Anxiety/Panic Attacks
 

Sorry for the double post but I need help fast and this is one of my favorite forums.
I have had PAs for most of my life and due to my age, was not diagnosed. Had it under control for a number of years but due to side effects, I came off lexapro with no problems for the past 2 years. Due to a major financial crisis in my life, I started having bad PAs. Family doc put me on 20 mgs/day lexapro but it will take a while to build up in my system. Also gave me .25 mgs Zanix for a quick pop when I feel an episode coming on. No more than 3/day. It don't do nothin.
Just wonderin if there is anyone out there who would be willing to share some expierence/thoughts with me.
Thanks,
Tony

I come from a family prone to anxiety . . .

Panic attacks respond well to cognitive behavior therapy. I suggest trying some progressive relaxation exercises. This workbook is great: http://www.amazon.com/Anxiety-Phobia.../dp/1567310745

Cognitive Behavior Therapy, as goldfinch says, is the treatment of choice. As a psychologist I have worked with several clients teaching these techniques with good results. I suggest you contact your state's psychological association to get names of psychologists in your area who use CBT.

Zanax and lexpro don't work well together. Zanax is also not a "rescue" when an attack comes on, more like a maintenance thing daily. If your panic attacks are that bad you should have an emergency script for klonopin for an insant chill. CBT works well over long term.

DO NOT DOUBLE Up on Zanax thinking it will work, you will black out or bring on addiction leading to alprazolam rams(paradox reaction). Black out is scary enough without going into a blind rage, both which can be deadly operating any machinery including bike. Use with caution and know it will stop working for you at some point even at high doses and coming off Zanax can do serious harm. Take a look at reviews on drugs.com to see the pattern.

Seriously, you have to learn to deal with PA's in an organic manner, crutches only make the problem more apparent.

Klonopin (Clonazepam) and Xanax are both benzodiazapines. Neither are especially good for taking day in and day out as you build up a tolerance to them and both are used for panic attacks. Klonopin is slower to get working but longer acting. Sometimes you have to experiment to see what works best for a particular person.

Lexapro is an SSRI and is taken to manage anxiety or for depression. The SSRIs take a long time to build up in the system and need to be taken on a daily basis, unlike the benzodiazapines. Lexapro and Xanax can be taken at the same time.

FWIW.

My Dr. gave me a sample of Xanax (I think this is the drug you called Zanix) when I was going through a divorce. He said to only take it just before going into difficult meetings with the Ex. The Dr. said he regularly prescribes it for people with a fear of flying who have booked a holiday in Timbuktu.

To make a long story short, I got through a meeting and went back to the office to carry on with some work that required high concentration and attention to detail. I couldn't believe how productive I was.

The next day I looked at the quality of work done under the influence of Xanax. I had to re-do it all.
Don't drive or operate machinery when on that stuff. You are a serious risk of hurting yourself, or somebody else.

The Dr. also said he didn't prescribe it for regular use because it was addictive. But it was effective if taken before predictable anxiety... like flying.

Finding a peer support group contributed strongly to my recovery.
Good Luck.

Anxiety/panic attacks suck and it's terribly debilitating depending on the severity. Lexapro did nothing for me. Xanax was nice and so was klonopin but I haven't been on them for several years. I was scared of being addicted or building a tolerance so I quit taking meds. I really should go back and get something.

Riding a bike can set off an anxiety attack and I fight through the emotions of all the things that could go wrong every time I get on a bike. While I've enjoyed mountain biking, the fears of it ruin the fun. Every hill or turn is agony in what could happen. Sometimes even going outside can be difficult and being trapped in your own house is embarrassing. Even though nothing is really wrong, you always feel like something bad is going to happen. I get scared to work on my bike because of the anxiety of doing something wrong. I feel so silly and stupid at times.

SSRI's make me rapid-cycle as I'm bipolar so at this point I'm on depakote and lamictal for seizures.

What helps is having plans for what sets you off. I take someone who is braver than me on the mountain bike trail to warn me of what's ahead. My husband is wonderful at understanding (but he as anxiety and depression so he gets it) and I can work through the fears as we talk. I help him get through the rough patches as well.

With finances, it's even harder to bounce back. All you see are dollar signs falling all around you. My husband's income dropped and it's been a struggle to get it all worked out. We came up with a plan and have stuck to it. It's been hard adjusting, but we are doing it. It's about priorities. The anxiety eases with some workable plan even if takes a few kinks or two to get it running right.

Those of us with anxiety or any mental disorders are the hidden ones that everyone forgets or no one understands. We are invisible in a room full of people. We fake it until we make it, and if we don't make it, we fake that too.

If you need professional help, don't be afraid to get it. If the doc you have is crazier than you, get a new one. It takes time for meds to kick in and some work better than others. I think Wellbutrin is another anti-anxiety drug if you haven't tried that.

I never understood panic attacks, stressing and panicking in any situation is never good. I assume it's a 'can't stop it' kinda thing?
I always thought especially when cycling or riding my motorbikes is the experiences stop any worries that I have, a lot of ppl worry about crashing especially on motorbikes but after having more than I care to mention my attitude towards them now are more like "damnit not again" than "oh sh*t Oh SH*T"

Well said.

Thanks for all replies. It's helpful just knowing I'm not the only one. Doc prescribed Xanix but Walgreens filled it with ALPRAZOLAM .25 mgs. Also was prescribed Lexapro but got ESCITALOPRAM 20 MG. Probably 5 years ago I had real bad PA's and was given Xanix and Lexapro and that is what I actually took. I only took one Xanix at that time just see how it would affect me and actually felt nothing so never took another one. After several years of no episodes, I started feeling like spiders or bugs were crawling on me while sleeping and would slap my wife accidentally while swating the imaginary bugs in my sleep. After readin up on the net about possible lexapro side effects, I decided to gradually back off and stop taking it. That was over 3 years ago. I have a physical once a year and a 6 month checkup w/blood work done each time. I have an appointment with a pyschologist today at a place called Fernview Stress Management Center. I think they are several located in the US so anyone ever heard of them?
Thanks again everyone,
Tony

A guy I know well - Was having anxiety attacks that became more frequent.

He visited a psychologist for a while to "put to bed" his issues with his childhood. (Was abandoned by his parents and raised by paternal Grandparents) Once he decided to accept his biological parents as having been too young and stupid to raise a child and forgive them, that was solved. His problems dealing with people at work and associates was related to having problems with dealing with jerks. He found out that many people have that problem in some form. He found out how to blow-it-off and not dwell on things that are in the past, and how to recognize and identify people who are the ones who actually have the issues that bleed into his Karma. He said that one person in management with severe Narcissistic personality disorder was particularly difficult. Once he realized that this person was the problem and discovered how to properly deal with this, this was also solved.

He then gave up his daily marijuana use completely. (Said he had no problem quitting cold turkey after 30 years of being a heavy user)

Then he gave up the huge quantities of coffee he drank every morning into the afternoon. Went to a 100% caffeine-free lifestyle.

Not one single panic attack since finding his peace within.

Ten years later, he is still 100% on track and happy. He tells me that he believes that his substance abuse was a primary factor and now having a consistent personality without the mood changes from chemicals has been a huge thing for him.

Everyone is being so helpful and kind. I have another question. For those of you who have a similar situation, what do you do if you feel the onset of a PA? Or what do you do if you know that you are going to have to be in a stressfull situation? For some, it may a visit with a dentist. Actually that used to be a major problem but I somehow mastered that so I guess anything is possible. :-) For me now, it is the very stressful trip to the pyschologist. :-0 I feel so afraid that she will think I'm nuts or want to commit me. When I was a kid, I remember my first episode. I was walking to school in the 3rd grade and had what I now know was a PA. Dr told my mom that I just didn't want to go to school and to take a switch to me. I actually loved school and to this day remember my 3rd grade teacher fondly.

Xanax is most definitely NOT something anybody should take on a daily basis. That's how people get addicted to things, and xanax is particularly addictive.

I think 1/4 mg is a small dose, probably your doctor didn't want to give you too much for fear of getting sued if you get addicted and drive into somebody. I think my mom was taking 1 mg xanax pills. Maybe this is why yours aren't helping you.

I wish I had good advice for you. People are so different. The bike usually takes my anxiety away. Find something you love, that makes time stop for you, and focus your attention on it?

Horrors, Just found out the person I'm suppose to be seeing today is not a pyschologist but has a Masters in councelling and is a Licensed Independent Social Worker. :-0 I think I need a pschologist with PA experience. Any ideas?
Who have you all had good experiences with in helping you?

Cancel that appointment! Now!

I don't have anything helpful that I can offer, except to say that I'm sorry you have to endure these episodes. Wishing you expert guidance from a true professional so that you can lead a happy, fulfilling life.

Generics, no difference.

There are plenty of licensed social workers who are trained to be excellent counselors and good at working with panic disorders. Meet with him or her and see what you think. The big thing is to find out if they do cognitive behavior therapy. Just sitting and talking about problems isn't going to cut it. You need tools and that is what that kind of therapy is about. Figuring out new ways of thinking.

First Capitalist Plutocracy screws the Lumpen Proletariat, then they market drugs
to them to better tolerate their created situation.

Thanks everyone. There must be a lot of interest in this topic (PA) because just today there have been over 500 views (2 post). Sure would love to hear from some of you who have lived thru this and what you did and or doing.

smoke a joint; seriously.
gw

Think of panic attacks as your body picking a spectacularly ****ty way to react to a stressful situation, using normal and rational responses to common stresses. Keep in mind it's a HEALTHY biological response to some things. If you can't breathe, panic is an entirely natural, rational and sane response. The problem for those with enduring a panic attack or a panic disorder is that they're having a natural and healthy reaction to an inappropriate stimulus. A lot of medical problems are basically your body taking a helpful reaction and then doing it over and over even tho it's gotten couterproductive.

Most of my experience won't be particularly helpful for the OP. I'm an asthmatic, and one of my main triggers is emotional stress. I've had a panic attack set my asthma off once, and panic attacks can set up really medically interesting negative feedback loops for me as an asthmatic. I do not recommend being medically interesting.

A lot of the time tho, the cognitive therapy folks are talking about is meant to help the person face their fears, rather like you and your motorbike crashes. It can get just as hands on as going out and taking a class where you'd deliberately crash a car or motorbike so you get practical experience of how not scary it can be. An anxiety patient would probably do some mental work before taking the class, and more work after. The stuff I do for cognitive therapy tends to be quite concrete as well, since well... I like breathing :).

It can be a more mental thing as well. But even where the cause of your panic is "all in your head" your body's reactions are going to be really really physical, and giving the right first aid treatment can really help.

We are being sprayed daily by high flying aircraft. That "vapour trail" in the sky is a chemical concoction that dumbs us down and makes us compliant. It is evil. we must unveil the sinister plots against humanity.

Most of us know some sort of breath control exercise. Part of the natural panic response is changes in your breathing, whether holding your breath or hyperventilation. It doesn't matter which you tend to do... you need to breathe, and not getting oxygen at a normal rate tends to reinforce the panic. So step one is always a breath control exercise to get a tiny bit of thinking ability back.

Step two is recognize that your body is convinced this is an emergency. So treat it like one. Get help. Tell someone you are having a panic attack, if at all possible.

Step three is begin first aid. If you've ever taken a first aid course, the first thing you ALWAYS do for the patient is treat for shock (after the ABCs of Airway, Breathing and Circulation). Guess what? A panic attack involves shock (specifically psychogenic shock), just like pretty much any other form of trauma. (you can see how my asthma problems would mess this up for you since I get hung up on the B of the ABCs :) )

A good therapist (whether they're a psychiatrist, psychologist, licensed social worker or whatever) will work on teaching you a similar routine, and on building up further routines after you've gotten help and have started first aid. Depending on your exact treatment, there may or may not be drugs involved. For me, there always are, since I'm asthmatic and quite often that's the cause of the panicky feelings. The therapist may use different terms or phrasings, since honestly treating a "mental" issue as a medical emergency may alarm people more and make the whole problem worse. But the goals won't be radically different. But the whole point is to take your problem seriously, and give your body and brain the support they need. Long term, the goal will be teaching you how to prevent attacks from occurring.

A lot of people have panic attacks. Just having them occasionally does not make you mentally ill. It can be a totally reasonable reaction (see also: me not being able to breathe)... not helpful necessarily, but reasonable and normal. The point where it becomes a serious mental illness is if they happen too often, and/or in situations where it's not reasonable. There's probably a great whack of other diagnostic criteria too. I just know about the ones that affect me, and my situation is a little weird on a whole lot of different levels.

My mother has suffered with panic attacks and agoraphobia for fifty-five years. I have not had one but have been around them all of my life. It is a tough way to live. Good luck.

I've never suffered from panic attacks but did develop anxiety while commuting long distances.

I went on a SSRI for that and wish I never did. significant weight gain, among other side effects. Wish I had approached it a different way.