What You Need to Know About Panic Attack Medication   

Panic attacks can cause stress and discomfort on the people suffering from it, not to mention the fact that it can also become a debilitating affliction. Panic attacks usually happen to people who are suffering from some sorts of panic disorder. What is good, however, is that people suffering from panic attacks may undergo therapy and anxiety attack treatment using medication. The focus of the therapy is on changing both the behavioral patterns of the person and the way he deals with certain thoughts. The two therapies are normally combined in order to come up with an effective treatment on people suffering from panic attacks. The role of the medication is simply to facilitate the rehabilitation.

In treating panic attacks, there are types of medication which can be prescribed to treat panic attacks or control the symptoms of panic attacks. One advantage of medication is that it can actually minimize the severity of panic attacks and lower the person’s anxiety of possible attacks in the future. 

A few selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI), like Prozac, Zoloft or Paxil, are effective medications used in treating panic attacks. SSRIs are known antidepressants which are typically used in treating depression. These types of medications aim at triggering chemicals in the brain also known as neurotransmitters that the brain used to transmit messages. Neurotransmitters are released by one nerve, while others take them up. It is the same group of nerves that release the neurotransmitters that will re-uptake or reabsorb the ones which are absorbed by other nerves. 

The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) hold back the re-uptake of serotonin in order to allow more serotonin to be ready for other nerves to take them up. Before the introduction of the SSRI, there were already the tricyclic anti-depressant (TCA) medications such as Tofranil, Norpramin, or Anafranil, which were used to treat panic disorder. It was proven, however, that SSRI medications are safer compared to TCAs. As a result, TCAs were less used in the treatment of panic attacks. But when used with close monitoring, TCAs are said to be as effective as SSRIs. Just like any other medications, however, TCAs are said to have side effects, which ranges from minor effects to life-threatening in some cases. Working closely with the prescribing doctor can reduce the risks simply because the doctor can give appropriate interventions which medication must be administered. It is to be noted that pregnant women are not supposed to be treated with any of the medications from SSRIs and TCAs due to the obvious risks on the life of the fetus. 

Other medications, like the Xanax, Valium, Ativan or Klonopin, which are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), are medications from the benzodiazepine family that are also used in treating panic disorders. These are effective medications which aim at lowering anxiety level and nervous tension. These are at times issued to be taken for instant relief to signs of panic disorder, unlike that of the SSRIs which needs to be taken daily.

Panic disorder symptoms should improve after a few weeks of medications. But if there is no improvement within six to eight weeks, the doctor can prescribe a higher dose or prescribe another medicine. In fact, most medications that are used to treat panic attacks should be continued to more than a year or even longer. It is only after that period when the medication can be gradually lowered over a period of several weeks. It is not a guarantee however that the person may be totally treated because there are chances that panic attacks may recur. When this happens, medication needs to be continued for a few months. Others, however, need to undergo longer medication in order to control the symptoms.

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