Question:
I suffer from anxiety/panic attacks, and agoraphobia.
Does anyone know anything abut stopping it suddenly?
Answer:
I'm on Abilfy. It's an antipsychotic medication. I'm on it because I have
severe depression, that when it gets really bad turns into psychosis. So I
have to be on something like that (I used to take Risperdal, which isn't any
cheaper). I also have an anxiety disorder with panic attacks. Ain't life a
blast?
I get free Abilify samples from my doctor, and he gave me a prescription with
a coupon on it for free Abilify, too. So far, I haven't paid for it. There's
no way I could ever afford to pay that kind of price.
Try and find out if there are any free mental health facilities in your area.
We have one downtown I used to go to. It was bad there. Lots of people with
dirty clothes on talking to themselves....but the meds were free. Right now I
go to a private practice that has a sliding scale (meaning I see the doctor and
therapist for free) and the doctor is careful to only prescribe the cheapest
medicine he can for me and give me samples.
I feel really bad for you paying all that money when you can't even work.
Really, look in the phone book and call around and find out if there's a free
facility that gives free meds.
I know nothing about your med it seems to me there is a site called
needymeds that gives info on how to get meds free from the maker if one
cannot afford them, I do know that not every med is available this way and
that it is something that has to be done by the doctor. Were I in your
situation I'd talk to my doctor and pharmacist to see how i could get the
meds for what I could afford to pay or free.
if you are not suffering from psychosis or a bipolar disorder you can stop
abilify. It is used to treat severe anxiety by some psychiatrists with mixed
results. You have been given the "needy meds" sites you can also contact the
manufacturer for programs for needy patients, your doc can supply you with
samples etc etc--what is most important is that you seek appropriate therapy,
preferably with a cognitive therapist to treat and learn ways to become
un-housebound. Terrap has do it at home courses but they are expensive and a
personal approach with a good doc is much better. You are entitled to medicair
benefits and since you cannot go to them, they come to you-all you need is a
docs report stating so.
log on to rebt.org to check out this form of cognitive therapy-
First I should say that I am 10 weeks pregnant. I have suffered from panic
attacks for years, but they went away over the past 2 years when I finally
got help- I was on 37.5 mg Paxil CR and 1mg Klonopin twice a day. I stopped
all that when my husband I decided to have a baby. Very early in the
pregnany (5-6 weeks) I had a few panic attacks, all of which were at night
and made me feel like my heart was skipping beats and I can't breathe and
feel like I am choking.
I mentioned this to my ob/gyn who told me not to take the Klonopin (I was
afraid because I had taken it before I knew I was pregnant for about 4-5
weeks)- I spoke with her about the panic attacks at my last appointment and
she told me that she allows pregnant patients any SSRI that they want tot
ake because her office feels they are safe. She said most of her patients
use Prozac but she allows Zoloft, Paxil and Paxil CR, Lexapro etc. also.
I tried weaning back on the Paxil CR because it was once pretty good for me,
but this time around, even though I was taking EXACTLY the same as I had
before for over a year, I had bothersome side effects (I was trying to wean
back on by starting out with 12.5mg and I couldn't tolerate THAT dose even
though I took 37.5mg CR with no problem)- what Paxil does to me now is when
I take it in the a.m, I can't sleep at night- I have restless legs and limb
movement while I am trying to sleep (I had a sleep study done before for
insomnia and even though I didn't notice it, they told me they thought the
Paxil could be causing it)......but now it's bad since I *notice* it and
can't get to sleep, and can't keep still.
I don't understand why I used to be able to take 37.5mg CR but now can't
tolerate 12.5mg (I had wanted to take the lowest dose possible while I am
pregnant) Anyway does anyone have any suggestions for an SSRI I could try
that might be gentler than the Paxil CR that should help prevent panic
attacks? I am considering Lexapro or a small dose of Zoloft. The doctor told
me that in some people a smaller dose of an SSRI may be effective for panic
attacks than what would be needed for depression...the ob/gyn is not really
an expert on any of these as far as that goes but she does believe they are
safe during pregnancy...
What do you guys think, are any of the SSRI's particularly good at
preventing panic attacks when taken alone and in smaller doses?
