Anti-anxiety Medication

I am wondering if anybody is being treated for panic attacks - and what meds you are taking in order to combat them. I recently developed some trouble with supraventricular tachycardias (on top of the regular hypertrophic cardiomyopathy symptoms), have gotten shocked on two separate occasions, and have passed out on a third in the last two months. The anxiety (a problem I've been dealing with for some time) has gotten out of control and I think I've finally got to reconcile myself with the notion that I need to be on drugs for it. I subscribe to cognitive behavioral therapy, do yoga, meditate, and am now reading a book on mindfulness - none of which seems to be working as well as it used to. I hate the idea of being drugged up but I need to be able to get to work so I don't really have much of a choice anymore. Please let me know what has worked for you guys.

Thanks in advance, everybody!

6 Comments

yep

by ambers - 2011-03-12 08:03:53

I have been taking vallium on a PRN basis and citalopram for more long term use. I feel much better since I started on them and your doctor should be able to let you know if there will be any interactions.
Taking something to help you doesn't make you "drugged up" it just helps give a little boost when you need the help.
Amber

anti anxiety

by verger - 2011-03-13 10:03:01

klonopin does the trick here
ask your doctor
it's in the family of valium but directly addresses panic

when my icd fired, i don't think i could've survived without it. i also went to see professionals for the problem, but it didn't help much

Anxiety

by ElectricFrank - 2011-03-13 12:03:28

Your attempts at using some of the techniques are a good start, but often don't directly address the issue.

The trick is to become comfortable with your breathing. It helps to discover that the feeling of not being able to get your breath is only a feeling. The problem with so many of the meditative techniques is that they prescribe a very fixed breathing pattern that isn't natural. Here a couple of ideas that I have found very useful. They are best practiced before an anxiety situation happens.

1. Lay on your back, put a hand on your stomach just below the rib cage, and breath slowly and deeply for several minutes. Don't make any sort of contest or goals out of it. Ideally a rate of 6-8 breaths/minute works the best. Pay attention to how the empty and full lungs feel.

The next time you feel like you can't breath try the same thing and notice that you really can breath. This often will break the pattern. Simple, but effective.

2. This is bit more challenging, but very effective long term. You might want to try it with a friend present just to feel safer although there is really no risk. Again lay on your back. Take a deep, but gentle breath and let it gently out. Now just lay there and pay attention to when your body wants another one..Don't make it a contest as to how long you can wait. Just slowly let your body take care of breathing as it wants and on its own. The important thing is to become more confident that you can trust yourself to breath.

I use this one when I'm a bit slow in going to sleep at night. So far I've always woke up!! I easily drop down to 3 breaths/minute these days. Again, don't set this as a goal. I've been doing it for quite a few years.

If some of these approaches simply don't work you may need to try some meds. Your saying that you don't like being drugged is important though. The problem with drugs is that they don't solve the problem and they have hidden effects. When a doctor looks for "side effects" he is looking for gross effects. Things like being slightly groggy, not totally here, slow weight gain/loss, etc are subtle things that are hard to detect.

I hope some of this helps,

frank

Thanks

by Broken Hearted Jane - 2011-03-16 06:03:40

Thanks for your input, everybody.

ambers, verger, and ronaldo: Do you take these meds at regular intervals or are they mostly for when you need to calm yourself down during a panic attack?

ElectricFrank: What you describe sounds a lot like the techniques I'm learning from the book about mindfulness I mentioned. What's tricky about this is that my breathing is not as much of a problem as my heart rate. The symptoms of anxiety and arrhythmia are so similar that I almost went to the hospital the other day after a panic attack, I was so convinced that I was about to lose consciousness. I transmitted the information from my ICD and it turned out to be absolutely nothing -- not even a blip on the radar.

me too

by KIRWEN1004 - 2011-03-17 05:03:17

I almost did the same thing with going to the hospital for a panic attack last week. The only thing I no longer have with my panic attacks are the heart palpitations, apparently that was indeed the SVT all along (15+ years). I fought through it after taking a Xanax, wearing my pulse meter and speaking directly with my electrocardiologist. I'm glad I did not go to the hospital for it but at the same time I wish it didn't happen at all.

I am going to try the breathing technique ElectricFrank. I am also looking for some free Yogo videos online I can try to see if that helps.

Thanks.

Kirs

the best

by chelle297 - 2013-02-07 05:02:25

i have so much symathy for you,, i too suffer terrible anxiety/panic attacks etc i have been on all the meds but the only one that has truely helped me and others i know is LUSTRAL (SERTRALINE) hope this helps xx better late than never

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