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Panic Attack Medication: What Is Best For Me?
By: Mike OBrien
If you are one of those living with panic attack symptoms, you know it can almost take over your life. Living with the fear that you will have to suffer through an- other period of grief, pain, and discomfort is sometimes enough to bring on a panic attack. When it comes to treating a panic attack, some medication has been known to significantly reduce the symptoms, enabling people to continue living a life that is not ruled by the fearful unknown. The following provides information about some of the most effective medications available to consumers.
Alprazolam (al-PRAZ-zo-lam)
This medication is one of the more com- mon prescriptions for general anxiety treatment. It is a benzodiazepine, which
is used to treat short term panic attack symptoms in many people every day. This medication is not meant to treat ongoing and daily forms of a panic attack, but is very useful to people who experience these symptoms periodically.
Azapirones (a-zah-PIE-ronz)
Azapirones is a drug which works on the central nervous system by relieving the many symptoms of anxiety. This drug can be found in many antidepressants and is the reason many people who normally would not take antidepressants do, because of their panic attack symptoms. It is used to calm the nervous system, putting it somewhat into sleep mode.
Benzodiazepines (ben-zo-die-AZ-a-peens) This is a tranquil medication, used to help fight anxiety and insomnia. The drug is very potent, and a fear of becoming addict- ed to it is shared with both physicians and patients. For extreme cases of anxiety, this is the medication most commonly used,
but it’s also something that can significant- ly alter your mood or personality if not used properly or for longer periods of time than prescribed.
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)
These are a newer type of anti-depressant introduced into the US in the 1980s begin- ning with Prozac. They work differently
to traditional antidepressants and they do so by increasing and assisting the brain to maintain levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin which is often found to be low in people sufferering from depression, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and anxiety and panic disorders.
Which Panic Attack Medication to Use
The severity of the panic attack, will influence which medication a physician
will prescribe for you. Remember that
you should not determine which medi- cation to use. It is essential to consult a doctor about what is best for you. Using someone else’s medicine may help your symptoms in the short term, but in the long run you need a solution for long term results. Taking someone else’s medicine
for your undiagnosed panic attack would be considered as being very irresponsible. Because of the nature of the problem your doctor will probably prescribe more than one medication over a period of time so as to ascertain what is best for you. Using the least amount of medication to control your panic attack symptoms is the most ben- eficial, so most doctors will recommend starting with a low dosage and work their way up from there until the best solution is found.
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