There are a lot of medications for anxiety attacks available these days.  These treatments definitely help many people.  If you have anxiety attacks, you may find them helpful.

Before I tell you a bit more about medications for anxiety problems  I intend to be up-front about my beliefs.  I believe these medications are best used as a short term measure to help while more permanent therapies have a chance to take effect.

Fortunately with proper therapy, the vast majority of people can free themselves from the terror of anxiety attacks.

Commonly, a physician will recommend a drug for these issues that is likely to be one of two classes: sedatives or antidepressants.

Most of the first class of drugs recommended are derived from Valium.  The various drugs differ in onset of action and how long their effects last.

The choice of these drugs varies.  Everyone has a different response to a given treatment.  A therapy that works great for one person may not work at all for another.

sedatives have a rapid onset, so they are useful in “taking the edge off” if a person is going into a situation that they have had a panic attack before or if they feel one coming on.

The other type of drug used is an antidepressant.  The frequently used antidepressants are serotonin uptake inhibitors.  

Serotonin is a chemical that is released in the brain as part of the way one nerve cell (neuron) communicates with another.  

Decreased serotonin levels may be a couse of depression and anxiety.  Serotonin uptake inhibitors increase serotonin by slowing the return of serotonin into the cells after it has been released.

Most people have heard of Prozac.  It is a serotonin uptake inhibitor.  There are lots more.  Each has its own benefits and risks.

Often finding the medication that’s best for an individual is a matter of trial and error.

One thing Prozac-type medications have in common is that they all take a while to work.  Usually, it takes a few weeks to start to see a benefit.

It’s clear, these aren’t drugs to take only when you feel an attack coming on.

There are some other types of used, but they aren’t used often.These other drugs either cause more side effects than the ones I’ve mentioned here or they carry greater risks.

Even though the classes of drugs I mentioned here are generally well tolerated, you still should find out about the side effects of antidepressants used to treat panic disorders.  That link takes you to a page with more information.

Again, remember that it is best practice to use medication as part of an over all treatment plan using other forms of therapy.   Drugs can be useful, but they aren’t the whole answet.

One issue that can come up is what amounts to a psychological dependence.  

Sometimes a person will take the medications while they pursue other therapy.  As the therapy starts to work, they might think their improvement is due only to the drugs.

This might make them resist coming off the medication for fear of the attacks returning.

A skilled therapist helps work through this.  

Even before you start taking the medication, talk with your therapist about how long you’ll be on it and how you’ll come off it.

Use drugs for anxiety episodes prudently and they can be a great help.

Find out more about anxiety attacks and what you can do about them at Panic Attack Release.