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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 3 of 3. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by mmerrynick on November 1, 2004, at 0:21:25
I was recently diagnosed with panic attacks. they are very powerful and very disabling. Now I think I am getting agoraphobia because I am afraid to go any place where I think the panic attack may occur. Basically I live in fear of another panic attack where I can't get home and be safe. I have had to stop driving. I see a cognitive-behaviorial therapist who is very positive and very fine. But I worry my problem is just too darn difficult. My psychiatrist has prescribed 15 mg of celexa, which doesn't seem to be enough, but she is afraid I may get manic if I get too much antidepressant. Is there anyone out there who has had painful panic attacks and who has had had luck treating them with a combination of medication and cognitive-behavioral therapy? If you take celexa how much do you take. Absolutely any posotive advice is greatly appreciated.
Posted by linkadge on November 1, 2004, at 8:17:11
In reply to Celexa and panic attacks Help!!, posted by mmerrynick on November 1, 2004, at 0:21:25
Unless you have bipolar disorder, the doctors fears of you going manic from 15mg of celexa are totally unfounded.
For starters, 15mg is below the standard dose of 20mg to treat depression.
Celexa may certainly help your panic symptoms, but there are other medications that may be more appropriate. Give the celexa a fair trial, and if you do not see improvement perhaps something different, ie paxil or effexor may work better on symptoms of panic.
Linkadge
Posted by chess on November 1, 2004, at 17:48:28
In reply to Re: Celexa and panic attacks Help!!, posted by linkadge on November 1, 2004, at 8:17:11
i went up to 60mg Celexa until it started to work for me, and yes the only reason to fear a manic episode from an SSRI is if you are bipolar (does your doc suspect this? I would ask your doc straight out) otherwise just ask to build up the dosage slowly until it helps, if it never helps then try something else
cbt helped me alot, always remember that if there is no actual emergency occuring at the moment when you are panicking then all you're symptoms are just an inappropriate hyper-adrenaline response, and the more you realize that and learn it and remember it then the more your cortex will gain control over your oversensitive amygdala which will then hopefully temper your amygdala from triggering your HPA axis to release excessive amounts of adrenaline at inappropriate times
This is the end of the thread.
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