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Panic attacks and medication

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Anxiety & Panic Disorders
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Posted 4/25/2007 10:04 PM (GMT 0)
I have had panic attacks for many years.  I was recently prescribed Klonopin as the Dr. said this is the most effective medication for panic attacks.  I have only been taking it a few days - .5 mgs twice a day but I still am not feeling any different.  I still have the attacks and then end up staying in my house as I am afraid to go out.  Has anyone taken this med with success and if so does it take a certain amount of time to work?  Any other suggestions for controling the panic would really be appreciated.

Please reply as I feel so alone and misunderstood about this condition.  I would

do whatever I can to get over it.  I tried cognitive therapy for two years but it did not work.  Please help if you can!

Posted 4/25/2007 10:23 PM (GMT 0)
I have recently (within the last couple months) started Klonopin and it pretty much stopped panic attacks dead in their tracks. It worked almost instantly. I'm very sorry to hear it's not working for you. It will take a couple of weeks for the drug to build up a steady blood plasma state, I'm told, and so it might start kicking in for you at some point, but I'm surprised you don't feel different already.

You do NOT want to take it for two weeks unless it's working, because there is a dependency issue with this medication and you'll then have to ween yourself off. I'd talk to your doctor as soon as possible. At this point you can probably just stop taking it without withdrawal, but talk to him or her first.
Posted 4/25/2007 10:25 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Auroa,
I am Kitt. Some of the antidepressants are used to treat panic attacks. They are usually going to take 2 weeks or more to kick in.
The benzos I have learned are addicting. I have tried many and anded up on 4 mg of Ativan every night for sleep. I have taken some form of bezo for 25 years. Now I am weaning off and substituting Valium for the Ativan. I am down to the equivilant of 1.5 mg of Ativan. It has been a long process as I have had to go slow.
I am not a profesional but I would like to believe that you could find a therapist that could help you overcome or learn new coping mechanisms to deal with your attacks.
I wish you well.
Posted 4/25/2007 11:38 PM (GMT 0)

I'm currently on 2mg at night. When I was on .5 twice a day it wasn't enough for my body. If the anti-ds don't work maybe your pdoc will have to look at increasing your dose.

They are addictive though so they're my first med I want to wean off once the pdoc can get me stable.

Posted 4/26/2007 12:11 AM (GMT 0)
i have been on 40 mgs of Paxil along with 0.5 of klonopin for about 1.5 years then I had emergency Gall Bladder surgery feom all the meds I stared having problems with anxiety again so my doctor told me to add .25mgs of Klonopin in the moring after about 1 week I was doing better until today. I started lowering the klonopin on Monday in the morning thinking I could go back on my normal dose I had been on but i'm wondering if thats the reson the anxiety is up. Could I get some advice. Thank You Suebird
Posted 4/26/2007 3:07 AM (GMT 0)
Hey Aurora60,
You're going to be OK! We're just like you.
If your current therapist isn't working for you, then search out another one. They are some great people out there just waiting for you to find them. It's my experience that the combination of counseling plus medication is most effective.
In my opinion, the emotional worrying we do over our medication has a much higher probability of doing us harm than the medication itself. Yes, there are horror stories about meds. But the number of good, healthy outcomes far exceeds the disaster scenarios we focus on. The wonderful thing about medication is it's potential to balance our chemistry DESPITE our unintentional efforts to sabotage them. : )
Take heart...it can get better...much better!
Posted 4/26/2007 3:33 AM (GMT 0)
She didn't say she whether or not she feared taking the Klonopin. Even if someone is nervous about that, I would think .5 mg bid is enough to set her at ease about it. Then again, I'm just familiar with my experience and what a few others have told me.

I'm kind of with Harry on the therapy. It can be a huge waste of time. For some it does work, and for others it just doesn't. Research backs this up, too, although I don't really want to bother looking for a the source right now. I think self-help is a perfectly acceptable solution, but for me it's been kind of hard to get started. You have to be very disciplined and determined.

But first, a lot of people need a medicine to give them that initial jump start. Aurora didn't say if she's tried other meds or not. Hopefully she'll come back and say more.
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