and allow it to be taken up by other nerves. Another form of antidepressant medication used was TCA (tricyclic anti-depressants), these came in the form of Anafranil, Tofranil and Norpramin and have been used in the past to treat a panic disorder.
They were replaced by SSRI’s as the latter are seen to be better received by individuals as well as a safer type of medication. So TCA’s are now used less often, although they are still known as an effective treatment, but tend to be more closely monitored if used for the treatment of panic disorders.
As with any kind of medication the possible side effects are always a concern for the taker and an in depth discussion with your Doctor is always advisable to be aware of all the possible problems that may occur through the taking of any medication. Many side effects are minimal, but there can be more serious side effects, some even said to be life threatening.
If medications are used then there may be several types prescribed before the Doctor and the patient find one that works effectively to minimize symptoms. It is important to note that these types of medications should not be used by pregnant women for obvious reasons.
There are some medications that unlike SSRI’s which are taken daily, can be taken when needed to reduce nervous tension and anxiety. These are medications such as Valium, Klonopin and Xanax, which are all part of the benzodiazepine family and have been approved for treatment of panic disorders by the drug administration.
Once a medication has been administered then the individuals panic symptoms should start to improve within the six to eight week threshold, if this is not the case and the symptoms have not eased then a different type of medication may have to be used or in some cases just a higher dose of the original medication.
These medications do have to be taken long term by some individuals as when they are decreased the panic attacks can reoccur, but for most people the medication is decreased gradually after around a year of taking them, but this is something that the prescribing Doctor will assess and determine with the patient.
