A Variety Of Anxiety Attack Medication Now Available

Panic disorder is characterized by the sudden appearance of panic or anxiety without any external cause. Patients suffering from this disorder also have a fear that the panic attack will recur anytime. This impairs their ability to lead normal lives. It hampers their everyday activities.

The panic attack victim shows all the symptoms of panic or anxiety such as an increased or decreased heart beat rate, fast breathing or breathlessness, chest pain, dizziness, nausea, sweating, or numbness. These symptoms can last from between ten minutes to a few hours.

There could be physical causes such as hyperthyroidism, heart or breathing problems. These should first be tested for and ruled out before you seek other causes for panic attacks. Other causes for panic attacks include depression, alcohol abuse, excessive use of nicotine or caffeine, taking certain medicines, such as those used to treat asthma and heart problems, using illegal drugs such as marijuana or cocaine, or living with high levels of stress for a long time. Here too the easier ones should be tested for and ruled out first. Only then should you check for depression or other mood disorders.

If you are wondering how to cope with anxiety attacks help is at hand in the form of anxiety attacks medication. These help reduce the number of anxiety attack episodes, though a complete cure is not possible. For anxiety attacks medicines such as antidepressants with mixed neurotransmitter effects, for instance venlafaxine (Effexor), Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), for instance Tofranil, Norpramin, or Anafranil, and Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), for instance Marplan, Nardil, or Parnate are prescribed. All these are very effective medicines against anxiety attacks. Most patients need to take these medicines for up to a year, while some need to take them for longer.

It is best to combine these medicines with regular cognitive therapy. This helps you change the way you think and, therefore, helps reduce the anxiety attacks. Group therapy and family therapy where the entire family is counseled on how to handle the anxiety attacks are also prescribed.

Regular breathing exercises for up to 20 minutes a day can also help curb anxiety attacks. Other forms of breathing exercises such as yoga can also curb the recurrence of anxiety attacks. Yoga is particularly helpful as it combines breathing exercises with physical exercises. Just consult your physician before you start any exercise regimen.

Other usual forms of reducing stress levels in the body include meditation, listening to music or reading or watching a humorous scene or book. Meditation is particularly helpful in reducing stress levels. Whether you take up yoga or meditation please do remember to go to a proper teacher who will guide you properly keeping in mind your disorder. Wrong practice of yoga or meditation can increase stress levels.

Other ways to reduce stress levels is by exercising regularly. Regular exercise releases a lot of mood uplifting hormones in the body and keeps anxiety attacks at bay. Being physically fit also reduces the occurrence of anxiety attacks.

Please do eat a balanced diet after consulting a dietician. This too controls the occurrence of anxiety attacks.

By taking all these steps in conjunction with each other and mixing and matching them till you find a regimen that suits you, you will be able to keep anxiety attacks under control. These steps both reduce the frequency of attacks and lessen their duration. You benefit from both.

The patient is likely to comply with all these steps and feel more confident of themselves if the patient is taken into full confidence about the nature of the disorder and the treatment being prescribed. It is wrong to conceal the nature of the disorder from the patient. As compliance in the treatment procedure is a must the patient must be well informed and allowed choices where possible.

By keeping the above points in mind it is possible to reduce dramatically the ill effects of the panic or anxiety disorder. The medicines for both are different, but the other lines of treatment are the same.

The patient should not lose heart as most people with panic or anxiety disorder continue to lead normal lives after being properly diagnosed and treated. It is only when you postpone treatment that the ill effects last longer.