Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress and is something everyone experiences from time to time. Can I get fast acting medication for panic attacks?
Alprazolam (Xanax) and clonazepam (Klonopin) to treat an active panic attack because they begin to work quickly in the body and help reduce symptoms within minutes. Other people use SSRIs as the medication for managing severe anxiety, especially when it is related to panic disorders.
However, for some people, their anxiety can become unmanageable and even persistent. This is known as an anxiety disorder. There are many different types of anxiety and the most common are Panic attacks are a common symptom of panic disorder.
They’re episodes of intense fear and apprehension that can strike without warning. If you’re suffering from panic attacks, the following are some helpful tips that may help you manage your condition and alleviate its symptoms
A panic attack is an unexpected occurrence of extreme fear usually caused by events that pose unproportionate danger to the anxiety or no danger at all. The attacks are most at times terrifying.
Most of the people who experience a panic attack think that they are going mad, are getting a heart attack, are losing control, or are even dying.
Most people may experience a panic attack once or twice in their lives. In those instances, once the object or event causing the fear ends, the attack subsides.
The human body has a natural fight-or-flight mechanism that responds to danger. The same mechanism according to some research is responsible for panic attacks. The fight-or-flight response increases the heart rate and breathing to help you to run, hide or fight the danger. The danger for example a gun-trotting person triggers that response.
It is however unknown what triggers the panic attack in situations where there is no imminent danger or when the danger is not very harmful.
Whatever the cause every person who experiences it will want a fast-acting medication for panic attacks or other ways for quick relief.
It should be noted that medication for anxiety and other mental disorders should be used under the guidance of a doctor or a pharmacist. Therefore, if you feel the symptoms of a panic attack, it is recommended that you see a doctor.
A doctor may prescribe a fast-acting medication for panic attacks or a long-acting one.
The fast-acting medication for panic attacks are mainly benzodiazepines including Xanax (alprazolam), Klonopin (clonazepam), Valium (diazepam), and Ativan (lorazepam), beta-blockers such as Propranolol (Inderal), Atenolol (Tenormin), Metoprolol (Lopressor) and Nebivolol (Bystolic), and Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). The duration of the onset of their relief varies from one medication to another.
During a panic attack, the fear and symptoms are a bit extreme to the point of feeling like dying. In those instances, one feels the need for prompt relief from the symptoms. The instant anxiety relief medication helps to improve the ability to function.
The fast-acting medication for panic attacks might be having some side effects but the benefits may outweigh the effect of the anxiety.
Some of the fast-acting medications for panic attacks include:
These drugs are also known as tranquilizers are quick acting with relief taking place within 30 minutes to 1 hour after use. They are widely used because of this. They work in the brain slowing down the nervous system hence giving the body a chance to relax.
What is the best medication for panic attacks? If you are looking for quick relief, then Benzos should be the best bet. However, you should note the side effects and withdrawal symptoms of Benzos before taking them.
One of their side effects is that they cause dependence on long-term use. Examples of benzodiazepines include Xanax (alprazolam), Klonopin (clonazepam), Librium (chlordiazepoxide), Valium (diazepam), and Ativan (lorazepam).
Benzodiazepines also have other side effects including drowsiness, irritability, faintness, memory problems, and difficulty in paying attention, and thus should be used for panic attacks when the benefit far outweighs the side effects.
Beta-blockers are a class of antidepressants that help the body to regulate the fight-or-flight chemicals. This is done by preventing adrenaline from reaching the beta-blockers. Due to this, the heart slows down and the muscles relax including blood vessels.
Some of the commonly taken beta-blockers for anxiety are Propranolol (Inderal), Atenolol (Tenormin), Metoprolol (Lopressor), and Nebivolol (Bystolic).
Beta-blockers function almost immediately after taking them, but the full effects are seen an hour or two after taking the medication. The beta-blockers help the heart to slow down thus reducing anxiety. This makes you feel more relaxed. For maximum effects, beta-blockers are used together with psychotherapy or lifestyle changes, or other drugs for anxiety.
Beta-blockers work best in managing short-term anxiety. Examples of beta-blockers are propranolol (Inderal), acebutolol (Sectral), bisoprolol (Zebeta), carvedilol (Coreg), atenolol (Tenormin), and metoprolol (Lopressor).
How long do beta-blockers last? The beta-blockers when made into extended-release capsules are taken once a day. The slow-release capsule slowly releases the beta-blocker into the bloodstream throughout the day meaning that the effects of beta-blockers will last for 24 hours.
Gaba is a naturally occurring amino acid whose function is to be a neurotransmitter in the brain. They are therefore chemical messengers in the nervous system. GABA makes an individual calm when it binds to a protein in the nervous system called the GABA receptor.
GABA has been shown through an article published in 2006, to have a calming effect during a stressful occasion as compared to a placebo or an L-theanine. The calming effects of GABA were experienced within an hour of taking the supplement. GABA also works for stress, Insomnia, high blood pressure, and fatigue.
These antidepressant drugs enable the body to increase the levels of serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that regulates mood, memory, sexual desire, sleep, and appetite.
Some of the commonly used SSRIs include escitalopram (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil), Vilazodone (Viibryd), citalopram (Celexa), fluvoxamine (Luvox), sertraline (Zoloft). They are the first-line medication for anxiety disorders.
How long do SSRIs take to work? For anxiety, SSRIs take about 4 to 6 weeks of treatment to work. At that time positive improvements are noticeable.
Paxil, an SSRI, improves sleep, energy, and appetite within 1-2 weeks. Having these improvements is how to tell if Paxil is working.
For maximum benefits to be felt it may take up to several months. It should be noted that people respond differently but if no positive changes are felt within 6-8 weeks inform your doctor to try a different regimen or to increase your dosage.
The SNRIs are antidepressants that prevent the reabsorption of neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain. This changes the communication and chemistry in the brain in the brain areas that are used to regulate moods, memory, sexual desire, sleep, and appetite.
Examples of SNRIs include Desvenlafaxine (Pristiq), Duloxetine (Cymbalta), Levomilnacipran (Fetzima), and Venlafaxine (Effexor XR).
Like the SSRIs, SNRIs take 4-6 weeks for positive changes in moods and relaxation can occur. Some people claim to be getting better 2 weeks after starting taking the medications.
If a doctor prescribes one of the medications above and it does not work for you or gives you serious side effects, it is recommended that you can consult the doctor for a change of drugs or dosage adjustment. In some cases, the doctor might also combine the drug with another to boost the effects.
As discussed above, the length in time that the onset of relief from panic disorder and panic attacks should be considered before a deduction about the effectiveness of a drug is made.
August 24, 2022
