The National Institute of Mental Health (NIM) recently reported that almost six million people in the United States experience panic attacks and panic disorder and live with it on a daily basis. Panic disorder is a form of anxiety disorder and is extremely uncomfortable and alarming to live with at times. There are a wide variety of medications that are used to treat panic disorder. One of the most commonly used and frequently prescribed is Prozac, otherwise known under the generic name of fluxetine.
What is a Panic Attack?
Panic attacks fall under the heading of severe anxiety disorders. Many patients report that when they began having panic attacks, they did not know they were suffering from an anxiety disorder.
Panic attacks often feel like having a heart attack. Patients report that they feel as if their heart is racing and they are out of control of themselves. They break out in a sweat and find themselves frozen and unable to move.
Panic attacks can happen under any circumstances and any environment. Patients who experience them often fear being observed or watched by others when they are having an attack.
How Does Prozac Work?
Prozac falls within the classification of antidepressant medications known as serotonin reuptake inhibitors or SSRIs. This classification of antidepressants was introduced in the 1980s as an alternative to stronger and more harmful antidepressant medications. SSRIs have also been found to be extremely effective in treating anxiety disorders, such as panic attack.
Prozac works by stopping the neurochemical serotonin from being destroyed. This neurochemical controls mood, appetite, sleep, arousal and pain. As a result, if you take Prozac or other drugs in this classification, the serotonin levels increase, which in turn provides relief from symptoms.
Treating panic attack with Prozac is extremely safe and one of the most effective treatment methods used today by psychiatrists and doctors.
Treatment of Panic Attacks with Prozac
While not clearly understood by psychiatrists and doctors, it has been found that increasing serotonin levels in the brain makes a significant difference for people who experience the disorder. Patients reports that they have a decrease in symptoms and reduced panic attack events when they take Prozac or other SSRI medications.
Treating panic and anxiety attacks with Prozac is not intended for patients who have minor experiences with infrequent attacks or the occasional feeling of anxiety. Instead, it is intended to be used and prescribed to patients with frequent panic attacks or who have continued worries about having another panic attack. Often patients with this level of anxiety disorder will tend to avoid situations or places where they believe they will experience a panic attack, reports the Mayo Clinic. These patients believe, misguidedly, that this avoidance will prevent future attacks from occurring.
Prescribed Dosage
Psychiatrists generally prescribe an initial dosage in the range of ten to sixty mg of Prozac to be taken once a day for twelve weeks. This dosage allows enough time for the patient to experience a relief from symptoms of panic attacks. At the end of twelve weeks, a doctor will often reduce the dosage to even out the levels of serotonin in the brain.
Precautions
According to the Mayo Clinic, the effects of Prozac on fetal development are not known and as a result, few doctors will prescribe Prozac to women who are pregnant. Also, Prozac is not approved to treat panic disorder for children who are experiencing the disorder.
Treating panic attacks and anxiety disorder with Prozac is also not safe if you have a history of diabetes, heart attack, liver disease, seizures, low blood sodium, bleeding problems or bipolar disorder.
