I have Panic Disorder and have panic attacks out of the blue from time to time (mainly when I am most at peace or even asleep). I take Xanax every four hours to keep them at bay.

The nurse at my doc's office said that it should not be a problem but I was wondering if anyone else has these.

Tom Cruisin' ... Hehe...

The whole situation is unfortunate...and unsolicited. To be marginalized because of your choice of treatment is unnecessary.

three sixty six,

she was taking a dosage that was under the danger zone for addiction and everyone is different. She's working with a psychiatrist and is finally getting her panic attacks under control. Lexapro and other similar drugs by themselves maybe helpful as an antidepressant but when it comes to anxiety and panic attacks they don't work for all people and they may need more assistance.

Actually Lexapro is targeted to people with anxiety problems, not depression. It's a bonus that depression may be helped by it.

I realize many drugs are made for various uses and then found to be helpful in other areas but everyone is different and what may help one's anxiety may not help another's and may help with their depression instead. My daughter is on lexapro for her depression but it doesn't help her when she has a panic attack and she needs her lorazepam for that.

Look at the diet drug Meridia which was first found to be an antidepressant and then found that it aided in weight loss and now is prescribed for that.

Three Sixty Six:

Actually...you are wrong. Lexipro is a once-daily pill that treats major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. It is a Selective reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). SSRI's are a class of antidepressants used to treat depression, anxiety disorders, and some personality disorders.

Drugs in this class include:

(Trade names in parentheses)

• citalopram (Celexa, Cipramil, Emocal, Sepram, Seropram)
  
• dapoxetine (no trade name yet; not yet approved by the FDA)
  
• escitalopram (Lexapro, Cipralex, Esertia)
  
• fluoxetine (Prozac, Fontex, Seromex, Seronil, Sarafem, Fluctin (EUR), Fluox (NZ))
  
• fluvoxamine (Luvox, Faverin, Dumyrox)
  
• paroxetine (Paxil, Seroxat, Aropax, Deroxat, Rexetin, Xetanor, Paroxat)
  
• sertraline (Zoloft, Lustral, Serlain)
  
• zimelidine (Zelmid, Normud)
  

Edited May 23, 200818 yr by Lunabeane

See, I don't have GAD (generalized anxiety disorder). I really don't have much depression either. These were out of the blue AFTER a number of years of high stress. I was finally in a good place in my life and then BAM, I was at work one day and everything began to go black. My heart started to race, my blood pressure went through the roof, I was freezing cold but sweating like a maniac. I honestly thought I was dying. My employer called an ambulance and my hubby. I was wisked off to the hospital and it was there, after hours and hours of testing, that it was diagnosed as a panic attack. The drug parade began that night. Over the next five days I was in the ER by ambulance 6 times. No one ever took the time to talk to me about what was actually happening.

Finally, on the last ride, a paramedic explained how a panic attack works. I began to get a grip on them then but the drugs I was on were not working in various forms and fashions. Some made me shaky all over. Some made me sick. Some made me hyper. Some totally zoned me out.

My life is too busy to be a mess. I have five teenagers, a husband, a dog, a household to run, a business to run, and a ministry. Screwed up is not an option for me.

My PCP finally switched me to Cymbalta. The shakes went away within days. My shrink switched me to Xanax (at my request) from Ativan and my mind cleared and I was no longer a grouch.

I am a normal functioning person again. My family smiles at me again instead of hiding in their rooms. My "comforter" son is no longer spending his time sitting by my side trying to comfort me and dote on me. He is off being a kid again. My dog is not clinging to me anymore (she would not leave my side and would howl if I had to leave -- not normal behavior for her at all).

I am not drugged or loopy or zoned out. I am me again. Could I type clearly on mega drugs? No. I can type and think this is pretty well done and pretty well explained. I felt more of a relaxed sensation after nursing my sons that I get from the Xanax. After nursing I was wiped out from the nursing hormone. On Xanax, I just keep on going with no pause in the day.

I take .25 mg of Xanax every 4 hours and have a prescription for it. I am closely monitored by my docs and pharmacist. I do not feel guilty or embarrassed by taking this medication and often joke about it to those who know and love me. I will feel the same about my Lap Band.

Like I said before. I just wanted to know if I would be able to take my medication after midnight on the night before surgery. If I were a drug addict, I don't think I would be being cleared for surgery.

The Cymbalta is being used to settle my system down.

The Xanax is to stop the panic attacks. You have to understand that they are not just once a month or so. They will come 5+ times per day if I am not taking the Xanax like I am supposed to be doing.

I have also seen every ER doc at our hospital and am assured each time that my meds are right on target for my disorder. That many doctors cannot be wrong. :cursing:

benhamgal,

hey we're here to support you and I guess it's frustrating when you just want to know a little question and "bam" you get opinions from left and right and up and down! We get a little too passionate here about stuff.

I did have the same symptoms about 19 years ago after my last baby was born and I thought I was having a heart attack so my husband called my primary, who I still see, and we went there and they hooked me up to an EKG and told me I was having a panic attack. Recommended I see a psychiatrist and put me on something that totally zombied me out, wish I still had some or knew what it was and that's when I first began treatment for anxiety and depression.

I guess the crying all the time gave away the depression part and the not breathing at night and the chest pain gave away my anxiety. I get panic only during a weird situation when I'm driving and have to come to a light, I'm always afraid I'm not going to stop in time or I'll stop too soon and someone will hit either way! I'm also not too thrilled with driving on highways or in the dark but that may just be my failing eyesight!

Anyway I tend to avoid situations that would cause that stress so as to not have a full blown attack I suppose. I've gotten better, there was a time when I would not even get in a car and drive myself a block so I believe I'm a lot better but I'm nowhere where I was when I was an independent teenager on my own going everywhere! I've kind of learned to accept my limitations and often that came with guilt especially because I felt like a failed human being, mother, sister, wife, daughter because there were things I just couldn't do like a normal person anymore.

It was difficult for me to understand my daughter's panic attacks because I was so different from her. Hers were kind of like yours they would come on, possibly more than one a day and there didn't seem to be any rhyme or reason. At first I thought they were only at school so that was what it was then she would have them at home too. I'm a fixer type person, daughter of an alcoholic so to most psychiatrists it all makes sense.

Anyway I wanted to "fix" her and it also made me feel guilty that I passed on my lovely genes to her and it was my fault she was having these horrible issues with panic disorder and was even hospitalized at one time when I took her to a doctor for very bad depression and had tried many meds that weren't working, I turn around and she's admitting her into a psych hospital.:cursing:

Anywho, I just wish you well, I just watched a show on depression on PBS and it was really informative. New studies on the brain and all and anxiety. Hopefully they'll get us all straight one day so we don't have to suffer so long. They did make a comment that if someone was in pain lets say for some physical injury they wouldn't let it go weeks before they found something that relieved the pain like they do for psychological issues. You did mention that you're a very busy person and don't have time to let things fall apart. Everyone is depending on you so maybe you do need to take some time out for yourself, just a thought, take care brandyII:smile:

Thanks Brandy. I need all the encouragement I can get.

I have been working very hard on not being so committed all the time. My wonderful worldclass hubby has played a big role in that too. He has begun really taking on a lot of what I do and he has been delegating out to the kids as well. People at church (staff over me) have tried to do the same with some of the load I carry there as well.

I also have dealt with a brother who was horribly injured in a motorcyle accident for the past two years. He is Type 1 diabetic as well. He needed a lot of round the clock care and my mother and I were there for him all the time.

Then, last summer, I went to work for the employer from Hell. She was the owner of the business(es) that I was managing and demanded 200% of my time. My family truly suffered during that time. I was always working.

I left there in December and took a much better and happier job. It was a about a month into it my new job that my panic attacks started. That is why my docs feel that they will be short lived. They think it is sort of residue from the past couple of years.

I will be sooooo glad to have them gone but will learn to cope if they decide they are here to stay.

Wow behamgal, that's a lot for anyone to handle. I hope they're short lived too. Most people I know that have them like you do, do seem to get them under control sooner or later.

It sounds like you have a great support system in place and a great attitude and just remember it's just like any other illness that needs to be treated and don't fall in the guilt trap that I always did! Take care brandyII.

I was banded seven weeks ago tomorrow and could not be happier!! Every day I just think about Lucy (yes, we named my band--and call the port "Port Lucy"), smile and say a prayer of thanks. My life is finally becoming what I want it to. My issues of anxiety are not in the band, eating, etc...mine are in the other things in life.

What I am referring to are things like shopping for clothes (oh wow---this was murder!! I had to take a Xanax and still ran to the bathroom in the mall to cry for 20 minutes before I went into Lane Bryant), going to parties, work, clubs, etc. I hate when people I see look at me!! I feel so nervous when they look at me (and I am looking FABULOUS). I am terrified of smaller clothes...I went in, grabbed the largest pair of jeans and ran to the counter. My friend came in and asked how they looked and the counter girl said that I didn't try them on. I was angry!! He made me try them on...they fell off. So, I had to try on another size (which is too big, but the next smaller one was a bit small). It made me a wreck.

THIS IS NOT ME!!! I have never had any fear of being in the public eye!! I go to nude beaches, have alays dressed fairly provocatively, gone out dancing, etc. What is wrong with me??

If anyone has any sugestions on how to get over this silly mindset I have seem to have fallen into, please let me know!!