Panic attacks are the core symptom of panic disorder. These attacks are recurrent, abrupt in onset and random. The panic attack can manifest itself as intense fear, shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, chest pain, palpitations, sweating, trembling, and dizziness and these symptoms can vary in intensity and duration, and can last for several minutes up to hours.
A panic disorder can continue for many years, but if treated successfully, panic attacks do not return at any time and can even never return again. Many people become housebound for decades due to the fear of never knowing when their panic attacks can reoccur.
Some people feel healed since they feel better and because they no longer feel uncomfortable in places they used to avoid. And they may not have had a panic attack for months, even years. If they had an accompanying depression, which is not unusual, the depression may have disappeared.
But, still, that period of remission does not constitute cure, especially if the underlying reason for panic attacks is not tackled properly. As a comparison, a depression can relapse from time to time, indefinitely. And in cases of phobia and panic attacks combined with depression, once the phobia is treated successfully, a return of the depression does not bring with it a return of the phobia.
A panic attack goes away when the person is no longer afraid of the attack. Having a bad panic attack, ten or twelve times in different phobic situations without leaving the situation is usually enough to convince that person that the panic attack does not cause a heart attack, a fall to the ground, or any other loss of control. Finally, the person experiencing panic attacks continues to experience occasional, very brief panic attacks at increasing intervals until they go away altogether.
As a conclusion, the key to non-returning panic attacks is regular and definite treatment. Once properly treated, these attacks become rarer and rarer, until they disappear for real. There are numerous options for therapy, and you should find the one which suits your needs. Committing to therapy is usually the first and hardest step to make for many, but once you start seeing the results from the therapy, you will feel even more encouraged to go through with the whole therapy.
How to treat panic attack disorder?
Psychotherapy is first-line treatment for panic disorder. Psychotherapy is talk therapy that talks through and discusses your problems with a therapist, usually a social worker and psychologist. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been shown to be superior to interpersonal psychotherapy for panic disorder. This therapy is focused on addressing your cognitions and thoughts which lead to anxiety, and also addresses how your behaviors contribute to anxiety. When you are deciding on a therapist, you should also take into account the type of therapy he/she offers, and perhaps seek for recommendations for others with problems similar to yours. You should also take into account that each condition is unique, and different therapists are specialized in different fields, and it is best to look for the ones who have successfully treated cases similar to yours.
Prescription drug treatment for panic disorder is a last-resort treatment; it is for cases where psychotherapy is not effective, or for severe cases. If you believe that pharmacotherapy is essential in your case, you should look for a doctor which can prescribe medications, and preferably, one which is recommended by your general physician. However, even though panic disorder can be treated effectively with a selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRI) or serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI), such as Celexa, Zoloft and others, these shouldn’t be considered as a sole and long term treatment, and as other medications have many side-effects especially in prolonged usage. Benzodiazepines can be prescribed for severe panic attacks when they occur, and they can also be prescribed short-term while the SSRI or the SNRI is taking effect for the treatment of the anxiety symptoms.
Natural supplements, which include herbal and nutritional products, are effective for panic disorder. One study found that inositol was as effective as fluvoxamine for the treatment of panic disorder. Natural supplements should be considered since they have fewer side effects and are generally less expensive than prescription medications for anxiety. Still, before introducing them to your treatment plan, on the account of other prescription drugs, you must consult your doctor first.
Coping with a panic attack
During a panic attack, if possible, you should try to stay where you are. Depending on the situation you are in, you must learn to respond adequately so you wouldn’t be a danger to your own health as well as to others. During the attack, remind yourself that the frightening thoughts and sensations are a sign of panic and will eventually pass. Try to focus on something that is non-threatening and visible, such as the time passing on your watch, or items in a supermarket. As the symptoms of panic attacks usually reach its peak in 10 minutes, they will eventually start to disappear, and most attacks will last between five minutes and half an hour. Once you realize you are in control of your attack, you will begin to feel more confident, and be on the right path to overcoming your panic attacks condition.
Regardless of whether you are seeing a therapist or take medications, you should focus on learning how to help yourself in times of panic attacks. Research has shown that self-help interventions are effective for panic disorder. Self-help interventions are convenient, can be done on a person’s own time, do not require a doctor visit, and do not require a therapist visit.
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I keep getting panic attacks at night shortness of breath what should I do go to hospital every time or take my Xanax.
Dear Bobby,
I do not have the details of your clinical condition, as I have not evaluated you. If you are having shortness of breath, please have your doctor rule out any medical problems. Once medical problems are ruled out, then your doctor may need to refer you to a psychiatrist for further assessment and possible treatment. If a psychiatrist does diagnose you with panic disorder, then there are more effective alternatives to alprazolam (Xanax). SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) and SNRIs (serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors) are first line treatments for panic disorder, and can significantly reduce panic attacks within 4 to 6 weeks. But the problem with SSRIs and SNRIs is that they can take several weeks before panic attacks are reduced. Therefore, doctors may prescribe a benzodiazepine for the short term, until the SSRI or SNRI takes effect weeks later. Xanax is not a good benzodiazepine to take, as it does not last long. A better benzodiazepine is clonazepam, as it lasts longer, and you don’t have to take it more than twice a day to help you with panic attacks.
Dear Bobby,
I have had panic attacks all my life and tried many medications all my life and never had any relief from any of them until I was tried Buspar. I have been on this medication for over a year and I now live a life free from panic attacks. I have the life I never had and always wanted now that I’m on Buspar.
Dear Howard,
That is great that Buspar (buspirone) has helped you. However, Buspar is not typically prescribed for panic attacks or panic disorder…it is prescribed for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), where one has excessive worries.
I have never taken Xanax before I have .05 mg. this is taking time on my body I haven’t eaten or drank much in a day keeps so
As I mentioned above to a previous reply to you, please follow-up with a doctor to rule-out any medical problems you may be exhibiting. If you are having shortness of breath, not eating, and not drinking, then I would advise you seek immediate medical care.
Hello my name is shenell iam 35years of age i suffer from bad panic attacks .I get all the symptoms above shortness of breath trembling headache feel like something wrong with my heart sensations like iam on a boat i feel detach from everything the swaying blurry vision .I dont know what to do i took the meds nothing work for me its a day to day basic i just feel iam about to die i went to hospitals my own doctor did ekg catscan nothing they can find .How can i get rid of this devil .
Dear Shenell,
To learn how to deal with panic attacks, please click here: https://anxietyboss.com/what-are-some-non-medication-ways-to-deal-with-a-panic-attack/
For an effective guide to eradicate your panic attacks, please click here: http://anxietyprotocol.com/
For natural supplements that can decrease your anxiety, please click here: https://www.kalmpro.com/exclusive/index.php
Sincerely,
Dr. Carlo
I feel the same way shenell, I had the attack so bad I thought it was some kind of posession. Which in turn made me freak out more since I felt I couldn’t control my body from shaking or feeling like I was gonna lose it. But it went away gradually until I was calm again. It is difficult trying to live with this since now it’s more of having fear of having another attack which sometimes causes mini symptoms of the panic attack throughout the day. It’s nice to know I’m not alone but this sure is a battle.
Ileen,
It sounds like you are experiencing anticipatory anxiety about having another panic attack, which in turn makes the panic attacks worse. The good news is that you can address the panic attacks through various methods discussed on this website.
Hello DR, my first panic attacked occurred 3 days ago after i took a medicine for a cold.. Im not sure if its connected to the medicine i took since i started having these side effects right after ( fear, tight chest, cold flashes ) the first day it was really bad day 2 not as bad but i still got the panic attacks, today ive gotten it twice now as i write this and it woke up me at 6.. Do you think it gets better? Will it go away on its own? Could it have been from the medicine .. I did go to the doctor the day I experienced it they said it would go away on its own.. What do you think?
Dear Beth,
Cold medicine can indeed cause panic attack symptoms. The two ingredients that can cause panic attacks that are present in many cold medications are pseudoephedrine and dextromethorphan. Pseudoephedrine is for stuffy and runny noses, while dextromethorphan is for cough. Both of these medications can lead nervousness. However, pseudoephedrine is more associated with panic attacks, and can have side effects of chest pain, chest pounding, increased heartbeat, shortness of breath, convulsions, tingling sensations, dizziness, and headache. If you have these side effects, you should contact your doctor immediately.
Sincerely,
Dr. Carlo
I have suffered panic attacks for more than an year now. This is really s bad wolf. I get same conditions like shortness of breath, heart sinking, heart pain, feels like gonna to expire.
I m confused my situation continue for Hoursand hours. This bus worrying sign for me if they are panic stacks they should last for minutes but my attacks lasts for 3-4 hours at least. I have tried CBT fior one year but to no avail. Please help
I’m sorry to hear of your panic attacks. You can get started by taking the anxiety test (https://anxietyboss.com/test/), then following the recommendations for eradicating anxiety.
Hello doctor my husband is suffering a bad panic attack he’s taking benzodiazepine before because his doctor prescribed that to him and before going here in the Philippines last year he got refill of it but now its all gone its hard to get it here in the phiLippines how can i help my husband to get rid of bad panic attack without medication?
Here are some ways to deal with panic attacks without medication: https://anxietyboss.com/what-are-some-non-medication-ways-to-deal-with-a-panic-attack/. Your husband can also consider natural supplements to deal with the anxiety, such as KalmPro, which can be shipped to the Philippines: http://www.ebay.com/itm/KalmPro-1-Doctor-Recommended-Natural-Stress-and-Anxiety-Supplement-Capsules-/151705891793?hash=item23526033d1.
I have been suffering for about 8 days now and have been to the emergency room twice. They have ran test on me and told me I was physically fine but I dont think so. These panic attacks just came out of nowhere. The emergency room doctor prescribed me metoprolol to lower my heart rate but it made me feel extremely funny. Its like I have the panic attacks all day 24/7 every 10 to 15 minutes but when I go to the hospital they disappear. As soon as I leave the hospital though it comes right back. I feel like a tv that’s on a static station that can’t get on the right channel. Im at a lost. I can’t work or anything. Im scared. Its like I go to the emergency room and they dont believe me because Im not having it right then. Its like my body knows Im at the emergency room so it gets right so I will look crazy. Im so tired of this. Do you have any suggestions.
If you have panic attacks and the medical evaluations at the emergency room deemed you to be physically fine, then you need to see a psychiatrist for possible medication treatment to decrease your severe anxiety symptoms. Metoprolol, a beta blocker, slows down your heart rate, but it is not effective for panic attacks. The next time you go to the emergency room, ask to be evaluated by the psychiatrist on-call.
I have lived with chronic pain from Osteoarthritis for many years. Every day I have 24/7 chronic pain in my joints. My doctor prescribes pain med. Hydrocodone 2 meds per day. He also prescribes 1 a day Alprazolam for severe anxiety and severe chronic panic attacks every day.I also take 1 a day Fluoxetine med for depression. But I’m still having chronic pain, and anxiety and chronic panic attacks from osteoarthritis because my pain inside gets worse every day. I think the pain is making my panic attacks worse because the pain is spreading in my body. Please can you help me to understand why this is happening to me. Doctors say can’t help the osteoarthritis. No cure.
I’m sorry you are in pain. Please get a referral to a pain specialist, as your anxiety will continue if your pain is not treated properly.