Medication can play a key role in easing the anxiety and panic attacks you experience when you live with panic disorder. By addressing chemical imbalances and reducing symptoms, medication has helped people regain control of their lives, and it might be the right option for you, too. Mental health professionals, like those at Red Oak Recovery®, can help you find the best medication for your panic attacks and anxiety during panic disorder treatment.
Medications Can Help Treat Panic Disorder
Living with a panic disorder can leave you feeling out of control. Episodes of overwhelming fear or dread can strike without warning, and you might feel anxious just waiting for the next panic attack. After a panic attack, the gripping, suffocating feeling of fear—along with the come down from your racing heart, trouble breathing, and intense worry about what’s next—can make it hard to go back somewhere that you had a panic attack.
Treating panic disorder with medication aims to address the underlying anxiety that fuels panic attacks. It can also involve medications that alleviate the physical symptoms of a panic attack, which can help you feel more in control when you experience one, lessening the spiraling feeling of worry and doom.
What Is the Best Medication for Panic Attacks?
There is no one-size-fits-all solution for managing panic disorder; the best medication for you will depend on your unique needs, medical history, and the frequency and severity of your symptoms. Your mental health provider might recommend:
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)
SSRIs like sertraline (Zoloft) and fluoxetine (Prozac) are commonly used to treat panic attacks. They increase serotonin in the brain, helping to regulate mood and reduce anxiety. While they take a few weeks to fully work, they are usually well-tolerated and offer long-term relief.
Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs)
SNRIs like venlafaxine (Effexor) can effectively treat panic attacks. These medications regulate both serotonin and norepinephrine to reduce anxiety and improve emotional stability. Like SSRIs, they often take a few weeks to be fully effective.
Benzodiazepines
Fast-acting medications like alprazolam (Xanax) and lorazepam (Ativan) are sometimes prescribed for short-term use or acute panic episodes. Benzodiazepines quickly calm the symptoms of a panic attack but are not recommended for long-term use due to their risk of dependence and side effects. If you have a history of drug or alcohol abuse, your provider may not prescribe benzos to you.
Beta-Blockers
Beta-blockers like propranolol help manage physical symptoms of panic attacks, like rapid heart rate and shaking. They’re often used in situations like public speaking, where these symptoms can be disruptive.
Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs)
TCAs like imipramine are less common today but may be used if you can’t tolerate or don’t find SSRIs or SNRIs effective. They can help but often cause more side effects, requiring careful monitoring.
When you first start medication management at Red Oak Recovery®, you might have to try different medications to find the one that works best for you. Work with your provider and talk about side effects, how you’ve felt, and if you’ve had any panic attacks since you started taking a medication. You’ll also work with an individual therapist during talk therapy, which can help you change the ways you think and react.
How to Stop Panic Attacks
Even if you take medication, you might still experience a panic attack. The frequency and severity of attacks may be lower than before you started taking medication, but you might still have to manage them from time to time. If you experience a panic attack:
- Focus on breathing—the more rhythmic and deep, the better.
- Ground yourself by reminding yourself where you physically are. Try finding some familiar objects and/or sounds around you that you can name.
- Recognize the feelings caused by the panic attack so you remember that you can work through them.
- Relax your muscles as you’re able to. You can practice calmly moving your hands, arms, legs, or other body parts.
- If possible, move to a calmer place where you can get your bearings until the attack is over.
Regular exercise, healthy eating, getting sober from drugs and alcohol, and mindfulness practices can help you manage your anxiety and reduce episodes alongside your medication and therapy regimen. The team at Red Oak can help you make positive shifts so that you can live life more in control.
Balance Is Possible, and Red Oak Can Help
Meaningful change begins with the courage to seek support. Our compassionate team will work with you to create a personalized plan to manage your substance use and panic disorder at our treatment center in North Carolina. Call 828.382.9699 or connect with us online today to get started.
