Medication Benefits

[markslater88]

I've been suffering from very severe debilitating panic attacks since I turned 20. I'm having a very difficult time trying to overcome them.

The most concerning symptom to me are the very fast heart rates that come with a panic attack. I've tried different methods to dealing with them from biofeedback to exposure therapy, but have had very little progress. I am very against taking medications as I've heard about so many awful things that come with psychiatric medications. I'm not able to function normally right now, and I'm pretty sure that having Panic attacks on a daily basis can't possibly be good for your body. So I'm thinking about giving just giving it a try. Being able to function in life is a priority for me. I have to be able to overcome this eventually.

My cardiologist suggested that I take a very low dose of Atenolol to help with the anxietyattacks since my main complaint is my fast heart rates. Is this a wise choice for anxiety, or is there another medication or method to help me get better?

 

[pandora]

I take atenolol and it helps immensly with tremors in your hands and I find it helps with panic if I take it before a stressful event..I do not take it everyday. I do also take ativan for anxiety.

 

[disenchanted]

I've never taken atenolo. For anxiety I've taken Pamelor for about twenty years at a low dose, and lately Xanax as well as my symptoms are worse due to outside stressors (and turniing 41 my mom thinks :rolleyes:)

 

[the racha]

Hi, welcome to the forum. I hope that you are able to find some help here. A few things:

1. You are right to want to research any drug thoroughly; these are serious medications that may or may not help you. It can be a trial to find the right one, and it can also be difficult to get off of them once you and your psychiatrist decide that it is safe to do so. I am unfamiliar with the drug your cardiologist recommends, but it seems like you may want to visit a psychiatrist as well.

2. I am on Zoloft daily for anxiety. I tried handling the panic attacks without drugs a few weeks and lost 10+ pounds as a result, and also ended up in the psych hospital. Like you, I was having multiple panic attacks daily, and usually at least 1 or 2 while I was trying to sleep. I also suffered from the rapid hearbeats-- usually 122+ beats per minute. As you know, that is not fun; once my legs shook so badly that I could barely walk. The Zoloft has helped me immensely. My anxiety is not completely under control, but it is probably 85% under control.

3. I also have a small index card where I've written out techniques to calm myself down when I'm having a panic attack. I've found that breathing techniques are incredibly helpful.

4. When all else fails, I take Klonopin (Clonazepam) as needed for flashbacks and panic attacks. These have become more and more rare, but can still be very powerful.

Good luck.

the racha

 

[ilim]

Paxil

I was really wary to start anti-anxiety meds, but to be honest the Paxil has me feeling genuinely happy for a long period of time. I still feel and I still love, and to be honest, I still panic and get triggered sometimes. But it doesn't control me anymore. I can process things and face them in a healthy way.

Talk to a GOOD psychiatrist or a doctor you trust and try what works for you. Weigh the good with the bad and keep in mind all side effects won't happen to you, and most will pass.

To be honest Paxil and therapy has saved my life.

 

[airangel]

I can totally relate. I am taking low dose Xanax with no side effects, but my family Doc does not want me on that long term. That is why I have my first appt with a Psych on Monday. I will take the meds to deal right now, but hope with therapy the meds won't be forever. Who knows, I can only hope. It took 30 yrs for me to get help. I don't expect this will go away overnight.
Good Luck and keep trying,
della

 

[upsidedowntopsyturvy]

Here's what has helped me with panic attacks

I had that racing heart and I also would stay light headed with shaking hands. My doctor gave me zanax only for the initial attack. I then went on celexa and sinequan. Sinequan makes me sleep til afternoon even when I take it as early as 7 pm the night before. I hadn't slept a night thru in over two years, so that was OK for me at first. It is getting old now. I don't want to sleep the day away.
The day after getting medication for the first time, the light headedness was gone.
Sometimes NOT being medicated is the greater of the two evils.
Good luck, hon!

 

[Deleted member 1860]

I've been taking atenolol off and on for 10 years now. It works great to curb my heart palpitations. I've also tried propranolol, another beta blocker, but it has a higher side effect profile than the atenolol and I ended up having an allergic reaction to it.

If you do decide to go on medication, please do plenty of research. Benzos can be bad for PTSD'ers who have past addiction issues. I didn't know that benzos were so addicting, and when my pdoc pushed them on me (despite me wanting to take other medications), I ended up becoming addicted to them. Coming off of Klonopin was horrendous...and if I had known about how addicting it was, I never would have started on it to begin with.

I think of medication in these terms...I know that some people can't live without medication, but for me, medication is a temporary crutch so that I can reduce my anxiety in order for therapy to be more effective. Eventually I want to stop taking all psych meds, but for now, that is not an option. As I heal, I hope to be able to move to a point where meds are not necessary.