“How long should I take medications for panic attacks?”
I have panic attacks. How long should I take medications for panic attacks?
9 Answers
BehaviorTechnicianPsychologist
The duration varies, but medications for panic attacks are often used long-term for prevention, and short-term (as-needed) for acute attacks. Your doctor will guide the duration. If you have any further questions or need more clarity, please consult with a psychiatrist. If you`re in Texas, we welcome you to reach out to www.MidCitiesPsychiatry.com, we`re here to help you.
Panic attacks can be debilitating for the individual. I would encourage the individual to initially meet with a psychiatrist to determine what psychotropic antianxiety medication may be helpful for the individual. Upon starting medication that the individual takes daily I would encourage the individual to participate in therapy to identify and address the root cause for the panic attacks. The individual needs to learn coping skills, practice utilizing coping skills in real time, and determine which coping skills are effective. Before the individual can determine when to stop taking the medication he or she need to become effective in utilizing coping skills to manage the anxiety so that medication may be assessed and discussed for termination.
Hi. You will have to ask a psychiatrist. Talking about medications is outside my scope.
A useful rule of thumb is that panic disorder is a long-term difficulty. A reduction in medicine can be considered and perhaps tried as a yearly matter. You can also consider whether psychotherapy could eliminate your need for medicine.
Dr. Laurie Cestnick
Psychologist
Floating (offices around the states of CT and MA)), Connecticut and Masschusetts (144 North Road Suite 1225, Sudbury, MA)
This is something you should talk to your prescribing physician about. What is often a better idea to taking medications all of the time IF the panic attacks are limited, is to determine the "triggers" and take fast acting medications just prior to events or situations that tend to trigger panic. You could discuss the pros/cons of short acting 'sometimes" meds as opposed to "all of the time" meds with your physician. To give you an example, I have many patients who get anxious with social situations specifically so might take something prescribed by their physician or other, in conjunction with CBT, visualization, etc., just prior to events such as gatherings (weddings, work parties, etc.).
Until you get better.
The purpose of medication is to alleviate the problem.
So, take it till the problem is solved
The purpose of medication is to alleviate the problem.
So, take it till the problem is solved
Learn to breathe properly and you will not panic. A good behavioral therapist will know how to teach you
Typically, medications that help with panic attacks are more effective when used in conjunction with talk therapy, which can reduce the amount of time the medications need to be taken. It's hard to say exactly how long without knowing how intense, frequent and debilitating the panic are, and if there are any medical conditions to be considered.
Taking medication for panic attacks really doesn't have a time frame. If you are working on coping mechanisms for your anxiety with your therapist in time you will be able to manage on your own and can then titrate off the medications with your prescriber's guidance. Get Outlook for iOS<https://aka.ms/o0ukef>
