Aa
Panic attacks
Are valiums used for panic attacks?
I have run the gauntlet of medications over the years; my depression/GAD 'morphed' into BP disorder a couple of years ago. Don't ask; it's a long story. Lol.
Anyway, I agree with those folks that suggest trying an SSRI or SSNRI before hand. The benzos can be very effective in treating GAD and panic attacks but they can really be back stabbers as well. I have been on Ativan, Xanax, Xanax XR and am currently tapering off of Klonopin (doc's supervision) after being on it for two years. It hasn't been terrible; but not a pleasant experience either. I won't get into the specifics but I really wish I had cut back on them a long time ago.
Here has been my experience with the benzos:
1. They really can stab you in the back; you can adapt to them (especially the shorter acting ones) and it isn't pretty. I dropped Ativan and Xanax as quick as I could because I developed a tolerance and each pill basically induced a panic attack. Now, bear in mind, I have never abused them and have never gotten higher than 1mg of Ativan a day; it's pretty potent. The Klonopin isn't too bad as it's got a nice long half life.
2. The side effects of the longer acting benzos tend to get worse over time. This is what kills me with the Klonopin; every dose of it seems to slow my mind down and drop my mood more and more. It's a trade off; some people need the medication and the side effects are worth it but not for me.
3. It can be a real roller coaster within the medical community if you're on a benzo. I had a ripping mixed episode two years ago (BP deal- mania and depression all rolled into one..) and went into the emergency room. My doc at the time didn't recognize that I was BP; she thought I was just suffering through panic attacks so she gave me Ativan. I had taken an Ativan to try and calm myself down but I literally thought I was going insane so I went to the ER. The ER doc looked at my med list (Ativan and Celexa at the time) and the first words out of his mouth were short and rude:
"I won't give you anymore Ativan."
I was treated like a junkie; it was ridiculous. I hadn't said ANYTHING about the medication...
And, this wasn't the only time I have been treated like this either; many docs see that you're on a benzo and they get their hackles up. And, many docs (even shrinks) either don't know enough about the benzos to treat you with them or they're very insensitive about it. I had a doc put me on Xanax (.5 mgs, 2x a day) once; he wanted to give me some relief from the GAD while the Cymbalta he prescribed me got into my system. I was on that dose for a month and he decided to pull me off of it cold turkey. It was a nightmare.. I asked him to taper me off of it and he told me that it was too addictive and that I needed to get off right then and there.. I didn't ask for more; I simply asked him to cut back on the dosage slowly. He wouldn't and I had several very, very bad weeks.
So, I'd be careful and wary of the benzos. I would do everything you can before taking a benzo. Get on an SSRI/SSNRI, make lifestyle changes, and hit therapy hard first. If that doesn't work; give Klonopin a shot. I feel it's the best out of all of them.
Anyway, I agree with those folks that suggest trying an SSRI or SSNRI before hand. The benzos can be very effective in treating GAD and panic attacks but they can really be back stabbers as well. I have been on Ativan, Xanax, Xanax XR and am currently tapering off of Klonopin (doc's supervision) after being on it for two years. It hasn't been terrible; but not a pleasant experience either. I won't get into the specifics but I really wish I had cut back on them a long time ago.
Here has been my experience with the benzos:
1. They really can stab you in the back; you can adapt to them (especially the shorter acting ones) and it isn't pretty. I dropped Ativan and Xanax as quick as I could because I developed a tolerance and each pill basically induced a panic attack. Now, bear in mind, I have never abused them and have never gotten higher than 1mg of Ativan a day; it's pretty potent. The Klonopin isn't too bad as it's got a nice long half life.
2. The side effects of the longer acting benzos tend to get worse over time. This is what kills me with the Klonopin; every dose of it seems to slow my mind down and drop my mood more and more. It's a trade off; some people need the medication and the side effects are worth it but not for me.
3. It can be a real roller coaster within the medical community if you're on a benzo. I had a ripping mixed episode two years ago (BP deal- mania and depression all rolled into one..) and went into the emergency room. My doc at the time didn't recognize that I was BP; she thought I was just suffering through panic attacks so she gave me Ativan. I had taken an Ativan to try and calm myself down but I literally thought I was going insane so I went to the ER. The ER doc looked at my med list (Ativan and Celexa at the time) and the first words out of his mouth were short and rude:
"I won't give you anymore Ativan."
I was treated like a junkie; it was ridiculous. I hadn't said ANYTHING about the medication...
And, this wasn't the only time I have been treated like this either; many docs see that you're on a benzo and they get their hackles up. And, many docs (even shrinks) either don't know enough about the benzos to treat you with them or they're very insensitive about it. I had a doc put me on Xanax (.5 mgs, 2x a day) once; he wanted to give me some relief from the GAD while the Cymbalta he prescribed me got into my system. I was on that dose for a month and he decided to pull me off of it cold turkey. It was a nightmare.. I asked him to taper me off of it and he told me that it was too addictive and that I needed to get off right then and there.. I didn't ask for more; I simply asked him to cut back on the dosage slowly. He wouldn't and I had several very, very bad weeks.
So, I'd be careful and wary of the benzos. I would do everything you can before taking a benzo. Get on an SSRI/SSNRI, make lifestyle changes, and hit therapy hard first. If that doesn't work; give Klonopin a shot. I feel it's the best out of all of them.
Hi ;-)
What is the dosage and also is it the first time you are on tha med?
Most of the SSRI ( and I don't want to make a generalization here and i'm not talking about my experience with that med) but the fact is that most of those antidepressant in the class of SSRI tend to give some headache when you start them BUT they are sometimes use also to treat some type of headache like tension headache, with less success than the older TCA call Elavil...
For the shaking, the Zoloft and all the other SSRI's in general have also a tremor side-effect, who will stop after 3-4 weeks... but overall the tremor or shaking effect is not common and is see more often with drugs to belong to the older antipsychotic class...
If after only 2 day you have only that side-effect from the Zoloft, I think it's perhaps the best antidepressant for you, since it's not increasing your anxiety and seem to reduce it, I guess that it will work very well to make you less anxious in general and that's a good thing ;-)
What is the dosage and also is it the first time you are on tha med?
Most of the SSRI ( and I don't want to make a generalization here and i'm not talking about my experience with that med) but the fact is that most of those antidepressant in the class of SSRI tend to give some headache when you start them BUT they are sometimes use also to treat some type of headache like tension headache, with less success than the older TCA call Elavil...
For the shaking, the Zoloft and all the other SSRI's in general have also a tremor side-effect, who will stop after 3-4 weeks... but overall the tremor or shaking effect is not common and is see more often with drugs to belong to the older antipsychotic class...
If after only 2 day you have only that side-effect from the Zoloft, I think it's perhaps the best antidepressant for you, since it's not increasing your anxiety and seem to reduce it, I guess that it will work very well to make you less anxious in general and that's a good thing ;-)
I forgot also about all the antipsychotic meds I try... Seroquel, Zypreza, and some that I don't even remember... I was on the Seroquel for my insomnia 100 mg bedtime for almost 1 year and strangely my panic disorder return when I reach the 100 mg... when I decrease it to 75 mg the panic continue... maybe it's not related at all... who know.. with all that anxiety, I tend to do false link between meds, vitamins, foods that I eat and anxiety symptoms that I have daily...
Oh you're are nice ;-) I will survive, well I think... a placebo...may be a good idea but since I got my meds not from my PDoc but buy them at the drugstore, it will be hard to do that test... I'm pretty sure that i'm med sensitive now because of the high level of fears and apprehensions from the past bad experiences with some of those meds... The Parnate was something really, very scary... had a lot of hypertensive crisis while I was on it... and strangely I try for a long time another med from the same class, an MAOI call Nardil and I had hypotension all the time, had to take a special med to increase the salt inside my body and increase my blood pressure ( I forget the name of it) and had also to always have some Nifepidine on me in case I had an hypertensive crisis... it was a nightmare.. I had to bring my blood pressure machine everywhere in case I had a bad reaction to foods I eat... BUT the Nardil was the more good for my social phobia, I was just not able to deal with the hypotension all the time... and of course, now that I developp a kind of somatization problem with my heart and always take my pulse rate and feel my heart beat hard in my chest and with the tachycardia, I can't return on this kind of old antidepressant med...
I try 2 times the Trazodone... it was a disaster... it was suppose to help with my insomnia but I had worse insomnia and worse anxiety the day after... I try also the Buspar, in fact it was the first med I was put on when I was diagnosticed with a panic disorder a 19 yo in 1994... and I try it also again in 1999 and also in 2005 and it was not effective for my anxiety even after 3 months on it...
I try also a lot of off-label meds, one example was the Mirapex, who is a med use to treat the parkinson disease and increase the dopamine level who is sometime low in peoples who have a social phobia... but I had a lot of panic attacks while I was taking that med... I try also the Clonidine with no luck, I try the Remeron with no luck also, I try some old meds to treat migraine headache, one is not available in the USA and is call Sandomigran, my Neurologist told me it will be more easy to start the Paxil if I was taking the Sandomigran at the same time cause the Sandomigran is a 5HT2C antagonist, and SSRI's meds are well know to increase anxiety at first by the 5HT2C agonist activy they have... but it was not working... the Sandomigran alone was very hard to tolerate cause of the effect on the heart...
Anyway... I think that I need just to start very slowly the Paxil by 1 mg every week and not more and see what happen... I think being at the daytime hospital will be the best place to start it in case I have a problem with my heart... and start slowly will decrease my fear of the meds...
Again thanks for your positive energy and your help ;-)
I try 2 times the Trazodone... it was a disaster... it was suppose to help with my insomnia but I had worse insomnia and worse anxiety the day after... I try also the Buspar, in fact it was the first med I was put on when I was diagnosticed with a panic disorder a 19 yo in 1994... and I try it also again in 1999 and also in 2005 and it was not effective for my anxiety even after 3 months on it...
I try also a lot of off-label meds, one example was the Mirapex, who is a med use to treat the parkinson disease and increase the dopamine level who is sometime low in peoples who have a social phobia... but I had a lot of panic attacks while I was taking that med... I try also the Clonidine with no luck, I try the Remeron with no luck also, I try some old meds to treat migraine headache, one is not available in the USA and is call Sandomigran, my Neurologist told me it will be more easy to start the Paxil if I was taking the Sandomigran at the same time cause the Sandomigran is a 5HT2C antagonist, and SSRI's meds are well know to increase anxiety at first by the 5HT2C agonist activy they have... but it was not working... the Sandomigran alone was very hard to tolerate cause of the effect on the heart...
Anyway... I think that I need just to start very slowly the Paxil by 1 mg every week and not more and see what happen... I think being at the daytime hospital will be the best place to start it in case I have a problem with my heart... and start slowly will decrease my fear of the meds...
Again thanks for your positive energy and your help ;-)
I agree lynn, and we have seen people who are SO anxious about meds that they predispose themselves to "reactions". Just awful. Wish there was a test that could determine the true cause of the symptoms...medication related vs something else.
Anxiety disorders are tough. Many times I wished for an actual serious physical illness so I could just get some relief. I remember how awful that was!
I'm hoping your day treatment helps...let us know! Sounds like a good program!
Anxiety disorders are tough. Many times I wished for an actual serious physical illness so I could just get some relief. I remember how awful that was!
I'm hoping your day treatment helps...let us know! Sounds like a good program!
Man I really feel for you. It must be horrible to be so sensitive to all these meds. Just starting a med may actually be the reason for your reaction. It would be nice if your P-doc could slip in a placebo and still see if you have a terrible response. Then you would know it was not the actual med, but the fear of meds in general. Have you tried Buspar? It's in a whole different class. Trazedone might be another alternative. Nothing but positive energy coming your way, Good luck and keep us posted.
Hi again ;-)
Hummm... In the past I was used to switch from a SSRI to another one without any problem. I was put often on the Paxil, Zoloft, Celexa with no problem. The main problem is that now I have developp a high fear of meds because of a bad reaction I had with an old antidepressant (MAOI: Parnate)... and since that bad experience, each time I try to be back on a SSRI or another older antidepressants like the TCA's (Imipramine, Nortriptyline, Clomiparmine...), my body react violently and my tachycardia and my anxiety increase to the point that I can't tolerate even a small dose of those med. You have to agree with me that 1 mg of Paxil, who is 1/10 the normal starting dosage for a panic disorder, is not suppose to increase the anxiety... One theory that my PDoc have is the fact that I have side-effects BUT they are linked to the high fear and apprehension I have about the meds... he have another theory about the fact that maybe I lack too much of serotonine in my brain and when I feed my brain with a small dose of SSRI, the serotonine receptors do all those nasty side-effects... When I saw my PDoc this week, he said that I will have no choice to take a SSRI again, whatever the one I will choose and will have to maybe start it again at a low dose and increase slowly to give the time to my brain to be used to the serotonine...
Forget about the SRNI's... I had a very bad reaction of mania with anorexia with the Effexor-XR and same thing happen with the Pristiq and the Cymbalta... Also, my autonomic nervous system tend to be overstimulated easily by all the meds who touch the NE receptors... Maybe that's why I have a problem taking the Paxil cause it's the only one SSRI who affect the NE (noradrenaline)?... But anyway, I try the Celexa again in january and even at 1 mg I had a very fast pulse rate... same thing happen with the Zoloft and the Lexapro... The only one SSRI I never try is the Luvox... but overall I try all the newer and older antidepressants and so far, the Paxil is the only one who work for the panic disorder and it reduce a lot the chronic symptoms I have and stop completly the panic at 15 mg...
Too bad, a PMM is not something I can have where I live...
For the short inpatient, they call it a daytime hospital, you go there 3 hours by day and return at home everyday, you don't sleep there but you are follow by a PDoc... and I had a call today and I will have an interview with that new PDoc to see if I can go to the daytime hospital... she will maybe bring some fresh perspective to my treatment, who know!!! I hope so...
I'm already on a beta-blocker... try 5 of them in the last 3 months and find out that 15 mg of Inderal each day is enough to reduce my heart beat to 90 sit and 120 to 160 when i'm a situation who trigger a lot of anxiety and panic... also, at 15 mg daily, it's not affecting too much my blood pressure who tend to be LOW at home and very high when i'm out of the house... Whatever if it's high or low, i'm dizzy and my ears are all the time red... also I have palpitations and feel and hear my heart beat all the time now 24 hours a day and nothing can't stop this...
I agree that things need to change soon, cause I can't live for another year like this!!! And my anxiety is worse and worse each week and I have a new symptoms who appear each week...
One thing is sure, I will not increase my benzo intake!!! Trust me on that... Even if the 1 mg day of Xanax is not helpfull anymore, I stay at 1 mg of Xanax and 8 mg of Klonopin... When I will meet the PDoc at the daytime hospital, I will ask her about what she think for the high benzo dose... Maybe cut some Klonopin and replace the dose with the EQ dose of Valium for example cut 2 mg of Klonopin to start and add 40 mg of Valium at bedtime will be a good thing... since when I was on the Valium, it was better for my anxiety... I had LESS rebound anxiety between each dose... and then cut again 2 mg of Klonopin or reduce the Valium dose... OR just cut the 1 mg of Xanax and replace it with 20 mg of Valium, 10 mg in the morning and 10 mg at bedtime... and start to reduce the Klonopin after that... I still don't know... Have to talk about it to the new PDoc when I will meet her...
We will hope that I will find a solution cause I need it... feeling like i'm in a panic attack all day long is very scary and make me a LOT TIRED... I also miss a lot the normal things that I was used to do like taking my shower, drive my car, get out of the house and see my friends... For now I just sit all day long and can't stop thinking about how I will be able to be NORMAL AGAIN, if I will be able to be normal again and things like that... I can't stop thinking, no wonder why i'm exhausted!
Well thanks for your support and again sorry ;-)
Hummm... In the past I was used to switch from a SSRI to another one without any problem. I was put often on the Paxil, Zoloft, Celexa with no problem. The main problem is that now I have developp a high fear of meds because of a bad reaction I had with an old antidepressant (MAOI: Parnate)... and since that bad experience, each time I try to be back on a SSRI or another older antidepressants like the TCA's (Imipramine, Nortriptyline, Clomiparmine...), my body react violently and my tachycardia and my anxiety increase to the point that I can't tolerate even a small dose of those med. You have to agree with me that 1 mg of Paxil, who is 1/10 the normal starting dosage for a panic disorder, is not suppose to increase the anxiety... One theory that my PDoc have is the fact that I have side-effects BUT they are linked to the high fear and apprehension I have about the meds... he have another theory about the fact that maybe I lack too much of serotonine in my brain and when I feed my brain with a small dose of SSRI, the serotonine receptors do all those nasty side-effects... When I saw my PDoc this week, he said that I will have no choice to take a SSRI again, whatever the one I will choose and will have to maybe start it again at a low dose and increase slowly to give the time to my brain to be used to the serotonine...
Forget about the SRNI's... I had a very bad reaction of mania with anorexia with the Effexor-XR and same thing happen with the Pristiq and the Cymbalta... Also, my autonomic nervous system tend to be overstimulated easily by all the meds who touch the NE receptors... Maybe that's why I have a problem taking the Paxil cause it's the only one SSRI who affect the NE (noradrenaline)?... But anyway, I try the Celexa again in january and even at 1 mg I had a very fast pulse rate... same thing happen with the Zoloft and the Lexapro... The only one SSRI I never try is the Luvox... but overall I try all the newer and older antidepressants and so far, the Paxil is the only one who work for the panic disorder and it reduce a lot the chronic symptoms I have and stop completly the panic at 15 mg...
Too bad, a PMM is not something I can have where I live...
For the short inpatient, they call it a daytime hospital, you go there 3 hours by day and return at home everyday, you don't sleep there but you are follow by a PDoc... and I had a call today and I will have an interview with that new PDoc to see if I can go to the daytime hospital... she will maybe bring some fresh perspective to my treatment, who know!!! I hope so...
I'm already on a beta-blocker... try 5 of them in the last 3 months and find out that 15 mg of Inderal each day is enough to reduce my heart beat to 90 sit and 120 to 160 when i'm a situation who trigger a lot of anxiety and panic... also, at 15 mg daily, it's not affecting too much my blood pressure who tend to be LOW at home and very high when i'm out of the house... Whatever if it's high or low, i'm dizzy and my ears are all the time red... also I have palpitations and feel and hear my heart beat all the time now 24 hours a day and nothing can't stop this...
I agree that things need to change soon, cause I can't live for another year like this!!! And my anxiety is worse and worse each week and I have a new symptoms who appear each week...
One thing is sure, I will not increase my benzo intake!!! Trust me on that... Even if the 1 mg day of Xanax is not helpfull anymore, I stay at 1 mg of Xanax and 8 mg of Klonopin... When I will meet the PDoc at the daytime hospital, I will ask her about what she think for the high benzo dose... Maybe cut some Klonopin and replace the dose with the EQ dose of Valium for example cut 2 mg of Klonopin to start and add 40 mg of Valium at bedtime will be a good thing... since when I was on the Valium, it was better for my anxiety... I had LESS rebound anxiety between each dose... and then cut again 2 mg of Klonopin or reduce the Valium dose... OR just cut the 1 mg of Xanax and replace it with 20 mg of Valium, 10 mg in the morning and 10 mg at bedtime... and start to reduce the Klonopin after that... I still don't know... Have to talk about it to the new PDoc when I will meet her...
We will hope that I will find a solution cause I need it... feeling like i'm in a panic attack all day long is very scary and make me a LOT TIRED... I also miss a lot the normal things that I was used to do like taking my shower, drive my car, get out of the house and see my friends... For now I just sit all day long and can't stop thinking about how I will be able to be NORMAL AGAIN, if I will be able to be normal again and things like that... I can't stop thinking, no wonder why i'm exhausted!
Well thanks for your support and again sorry ;-)
There are a couple theories as to why certain people cannot tolerate a med a second time around after they have done well on it in the past. It's not uncommon to come accross this issue. Some people find a solution is simply trying a different med in the same class. While the SSRI's all belong to the same class of meds, they do all vary a bit in their mechanism of action. I don't recall, but have you tried the older AD's? Like the tricyclics? Even though they typically come with much more bothersome side effects, some people do better on them than the SSRI's/SNRI's. How about beta blockers? Sometimes even adding something like a beta blocker to your regimen can help decrease the anxiety.
A PMM is a Psychiatric Medication Manager. They're very good at dealing with cases like yours, where a person is having a hard time tolerating meds, along with the cross tolerance issue. It may take you some time, but with the right professional, you should be able to work through these issues and find a regimen that will help you better manage your anxiety. It will be rough at times, no doubt, but it will be worth it in the end!
If you cannot find a PMM, then perhaps try seeking out a new doctor for a fresh perspective. A short inpatient stay like you mentioned may really help you as well. It's good that you recognize that something needs to change. You can't keep going this way...even if your anxiety WAS managed (which it isn't)...you still would likely need to make changes in order to allow you to continue to receive relief in the future (considering the high benzo dose). It simply isn't reasonable to have to keep going higher and higher, it's only adding to your anxiety and tolerance issues.
I hope you find some solutions soon! Never give up...it's not always an easy road, but the fight is worth fighting! :0)
A PMM is a Psychiatric Medication Manager. They're very good at dealing with cases like yours, where a person is having a hard time tolerating meds, along with the cross tolerance issue. It may take you some time, but with the right professional, you should be able to work through these issues and find a regimen that will help you better manage your anxiety. It will be rough at times, no doubt, but it will be worth it in the end!
If you cannot find a PMM, then perhaps try seeking out a new doctor for a fresh perspective. A short inpatient stay like you mentioned may really help you as well. It's good that you recognize that something needs to change. You can't keep going this way...even if your anxiety WAS managed (which it isn't)...you still would likely need to make changes in order to allow you to continue to receive relief in the future (considering the high benzo dose). It simply isn't reasonable to have to keep going higher and higher, it's only adding to your anxiety and tolerance issues.
I hope you find some solutions soon! Never give up...it's not always an easy road, but the fight is worth fighting! :0)
Great news ;-) When i'm on a SSRI, I tend to forget all the small things who trigger panic for me, like fast heart rate, pain or numbness in my chest and things like that... I agree that it's not relief completly my anxiety, the social phobia is still there when i'm on a SSRI, but the panic stop for sure... I was used to start all the SSRI's at normal dose like 20 mg of Celexa, 10 mg of Lexapro, 20 mg of Paxil, 10 mg of Prozac... but I don't know why, since 1 year I can't start a SSRI again... each time I try, I almost ending at the emergency... well one time I had to go to the emergency because of a low dose of Paxil (1 mg only) who trigger a tachycardia episode... since that bad experience, i'm afraid of all the antidepressant meds... I try several time to return on the Paxil wihout being able to take more than 1 mg... Same with the Celexa, and same reaction to the lexapro...
I know I will have to return on the Paxil, but I try to figure out how I will be able to do this...
I know I will have to return on the Paxil, but I try to figure out how I will be able to do this...
I do very well with Celexa, but if I want complete relief from panic/anxiety attacks, I have to take a low dose of Klonopin 2 times per day. I take less Klonopin now than I did two years ago. I wish I were one of the people who could just take an SSRI, but I'm not. This is only my experience. When comparing Xanax to Klonopin, I think it is a proven fact that Klonopin is the better drug for long-term use. I don't believe that that is just an opinion.
Hi again ;-)
I agree with you, with all that anxiety problems that I have since more than one year, I tend to be very agressive and negative against the benzo meds and their use and I think it's because I realise that it was a mistake to take those med for me... BUT I agree that those meds help A LOT of peoples in a long-term view and save their lifes!!!
What you mean by a PMM???
Too bad, I can't have another PDoc, where I live we have a public health system and we don't pay to see them and we have to wait 1 year, sometimes more to see a PDoc and we can't choose the one that we want!!! The one I had previously was better with me, I mean that he was more good to treat anxiety disorders... the one I have right now deal more with depression... but with that PDoc I was able to try some very old antidepressants meds like the Nardil or the Parnate, antidepressants meds who are not used often now by most of the PDoc cause they see them like they are dangerous but that's not true... even if I had a bad reaction to the Parnate, overall the Nardil was the best antidepressant meds I try for my social phobia... but I wasn't able to deal with the hypotension that med give to me so I had to stop it... so far only the Paxil work for the panic disorder... no other antidepressants work...
The PDoc I have now is good, as well as my Family Doc, who is the one who put me on the Klonopin back in 2005... When I first meet my PDoc, I was already on a high dose of benzo so it's not is fault... and I don't blame my Family Doc cause he advise me about the possible addiction and tolerance about those med who can happen in some peoples... Since I have an addictive personnality (alcohol problem in the past, drugs abuse), he advise me that I will be maybe have an fast tolerance to the benzo meds... but we try it and the first year I was on the Klonopin was the best year of my life... things get worse after 1 year only...
Your explanation about the resistant cross tolerance issues who put me on a rollercoaster is the best answer you can write to me and I agree with you at 100%!
My PDoc explain that to me as well this week, he say that my brain may have
a problem with a mutations in my GABA-A receptor, where the benzo meds bind, and that whatever the dosage of the benzo meds I will take, the meds will not be able to bind to the newer mutated Gaba receptors and he say that it's causing more anxiety cause it's like i'm in a withdraw process without being really in a withdraw or tapering process of those meds... it's a lot technically but I understand what he mean...he say that for me, the best thing will be to return on the Paxil and tapering very slowly my benzo meds when the PAxil will kick in and never toutch a benzo meds again when I will finish the tapering period, who will be probably very long... the main problem is the fact that the SSRI tend to increase the anxiety at first ( not for everyone... i'm sensitive to those meds) and we try to find a solution to be able to start them.... since I can't do it alone at home and they don't hospitalized peoples with anxiety disorders if they are not suicidal, and since I have some weirds anxiety symptoms who are chronic now like the supraventricular tachycardia, fainting... the best solution and the more suitable for my case will be the daytime hospital, they have a PDoc there and you go there each day of the week for 4 hours... and they put you into a group with other peoples who deal with anxiety, depression or any kind of mental illiness and you follow a group Therapy... He say that I need to start again to go out of the house everyday to desensitize myself... it's like doing progressive exposure but in a more agressive way... the fact that I go out of my house 1 time a week just worse my anxiety in the last year and he explain that now when I have to go out OR be alone at home, it's like going out in the jungle and my body react very badly to the too many stimulation.... and knowing that they have a medical staff their give a lot of reinsurance to start a med, especially when you are in a very high anxiety state...
Again sorry for my mistake and my generalization... will try to be more neutral in my messages ;-)
I agree with you, with all that anxiety problems that I have since more than one year, I tend to be very agressive and negative against the benzo meds and their use and I think it's because I realise that it was a mistake to take those med for me... BUT I agree that those meds help A LOT of peoples in a long-term view and save their lifes!!!
What you mean by a PMM???
Too bad, I can't have another PDoc, where I live we have a public health system and we don't pay to see them and we have to wait 1 year, sometimes more to see a PDoc and we can't choose the one that we want!!! The one I had previously was better with me, I mean that he was more good to treat anxiety disorders... the one I have right now deal more with depression... but with that PDoc I was able to try some very old antidepressants meds like the Nardil or the Parnate, antidepressants meds who are not used often now by most of the PDoc cause they see them like they are dangerous but that's not true... even if I had a bad reaction to the Parnate, overall the Nardil was the best antidepressant meds I try for my social phobia... but I wasn't able to deal with the hypotension that med give to me so I had to stop it... so far only the Paxil work for the panic disorder... no other antidepressants work...
The PDoc I have now is good, as well as my Family Doc, who is the one who put me on the Klonopin back in 2005... When I first meet my PDoc, I was already on a high dose of benzo so it's not is fault... and I don't blame my Family Doc cause he advise me about the possible addiction and tolerance about those med who can happen in some peoples... Since I have an addictive personnality (alcohol problem in the past, drugs abuse), he advise me that I will be maybe have an fast tolerance to the benzo meds... but we try it and the first year I was on the Klonopin was the best year of my life... things get worse after 1 year only...
Your explanation about the resistant cross tolerance issues who put me on a rollercoaster is the best answer you can write to me and I agree with you at 100%!
My PDoc explain that to me as well this week, he say that my brain may have
a problem with a mutations in my GABA-A receptor, where the benzo meds bind, and that whatever the dosage of the benzo meds I will take, the meds will not be able to bind to the newer mutated Gaba receptors and he say that it's causing more anxiety cause it's like i'm in a withdraw process without being really in a withdraw or tapering process of those meds... it's a lot technically but I understand what he mean...he say that for me, the best thing will be to return on the Paxil and tapering very slowly my benzo meds when the PAxil will kick in and never toutch a benzo meds again when I will finish the tapering period, who will be probably very long... the main problem is the fact that the SSRI tend to increase the anxiety at first ( not for everyone... i'm sensitive to those meds) and we try to find a solution to be able to start them.... since I can't do it alone at home and they don't hospitalized peoples with anxiety disorders if they are not suicidal, and since I have some weirds anxiety symptoms who are chronic now like the supraventricular tachycardia, fainting... the best solution and the more suitable for my case will be the daytime hospital, they have a PDoc there and you go there each day of the week for 4 hours... and they put you into a group with other peoples who deal with anxiety, depression or any kind of mental illiness and you follow a group Therapy... He say that I need to start again to go out of the house everyday to desensitize myself... it's like doing progressive exposure but in a more agressive way... the fact that I go out of my house 1 time a week just worse my anxiety in the last year and he explain that now when I have to go out OR be alone at home, it's like going out in the jungle and my body react very badly to the too many stimulation.... and knowing that they have a medical staff their give a lot of reinsurance to start a med, especially when you are in a very high anxiety state...
Again sorry for my mistake and my generalization... will try to be more neutral in my messages ;-)
Hi again txQC.
It's not so much that quote I take issue with...but more some sweeping generalizations you are making that simply do not apply to everyone. Let me give you some examples to hopefully allow you to see where I'm coming from:
~"but overall, the long-term use of the Klonopin and Xanax lead to worse anxiety and you will need to increase the dose all the time to feel the same effect on the anxiety... "
You are giving direct advice to someone as to what to expect with your above quote. The sentence above is simply not applicable to everyone. MANY people do just fine with minimal tolerance issues on these meds. Some people never require one dose increase, some may need one very infrequently. It all depends on the person, what their dose is, how the med is taken, etc. If I was considering these meds, the above quote would mislead me into thinking I'd be upping my dose all the time. Not necessarily true.
~"The best thing about the Valium is the fact that it's very easy to withdraw it... the main problem with the Klonopin and the Xanax is the fact that the withdraw process will bring worse anxiety than before you start those meds!!! "
Again, more sweeping generalizations here. Not everyone has an "easy" time getting off Valium, and not everyone has a hard time coming off Klonopin and Xanax. You seem to be posting based on your experiences, which is fine...but it doesn't apply to everyone.
~"Benzo meds for me are not the good choice of treatment for a panic disorder... that's my point of view... even in a short term view... maybe just when you start an antidepressant, but it have to be withdraw when the antidepressant med kick in... those benzo meds are not good at all in a long term view... too bad I start taking them 6 years ago... i'm sure things will be very different in my life right now if I had never touch a benzo med... they destroy my life, remove all my creativity, they make me stupid and have strong cognitive side-effects and they affect a lot my short term memory, I also have difficulty to speak because of them, it's like I have a big patato in my mouth!!! I hate them!!! And I have worse anxiety than before I start them 6 years ago... at least 6 years I had a job, I was studying at the university and I had goals in my life, I had a lot of friends and I was happy... now i'm depress, anxious, can't get out of the house or stay alone, can't take my shower or clean the house cause my heart beat too fast, can't use my computer for more than 20 minutes in a row cause my head hurt all the time, I had to stop driving my car cause of the side-effects of those meds and the list goes on!!!
Avoid those meds! "
Ok, this last quote is long...but a few things. For one, yes, you specify that you're talking about YOUR experience but then almost immediately start giving out very specific advice. For example saying...."but it have to be withdraw when the antidepressant med kick in... those benzo meds are not good at all in a long term view". That's not factual at all. PLENTY of people take benzos long term, plenty. They don't HAVE to be withdrawn. Again, this is your opinion, which is fine, but then do not state it as fact. The rest of your post, where you explain the horrid time you've had on these meds...well, if I were considering these meds and read that...I'd run like he** and be scared out of my mind. Finally, you make a very strong statement by saying "avoid these meds". We shouldn't be discouraging anyone from trying ANY kind of Anxiety treatment solely based on OUR experiences. It's biased and not fair to our fellow community members.
I understand the anger involved in these situations, and I feel for you. But when you're posting in an ANXIETY forum, you have to realize that people are looking for advice on meds...it's up to us to share our experiences, but in a way that doesn't scare people away from trying something that may be a lifesaver. I'm sure you would be happy if people decided not to try these meds, but the truth of the matter is, they have and continue to help people every day!
For your situation, I think you would benefit from a PMM, or another p-doc who maybe can offer a better plan. You're on a high dose and likely dealing with some pretty resistant cross tolerance issues, which is why you're still on such a rollercoaster. I hope you can find some relief soon.
Hopefully you can see where I'm coming from here. I'm only trying to keep the best interests of ALL of our posters in mind. The medication debate will continue forever, that's a fact. There are lots of people with strong opinions on both sides of the fence. We just have to be cautious in a setting like this HOW we convey our message!
I mean no disrespect to you in any way with this conversation, and I value your contributions on the forum!!
It's not so much that quote I take issue with...but more some sweeping generalizations you are making that simply do not apply to everyone. Let me give you some examples to hopefully allow you to see where I'm coming from:
~"but overall, the long-term use of the Klonopin and Xanax lead to worse anxiety and you will need to increase the dose all the time to feel the same effect on the anxiety... "
You are giving direct advice to someone as to what to expect with your above quote. The sentence above is simply not applicable to everyone. MANY people do just fine with minimal tolerance issues on these meds. Some people never require one dose increase, some may need one very infrequently. It all depends on the person, what their dose is, how the med is taken, etc. If I was considering these meds, the above quote would mislead me into thinking I'd be upping my dose all the time. Not necessarily true.
~"The best thing about the Valium is the fact that it's very easy to withdraw it... the main problem with the Klonopin and the Xanax is the fact that the withdraw process will bring worse anxiety than before you start those meds!!! "
Again, more sweeping generalizations here. Not everyone has an "easy" time getting off Valium, and not everyone has a hard time coming off Klonopin and Xanax. You seem to be posting based on your experiences, which is fine...but it doesn't apply to everyone.
~"Benzo meds for me are not the good choice of treatment for a panic disorder... that's my point of view... even in a short term view... maybe just when you start an antidepressant, but it have to be withdraw when the antidepressant med kick in... those benzo meds are not good at all in a long term view... too bad I start taking them 6 years ago... i'm sure things will be very different in my life right now if I had never touch a benzo med... they destroy my life, remove all my creativity, they make me stupid and have strong cognitive side-effects and they affect a lot my short term memory, I also have difficulty to speak because of them, it's like I have a big patato in my mouth!!! I hate them!!! And I have worse anxiety than before I start them 6 years ago... at least 6 years I had a job, I was studying at the university and I had goals in my life, I had a lot of friends and I was happy... now i'm depress, anxious, can't get out of the house or stay alone, can't take my shower or clean the house cause my heart beat too fast, can't use my computer for more than 20 minutes in a row cause my head hurt all the time, I had to stop driving my car cause of the side-effects of those meds and the list goes on!!!
Avoid those meds! "
Ok, this last quote is long...but a few things. For one, yes, you specify that you're talking about YOUR experience but then almost immediately start giving out very specific advice. For example saying...."but it have to be withdraw when the antidepressant med kick in... those benzo meds are not good at all in a long term view". That's not factual at all. PLENTY of people take benzos long term, plenty. They don't HAVE to be withdrawn. Again, this is your opinion, which is fine, but then do not state it as fact. The rest of your post, where you explain the horrid time you've had on these meds...well, if I were considering these meds and read that...I'd run like he** and be scared out of my mind. Finally, you make a very strong statement by saying "avoid these meds". We shouldn't be discouraging anyone from trying ANY kind of Anxiety treatment solely based on OUR experiences. It's biased and not fair to our fellow community members.
I understand the anger involved in these situations, and I feel for you. But when you're posting in an ANXIETY forum, you have to realize that people are looking for advice on meds...it's up to us to share our experiences, but in a way that doesn't scare people away from trying something that may be a lifesaver. I'm sure you would be happy if people decided not to try these meds, but the truth of the matter is, they have and continue to help people every day!
For your situation, I think you would benefit from a PMM, or another p-doc who maybe can offer a better plan. You're on a high dose and likely dealing with some pretty resistant cross tolerance issues, which is why you're still on such a rollercoaster. I hope you can find some relief soon.
Hopefully you can see where I'm coming from here. I'm only trying to keep the best interests of ALL of our posters in mind. The medication debate will continue forever, that's a fact. There are lots of people with strong opinions on both sides of the fence. We just have to be cautious in a setting like this HOW we convey our message!
I mean no disrespect to you in any way with this conversation, and I value your contributions on the forum!!
Humm, I always withdraw my benzo with my PDoc supervision!!! I call him and told him that the 1 mg of Xanax was not working after 3 weeks and he said to not increase the dose and try to reduce it by cutting 10% of my dose in the evening each week and when the evening dose will be at 0 mg he said to do the same with the morning dose... So last week I cut my evening dose and had very bad rebound anxiety to the point that I was thinking that I will have a seizure (I had a bad seizure when I withdraw too fast the Xanax 3 years ago)... So I learn from my mistake trust me... I just keep the 0.5 mg morning and 0.5 mg evening dose and will stay like this until my PDoc will find another solution... For the Klonopin, I agree it's more easy to stop it cause of the longer half-life, but I had a hard time to stop it back in 2007 when my anxiety was under control and when I didn't had an active panic disorder problem... The main problem is that the Klonopin don't work anymore, one option will be to replace my Klonopin 8 mg day with Xanax 8 mg day, but with the difference between the half-life of the 2 drugs, I will have too much rebound anxiety, so maybe I will do the same process than when I withdraw it and replace some of my Klonopin dose with the Valium... still don't know...
I saw my PDoc this week and he will maybe send me into a daytime hospital to start my SSRI antidepressant (Paxil)... so I will see what will happen but for now he said to stay on the same Klonopin + Xanax dose and don't want that I reduce my dosage to avoid more rebound anxiety... He he aware about my major concern about the addiction and the fact that it's destroying my memory and decrease my cognitive abilities but that's a common side-effect of the benzo meds at HIGH dose... NOT LOW DOSE!!!
Thanks again for your advise ;-)
I saw my PDoc this week and he will maybe send me into a daytime hospital to start my SSRI antidepressant (Paxil)... so I will see what will happen but for now he said to stay on the same Klonopin + Xanax dose and don't want that I reduce my dosage to avoid more rebound anxiety... He he aware about my major concern about the addiction and the fact that it's destroying my memory and decrease my cognitive abilities but that's a common side-effect of the benzo meds at HIGH dose... NOT LOW DOSE!!!
Thanks again for your advise ;-)
Perhaps I explain myself not very well in my last message, BUT I wrote that not everyone build up a tolerance to those meds!!! "Anyway, some peoples don't build a tolerance on the benzo meds and take the same small dose for years and it's always working for them...."
I share my experience and too much PDoc or Doc don't give a dawm about their patients and put them on a Benzo meds without taking about long term problems like tolerance OR addiction...
I think that what I share with the peoples about that post is good... and will not scare someone about trying a benzo med... in fact it will maybe help that person too choose the best one for him...
That's what I think...
I share my experience and too much PDoc or Doc don't give a dawm about their patients and put them on a Benzo meds without taking about long term problems like tolerance OR addiction...
I think that what I share with the peoples about that post is good... and will not scare someone about trying a benzo med... in fact it will maybe help that person too choose the best one for him...
That's what I think...
With all the issues you are having i would seriously go back to my doctor, tell him/her what is going on and reevaluate your meds. You mentioned the xanax stopped working after 3 weeks and you tried to stop.......this med needs to be tapered down slowly under a doctors supervision. All the best, sara
txQC
I'm sorry you've had a bad experience with benzos, but the truth is, they work wonders for a LOT of people. MANY people can be on Klonopin long-term with very little tolerance issues.
Please keep in mind that people are coming here to seek help with anxiety and many are already nervous about trying meds. What do you think would happen if they read your above post? It would scare them to death and they might decide against trying a med that could be life changing for them.
With all due respect, PLEASE just be conscious of this when posting about your experiences. I don't have any issues with you sharing your story, but please do not make broad generalizations about a med as they effect everyone differently. If you ARE sharing your story, just make a comment that this is YOUR experience and certainly not typical of everyone's.
I appreciate your participation in the forum, but again, sometimes we (all) need to remember just what kind of impact our words can have on people who are already anxious to begin with! Thanks!!
I'm sorry you've had a bad experience with benzos, but the truth is, they work wonders for a LOT of people. MANY people can be on Klonopin long-term with very little tolerance issues.
Please keep in mind that people are coming here to seek help with anxiety and many are already nervous about trying meds. What do you think would happen if they read your above post? It would scare them to death and they might decide against trying a med that could be life changing for them.
With all due respect, PLEASE just be conscious of this when posting about your experiences. I don't have any issues with you sharing your story, but please do not make broad generalizations about a med as they effect everyone differently. If you ARE sharing your story, just make a comment that this is YOUR experience and certainly not typical of everyone's.
I appreciate your participation in the forum, but again, sometimes we (all) need to remember just what kind of impact our words can have on people who are already anxious to begin with! Thanks!!
Well, the Klonopin is very effective at first for most of the peoples, but some peoples build up a FAST tolerance to the Klonopin, same for the Xanax... The valium is maybe less suitable for the panic attacks, BUT is less addictive for sure, since the dose to treate a panic disorder with the Valium will be something like 40 mg or 60 mg a day (even if the maximum dose is 40 mg, some PDoc RX dose up to 120 mg of Valium like mine...).
The main problem with the short half-life benzo like the Xanax or the medium half-life like the Klonopin is the fact that the effect don't last a long time, even if the half-life of the Klonopin is around 20-100 hours and the Xanax half-life is around 10-12 hours, the effect that you feel from it will last only 1-2 hours (well on me, maybe not on other peoples) and you need to take one pill every 3-4 hours... The Xanax will cause more anxiety between each dose and the Klonopin have less rebound anxiety between each dose cause of the longer half-life... but overall, the long-term use of the Klonopin and Xanax lead to worse anxiety and you will need to increase the dose all the time to feel the same effect on the anxiety...
With the Valium, the half-life is around 36 hours and since it's a dirty Benzo med, it have a lot of metabolites inside it, and the half-life of those active metabolites last up to 200 hours!!! That's why the Valium can be suitable for a panic disorder but only in a long-term view and at a high dose of 40 mg and more... Remember that 10 mg of Valium = around 0.5 mg of Klonopin or 0.5mg of Xanax... The best thing about the Valium is the fact that it's very easy to withdraw it... the main problem with the Klonopin and the Xanax is the fact that the withdraw process will bring worse anxiety than before you start those meds!!!
With the Valium, you can't take your morning dose and forget it and take it again at supper's and before bedtime... more easy... but the effect on the panic will be more good after 2-3 weeks because of the accumulation of the active metabolites in the body...
Anyway, some peoples don't build a tolerance on the benzo meds and take the same small dose for years and it's always working for them.... and other peoples like me take the Xanax or the Klonopin and after one month have to increase the dose and after 6 months reach the maximum dose and the effect on the anxiety it completly gone...
I'm right now on 8 mg daily of Klonopin for a severe panic disorder with agoraphobia, social phobia and it's not working at this high dose... My PDoc add 1 mg of Xanax, 0,5 mg in the morning and 0.5 mg in the evening and it works only 3 weeks.... after 3 weeks the Xanax was not effective... and I try to stop it last week and I had rebound anxiety to the point that I was thinking that I will have a seizure... so I had to take it again... I don't increase the dose of the Xanax for now cause I know it will do nothing for my anxiety... I think the Gaba-A receptors in my brains are not working very well now, so the benzo meds don't bind to the Gaba-A receptors cause of those receptors have change or become resistant to the benzo meds...
Benzo meds for me are not the good choice of treatment for a panic disorder... that's my point of view... even in a short term view... maybe just when you start an antidepressant, but it have to be withdraw when the antidepressant med kick in... those benzo meds are not good at all in a long term view... too bad I start taking them 6 years ago... i'm sure things will be very different in my life right now if I had never touch a benzo med... they destroy my life, remove all my creativity, they make me stupid and have strong cognitive side-effects and they affect a lot my short term memory, I also have difficulty to speak because of them, it's like I have a big patato in my mouth!!! I hate them!!! And I have worse anxiety than before I start them 6 years ago... at least 6 years I had a job, I was studying at the university and I had goals in my life, I had a lot of friends and I was happy... now i'm depress, anxious, can't get out of the house or stay alone, can't take my shower or clean the house cause my heart beat too fast, can't use my computer for more than 20 minutes in a row cause my head hurt all the time, I had to stop driving my car cause of the side-effects of those meds and the list goes on!!!
Avoid those meds!
The main problem with the short half-life benzo like the Xanax or the medium half-life like the Klonopin is the fact that the effect don't last a long time, even if the half-life of the Klonopin is around 20-100 hours and the Xanax half-life is around 10-12 hours, the effect that you feel from it will last only 1-2 hours (well on me, maybe not on other peoples) and you need to take one pill every 3-4 hours... The Xanax will cause more anxiety between each dose and the Klonopin have less rebound anxiety between each dose cause of the longer half-life... but overall, the long-term use of the Klonopin and Xanax lead to worse anxiety and you will need to increase the dose all the time to feel the same effect on the anxiety...
With the Valium, the half-life is around 36 hours and since it's a dirty Benzo med, it have a lot of metabolites inside it, and the half-life of those active metabolites last up to 200 hours!!! That's why the Valium can be suitable for a panic disorder but only in a long-term view and at a high dose of 40 mg and more... Remember that 10 mg of Valium = around 0.5 mg of Klonopin or 0.5mg of Xanax... The best thing about the Valium is the fact that it's very easy to withdraw it... the main problem with the Klonopin and the Xanax is the fact that the withdraw process will bring worse anxiety than before you start those meds!!!
With the Valium, you can't take your morning dose and forget it and take it again at supper's and before bedtime... more easy... but the effect on the panic will be more good after 2-3 weeks because of the accumulation of the active metabolites in the body...
Anyway, some peoples don't build a tolerance on the benzo meds and take the same small dose for years and it's always working for them.... and other peoples like me take the Xanax or the Klonopin and after one month have to increase the dose and after 6 months reach the maximum dose and the effect on the anxiety it completly gone...
I'm right now on 8 mg daily of Klonopin for a severe panic disorder with agoraphobia, social phobia and it's not working at this high dose... My PDoc add 1 mg of Xanax, 0,5 mg in the morning and 0.5 mg in the evening and it works only 3 weeks.... after 3 weeks the Xanax was not effective... and I try to stop it last week and I had rebound anxiety to the point that I was thinking that I will have a seizure... so I had to take it again... I don't increase the dose of the Xanax for now cause I know it will do nothing for my anxiety... I think the Gaba-A receptors in my brains are not working very well now, so the benzo meds don't bind to the Gaba-A receptors cause of those receptors have change or become resistant to the benzo meds...
Benzo meds for me are not the good choice of treatment for a panic disorder... that's my point of view... even in a short term view... maybe just when you start an antidepressant, but it have to be withdraw when the antidepressant med kick in... those benzo meds are not good at all in a long term view... too bad I start taking them 6 years ago... i'm sure things will be very different in my life right now if I had never touch a benzo med... they destroy my life, remove all my creativity, they make me stupid and have strong cognitive side-effects and they affect a lot my short term memory, I also have difficulty to speak because of them, it's like I have a big patato in my mouth!!! I hate them!!! And I have worse anxiety than before I start them 6 years ago... at least 6 years I had a job, I was studying at the university and I had goals in my life, I had a lot of friends and I was happy... now i'm depress, anxious, can't get out of the house or stay alone, can't take my shower or clean the house cause my heart beat too fast, can't use my computer for more than 20 minutes in a row cause my head hurt all the time, I had to stop driving my car cause of the side-effects of those meds and the list goes on!!!
Avoid those meds!
Valium is not really the drug of choice for panic attacks. I believe Klonopin would be the better choice if you have good luck with Benzos and plan on long-term usage. I think that most people do not build a tolerance to Klonopin that quickly and sometimes remain on the same dose for years. SSRI's would be best if you tolerate them and they bring relief.
If you have a panic disorder, you should be put on a SSRI like the Paxil, Zoloft, Prozac, Luvox, Celexa or Lexapro... if you can't tolerate them or if the panic disorder don't improve after at 8 weeks at the maximum dose, you should switch to another agent like the older TCA's (Imipramine, Clomipramine)... since the TCA's have more side effects, they are harder to start and they increase a lot the anxiety at first... if it's not working you can switch to the MAOI's like the Nardil or the Parnate... but those ones are for treatment resistant cases only...
For the Benzo meds, the Valium is somewhat not very effective to prevent the panic attack, even if you take them everyday at the same dose, the Valium effect is not very powerfull... In other hands, you can ask to try the Xanax at LOW dose, it's more effective to prevent the panic or stop them but the effect don't last a long time and you need to take a lot of them daily to keep the panic at bay... One solution will be to ask for the Klonopin, who sometimes work well for panic... but in my opinion, the Benzo meds are not acceptable for a long-term treatment for the panic disorder, they are very addictive ( I know this cause i'm addicted to Xanax and Klonopin right now) and they stop working after 1-2 months and you need to always increase the dose!!!
Therapy can help also, especially if the panic disorder is milder (mean 1 panic once in a while)... but therapy is not very helpfull when you have chronic anxiety with panic symptoms all day long...
Overall, the SSRI's are the best option... The Paxil work great for the panic, I had no luck with the other SSRI's (Zoloft and Prozac was the worse of them... The Luvox, Celexa and Lexapro was doing nothing for my anxiety...)...
Well, good luck and don't worry, panic attack are not easy to live with, BUT you will survive... we all survive... that's suck to be homebound and feel miserable all the time, but we survive...
For the Benzo meds, the Valium is somewhat not very effective to prevent the panic attack, even if you take them everyday at the same dose, the Valium effect is not very powerfull... In other hands, you can ask to try the Xanax at LOW dose, it's more effective to prevent the panic or stop them but the effect don't last a long time and you need to take a lot of them daily to keep the panic at bay... One solution will be to ask for the Klonopin, who sometimes work well for panic... but in my opinion, the Benzo meds are not acceptable for a long-term treatment for the panic disorder, they are very addictive ( I know this cause i'm addicted to Xanax and Klonopin right now) and they stop working after 1-2 months and you need to always increase the dose!!!
Therapy can help also, especially if the panic disorder is milder (mean 1 panic once in a while)... but therapy is not very helpfull when you have chronic anxiety with panic symptoms all day long...
Overall, the SSRI's are the best option... The Paxil work great for the panic, I had no luck with the other SSRI's (Zoloft and Prozac was the worse of them... The Luvox, Celexa and Lexapro was doing nothing for my anxiety...)...
Well, good luck and don't worry, panic attack are not easy to live with, BUT you will survive... we all survive... that's suck to be homebound and feel miserable all the time, but we survive...
They can be used to control panic attacks......for what reason were they prescribed to you? If for panic attacks, and they're not controlling them, call your doctor and let him/her know. Take care.
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