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Tell Me More About Panic Anxiety Disorder (PD).
2. What are the physical treatments for PD?
Occasional panic attacks do not usually need to be treated with medication. Sometimes the attacks are very infrequent but can be predicted to occur in stressful situations such as flying. Medications can be used for this type of panic on an "as needed" basis. Usually a single dose of a tranquillizer such as Lorazepam or Clonazepam can be taken 30 minutes before the event that is feared. Care has to be taken not to allow the infrequent use to develop into unintended regular use.
PD is most frequently treated with an anti-depressant. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) drugs such as Paroxetine (Paxil), Sertraline (Zoloft) and Citalopram (Celexa) are the most effective in treating PD. The SSRIs together with Venlafaxine (Effexor) are the usual first line of medication treatment. These drugs have to be taken consistently for at least two to three weeks to produce a noticeable reduction of symptoms. Older anti-depressants, particularly the tricyclic agents Imipramine (Tofranil) and Clomipramine (Anafranil), are also effective anti-panic medications.
In acute cases, the panic can be immediately reduced with Benzodiazepines (BZs) such as Alprazolam (Xanax), Diazepam (Valium), and Lorazepam (Ativan). The BZs are relatively fast-acting but addictive and should not be taken for more than 2-3 weeks.
Reference
MM Antony and RP Swinson (2000) Phobic Disorders and Panic in Adults: A guide to Assessment and Treatment. American Psychological Association Press, Washington DC. (Chapter 8). |
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