# Welcome back panic attacks



## b7wagon (Jan 2, 2017)

I thought I had my anxiety under control, no bad panic attacks for about a year, but my depression was unbearable. Went to the docs, she added lamotrigine. After a month my depression lifted but it was making me throw up in the morning. I had one bad panic attack about a month ago and now they are back in full force. Dp is worse than ever, I've been on Effexor for years now and all of a sudden that's making me nauseous so I've lowered the dose. I was on clonzapam as needed for years I hardly took it but now my new primary care doctor took me off it at the worst time imaginable. On clonidine and Hydroxyzine for panic attacks but they don't work, they make me a little sleepy but it's nothing when I'm in full fledged panic. Now my primary care wants to try prozac, something I was on a while ago with no success. Not really sure what to do here.


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## tfiio (Nov 10, 2016)

could you ask about getting the clonzapam back? and have your primary symptoms significantly changed from the last time you tried prozac? have you tried coping mechanisms aside from as-needed medication (I know this sounds dumb, but sometimes people sort of forget it's an option)? have you found any that work?

I imagine it's pretty frustrating. but we can work together to figure out what may be a good direction to try next. it may take a while, but you'll find something.


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## b7wagon (Jan 2, 2017)

I was having a bad panic attack on Saturday, called my doctor about putting me back on clonzapam, but she doesn't believe in prescribing benzodiazipines. Luckily I had a few left over, I don't think I would've made it.


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## MichaelTheAnhedonic (Aug 31, 2016)

The alprazolam helps me with this.


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## mind.divided (Jul 2, 2015)

I think you should find another method of dealing with the panic attacks instead of only relying on medications. You can for example learn how to use mindfulness and meditation to deal with panic attacks, even the very intense ones. Observe and pay attention to what's happening during a panic attack and see how the mind is creating fear of things that doesn't exist.


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## tfiio (Nov 10, 2016)

mind.divided does have a good idea, but it can take a while to learn this, and it may be a good idea to practice while having medication to fall back on until you're really confident in your own ability to get through your panic attacks. I understand that you're having difficulty getting a prescription right now, so this may be something for the future instead of for right now. although, at the same time, I suppose trying to bring yourself out of your panic attacks under your own power is better than just continuing to panic, if you don't have suitable medication available to you.


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## ChrisJM (Mar 28, 2017)

I stopped taking my meds a month ago I want to see how I do without the meds. I'm hoping I can get through this on my own.


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## b7wagon (Jan 2, 2017)

The disheartening thing is I thought I had the ability to control them for a long while. At the very least they are shorter now than they used to be because I know exactly what's happening. Either way it really shuts down my day I tend to sleep the whole day after a bad panic attack. I really only get them in the mornings for some reason.


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## tfiio (Nov 10, 2016)

but you are learning to control them. they're already shorter than they used to be. and of course they're exhausting, even shortened as they are now, so you need to recuperate. and it's not the same as just not having them, or being able to shut them down and keep moving with your day, but it's still more than you could do before. so it's not unreasonable to think you may be able to learn additional techniques to control and cope with them.


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