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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Amandafran on October 26, 2006, at 22:11:05
I just recently had my first experience of a panic attack where I grabed my chest thinking i couldnt breathe and was hyperventiliating to the point where I had to leave the room I was in. the rest of the day was spent holding my chest and rubbing it because it was like my heart was aching...my doc said it was a panic attack and that he couldnt give me anything for it. I do have a psychiatrist...but cannot see her until nove...what kinds do they use to treat? I know Benzos work well..like ativan and xanax but I at one point misused the ativan and was able to take six milligrams at a time..which was like eating sugar pills they didnt do ANYTHING. I realized what I was doing was wrong and so I dont do that anymore..but do you think there is a possibility that my doctor could write out a Rx for like ten pills at a time...with NO refill and that I would have to call in to get refills...that way I wouldnt be abusing them. Or at least I would be more apt....It is worth a try. I dont want to suffer. I know I have a problem with pannicking and I dont think anyone even if they have substance abuse problems should have access to SOMTHING that will help. Does anyone know if an anti anxiety med that isnt habit forming? I have atarax...but I cannot function on it...it knocks me flatt on my butt for hours...Fifty mg I cannot even function on ten milligrams...much less fifty!!! So needless to say Im stuck until Nov...do you think the thing abut asking for a smaller bottle of xanax would be ok?
I just need to get the thoughts out of my mind. My dad was telling me that there is more than just medicine I can take...medicine isnt everything...and YES i realise this but right now my meds arent even touching the BPD..I think the dosage either needs to be upped or they need to add something like an antipsychotic med...I wouldnt mind...anything to calm me down.
Posted by willyee on October 26, 2006, at 22:35:13
In reply to what about Panic Attack Meds?, posted by Amandafran on October 26, 2006, at 22:11:05
> I just recently had my first experience of a panic attack where I grabed my chest thinking i couldnt breathe and was hyperventiliating to the point where I had to leave the room I was in. the rest of the day was spent holding my chest and rubbing it because it was like my heart was aching...my doc said it was a panic attack and that he couldnt give me anything for it. I do have a psychiatrist...but cannot see her until nove...what kinds do they use to treat? I know Benzos work well..like ativan and xanax but I at one point misused the ativan and was able to take six milligrams at a time..which was like eating sugar pills they didnt do ANYTHING. I realized what I was doing was wrong and so I dont do that anymore..but do you think there is a possibility that my doctor could write out a Rx for like ten pills at a time...with NO refill and that I would have to call in to get refills...that way I wouldnt be abusing them. Or at least I would be more apt....It is worth a try. I dont want to suffer. I know I have a problem with pannicking and I dont think anyone even if they have substance abuse problems should have access to SOMTHING that will help. Does anyone know if an anti anxiety med that isnt habit forming? I have atarax...but I cannot function on it...it knocks me flatt on my butt for hours...Fifty mg I cannot even function on ten milligrams...much less fifty!!! So needless to say Im stuck until Nov...do you think the thing abut asking for a smaller bottle of xanax would be ok?
>
> I just need to get the thoughts out of my mind. My dad was telling me that there is more than just medicine I can take...medicine isnt everything...and YES i realise this but right now my meds arent even touching the BPD..I think the dosage either needs to be upped or they need to add something like an antipsychotic med...I wouldnt mind...anything to calm me down.You have options.First absolutly,if you discuss with a doc about your concerns and what youd like done about how your given benzos,most docs will be thrilled to provide you with a min dose.
Aside from that,although much less effective,there is still the option of beta blockers,sometimes they can even be used with a benzo to avoid high usage.When i feel ive taken too much of a benzo usualy at that point many things will work since the benzo is in me,these things are first beta blockers,i personly use one called lopressor at times.
Also Nuerontion i found when used along side a benzo helps keep the dose minimal and also adds a more robust relieaf.Other meds in this class are used as well,i.e lamicatal,or lyrcia,topamax and on.I just personly respond to Nuerontion the best.
Last you can look into alternatives measures,which mean you do NOT have to use one or the other,many nutrients and herbs such as Taurine,kava kava,valerian,can be combined with anxiety drugs.Of course it would be best to do as much research on this before doing so,such as actualy asking around on a alternative site,people on those are usualy highly knowledgable about the combinations of meds and natural substances combined.
I agree a benzo alone usualy ends up ina tolerance and escaltion to where it is almost non effective.The key is to use means to avoid raising the dose,usualy a set dose along side something i mentioned will do the trick.
Hope this has been helpful.
Posted by yxibow on October 27, 2006, at 4:06:13
In reply to what about Panic Attack Meds?, posted by Amandafran on October 26, 2006, at 22:11:05
> I just recently had my first experience of a panic attack where I grabed my chest thinking i couldnt breathe and was hyperventiliating to the point where I had to leave the room I was in. the rest of the day was spent holding my chest and rubbing it because it was like my heart was aching...my doc said it was a panic attack and that he couldnt give me anything for it.
He probably (cynical as this sounds) wanted to maintain his malpractice insurance and feed questions like that for a psychiatrist/psychopharmacologist.
They're all MDs, but my psychopharmacologist only prescribes one non psychiatric used medication with due diligence and discussion with my general practicioner.
This is common -- to make a hyperboly, you wouldn't want your psychiatrist to be prescribing odd forms of antibiotics that while I'm sure he knows the name and has ran across in medical school, he isn't an infectious disease specialist.
I do have a psychiatrist...but cannot see her until nove...what kinds do they use to treat? I know Benzos work well..like ativan and xanax but I at one point misused the ativan and was able to take six milligrams at a time..which was like eating sugar pills they didnt do ANYTHING. I realized what I was doing was wrong and so I dont do that anymore..but do you think there is a possibility that my doctor could write out a Rx for like ten pills at a time...with NO refill and that I would have to call in to get refills...that way I wouldnt be abusing them. Or at least I would be more apt....It is worth a try. I dont want to suffer. I know I have a problem with pannicking and I dont think anyone even if they have substance abuse problems should have access to SOMTHING that will help. Does anyone know if an anti anxiety med that isnt habit forming?
We're all waiting very patiently for that holy grail....
I would agree though that 10-20+mg of propranolol, a beta blocker, is not habit forming and masks the symptoms of anxiety, but not the root cause.
It is common for doctors to write though what you are mentioning, a PRN script for like 30 pills of such and such amount of Xanax with few refills.
I have atarax...but I cannot function on it...it knocks me flatt on my butt for hours...Fifty mg I cannot even function on ten milligrams...much less fifty!!!Some antihistamine anxiolytics need to be taken on an ongoing basis to get used to the sedation.
So needless to say Im stuck until Nov...do you think the thing abut asking for a smaller bottle of xanax would be ok?
I would say that 10,20,30 pills are allright to keep around. It is your willpower and hope to use it only when absolutely necessary. I understand you want to limit, and that isn't a bad idea, but just the same not have a panic over a panic, and have just enough around.
Have you ever talked with your psychiatrist about relaxation therapy? Some may even make a tape for you to listen. A familiar voice sometimes helps.> I just need to get the thoughts out of my mind. My dad was telling me that there is more than just medicine I can take...medicine isnt everything
Yes... my psychiatrist says that at this point searching for new medication is a distraction to the real therapy that we do. Not that it isn't allright to think about it but psychotherapy sessions are also a key part of anxiety managment.
Developing a plan of what to do when the *** hits the fan so to speak so that x leads to a positive y and z and you can follow a trail of actions to take..and YES i realise this but right now my meds arent even touching the BPD..I think the dosage either needs to be upped or they need to add something like an antipsychotic med...I wouldnt mind...anything to calm me down.
Well Seroquel has been approved for BP, not that it hasn't already been used in the US, as well as Zyprexa, Geodon, etc..
-- tidingsJay
Posted by Phillipa on October 27, 2006, at 11:53:24
In reply to Re: what about Panic Attack Meds? » Amandafran, posted by yxibow on October 27, 2006, at 4:06:13
Call you pdoc and ask. I say this cause I don't know your dx or when you last had a physical. As my thyroid is causing panic and depression at the same time. Good luck. Love Phillipa
Posted by Lindenblüte on October 28, 2006, at 15:57:34
In reply to Re: what about Panic Attack Meds?, posted by Phillipa on October 27, 2006, at 11:53:24
Hi Amandafran,
I haven't been keeping up with the boards much, so I don't know what kind of treatment you are getting right now.If you have acute anxiety, and you know the trigger, you may be able to prevent or stop the chest pain, hyperventilating, heart racing feeling you got with your first panic attack. This would be accomplished not through a medicine that acts in your brain, but rather through a medicine that acts on the muscles in your heart and chest to keep them from responding to the surge of adrenalin that happens during panic. That kind of medicine is a beta-blocker. I take 10mg when I am anticipating or experiencing an acute panic attack. Fortunately, I know what my trigger is, and I know how to recognize it. It's stage fright, in my case. I take 10mg propanolol (Inderal). Works very well in the BODY.
However, if your MIND may be the trigger for the anxiety, or if you are still trying to figure out what the panic is related to, you should consider learning some behavioral tricks like breathing, imagery, meditation, yoga, etc.
These things work- imagine how the Lamaze (sp?) breathing technique has helped millions of women endure childbirth labor. You will have to put in some effort to find a technique, and learn it well enough to be able to DO IT when you NEED IT.
CBT, etc.
Okay. Now, maybe you're not up for learning a behavioral technique. Maybe you've mastered several, but you're not confident that they'll be there when you need them.
benzodiazepines. Worried about dependency? Ask for one with a long half-life, that doesn't give you a "rush" of benzodiazepine action. Klonopin comes to mind.
Can't see your pdoc until november. I'm sorry. This sounds really difficult. Well, remember that you've lived all your years with only ONE panic attack. You may be lucky enough to never repeat the experience.
Anecdotally, musicians eat a couple of bananas in the hour prior to a big audition or solo. I have done this once when I ran out of inderal. I still got some of the physical symptoms, but they were not as severe as I had previously experienced. In addition, I was able to play through them, and had a really great audition.
there may be soothing anti-anxiety herbal concoctions (maybe take a stroll through the Alternative archives?)
hugs for you Amandafran, I hope you feel better soon.
-Li
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