What is the best medication for panic with agoraphobia

[connieclark]

I got really sick with the flu in January, and went several weeks with only 2 or 3 hours of sleep each night.  Then one day at work I had a terrible panic attack, but I still thought it was related to my flu.  I have had several since, and have been to the emergency room twice.  I am now seeing a psychiatrist and have been taking zoloft for 7 weeks.  I have been at 100 mg for 2 weeks, but am still having such anxiety, all I can do is pace the floor sometimes.   Also I have loset 12 pounds, and really can't afford to lose anymore.  He suggested switching to Paxil because he said it has more calming properties than Zoloft.  Is this true?  Also, while switching to Paxil, do I keep taking the Zoloft, or taper the zoloft down a little each day.  He only has me at 12.5 mg of Paxil, which seems a very small amount, compared to the 100 mg of zoloft I was at.  I am also taking 2 mg of xanax each night to sleep.  I have tried not to take it, but I have had insomnia since mid-January when I got sick.   I am experiencing such agoraphobia now it is just awful.  I cannot go anywhere without my boyfriend, and even then I am in such a terrible state.  And if he leaves to go play golf for the day, I feel like I am almost paralyzed till he returns, like something is going to happen to me.  Please is there anything else I can do to get back to my old, outgoing self?  I am very worried I am never going to get better.

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

You can't compare Paxil and Zoloft doses, and 12.5 mg for Paxil is a good starting dose.  You should ask your doctor about the switch, but usually the best method is to diminish one while adding the other.  Some doctors have you just switch cold, which also can work, but the tapering is a little smoother.



You should ask your doctor about ambien for sleep instead of xanax, or some added klonopin during the day.  You should also seek psychotherapy in order to understand what is happening.

[Mazzcm]

This happened to me. I was on the same amt of Paxil (Paxil CR 12.5mg), when the sleep stopped, the pacing bagan, i was irritable, always anxious, and cleaned all day just to do something. I couldn't sit still if u paid me a million dollars. Given the same speil about how Paxil is suppossed to be calmer than zoloft.

Turned out in my case the SSRI set off hypomania, and I had a form of Bipolar disorder called Bipolar 2.

Hypmomania is a mild form of mania - no delusions or psychotic feaures.



I had tried Zoloft (100 mgs)a year earlier with the same results, only I took too much xanax and drank alot of alchohol to calm myself down, so the hypomania was not caught. I was just a really hyper drunk or a passed out zombie. This is a bad combination - Trust me.



I'm not by any means saying this is what u have, I'm not a doctor and can't diagnose u, but ur situations sounds very similar - u may want to mention the possibility to ur doctor.



I'm currently on a mood stabalizer (Depakote ER) and take a low dose of an antipsychotic (Seraqeul) to sleep. (non addictive)

My panic attacks are gone. I don't know which drug stopped them, or if it's the combo, but all I care about is that they are gone!

Good Luck,

Maz

[Baadsie]

My wife and 3 of 4 kids were all misdiagnosed with social anxiety disorder and depression. All had bad experiences with Prozak, Paxil, Celexa and Effexor. Decreased Libido, increased libido, amnesia, abnormally violent dreams, visual and audio hallucinations. My son was arrested after having a psychotic break and going to school with a rifle. He was eventually released on probation. We found with the help of a great psychologist/nutrionist that reactive hypoglycemia was more than likely the problem. Sure enough cutting back on the sugary stuff has helped them to get back to normal. I have learned since that hypoglycemia can cause phobias. A great website is www.alternativementalhealth.com and an article about hypoglycemia. If you have diabetes or alcoholism in your family then you are a good case for hypoglycemia. Allergies both food and mold can cause symptoms that mimic mental illness.

[drock]

i tried paxil for my panic/ agoraphobia/ dissociation feelings which stem from stress and it was horrible im convinced antidepressants are bad the only that worked almost like a miracle for me was .5 mg of xanax twice a day it cleared my head and after the first day was back to feeling normal

[Baadsie]

Take a look at this article it's what helped my 3 kids and wife stop the anxiety and depression. Hypoglycemia has also been linked to phobias.



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Conquering Anxiety, Depression and Fatigue Without Drugs - the Role of Hypoglycemia

by Professor Joel H. Levitt

The Anxiety & Hypoglycemia Relief Institute

e-mail:***@****

voice-mail:212-479-7805

web-page: http://www.travelersonline.com/anxiety/



(For questions regarding anxiety & hypoglycemia and New York City

classes, contact Prof. Joel H. Levitt ***@****)



Stress is often blamed as the root cause for anxiety, depression and fatigue, but, although stress can make any problem worse, the source of such problems is often physical in nature. And hypoglycemia is one of the major physical causes.



This article covers the following:



What is Hypoglycemia? - the cause of hypoglycemia and its effects.



Typical Hypoglycemia Symptoms - the wide range of mental, emotional and physical symptoms.



Testing for Hypoglycemia - standard medical testing and why it is often unreliable.



The Solution to Hypoglycemia - a list of dietary and nutrient recommendations, with special notes and cautions.



Recommended Reading - books and other references that will give you a more complete understanding.



What is Hypoglycemia?



First of all, let's be clear on one major point - hypoglycemia is not a "disease" in that you either have it or don't, it is a condition, and, in most cases, it is fully reversible.



Some types of hypoglycemia are caused by a tumor or other physical damage to a gland. However, that is rare, and not the focus of this article. The more common type of hypoglycemia - called "functional," "reactive," or "fasting" - is your body's reaction to what you put in it.



Hypoglycemia is the body's inability to properly regulate blood sugar levels, causing the level of sugar in the blood to be too low or to fall too rapidly.



Blood sugar, in the form of glucose, is the basic fuel for all brain operation and physical activity, including muscular. If the available fuel is too inadequate, any marginal physical or mental system may start to shut down. In addition, the glandular imbalances that result, as the glands struggle to regulate the sugar level, cause their own symptoms - especially high adrenaline, which is usually perceived as anxiety or panic, but, in some cases, can lead to violence. (Am I saying this has something to do with domestic violence and street crime? YES! And there is expert congressional testimony to back this up.)



Here is a typical pattern:



1. You eat or drink excess sugar (the average American consumes well over 100 lbs/yr.).



2. The body releases insulin to put sugar into storage, but the insulin response is excessive (due to ADAPTATION and/or chromium deficiency).



3. About 2 hours later so much sugar has been put into storage that there is not enough left in the blood, and you get a low-blood-sugar emergency.



Symptoms such as weakness and mental fog begin.



4. The body responds to the emergency by dumping adrenaline into the system.



More symptoms follow from the high adrenaline, such as racing heart, anxiety, etc., etc., etc..



5. The roller coaster rises and falls in critical hormones, causing an unbalance in all the hormones and often resulting in ongoing symptoms.



Many Americans have hypoglycemia to a greater or less degree. The symptoms comprise a remarkably long list and range from mild discomfort to being completely incapacitated.





Typical Hypoglycemia Symptoms



Following is a list of symptoms I've drawn from multiple sources, plus my own observations. The list is long because symptoms result not only directly from low blood glucose but also from the glandular imbalances that result, especially high adrenaline. Only one or two symptoms may be present, but most often, you will find several.



Note that although I've listed mental and physical symptoms separately, they often overlap.



Mental Symptoms



Anxiety - ranging from constant worry to panic attacks.



Phobias - claustrophobia, agoraphobia, acrophobia, and so on. This is anxiety tied to a particular issue.



Nervousness



Restlessness



Irritability



Depression - especially with females



Violent outbursts - especially with males



Obsessive Compulsive Behavior



Forgetfulness - this may just be choline/inositol deficiency.



Inability to concentrate



Unsocial, Asocial, Anti-Social behavior



Crying spells



Nightmares & night terrors - terror can continue after you wake up. It is especially indicative of hypoglycemia if you wake in a cold sweat