Xanex & Agoraphobia

Hi.  I've been suffering from panic disorder with agoraphobia for most of my life.  I've been on xanex for 20 years on 4 mg/day.  Recently I read that the xanex is short acting and only lasts 4 hours.  Also that it stops working after a while.  I didn't have any problem with it before reading that stuff.  Since I read it I found that it does wear off after 4 hours.  I have tapered down off the xanex for fear that my dr. might one day not prescribe it anymore.  Since then I haven't been able to go out, suffer from severe anxiety even in the house and am miserable.  Don' have another dr. appointmnt for a month.  Used to be able to leave the house and have fun.  Question:  Is there anything wrong with taking xanex for panic disorder?  Do you think I can go back to my normal dose and not have to worry about ever being without the xanex?

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

As long as Xanax is not causing any lapse in your judgement, or assosiated with a bizarre kind of intoxication, there is nothing wrong with going back to the dose that works for you.  You might ask your doctor about klonopin...the same family of medication, but lasts much longer.

[jlip]

Is Celexa a good SSRI drug for treating panic attacks and anxiety.
He wanted me to take paxil but I don't like what I am reading about the side affects.  I have had agrophobia most of life and have been on clorazpam or rivatrol for over 20 years.  I want to get off this tranquillizer as it is addictive and will take me 6 to 9 months to slowly wein off the stuff.  I am concerned that after I have gotten up to 40 or 60 mgs. of celexa that coming off the rivatrol may put me back into the panic, anxiety disorder that I have.   I don't like haning two drugs in my system as I am afraid that I may need both to survive?   But my doctor reassures me that that will not be the case.
Is this the best approach???