Is Medication the Answer for Panic Attacks

Cognitive Behavior treatment consists of psychological help and counseling to enable an individual going through panic episodes to grasp, confront and eventually overcome the illness. The most impressive results are got by a combination of Cognitive behavior therapy ( CBT ) and using the right medicine for panic fits. CBT works by helping the patient understand the underlying reasons of the attacks and in this manner, helps the natural reduction in the frequency and intensity of these attacks.There are 2 causes for panic episodes – the environmental where external conditions cause fear and panic to set in and the biological where the body itself produces chemicals that increase the feelings of anxiety and panic. Medicines for panic episodes are meant to combat both these causes and not just suppress the symptoms, like a head ache pill.That is why treating panic episodes with medicine takes time.

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors ( SSRIs ) are the commonest of medications for panic attacks and include Prozac, Paxil and others.These medications increase the levels of serotonin which is low in the case of those suffering from panic attacks.Side effects include revulsion, irritation, sleeplessness and headaches.SSRIs push the production of these chemicals and help with reducing the power of the attacks and the power to control them.Side effects can include irritability, sexual dysfunction, slurred speech and drowsiness.Often a patient using this form of medication will learn to confront the panic attack and be ready to fight it off. Among the commonest side effects are sexual dysfunction, difficulty in urination, quick weight increase, and a consistently dry mouth.

The most common medicines for panic attacks are mood depressants like Paxil, Tofranil, Prozac and Zoloft which is what most doctors prescribe to begin with. In case the results aren’t as predicted, the medicine for panic episodes could be bolstered by tranquilizers like Xanax, Ativan, Klonopin and others. All medications for panic attacks have some side-effects and knowing what to expect before you begin taking them will permit you to handle these issues more effectively – without knowing about them can lead to raised amounts of anxiety and panic when they do occur. You must be able to handle the side effects of these medicines because the period of the panic attack treatment is long and some patient need to stay on these medicines for years .