Do antidepressants help with panic?

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-26-2005
Do antidepressants help with panic?
6
Thu, 03-23-2006 - 8:28pm

Have you been told that anitdepressants help with panic attacks? I thought for sure that doctors had told me before that they do. Now I'm living in a different state, and seeing a different doctor. He prescribed wellbutrin for depression and klonopin for panic attacks. I thought that the welbutrin would help with panic, but he said no. So far klonopin and ativan have not worked yet. I go back to the doctor on the 27th. I'm curious to see what he'll try next for anxiety---probably xanax. He mentioned xanax last time, but I choose ativan because it's not as addictive as xanax. I feel bad when I tell the doctor it doesn't work. I feel like I'm asking for the hard stuff just for my pleasure, which is not true! I suffer from panic attacks, and sometimes I'm jittery, I can't relax, I can't sit still, I get tremors, I have a lump in my throat, I'm sick to my stomach. I feel like I'm living in hell! I can't wait until this is cured, or until I have it under control.


Thanks for any advice on the meds.


Monica

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-11-2004
Thu, 03-23-2006 - 8:55pm

Hi, Monica! WB! Every dr. has their own thoughts on things. Clearly from reading this board, AD's are used for panic/anxiety issues. However, wellbutrin may not be the best AD for panic/anxiety. I have taken many AD's over the years, mostly with success. Here's a recent report on AD's.

 

 


 



iVillage Member
Registered: 03-22-2003
Thu, 03-23-2006 - 9:11pm

I hope someone can jump in and post.

Sheri Ann

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-15-2006
Fri, 03-24-2006 - 1:21am

Monica,

I've found the website www.pdrhealth.com to be helpful infinding out specific information on the medicine I was given. I was put on Effexor primarily for anxiety but also for some depression. When I looked it up on that site, I saw that it was often prescribed for GAD a well as for panic. That certainly made me feel like I'd been given the right stuff and it's made me feel like I should really stick it out to see if it helps. However, if you're one of those people that don't like to know about side-effects b/c it makes you dwell on them, the site might not be all that helpful. Good luck :)

~Meghan

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-14-2003
Fri, 03-24-2006 - 7:16am

Monica,

I take Wellbutrin 300mg and .50mg klonopin 2 times a day. I find the wellbutrin helps, but at the same time hinders! It really gets me going and pushes me to move and live and be myself, to not be afraid of what is next. But it does also elevate the anxiety level for some. In my case, I was taking 300mg of Wellbutrin, and .50mg of klonopin once a day at night. For a while it was some relief because I had been dealing with this for months on my own. But then after about 6 weeks on the wellbutrin, my anxiety started creeping up on me in the middle of the day. So we changed the klonopin to 2 times a day, once in the morning and once at night. I find so much more relief with it. But there are days that its lingering... not consuming my life, but just there enough for me to notice. I've been told that lexapro is a great combo with klonopin, but I have issues with any meds that give even a small chance of weight gain. I am taking it off not putting it on. Weight and dying is one of my biggest triggers.... not that I am overly over weight, but I do need to lose, and I am doing it and really it is helping so much. It can be helpful. But I also noticed that the first few weeks were really the hardest. today, I feel more like my self then I have in almost 8 months.. anxiety triggered by me quitting smoking. you'd think it would be easier to start smoking again.. but no its not going to happen. I agree with other help also. You need to combat this not just try to cover it up. No matter what works for you do it... mine I believe is weight, convincing myself that i am not going to have a heart attack, stroke, blood clot, or eat my self to death... (food is a comfort --but also the enemy!!)

Have the changed your klonopin amount.. upped it. Like in the morning, and and night and perhaps if needed one in the day time on an as needed bases???? Have hte played with the doseage to see if you may need a higher dose.

Let me know and I will check back in. I don't always post but am here most days reading.

Wendy

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-02-2003
Fri, 03-24-2006 - 12:34pm

Hi, I too take an anti depressant, Wellbutrin XL 150 mg 2 x a day and xanax. for me it is the combination of the 2 drugs together that has given my Dr. the reaction that he has wanted and what has made me feel better. One without the other does not work for me. I have been on 2 drugs for 20+ yrs. so as they say the proof is in

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-21-2004
Fri, 03-24-2006 - 1:06pm
From what I've been told by a lot of doctors I was under the assumption that ad's do in fact help with depression. When I first started seeing my doc he put me on celexa. It wasn't for depression. It was for anxiety. He told me that newer meds like celexa and lexapro are not as (for lack of a better word) strong and therefore are used mainly for anxiety. This was at least my understanding. Remember that you have the choice which doctor you see. I had to go through A LOT of doctors before I found one that I was comfortable with and liked. You will get through this whether it goes away completely or you learn how to cope. Don't give up hope.
Robin
Mommy to Lukas Lee