Panic Attacks Support Group
A panic attack is a period of intense fear or discomfort, typically with an abrupt onset and usually lasting no more than thirty minutes. Symptoms include trembling, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, sweating, nausea, dizziness, hyperventilation, and sensations of choking or smothering. Panic attacks can be very sudden, appear to be unprovoked, and are often...
Hello -
I've noticed that those members in this group who use Klonopin use it on an "as needed" basis...I seem to be one of the few who use it every day, three times a day...and when it was prescribed to me, I was told I needed this regimen...
I have now been on Klonopin daily for several years, and have not had a panic attack during the entire time I have been using it this way...however, I recently switched-over from seeing a psychiatrist to having my medication prescribed by an internist, and she wants to try lowering my dosage of Klonopin medication...I have severe panic disorder and started having attacks at age 8 - they stopped after I finished going through puberty, and then they came back with an incredible vengeance after I gave birth to my son...and they remained for 15 years...the first six months after giving birth, I could not even sit down, the adrenaline was coursing through me with such strength (obviously, there seems to be a connection between my panic attacks and hormonal shifts..., since I had attacks during puberty and after childbirth...) The "fight-or-flight" feeling was so intense...and I resisted meds for a long time, because I was afraid of them...so there was such needless suffering on my part as a result...
So now I am really concerned and scared that in lowering my dosage, she is going to bring me back to "panic-land", and I just cannot go through that again, or put my family through that...so I am wondering, am I worrying for nothing...or should I be concerned? Meaning, has anyone successfully lowered their Klonopin dosage without returning to having panic attacks? Or, if someone here is a doctor, have you ever lowered a Klonopin dosage with a panic disorder patient and had success with this? I am really worried, as she seems bent and intent on getting the dosage down (I think she feels if I have a cup of chamomile tea, it will all go away...lol)
I also am menopausal right now...so the idea of lowering the Klonopin at a time when my hormones are changing seems insane...
Thanks, Janet
I've noticed that those members in this group who use Klonopin use it on an "as needed" basis...I seem to be one of the few who use it every day, three times a day...and when it was prescribed to me, I was told I needed this regimen...
I have now been on Klonopin daily for several years, and have not had a panic attack during the entire time I have been using it this way...however, I recently switched-over from seeing a psychiatrist to having my medication prescribed by an internist, and she wants to try lowering my dosage of Klonopin medication...I have severe panic disorder and started having attacks at age 8 - they stopped after I finished going through puberty, and then they came back with an incredible vengeance after I gave birth to my son...and they remained for 15 years...the first six months after giving birth, I could not even sit down, the adrenaline was coursing through me with such strength (obviously, there seems to be a connection between my panic attacks and hormonal shifts..., since I had attacks during puberty and after childbirth...) The "fight-or-flight" feeling was so intense...and I resisted meds for a long time, because I was afraid of them...so there was such needless suffering on my part as a result...
So now I am really concerned and scared that in lowering my dosage, she is going to bring me back to "panic-land", and I just cannot go through that again, or put my family through that...so I am wondering, am I worrying for nothing...or should I be concerned? Meaning, has anyone successfully lowered their Klonopin dosage without returning to having panic attacks? Or, if someone here is a doctor, have you ever lowered a Klonopin dosage with a panic disorder patient and had success with this? I am really worried, as she seems bent and intent on getting the dosage down (I think she feels if I have a cup of chamomile tea, it will all go away...lol)
I also am menopausal right now...so the idea of lowering the Klonopin at a time when my hormones are changing seems insane...
Thanks, Janet
its best to also learn CBT skills, have you tried any antidepressant meds?
getting valium type meds depends entirely on the likes and dislikes of the particular doctor
Before starting on meds, I tried virtually every form of therapy or holistic treatment out there...no luck...as far as behavior modification, my panic attacks do not seem to be associated with thought patterns...for instance, I could be going through a really depressing or sad time in my life, such as when my mother was dying, and not have a panic attack...but then, seemingly out of the blue, an attack would come on, when I was feeling emotionally steady...
I have been on anti-depressants for as long as I have been on Klonopin, and I have not found them helpful at all for panic. I recently stopped taking anti-depressants, and found that it had no effect at all on my panic...meaning the attacks did not return, even to the mildest degree. What anti-depressants DID do was pile on a lot of weight, at least in my case. I do not seem to respond to anti-depressants, even for depression !
As far as my dosage level of Klonopin, I know it is ridiculous, but I am embarrassed to even put the numbers down, as I am on the highest dosage one can take without having a history of seizure disorder. Actually, I did have convulsions and seizures as a young child, and still have a neurological reaction when around bright lights (especially fluorescent lighting) - and was told after having an EEG that there was still "residual seizure activity" which showed-up on the test results...which is also why the psychiatrist prescribed such a high dose...
I have tried eliminating the afternoon dose, but find that it makes a difference in how anxious I feel...
Thanks for your time...
Janet
I didn't see your response when I posted back to Harry.
I have spoken to several women who had panic attacks during and after their pregnancies, so there does seem to be a connection. I think that there would be more of a reaction after childbirth, because the drop in the level of hormones is so intense right after giving birth, while in perimenopause and menopause, it doesn't seem to be as dramatic a shift. But I would suggest taking very good care of yourself in terms of diet and exercise during this time, so you can best prevent panic attacks from occurring. (Although I said above that holistic methods did not remove the attacks, they did improve the intensity and frequency of them...)
Best wishes, Janet