WHAT IS A PANIC ATTACK?
TYPICAL SYMPTOMS OF A PANIC ATTACK ARE SHORTNESS OF BREATH, ACCELERATED HEART RATE, THE PERCEPTION OF ONE'S PERSONAL SPACE CLOSING IN, THE FEELING ONE IS DYING, SWEATING, NUMBNESS AND TINGLING IN THE BODY'S EXTREMITIES, DIZZINESS AND NAUSEA, HEADACHE, BLURRED VISION, SYNCOPE (PASSING OUT). A FULL BLOWN PANIC ATTACK MAY BE LIKENED TO THE TRAUMA SOMEONE EXPERIENCES IN AN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT. PANIC DISORDER OFTEN RUNS IN FAMILIES, BUT ALSO HAS A DEFINITE ENVIRONMENTAL COMPONENT. PEOPLE EXPERIENCING PANIC ATTACKS FOR THE FIRST TIME QUITE OFTEN ARE SEEN IN EMERGENCY ROOMS AS THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT IS GOING ON AND BELIEVE THEY ARE HAVING A HEART ATTACK. A PERSON WHO HAS PANIC ATTACKS IS DIAGNOSED WITH AN ACTUAL DISORDER IF THE EPISODES ARE SEVERE ENOUGH TO CAUSE A SIGNIFICANT DISRUPTION IN THE EFFECTED PERSON'S LIFE. PANIC DISORDER VARIES IN SEVERITY. SOME PEOPLE WITH PANIC ATTACKS EXPERIENCE THEM AS LITTLE MORE THAN MINOR ANNOYANCES, WHILE OTHERS HAVE GREAT DIFFICULTY FUNCTIONING AT ALL ON A DAILY BASIS. THE MOST COMMON TRIGGERS FOR PANIC ATTACKS ARE BEING IN CROWDS, BEING OVERWHELMED BY STRESSORS , AND DRIVING. HOWEVER, SOME PEOPLE HAVE PANIC ATTACKS WHICH OCCUR "OUT OF THE BLUE" EVEN WHEN THINGS IN THEIR LIFE ARE GOING WELL AND THEY ARE IN FAMILIAR, PEACEFUL SURROUNDINGS. WHILE THERE ARE COMMON SYMPTOMS OF PANIC ATTACKS, THEY ARE ALWAYS EXPERIENCED SOMEWHAT UNIQUELY BY INDIVIDUALS.
TREATMENT FOR PANIC ATTACKS PART 1
WE WILL BEGIN WITH MEDICATION AS TREATMENT FOR PANIC ATTACKS. ALTHOUGH THIS SHOULD BE THE SECOND CHOICE AFTER PSYCHOTHERAPY, BECAUSE SO MANY PHYSICIANS USE MEDICATION AS THE FIRST CHOICE IT IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE GETTING INTO WHEN YOU TAKE PILLS FOR PANIC. FIRSTLY, THERE ARE THE BENZODIAZEPINES --KLONOPIN, VALIUM, ATIVAN, TRANXENE, AND THE LIKE. THESE ARE ALL ADDICTIVE MEDICATIONS. THESE MEDICINES ARE OFTEN MORE EFFECTIVE INITIALLY BEFORE THE BODY BUILDS UP TOLERANCE AND THE PANIC ATTACK SUFFERER OFTEN ASKS FOR A HIGHER DOSAGE. THESE ARE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM DEPRESSANTS, AND ARE QUITE DANGEROUS WHEN TAKEN WITH ANOTHER CNS DEPRESSANT --ALCOHOL. BENZOS WORK FOR SOME PEOPLE, HOWEVER IF ONE MUST GO THE MEDICATION ROUTE THESE REALLY SHOULDN'T BE THE FIRST CHOICE.
A SECOND CLASS OF MEDICATIONS WHICH ONE MIGHT BE PRESCRIBED FOR PANIC ARE ANTIDEPRESSANTS. THERE'S A LONG LIST TO CHOOSE FROM, INCLUDING PROZAC, PAXIL, ZOLOFT, REMERON, CELEXA, SERZONE, WELLBUTRIN, EFFEXOR AND CYMBALTA. (THESE ARE ON AND OFF LABEL USES) THESE HAVE A LOWER SUCCESS RATE FOR TREATING ANXIETY THAN BENZODIAZEPINES BUT ARE SAFER AND MORE TENABLE IN THE LONG RUN.
THERE ARE VARIOUS OTHER MEDICATIONS HELPFUL FOR PANIC ATTACKS SUCH AS PROPANOLOL AND LIBRIUM. ANOTHER INTERESTING CLASS OF MEDICATIONS WHICH MAY BE HELPFUL WITH PANIC SYMPTOMS, ALTHOUGH THEY ARE NOT ALWAYS OFFICIALLY APPROVED FOR SUCH, ARE THE SECOND GENERATION ANTI-PSYCHOTICS, INCLUDING ZYPREXA, RISPERDAL, GEODON, AND SEROQUEL. ALTHOUGH THE THOUGHT OF TAKING MEDICATIONS ORIGINALLY DEVELOPED FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA FOR PANIC ATTACKS MAY SEEM STRANGE, IF PSYCHOTHERAPY ISN'T WORKING AND YOU HAVE EXTREMELY SEVERE PANIC ATTACKS, AND THE ADDICTIVE BENZODIAZEPINES AREN'T SOMETHING YOU WANT TO GET INTO, AND THE ANTIDEPRESSANTS AREN'T EFFECTIVE, AT LOW DOSAGES THE ANTIPSYCHOTICS ARE A CREATIVE AND OFTEN VERY HELPFUL TREATMENT FOR PANIC ATTACKS, IF YOU CAN TALK YOUR PHYSICIAN INTO PRESCRIBING THEM.
From ABC News
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