Many people suffer from chronic panic attacks or Anxiety Disorder. Some individuals are simply not successful treating this disorder with physical/lifestyle changes.
For those who are unsuccessful in treating a panic attack with lifestyle and/or physical means, prescription drugs are the only answer. Prescription drugs, especially modern drugs developed specifically for this disorder, can be effective, especially when used in compliment to other drugs that mainly treat symptoms.
This article does not deal with the typical symptomatic prescriptions like Valium – not because they were developed for other remedies – but because they were not designed specifically for anxiety. Your doctor is well aware of the benefit of these types of medication and he/she will prescribe them in addition to any GAD-specific prescriptions needed. Here are the major drugs for the treatment of Anxiety Disorder.
Alprazolam – This drug is now a common prescription for GAD. It is in the benzodiazepine category, and while traditionally prescribed for symptomatic reasons, it has also shown long term benefit in lessening GAD overall.
Azapirones – This drug works on the central nervous system not unlike antidepressants. Azapirones are typically used for a wide range of psychosomatic ailments and their application in the treatment of an anxiety attack is specifically to calm the central nervous system to lessen the probability that an attack will be major.
Benzodiazepines – This drug is a tranquilizer medication for anxiety and insomnia. This drug is both powerful and potentially addictive. This is the drug prescribed most often for extreme GAD. Again, while strong and effective it can alter your mood or personality if not used correctly or for extended an time period.
Your physician’s choice of medication will depend on a number of things – your overall health and other medications taken, your prior reaction to antidepressants, and all other nervous system-impacting drugs, age, sex and weight. Depending on your severity, some prescriptions may be prescribed in tandem – one for symptomatic relief and one for long-term condition reversal.
While it is always a good idea for the patient to seek their own level of knowledge and understanding of the alternative drugs that may be indicated in their treatment, it is critical in the case of anxiety disorder that the patient be well informed. It is critical for the patient to take the medication exactly as prescribed and also to keep exacting and detailed reactions to all medicine over extended periods. You should expect your doctor to research your medical history in detail and begin with limited dosage – except in extreme cases.