What can I do for constant anxiety and panic attacks?

Question

I'm addicted to xanax now and it is losing its effectiveness.

Answer 1

Talk with your doctor about this. It may be time to switch to something else or up the dosage. I experience this sometimes with my medications I take for chronic pain, fibromyalgia, depression, and fatigue (and I too have begun to experience panic attacks, the first one happening last year and have been trying to seek someone that can offer proper medication during those instances).

In a case when you're addicted to one medication, you'll be slowly brought down off it, reducing the amount you take, while at the same time, increasing the dosage of another drug. That's how it works for me and reducing addictive medications to switch to another one.

Just be sure to go to your doctor and explain that xanax isn't working well anymore. Ask if it can be upped? or if there is a better medication you can try? It may be you've been on xanax for too long, and need to switch to something else for a while. The body does get used to medications, and sometimes needs something different to balance itself out. I was just switched from Cymbalta to Wellbutrin. And that's exactly how my doctor had me switch. I was on 2 Cymbalta's a day, reduced it to one Cymbalta, and 1/2 a Wellbutrin for a week, the next week 0 Cymbaltas, and 1 Wellbutrin and I've continued on that as needed. My doctors do this with *every* medication I switch out. Regardless if I feel I've become addicted to it or not. I didn't realize how addicted to the fentanyl I was until I had to do a cold turkey detox (more on those in a moment) so I may not realize I'm addicted to something. Knowing you're addicted to xanax will help your doctor and you in making the switch.

Now, there is the cold turkey solution, but I've been through a hard detox of fentanyl before. I'd just had a pump in my body for it removed (my body was soaking up more than it should of the fentanyl from the pump (more than the recommended 100 mcg dosage)) and I was addicted to a much higher dosage than my doctor was prescribing me in patch form afterwards (100s) and could prescribe me without me getting really sick. The easiest thing for me in that case, was the hard cold turkey detox, it is *not* something I recommend - to anyone. It's not fun, it makes you feel you live a wretched existance for the duration of the detox. Realize you might feel some withdrawal effects no matter what as you begin to switch medications, but it'll be easier to handle than going cold turkey. Trust me - I'll *never* choose a cold turkey detox again in my life, it's the hardest thing I've been through.

Anyways, don't worry, it's fixable =) Just give your doctor a call.

Edit: Everyone's body works differently, what I might become addicted to medication wise, you might not and visa versa. It doesn't matter how you swallow a pill either (sorry but it doesn't). I never became addicted to anything until fentanyl, and that's in patch form on my arm! And I swallowed all my pills. If you crunch it, dissolve it, all that does is move it to your system faster, it has the same effect on your liver that swallowing does - it's all in your body working the same way, regardless of how you put it there. There's no *trick* to not becoming dependant on something. It's just the way everyone's made.

Answer 2

Try adding an SSRI (such as Paxil) to your daily medication. Also, Xanax is a very short acting benzo. You might want to try switching to one of longer duration, such as Klonipin. This worked for me. Good luck - Panic Disorder is the pits and most people can't imagine the terror unless they have experienced it.
Another interesting thing I have noticed: I always melt the pill under my tongue (even though it tastes rather bitter) and for some reason I haven't built up as much tolerance as those who swallow it. Maybe its because it goes directly into the bloodstream and bypasses the liver? Another thing: Panic Disorder has been proven to be biological - not psychological, so don't let people try to tell you that you can manage this by yourself.

Answer 3

In the short term, you can try changing medication, but there is no guarantee that the same thing won't happen again, so you need a long term solution. Practice daily the techniques to be found in: http://www.relax7.com/7.php and either or both of those in the last 6 blogs of Shan Eris at: www.myspace.com There is a section on the controlled breathing method to handle panic attacks in the most recent one. Also search the following websites: http://www.help-for.com/menu2.htm and http://www.emedicinehealth.com/script/ and http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/ and http://www.health.discovery.com/

Answer 4

I take zoloft for it and it works really well for me. I've been on it for 3 years now and am happy taking it for my anxiety and panic attacks...

Answer 5

Talk to your doc and change to a differnt med, take your meds only as told to you by your doc.

Answer 6

Ask your doctor about trying other medications.

Answer 7

Go to your doctor he/she may put you on another one like Valium.

Answer 8

try to find the root causes, that might help