Feedback on treatment methods for panic/anxiety

[lifegoezon]

Hello,
I was diagnosed with panic disorder 6 years ago. This has led me to the point where i am now...an undergrad senior doing my
thesis on the treatment methods of panic disorder/anxiety. I understand what it is like to experience panic symptoms and all the difficulties that come along with it and I am hoping that you will help me. My question is for all panic/anxiety sufferers who may read this... What methods were offered
to you as treatment? Medication? Cognitive therapy? What did you try? Which were more helpful? What treatment had the most lasting effect? Do you feel underlying issues (emotional perhaps from your past) brought on this disorder for you? Or do you feel that your life wasperfect as you thought it could be when all of a sudden you found yourself short of breath, thinking you were going to die? I understand that these are personal questions and would greatly appreciate ANYTHING you may have to say about your experience. I've been through all methods and don't mindtalking about it, in fact it makes me feel better, but some are more private than others and thats ok. again, thank you soooo much for any input. If anyone has a question for me or anything of any matter, please e-mail ***@****. Best regards to all!!!

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

okay for everyone to answer who wants too.

[HAMMERHEAD]

Well where do I start.I'm 42 male mine started when I was 37. Mine is more health anxiety but I do have panic attacks.I take xanax .25mgs 4 times aday.I Also go to conseling. Most ssri have not worked for me.serzone worked but the FDA took it off the market due to liver damage.paxil,zoloft,prozac,cexela all made me nervous and the side effects were worse than the anxiety.Counseling seem to work so but then I'll have pvcs(skiped heart beats) and bam anxiety goes sky high.I have chest pain,lightheadedness,chills,cold hand and feet when I"m having an attack.Xanax seem to take the edge off but by no means is the cure.My anxiety is I worry about my health 24/7.Hope this helps.IF you have anyother questions my E-MAIL is ***@****

                                Gary

[willtme]

For me, everything was perfect before I initially got sick.  I had slight anxiety from many life changes that were occuring at the same time, but nothing I could not handle.  My panic problems began once I began taking Celexa (2 days in).  I was then prescribed further meds to help with the Panic, I was given Paxil and Ativan--but the Paxil made the panic attacks more frequent and during the day (celexa only at night).  I was taken off of Paxil and given Imipriam, but it didn't help.  It was at this point my blood pressure went up about 20-30 pts. (has yet to fully come back down) After going to the ER for a panic attack, I talked again to my psychiatrist for something to help more with sleep while not giving me any more side effects.  I was prescribed valium, took one--scared me to death, so I decided to quit taking ALL medicine "cold turkey".  The only thing I didn't have adverse reactions to was the Ativan, so I took one when absolutely needed.  I quit going to all doctors (because they set off my anxiety), and decided to make myself get better.  From all of the stress, I had IBS so bad that I had just been eating toast for about 3 weeks, so I gradually began trying to eat different healthy foods.  

As far as techniques to get better that were presented to me go, I was suggested by my psychiatrist to try relaxation exercises--didn't work (can't relax when panicking), to try to occupy myself, and to not "check" myself when I think something's wrong.  What I attribute my recovery to:  God--lots of reading the bible and prayer (biggest help--esp. during panic), My wife and family support, quitting the meds, reintroduction of exercise, eating right to control IBS triggers, taking precautions to avoid panic triggers, and TIME.  
I'm not 100% yet, but as soon as I quit the meds, I began feeling better and my road to recovery.  If you have any more questions or comments, my email is: ***@****
Hope that helps somewhat.

[newman63]

I went through many of the same options... Paxil CR (no help and hard to get off of). Xanax always worked but due to addictiveness I saw an anxiety specialist who put me on Klonopin, which works well.  Symptoms are pretty much gone now. I tried biofeedback, relaxation, but to no avail. They were useful as additive but not by themselves.

I recommend seeing a real anxiety specialist. Most major hospitals have an anxiety clinic or specialist. That's where I found mine through.

[debi0926]

I am a 46 year old female and I've had panic attacks most of my life, only I didn't realize back in my 20's that is what was going on. Only about the last 3 years did I understand that there was something that could be done for this. I can't count how many times I was either at the doctors office or emergency room thinking I was having a heart attack or something. Chest pains, couldn't breath, sweating, dizzy, numbness is my arms and hands etc. I thought I was losing my mind. My doctors ran several tests and came back with anxiety disorder. I have been on .5 Xanax twice a day now for about 2 years. It does help a lot. I have also had counseling which has helped as well. I think the one thing that stands out the most was the recommendation that I allow my self "worry time" each day and that is the only time that I let myself worry about everything. I even write down things I am going to worry about and save it for that time each day. Otherwise, I don't allow myself to even thing about what causes me stress etc., knowing that I will let it come out during my 20 mintues of worry time. I know this sounds rather silly, but, it really works for me. I find myself not being so anxious all the time, and I have even skipped a dose of my Xanax because my body didn't remind me that I needed it. A point of caution here though, don't ever just quit taking Xanax. This is a medication that you need to taper off of slowly. I quit taking it thinking that I just didn't need it anymore and ended up in the emergency room with seisures. I'm no where near being cured of my panic disorder, but a lot closer than I have been my entire life. Hope this helps your research a little.

[g0ds0fwar]

I have been dealing with the whole depression/anxiety/panic mess since I was 19; I am now 36.  I have been on all the meds -Paxil, Depakote, Effexor, Xanax and others.
Currently I am taking Lexapro.  Have been on it for about 6 months.  It doesn't seem to be doing anything positive.  The anxiety, depression, and anger are now worse than ever.

I have experieced Mood disorders for the past years

I am not sure if this is a child memory

I have always been a pessimist and never given myself the chance to like and enjoy the other part of me
I don't think of suicide but I have thoughts of passing on and leaving this life of uneasyness

I think I could handle the depression by myself or maybe even the anxiety.  But when dealing all at the same time it get's a little overbearing.

[lifegoezon]

All of your comments are very helpful to my research and I can not thank you enough. I know that Panic/Anxiety is an ongoing battle we all have been fighting and that different things help different people. Keep trying to be positive and realize that if the panic did not get you by now, it NEVER will! (That's what helps me!)Again, thank you for your input... personal experience and experiences from others is the best learning tool I have come to known. Best regards to all.

[lifegoezon]

Hi all...in progressing in my thesis, I have come to learn that many adults who develop panic disorder later on in life, lacked emotional connection with their parents as children. The reasons for the emotional neglect(exhibited by the parents or guardians) seem mostly to be due to divorce, a deceased parent or an addiction by one or both parents. I fit into  two of the categories....if anyone has any comments to make regarding this, i would really appreciate it. Thanks!

[crippled]

I noticed that the first time I had ever experienced anxiety was in grade 6 when I suffered shortness of breath. Gradually, by continuing on with my life it went away within two months. Recently I've noticed it has come back.

At the last exam I was extremely anxious because I did not have enough time, and as many of us are, I am a perfectionist. I felt that adrenaline going and my breathing was short. Later, I went home and went to ride a horse who caused me a lot of anxiety as she hard to control. Laying on the couch that night, I very suddenly got dizzy and had shortness of breath. I found myself yawning the rest of the night.

Ever since I've had shortness of breath and constant tachycardia. My resting heartbeat (if I clock it for a whole minute) will be anywhere from 76bmp to 84bmp, although it still feels fast to me. Even the a little bit of exercise causes my heart to jump up high to 150-180bpm. Does this sound normal? I'm just wondering, is this kind of anxiety the kind you just work through, or is medicine always needed?

I am also very afraid to do any physical activity in fear of stressing out my heart. I worry that it'll just stop working from going so fast all the time. Does anyone else have this problem?

I believe that everyone can work through their anxieties.

[newman63]

I would 1st go to a doctor to confirm that your heart is normally functioning.  That will reassure you that this is indeed anxiety, and then you can address the anxiety with relaxation, meds, counseling, or a combination.

[crippled]

I have gone to a doctor, a child doctor, a cranialsacrel therapist, a chiropractor, and many different offices and hospitals. I've done every test posible and since they could not find anything physically wrong, they've said that it is anxiety and somehow my electrical system in my body that tells my heart when to beat must be messed up. I'm on a waiting list to see a phychologist, but I was just wondering if anyone else had experiences with this kind of thing.

[salu79]

I first experienced panic when i moved away from home after highschool. i would get sudden stomach cramps and feel awful. exams were horrible. public transit was torture. exams were a nightmare for a new reason! a school psych told me i should join a group panic attack session. people would talk about their experiences and i felt less crazy (lol). i felt A LOT better after hearing them and didn't want to get any worse. my counsellor gave me weird stretch things to do during attacks that distracted my thoughts and energy away from my stomach. she also asked what relaxed me and i said "radio", so she got me carrying a walkman on transit. i had relaxation exercises too. little by little i could do old things without freaking out. their theory was that i was a perfectionist and i was punishing myself when i felt i was procrastinating/having fun etc. no meds needed yay! i've been better for years! although i still have anxiety, just not panic. hope helps! salu.

[rambios67]

My panic attacks started two years ago, once month after I got married, during the second Matrix movie.
I have been on Ativan .5mg (2or3x daily) for the past year. I have tried with failure: Buspar, Paxil and Zoloft ( lots of nightmares and a 40 pound weight gain ). I am seeing my doc this week and ask about Lexapro and Impramine.  I want to get off the Ativan as they say it is addictive and I think my body is craving more.

I have seen a counselor.  At times, my panic is gone, but some days my anxiety is horrible. Good day, bad day syndrome.

Recently I have been experiencing "quick" attacks. These last about 30-60 seconds. Quick fear, a flush feeling in my head and face, chest pain, then nothing. Although, I get depressed that I have these.  The panic attacks I had in the past used to send me to the ER, but these new ones have been "short and sweet."

[Chef]

Well after being more and more concerned about my panic attacks lately, I figured I would search around to see if amyone else had this problem.Actually it is hard for me to talk to anyone else about these especially if they have never had one before,

Well I am 45 now and have had them around 2 years now.They just started up out of the blue one day at work around 8:00 am.The morning was going fine and all of a sudden I felt like a bad rush of the flu suddenly hit me getting all sweaty, sick to my stomach and really shakey.I tried to shake it off but after about 2 hours of walking around ( I could not sit down or get the feeling of terror to stop)I had to go home fast.To make a long story (plus I type with two fingers) short after about 4 more of these attacks and boy are they attacks I worked up the courage to see my family Doctor.

Well let me tell you it was hard trying to talk about this to him whike tring to hold back the shaking,tears and almost losing my stomach on his shoes.For now maybe you all can answer two questions or at least give an opinion. Can these panic/anxiety attacks be heridatary my dad had them most of his 40's? Also the DR. put me on .5MG of alprazolam once a day, some days I dont take it, any chance this is a bad thing, is this enough of a dose to get addicted to.BTW I know I should be asking my DR. but to me it's so darn embarising talking about this.

If I have gone overboard or asked things I am not supposed to I am sory but these attacks are the strangest things that have ever happened to me. Thanks.

[planetmars]

Hello,  I AM NOT A DOCTOR, but....
I have taken xanax for 12 years as needed.  I only had taken maybe .25 every 2 or 3 days, but I had a recent problem with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) and after it went away I now notice myself taking .25 every day and sometimes another one in the evening for fear of having problems with the IBS which is stress induced in my case.  I know that I don't ever want to be without the xanax, and i know my perscription is for three .5 mg ( a total of 1.5 mg) a day and I only take one .25 pill or max of one .5 pill a day (instead of the 1.5 that is perscribed).  I don't know that I am addicted, but I know it's a crutch and is absolutly necessary to be on me at all times whether I need it or not.
I would think that the amount you are taking would be OK if it helps you.  Your doctor wouldn't perscribe it if he thought you were addicted to it.  If you find yourself taking more than he perscribes and you ask him for more of it on an urgent basis, then you may have concerns  of addiction in which case he would ween you off it and put you on something more permanant like klonipin which is like xanax but is supposed to be non addictive & safe for long term.
I love the xanax personally.  I am not in a state that I have to control anxiety during all waking hours of my life, but I do take it because I suffer a very mild case of agaraphobia which puts me in some situations outside of my normal routine.  This is when I take that other half of the .5 mg pill.
I do want to ask my doctor about the klonopin because I hear such good things about it being just like xanax without the addiction, but I don't feel like I am needing that long term thing yet.  I do know you can't just quit taking xanax because your body can go into seizures which is why you are supposed to ween off it gradually.
I also started therapy with a pyscotherapist who has hypnotized me once so far, and have read books on how to conquer anxiety.   Mind excersises, ,advice & insight along with the therapy has helped me immensley!  But I still need to know that xanax is in the purse every where I go!
Good Luck!!!

[goldiealg]

Klonipin is just as addictive as Xanax, Valium, Ativan, etc.  They are all benzo's.  You have been misinformed.  Klonipin lasts a little longer than xanax.  that is the advantage.

[BobW]

I am 50 and have had panic attacks since my teens. I take Xanax .5 once a day. There is no cure but I have learned that accepting that that is who I am helps a lot. No one will understand and you are a pain in the butt to others but that is just the way it is. You will be shunned if you admit it and you will feel worse trying to pretend you don't have it.
The statement that the lack of connection and love as a child is the cause is true. However that cannot be fixed unless you have a time machine! Don't waste time and money on Dr's, therapy, quick fixes etc but do take a little delight in knowing that you probably are above average in IQ and artistic too. I have not yet seen an idiot with anxiety attacks and I can spot someone with this disorder in an instant!
It is who you are so be yourself and live life as best you can. There are worse things in the world. Accept yourself as you are!

[jennyriver]

HI Everyone who is willing to read this,

I am 23 years old and have had panic attacks since the age of 9. I am so tired of suffering. My fear os dizziness, (because of a bout of vertigo at 13)before that is was the fear I would not be able to breathe. I feel in a rut. I want so much to feel like I am "normal" I don't like waking up everyday anxious. There are many meds out there, however most of them cause the thing that is already making my life miserable. I know that as humans we must face trials, but there must be somthing I can do so that I can experience joy again. DOes anyone have a suggestion? My Dr. gave me a prescription for Klonopin and Paxil. The Klonopin is supposed to work until the paxil kicks in. I am not so afraid of the Klonopin except for it is addictive, but the paxil withdrawl effects is keeping me from trying it. Is there hope for me? I don't want a medication that is goin to leave me worse. I have lived a half-life for 14 years now, but I so want a whole one.

Thank you to anyone who posts to this message. And thanks to those who already have you have given me hope and a feeling that I am not alone in this.
-Jenny

[tacd]

i understand.  i feel like i am going out of my mind!  i dont feel like myself.  i dont want to go anywhere or do anything.  im always scared of having an attack.  i have a 6 year old and am affraid to have an attack when i am alone with him during the day. i am a stay at home mom and part of it is that i do think abou it to much.  i do take zanax and it does take the edge off of the attack.  today i had one and it was scary!  i was light headed, dizzy, weak, and heart pounding a mile a minute.  i just recently statred getting these attacks like a couple of weeks ago. i think part of it is because i quit smoking cold turkey 2 weeks ago and on top of that i have this virus that wont go away.  i,ve had it for almost  4 weeks now.  i saw the doctor and he said it could last up to 6 weeks.  help.  all of that and my husband has just recetly been back to work after being laid off for 6 months.  now he is gone for 12 hours a day.  i am alone with my son for 12 hours a day and am so nervouse about having an attack.  been a crazy 6 months and this month has been hell.  please help

[tacd]

hello.  i feel like i am going crazy.  i just recently started to have anxiety attacks and i feel like i am going out of my mind.  i take zanax for it when i need to.  today for no reason my heart started pounding fast and i felt fant and dizzy.  i took a zanaz and i feel like it took the edge off of it.  i think part of it is because i just quit smoking about 2 weeks ago and my husband has been laid off for 6 months and just recently went back to work.  he is now working 12 hour days.  i just dont feel like myself and i dont like it.

[bre2222]

Hello. I am 45 years old. I have suffered bipolar for a number of years.  Not quite a year ago, my best friend passed away suddenly.  My mom!  She is the only person that had an idea what I go thru. Since her death, I have progressively gotten worse. I wake up every morning, sick to my stomach...and the turmoil you feel in your chest. I retired due to the inability to cope at work etc., and do not have insurance now. I cannot afford to go to a psych doc. The M.D. that I have used for years (PCP) has treated me. He surely knows something about bipolar. My problem for now, the lady at the doc's office told me 'she can't help me for 3 weeks.' She is responsible for assisting patients with low income. I am out of zoloft and running out of lithium. I fear what I will go thru when I run out of both. My life is in the hans of someone that could care less. There is no complaint process, is what I was told. So, I wait on the bottom to fall out.  What can I expect as far as withdrawals?  (Zoloft-200mg. ea day/Lithium-900 mg. ea day). This is just one more form of defeat that I feel.  Because of money, I can't feel normal. I am sick to death of feeling like I don't exist.

[roumen]

apply for disability--you will receive the insurance and treatment resources  you need.

[KittyMeghanLeah2]

will send my info to your yahoo email.

[Artic123]

I have panic attacks also.  A therapist explained to me once that it is adrenalin with no place to go and that if you can do some sort of physical activity it can be relieved.  I have tried it -- some times it works and some times it doesn't.  It seems that when I am in the midst of an attack running around the block is the last thing on my mind, but it is worth a shot.  I do take prozac for depression, but unless I take knockout quantities it doesn't seem to help for anxiety.

S.

[Dreemland]

Hello,

My anxiety hit me hard about 5 years ago when I moved out on my own for the first time. My anxiety is social. I got over it for the most part except for the one thing that kind of stayed with me through out the last 5 years, my phone phobia. I HATE TALKING ON THE PHONE! I started taking xanax 3 weeks ago and it amazes how many people I actually want to talk to when I'm on it. I call everyone in my phone book & they all freak out because I am actually calling them and talking, LOL. It helps me be me without any shame. I notice the short term memory, but I think I have that anyway from all of my teen years smoking pot. That is the reason I have kept taking it. I actually have rekindled some old friendships by phone in the past few weeks. I have also noticed the need to take more and more of it. I went from taking a quarter of a bar, to half, to three quarters or a full bar if I want to goto sleep and then back to 1/2. I am not sure how long it will last though or if it will have any other side effects. I get real clumsy on it, I drop things, kind of like how you do when you are drunk, but I am a Dj at clubs, so I guess that doesn't matter as far as having to be professional, hahahha. For me it has just been to good to be true and I am actually waiting for it to fade or give me some kind of messed up side effect. I get amazing sleep deep sleep on it. I dont wake up tired like I have for years. I wake up feeling refreshed. I just don't understand why more people aren't on it and why it took me 14 years to go thru street drug after street drug and zoloft and paxil which didn't work for me to find the one thing that does. People say I need to watch out because Xanax is addicting and the comedian in me feels like say, "WELL DUH ITS ADDICTING, CUZ IT WORKS." I have been getting them from a friend for the past three weeks and I am looking to find a CHEAP LOCAL DOCTOR in Tampa who will prescribe me these pills. I already went to the free clinic and they dont prescribe these because of the fact that "they'e an addicting drug", once again DUH!

[Sarah1980]

I have had anxiety and panic attacks since childhood and I am now 25.  I remember getting them at night...I would get an electric shock feeling and jump out of bed and then feel like I was going crazy....sweats and shakiness....chills...derealization and depersonalization.  I was scared to tell anyone and hid it from my parents.  I just thought that I was crazy and I was sooo scared.  I got panic attacks frequently and one day I saw a doc and he put me on Klonopin.  It helped a lot.,,never had an attack on the meds.  Then I read about how addicting it was, etc. and was weaned off of it and have been on effexor xr for 2 years.  I get panic attacks once in a while...always at night and out of the blue.  I have read many self-help books, went to psycologists and i work out frequently.  

I have to say that klonopin is horrible...it works and that is the problem..it is HIGHLY addictive and when you get off of it anxiety is worse and all of the supressed feelings come out in a rage.

Effexor works ok...it has alleviated most of my panic attacks but I still have severe anxiety and feel depressed.  

[manda c]

I am 26 years old.  I have suffered form panic attacks and anxiety since i was 20.  It is the most awful feeling i have ever experienced.  The sweating,heart racing, dizziness, and the total lack of control.  My doctor put me on Klonopin .5mg twice a day, and paxil 10mg once a day.  I just started taking the paxil so i'm not sure if it is working or not.  I haven't had a panic attack, but i still feel very nervous and anxious.  The klonopin seems to calm me but i am afraid that i will get addicted to it if i take it everyday.  I want to be able to cope with everyday life knowing that i don't need medication. Feeling that i need medicine everyday just makes me that much more depressed.  I don't know what to do.  Does anyone have any advice?

[Mark TX]

47 y/o male diagnosed bipolar II.  I never experienced panic until taking an antipsychotic during a severe alcohol withdrawal.  I was prescribed ativan for the infrequent panic attacks, which was replaced by klonopin a few years later to help me sleep.

Unfortunately, my anxiety levels have increased dramatically over the past several years, though I've not had full blown panic attack in well over a year.  I just discovered, by reading this forum, that this may be in part due to improper dosaging of the klonopin.  I've been taking it 'as needed' rather than at regular intervals.  So I've got another issue to discuss with my doctors.  Perhaps this might resolve my anxiety problem.

I've had a therapist in the past start me off on 'visualization' techniques.  I didn't find them particularly useful... perhaps because we didn't persue them vigorously.  One of the problems when you have multiple complaints, and limited time with your doctors, is that not enough time can get devoted to each issue.   So for instance, our visualization work for panic might have been side-tracked by an onset of hypomania, or a discussion of some other 'crisis' that took priority.  I cannot afford weekly sessions with a doctor.  And when you go on a monthly basis or less often... things tend to drop through the cracks.

I recently started seeing a new counselor who wants me to try some 'brain wave' work.  She's got some meditation tapes she wants me to try.  I don't have them yet... I think this is something new she's found.  But I'm interested in seeing how that works out.

Good luck with the research and the future career!

Mark