Best medication for agoraphobia/GAD/Panic disorder

[nessa41]

What has been the best meds for coping with fight or flight/panic attacks?

I have just started on venlafaxine 37.5mg and am severly limited. I can go out but even crosng roads is a big problem :(

[toothless]

Hi, how long have you been on venlafaxine? they can take several weeks to work. I think the problem with meds is everybody reacts differently to them so what is good for one person may not work for another, so you may find that you need to try a few before you find one to suit you but give each one time to work too.

I'm on mirtazapine, it has improved my anxiety but hasn't got rid of it, I had lots of setbacks in the beginning but have been ok for a few months now, I try to look at medication as something to give me a break while I work on the mental/thought side of things as anxiety.

I also take propranolol to help with the physical side of anxiety and they help well, but I still need to reign my thinking in.

Are you having any therapy? As I believe both therapy and medication is the best approach, the therapy can help you to work on your causes of panic and your thought patterns.

take care

Good luck

[nessa41]

Hi, how long have you been on venlafaxine? they can take several weeks to work. I think the problem with meds is everybody reacts differently to them so what is good for one person may not work for another, so you may find that you need to try a few before you find one to suit you but give each one time to work too.

I'm on mirtazapine, it has improved my anxiety but hasn't got rid of it, I had lots of setbacks in the beginning but have been ok for a few months now, I try to look at medication as something to give me a break while I work on the mental/thought side of things as anxiety.

I also take propranolol to help with the physical side of anxiety and they help well, but I still need to reign my thinking in.

Are you having any therapy? As I believe both therapy and medication is the best approach, the therapy can help you to work on your causes of panic and your thought patterns.

take care

Good luck
I am not currently in therapy.

I have been in counselling many times and it never helped but I will ask for it again

My fight flight is so bad I will do anything to avoid panic attacks.....I am also reading a book on cbt.

[toothless]

IHi, do you feel the venlafaxine is helping? I would try it for longer, are you on a high dose? You can always up it if you feel you need to.

Maybe instead of counselling you could go for cbt? This can help with thought patterns.

I understand how awful the flight or fight sensations feel and why you would avoid anything that triggers them, they feel scary and you can get stuck in a circle of fearing the symptoms which creates more fear which triggers more fight or flight symptoms.

Even though the feelings are scary they cant hurt you and if you can learn to not fear the physical sensations in time they will become less, theres a fantastic book called hope and help for your nerves by claire weekes which tells you how to break the cycle, it saved my life

Maybe try a beta blocker too as they reduce adrenaline and can help to bring your nerves down.

When I was ill I honestly thought id never get better and have a life again but 8 months on im so much better

X x