Question:
I have been suffering from Panic Attacks for about 4 years (it started after
my daughter was born). I spent much time in multiple doctors offices doing
tests (EKG, Upper GI, etc). When I told the doctor what I thought was
happening I was told "Think of a Happy Thought". Yeh, right!!! Then I
went to a Psychologist and he started me on Klonopin. I stopped seeing
him though because I knew that there was nothing in my past triggering
these attacks. I had a very difficult time getting off Klonopin but finally
Answer:
I have been suffering from Panic Attacks for about 4 years (it started after
my daughter was born). I spent much time in multiple doctors offices doing
tests (EKG, Upper GI, etc). When I told the doctor what I thought was
happening I was told "Think of a Happy Thought". Yeh, right!!! Then I
went to a Psychologist and he started me on Klonopin. I stopped seeing
him though because I knew that there was nothing in my past triggering
these attacks. I had a very difficult time getting off Klonopin but finally did.
I was on Xanax for about 2 years and I liked it better because I could take
it when I felt I needed it. I am now on Ativan. My doctor says that it is much
faster to work and faster to get out of your body than Xanax. I am doing
OK on it. But it is very frustrating because I do not feel like I am making
any progress. My Panic attacks are not triggered by any particular activity.
I feel as though it is an excess of adrenalin in my body that starts many of
my attacks. Many of them start when I am trying to rest (either sitting on the
couch, resting in bed, or driving in the car after work). The only way
I can get through the days is to know that my medication is in my purse at
all times. That scares me. I would love to be able to quit all medication
one day.
I sympathise with you about about the "think happy thoughts"
approach, Kim - likewise therapists who still cling to the
silly notion that panic attacks are 'triggered by past events'.
While true in a few cases (and excepting PTSD), this is a wholly
inappropriate theory for most of us with PD, IMO.
It seems odd that you don't mention treatment with any
antidepressants. Is this because your doctor has never
tried them with you, because you have and they haven't
worked, or because you don't want to take them? They
are pretty much a standard line of attack. I'm
e-mailing the FAQ as that has a good basic grounding
in the subject.
Given that taking benzodiazepines isn't doing the trick,
I'd have thought an antidepressant would have been a good
idea and I'd also have thought that some cognitive behavioural
therapy might be worth a try, too. Though it can often come
across as a "think happy thoughts" approach, there is a lot
more to it than that and many people do find it useful.
These drugs are effective, but by no means a cure. My doctor refered to
the Xanax I had been prescribed as a band-aid medicine, good for
emergencies (or if no other drug is useful). They can be habit forming
for some people.
Talk to your doctor about the newer SSRI's such as Paxil or Zoloft, there
are others. These drugs are very effective for some people (me included).
Don't be put off when you see they are primarily anti-depressants, the
doctor dosn't prescribe them because you're depressed, but because they
will help panic. Paxil is the only SSRI that is officially approved for
panic though others will help. I found Paxil to be 'stronger' than
zoloft, having more severe (but temporary) side effects but I could
defineatly tell I was on it, I felt sharper and less tired all the damn
time (zoloft made me sleepy).
If you read the posts in this newsgroup for a while you'll see some say
zoloft is great, but Paxil made them tired (the exact opposite to my
experience!). This is not unusual, and you and your doctor may have to
try a few before you're happy.
Have you noticed that it's when your mind is NOT busy but has the
opportunity to wander? Panic in a car is common for PA suffers as well as
standing in lines at stores. My own personal 'theory' is that either
concious or unconcious thoughts enter your mind at mentally quite times
and somehow set off a destructive thought pattern, leading eventually to
panic. I read somewhere that imaginative people are very prone to PA's
since they can daydream more vividly and more often. Imaginative dosn't
have to mean creative, but just that you go through all sorts of
scenarios and outcomes in your own mind.
