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What is the Best Medication for Panic Attacks?

Several treatment options are available for panic disorders. Medical providers generally treat panic attacks by setting patients up with psychological therapy, medications, or both. If you are wondering how to control frequently occurring panic attacks with drugs and are searching for what is the best medication for panic attacks, let us help you.

Before we start, it’s important to understand that these medications can include widely prescribed anti-anxiety benzodiazepines (e.g., Clonazepam, Lorazepam), or antidepressants. Regardless of their composition, all of these medications aim to reduce panic attack symptoms rather than treat the root cause of your panic or anxiety disorder.

Best Medications for Panic Attacks and Anxiety

Panic attacks are sudden and short-term experiences of extreme fear and anxiety. They are a visible symptom of panic disorder, a type of anxiety disorder with abrupt feelings of panic, anxiety, and stress. If you feel threatened, stressed, or under pressure, you may experience anxiety that involves intense episodes of panic attacks, nervousness, and fear.

Although medications cannot cure panic attacks completely, they can effectively help reduce disturbing physical and physiological symptoms. Simply put, your healthcare provider will prescribe panic attack medications based on the severity of your panic symptoms, the frequency of panic attacks, and your medical history involving stress disorders.

Let’s find out which is the best medication for panic attacks:

Anti-anxiety medications

While deciding on your panic disorder treatment, your doctor will prescribe an anxiety medicine if they think it is necessary. The most common anti-anxiety drugs are benzodiazepines. One widely prescribed benzodiazepine medication for panic attacks is Clonazepam 2mg, which is also known as Klonopin.

It is often considered the first-line option for generalized anxiety and panic attack treatment. While prescribing Clonazepam for anxiety, your doctor will brief you regarding its benefits and risks. Even though they carry the risk of potential dependency with long-term use, they work faster for panic disorder symptoms than any other medications.

However, due to the increased risk of drug tolerance and developing physical dependence, benzodiazepines are only prescribed for shorter periods. You should also not order Clonazepam online if you have a history of substance misuse and abuse.

Other popular benzodiazepine medications for treating panic attacks include:

  • Alprazolam (Xanax)
  • Lorazepam (Ativan)
  • Diazepam (Valium)

If you have a valid prescription and everything works well, like the benefits of this medication outweigh its risk of side effects, you can use options like Clonazepam for sale online to get the medication affordably.

Generally safe, benzodiazepines can cause some common side effects when used to treat panic disorders including:

  • Drowsiness
  • Confusion
  • Lightheadedness
  • Constipation
  • Memory problems
  • Muscle weakness
  • Problems in movement
  • Dry mouth
  • Rashes
  • Stomach upset

Sometimes, these medications for panic attacks do the opposite of what they are supposed to. These include:

  • Increased anxiety
  • Depression
  • Irritability
  • Aggressive behavior

So the bottom line is that safe treatment for panic attacks does not mean that these anti-anxiety medications will not cause side effects. Therefore, only use your medication under the guidance of your healthcare provider and inform them in case of any unusual physical and mental effects.

Antidepressants

Antidepressants may help reduce stress and improve the overall mood of a person. They are the most effective medication option in treating panic disorders in adults.

Common antidepressants to manage panic attacks include:

  • Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
  • Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs)
  • Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs)

However, the drawback of these medications is that they may take 2-4 weeks to start working and up to 8 weeks to reduce the symptoms of panic disorder fully.

Common antidepressant side effects include:

  • Sleeping difficulties
  • Headaches
  • Nausea
  • Constipation or diarrhea

Sometimes side effects of antidepressants can be dangerous. Children, teenagers, and adults under 25 may be at higher risk of experiencing suicidal thoughts and sudden behavioral changes during the first week of panic attack treatment with antidepressants. Therefore, always inform your doctor in case of any unusual experiences.

How to identify panic attack symptoms

Panic attacks are usually brief episodes. But for some people, they may lead to more uncomfortable experiences. If you have had multiple panic attacks, it could potentially lead to agoraphobia, which is the fear of open or public spaces, or depression. Identifying panic attack triggers and symptoms is necessary to understand how to manage them.

Common panic attack symptoms are:

  • Rapid heartbeat
  • Chest pain
  • Shortness of breath
  • Trembling or shaking
  • Numbness or tingling
  • Sweating
  • Feelings of detachment
  • Fear of losing control or dying

If your loved ones are having panic attacks, here’s how you can help:

  • Ask them to take slow, even breaths, as it can help reduce the panic attack intensity.
  • Reassure the person that the symptoms will probably pass in a few minutes.
  • If the person has experienced panic attacks before, think about what helped reduce the symptoms.
  • If they are unable to calm down, take them to a healthcare provider right away or call emergency medical service.

Remember, panic attacks can sometimes be scary, but they usually go away. However, in the case of frequent panic attacks, you need to see a healthcare specialist and discuss treatment options.

How to stop panic attacks forever: strategies and therapies

Doctors may suggest psychological therapies to stop your panic attacks forever. They may also prescribe medications to control your symptoms and prevent them from getting out of hand. Whatever option you decide to take to stop attacks permanently will take time to work.

So, try to be patient and follow through with the treatment plan. If you stick to the suggested strategies and undergo prescribed therapies, you can find relief from panic attacks quickly and avoid permanent mental health problems. Always attend regular follow-up check-ups.

Undergoing physical exam

The first step is a physical examination to rule out the chances of an underlying heart disease. Rapid heartbeat and other physical discomforts, such as intense chest pain and stomach upset, may resemble serious heart problems.

Therefore, a physical exam can ensure your symptoms are not coming from a cardiac problem you didn’t know about. If no such medical condition shows up, you may be referred to a psychologist or psychiatrist for further treatment.

Counseling

Your panic attack treatment may begin with talk therapy. In this, you will sit down with a trained counselor who can help you understand what panic disorder is, how to identify your triggers, and how you can manage it.

As your treatment progresses, therapy sessions should help you figure out the feelings, thoughts, or situations that cause your attacks. Once you understand what the root causes are, those triggers have less power to cause problems.

Counselling therapy should also show you that the physical effects of panic attacks do not hurt you. With the help of your therapist, you will work through your panic disorder symptoms gradually until they become less scary.

What else helps symptoms of panic attacks

Medications and counseling alone cannot make any difference in stopping panic attacks. Try the below-mentioned relaxation technique to manage your symptoms:

  • Yoga may relax your body and reduce stress.
  • Breath control exercises and mindful meditation can help stop the attacks. Controlled breathing can also make a panic attack less scary.
  • Exercise can help calm your mind. Plus, it can help you avoid weight gain from using medications for panic disorder.
  • Avoid alcoholic drinks, recreational drugs, and caffeine. Quit smoking.
  • Get enough sleep (7-8 hours)

FAQs on What is the best medication for panic attacks?

Ans. Benzodiazepines are the most widely prescribed medications for panic attacks and anxiety. Medications such as Clonazepam (Klonopin), Alprazolam (Xanax), and Lorazepam (Ativan) can quickly reduce panic disorder symptoms.

Ans. To stop your panic attacks permanently, you need to consult a healthcare provider and undergo counseling. They will teach you relaxation techniques and how to practice stress management.

Ans. You can drink ginger tea, ginger-lemon tea, or orange-ginger tea.