Panic attack medication has developed and come a long way in helping people who suffer from panic attacks manage their symptoms and their underlying root causesThe stress and anxiety of these panic attacks is quite severe and one of the prime causes of their recurrences is the fear itself of another possible attack.Medication alone can be a palliative and offer some temporary relief, but when used in conjunction with good therapy can provide benefits of a long lasting and more significant order.
Therapy approaches the behavioral aspects of panic attacks, such as reacting to different stimuli or situations, whereas panic attack medication focuses on the biological, or more specifically, the chemical behavior of the brain.
There are several different types of panic attack medication available and many of them are quite recognizable including Prozac, Paxil, and Zoloft. These medications can help ease the symptoms of panic attacks and reduce the fear that sufferers often have about enduring another one in the future. These medications are called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs. They are anti-depressants and are commonly prescribed to help deal with depression.
They work by acting on the neurotransmitters in the brainand aid in blocking particular events which are precursors of depression, or when treating panic attacks, the fear receptors that tend to cause the heart to increase its rate or breathing to increase, frequently observed symptoms (or conditions) which occur just before a panic attack is experienced.
SSRIs are not the first medications available to help ease the conditions or symptoms of panic attacks. TCAs, or tricyclic antidepressants were earlier prescribed as panic attack medication, but SSRIs have been proven to be safer and more effective in long-term control of the symptoms.
Tofranil, Anafranil, and Norpramin are three of the most common TCA medications.Sometimes, however, a TCA panic attack medication will be more effective than its SSRI counterpart, as long as it is taken under the close supervision of a qualified and licensed medical professional. TCA side effects cover a wide range from minor (insignificant) to life-threatening (dangerous). Under no circumstances is it generally recommended for a pregnant woman to use any of these medications as all will pose a potential threat to the unborn child.
Also, medications that help reduce or alleviate the symptoms of anxiety and stress, such as Xanax, Valium, or Klonopin, are useful in treating panic attacks or panic disorders. These are recommended to be used more to deal with an immediate set of symptomswhile SSRIs have to be taken over a period of time. SSRIs must build up a level of sustainability in our bodies before their effects can be measured, whereas TCAs will act immediately and wear off in time.
With the use of SSRIs as a panic attack medication, it usually takes 6-8 weeks for their effect to be noticed on the panic attack occurrences. If no improvement is noted, a dosage adjustment or change in medication may be prescribed. Most of these medications are intended to be used for a year or longer before being reduced. These decisions concerning prescription medicine for panic attacks should only be made by a licensed and qualified practitioner. In any case, it should be understood that medication alone may ameliorate certain symptoms, but only when combined with effective therapy will the true value of treatment be found to be most effective, combating the ailment itself and not just the symptoms.
