Panic Attack

Panic Attack Medication

If you suffer from panic attacks and panic disorder, a doctor can decide on the proper treatment for you, which usually starts with therapy to later include panic attack medication.  

An Overview of Medicines Used for Panic Attacks

The medicines used to control the attacks are antidepressants, and doctors have found a lot of success using these.  They help control the anxiety and reduce greatly the symptoms that lead to a panic attack.  Among the most used we have Prozac, Zoloft and Paxil.

Sometimes doctors try to see which of these work better, or look for other options such as benzodiazepines (Xanax, Altivan, Klonopin), tricyclic antidepressants (Tofranil, Norpramin, Anfril) and monoamine oxidase inhibitors. 

Using Paxil for Panic Disorder

Paxil is one of the antidepressants preferred for treating panic attacks and it is also used for depression, anxiety disorder and other treatments.  This is one of the most effective medications according to medical studies, what it does is basically bring chemical balance to the brain increasing the quality of cell-to-cell message transmission. 

This is a medication that has to be supervised by a doctor, because it brings the risk of potential side effects such as insomnia, aggressiveness, allergic reactions, loss of appetite and even anxiety.

Using Zoloft for Panic Attacks

Zoloft is the other preferred antidepressant and it is approved by the FDA. Like Paxil it helps treating panic attacks, depression and anxiety and has the same action in the brain.

Zoloft usually has less side effects the first few weeks, but it has to be also supervised by a doctor to determine how long the treatment will be and the correct dose