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The question was submitted 17 January 2009

Subject: anxiety-panic attacks

Sir/Madam,
I am a 32 year old male suffering from panic attacks derived from anxiety.My tests related to blood,thyroid,blood pressure and sugar are absolutly normal.However 6 months i had a respiratory prob (shortness in breathing) which was cured in a weeks time,since then i am undergoing uneasiness in body especially in the morning hours and after afternoons nap.I feel short of energy and enthusiasm,also i get irritated soon.
At the moment i have been given Melzep 0.5 and citoplast 10,which on attacks proves successful,but i want to discontinue them as i have come to know about the side effects about them.I do smoke,rest i dont have any bad habits,financially i m decent.

I request an earnest help as sooon as possible on my mail id.

Best Regards
rahul.

Answer from DepNet

The anxiety and panic attacks that you are suffering from seem to get better with medication specifically given to control them. You must understand that anxiety / panic are due to bio-chemical imbalances in the brain. Therefore, it is essential that you take this medication for the period suggested by your treating doctor. If you don't, it is very likely that you will develop these symptoms again. All medicines may have some side effects but you should also look at the advantage of taking the treatment. If you are continuously or frequently disturbed by these symptoms they will interfere with your day to day functioning. Repeated relapses may also result in medication not being effective in the future.

Another option is to seek the help of a qualified clinical psychologist and get help to treat this condition with psychological methods like Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT). One can achieve best results with the combination of medication and CBT. In fact you may even be able to reduce the duration of medication with this approach.

The answer was published on DepNet 01 February 2009