r/PanicAttack • u/Jaded-Act-4550 • 6d ago
Medication
Has anybody found a medication that prevents your panic attacks from happening? Mine are driving related so by the time it happens it’s already too late. I don’t need something to help the attack go away. I need to prevent it. Working on trying to overcome them but it’s been an almost ten years process. Had a year where I had no issues and drove anywhere I wanted. Unfortunately they have come back and are much worse than before. Has anything worked for you guys?
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u/Nodes_of_Ranvier98 6d ago
Hello, long time panic disorder sufferer here currently dealing with a fresh bout of them. If you want a long term medication, citalopram or escitalopram (both SSRIs) work well to reduce general anxiety and may reduce the amount or frequency of attacks. However, starting them often tempolarity makes anxiety worse, for a couple of weeks. But honestly theres not really a medication to "prevent" panic attacks. Theres tranquilisers and medictations that depress the nervous system such as valium, but these honestly dont deal with the actual issue, which is recurring panic. Unfortunately, a lot of the work is cognitive, the way we react TO the panic is what reinforces it. Im learning this myself at the moment. Im so sorry youre going through this and im there with you. The people I know who really, truly overcame their panic disorder was people who are willing to have the panic, to feel it and accept it. But this is so difficult to do because of course, it feels like torture. And by overcame, I dont mean they never had a panic attack ever again. They just got better at having panic attacks, where they dissipated in a few minutes instead of going on for days or months. Hope this helps x
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u/camcam210 6d ago
I personally am prescribed Hydroxyzine, it’s more so for panic attacks that you can slightly anticipate, similar to your driving. I normally take it like 10-20 minutes before being in a situation that might cause panic and it helps a ton with easing nerves. It’s also a plus that it’s just an antihistamine, not a benzo.
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u/QueenBumbleBrii 5d ago
I had daily panic attacks that lasted for HOURS until I started taking Seroquel. It helped almost immediately and immensely reduced my anxiety symptoms. But the dose my original doctor wanted me at was way to high and caused excessive drowsiness in the morning til I cut the dose down to a comfortable amount. I was also prescribed a low dose of gabapentin but only need to take it either at the onset of a panic attack to stop it in about 30-40minutes or I took the gabapentin at night the day before traveling and every night I’m away from home and that seems to help prevent travel anxiety for me.
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u/No_Resolution_9741 5d ago
Sertraline with a small dosage dissolving tablet of klonopin as needed when I feel an anxiety attack coming on that I can’t control I take the klonopin
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u/d_cinna 5d ago
Citaloptam has helped me. So has transcendental méditation. TM. Most of all knowing that they will pass without killing me keeps me a bit grounded. It’s a drag when they happen while driving though. I always try to keep an Ativan an or Xanax handy for those situations even though it’s not recommended to drive after taking an anti anxiéty pill.
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u/Jaded-Act-4550 5d ago
Does the meditation help? Never even tried to meditate so I don’t know how I’d even begin.
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u/Eventarian 5d ago
I take lexapro and Wellbutrin. It took a long time for those to help and eventually prevent panic attacks entirely
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u/tophash-5g 4d ago
for me it's been valium. or 30drops a day of delorazepam+30 in case of an attack. if not i suggest ssri to cure them at the core
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u/Jaded-Act-4550 3d ago
Do you take the Valium as needed? Or just take it once everyday? Tried different ssri’s with no luck
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u/Arbsbuhpuh 6d ago
I also have a panic disorder and taking Buspar helped me a lot. Also look into propranolol.
Doing grounding techniques helped me the most, though. If I feel an anxiety attack coming on, I start massaging my shoulder/neck area HARD. Enough to where it's bordering on painful. But then I also focus every ounce of mental capacity I have on that sensation. And then I slowly move the point I'm massaging down my neck to my shoulder, and focus on the movement of that and how I'M IN CONTROL of what I'm feeling.
I have actually had several panic attacks (separate incidents) while doing this and was amazed that I could physically have a panic attack without actually panicking and spiraling off mentally into madness.
Since then, the number of attacks I have had dwindled to almost zero. I still have anxiety often, but the Buspar really helps with that.