Question:
Have been a panic attack/depression suffer since my mid 20's and am now 48. My depression
is still up and down and the panic is still there. The panic has affected my driving and
that has put a limit on my social life and that adds more to my depression. If you have
information on new medication,ect.? I would like to converse with panic/depression suffers.
Answer:
I am NOT a Dr. and everyone is different but it IS a well known fact that XANAX is
the only benzodiazepine that will stop a panic attack in it's tracks. I learned
this from a psychiatrist who specializes in panic disorder and have read it also.
If you take it 3 times a day you won't even have to have a panic attack.If Zoloft
is not doing it's work, perhaps you could try a tricyclic instead of an SSRI.
Imipramine is usually the first line with panic disorder for a tricyclic.
Only an idea. Good luck and let us know. Will be helpful to see what everyone else
feels.
I'd like to just offer
my experiences here. I suffer from daily panic attacks and depression, and I
take 0.25 mg Xanax 4 halves a day. I have severe medication sensitivities,
so I cannot tolerate any anti-depressants (tried 10 already, bad
experiences). I still have the panic attacks everyday, and I do take my
Xanax regularly. I have always been known as a very cheerful and calm
person, so people don't seem to take my illnesses seriously. Also, I go to
group therapy but it is becoming too expensive. I do not drive, and cannot
work due to my panic. I am 27 and had a bout of panic attacks for about 7
months at age 22, then this bout started in June 1997 and just won't stop!
Daily attacks for almost a year...but I try not to give up hope. My doctor
swears I am going to cause him to start getting them since he can't help me
at all and is getting almost as frustrated as I am! I am married, for almost
4 years to a man who has no clue what I go through. He's pretty good to me,
considering. I have spells of disorientation and memory loss, and what I can
only describe as cloudy or foggy thinking. This can be embarrassing if I'm
in public, but I never go anywhere alone. Fears are powerful things....
So I guess if I have a point, it's that you're not alone. I will continue to
read here occasionally to see how people are coping with this crippling
disorder.
So is that a total of 2 pills/split (.5mgs) a day...or 4 pills equalling
1mg? Either is a very very low dose for panic disorder.
Perhaps if your doctor upped your dose to actually make it useful and block
the panic, neither you or he would have to be dealing with this. My first
doc tried the .25 as a start - but I moved to 3mgs pretty quickly and found
some relief. As for your husband - one of the best things was to have mine
come with me on a couple doc visits so he could see this was a real thing I
was dealing with and hear from a professional it was.
Sounds like untreated panic to me. Panic is powerful stuff - .5 - 1 mg is
not much, I hope you can get permission to try a higher dose as Xanax works
great at thrapuetic doses and yours isn't really considered that. Might
work for some, but not for you it sounds.
I have 2 questions first? What kind of reaction have you had to the
AD's? Have you tried to get on them while using the Xanax? If it is a
case of side effects like increased anxiety with the AD's then maybe I
have a suggestion. My Dr. and I have discussed (when and IF i have to)
starting prozac in a low dose. 10 mg prozac mixed with apple juice in a
4 oz baby bottle and you can start out at as small of a dose as you want
say even 1/4 of an oz a day. I think it is suppose to cut back on some
of the side effects. Takes longer to build up in your system but may be
worth mentioning to your Dr. if he hasn't already tried? This is not
something I suggest doing on your own but like I said b4 and depending
on what your side effects are it may be worth mentioning to your Dr..
You have come to the right place if you want to discuss anxiety and panic
problems. We are all on different meds and have experienced different
therapies. Some of us have had this a long time, some a short time. If you
would tell us what you do to help your panic and depression, then we may be
better able to answer your question. (excuse the plural...I do that sometimes
