What do u take during an anxiety attack to help stop it??

You can ask your doctor about taking a benzodiazepine med on an as needed basis for breakthrough, or actute anxiety and attacks.

This class of meds enters and leaves the system quickly (short half life) and will shut down panic for most people very quickly.

Taken responsibly (they can cause dependency) benzos can be life savers for many panic sufferers.

Call and make a consultation when you can to discuss this.

S.C.

I wrote something and then noticed your remark about postpartum depression, didn't want to be redundant.
My Wife had it with both Daughters, I wish you luck and Prayers.

Larry ***

JJ,

i'm sorry to hear that you're having a bad time. i'm not having a great evening either so i feel for you. i mentioned on another one of your posts that i'm also taking celexa. i'm on the same 10mg dosage as you are. i'm not loving the way that i'm feeling from it. from what you mentioned, you feel better? that's great!! i guess that's just an example of different bodies reacting to the same substance differently. i have major medication anxiety so the thought of taking a benzo almost makes me have an even bigger panic attack than the one i'm currently in at the time. however, i have a prescription for a really low dose of klonopin (generic=clonazepam). i take .25mg when i'm feeling a panic attack coming on and it really helps me. it just stops my brain from spinning out of control. i'm new to this whole panic thing, but from what i understand, that's a really really low dose of that drug. there's a lot of talk about these types of drugs being highly addictive. i don't think that's a problem for me since i have such anxiety about taking them in the first place, but just wanted to mention that. i also downloaded a couple meditation apps onto my iPhone and they have worked in situations when i just need to calm down for a bit and i don't want to take a pill to do so. although, sometimes they're really bad and a pill is the only thing that i can do at the moment. i've found that you just need to find what works best for you. nobody can tell you how to heal yourself. it's an internal process. i'm still working through this myself and i'm still a mess. i hope and pray that you find the right combo for your situation. this is no way to live right?!

also...when my doctor prescribed me the celexa & klonopin together i immediately asked about interactions and side effects. she said that they target different parts of the body/brain so they were ok to work together. since i'm a crazy person, when i went to CVS to fill my prescription i asked the pharmacist the same interaction question and he gave me the same answer as the doctor did. since i'm REALLY crazy, i went back the next 4 days in a row and asked 4 different pharmacists the exact same question just to make sure i got the same answer, and i did. every single time. that made me feel ok. either way, i would suggest talking to your doctor because they would know what's best and can ease med anxiety....if you have it, like me.

much love and i hope you feel better soon.

I have ativan for panic attacks. Even at the lowest strength (.5mg) it still knocks me on my butt, and I don't even take a whole pill! Everyone's reaction will be different, though. I am on Lexapro, which is a metabolite of Celexa, so you will likely be able to take it with that med also. I only take a quarter of a pill at a time during an attack (and only if I feel I really can't deal). I find that it can make me feel groggy and tired even the next day if I take more than that at a time. It does work, though, but not really as a preventative, unfortunately. It also is not an immediate symptom reliever. It can take up to an hour to work, though it's rare for it to be that long before I start feeling better. Just wanted to put in my two cents about my experience with it. It's the only benzo I've ever tried, so I can't speak to the effectiveness or side effects of other ones. Any benzo has sedation as a side effect, though, because that's basically what they are. Again, you'll likely have to try a few to see which med and dosage works for you.

Having the kids around might be an advantage, since you can practice being in the moment (mindfulness) with them - playing a game or something (well, maybe not the newborn, lol). Take them for a walk and look for animals (or bugs, not sure what your kid is into!), do something that requires close attention, call a friend, call a babysitter and be by yourself for a bit...not sure what would work for you. You will have to try different things and see what helps and what doesn't.

Remember that panic will not harm you, though it is very uncomfortable. It will pass, you will be fine, and your body will do what it needs to do to take care of itself.

Holdtheonions thanks for the advice!!!
My doc gave me Xanax .25 and told me to start with half a pill. I haven't felt like I needed it yet!! Thank goodness. I've had 2 attacks this week, both happening in my sleep!! I wish I could figure out why they happen when I'm sleeping (for the most part). So far though I've been able to work through them. I'm hoping not to need a benzo, but its nice to know I have it on hand if I do need it.

I also take a .25mg Xanax as needed. In the past 2.5 months I have had MAJOR changes, for the better, but still have produced huge anxiety for me. I have taken a total of 4 pills in those 2.5 months and the Xanax has helped me to get by and get through those incredibly difficult times.

So, Xanax here, as well....

Thanks everyone!!

Mainly I just sit in a tight ball and try to breathe, if I'm at school I get a drink of water and just unclench and clench my muscles individually and do deep breathing. I don't have any particular meds for attacks, though I wish I did, and I didn't tell my mom I was having panic attacks for a year until very recently. Hopefully before school starts up again I can get something to just take the edge off. I'm on 200mg of Zoloft, but it's starting to lose its effects-I've been on it for eight years. One of my obsessions is overdosing on pills/taking the wrong ones so that might be a problem.

You can also drink linden tea, chamomile and valerian tea. It will make you calm but not to the point of sleeping . You should also try eating something that shocks your senses, have candies or spicy snacks to eat. Try to do something that takes a high lever of attention, like a game or something. It helps me because I have xanax but it makes me very dizzy and sleepy and I don't want to sleep in the day , so i only take it at night when I am freaking out !

Take care !

karen

JJ,

I'm a moderator on another forum.... but I do have anxiety and saw your post. I will definitely look at your blog.

My twins are almost 3 (in September) and I had severe HG w/ them... uggh! Even thinking about it makes me shudder! I spent most of the pregnancy hospitalized w/ it (and other complications). How old is your baby?

I also had postpartum depression/anxiety after the twins were born.... I think a complicated pregnancy (such as having HG, having multiples, etc) - can lead to having postpartum depression/anxiety... so I'm glad you are seeking support.

Re: the benzos - I used Ativan after the girls were born.... I had to, as I had crippling anxiety. That being said - it wiped out most of my memory for that first year. Other than pictures -- it's really just a big blur. The meds definitely serve their purpose.... but there can be side effects..... (not to scare you off, just being honest). Hopefully you'll be able to keep at a low dose... and not have any side effects :)

Like I said - I'll take a look at your blog..... and welcome to HealingWell.

--Tina