Well, i have this disorder also, and i know how you feel. So instead of taking all of the medication i took half of it, and it worked just as good! =]

I have panic attacks to. I don’t however have agorophobia. It takes your body a few months to get used to the drug levels even in your body. And since you have only been diagnosed and started taking meds a month ago, you’re probably just weening on.
You will be fine. Those side effects go away. And if they don’t maybe you just need to swicth to another drug. I was on 2 before I found my nitche.

I have both along with anxiety and Bi polar, It’s hard, I understand, but as long as you keep tabs with your doctors/psychs. and they have you on the right meds and right amount of meds. go to group counseling and look info. up on the computer, the moe you know about it the more you’ll know how to live with it and take care of yourself.

I had panic attacks in high school, tell your doctor your medicine is draining you, they can give you different samples to get you on the right one. I was on pamelor but before that the doctor gave me one that I littlerally slept from 9pm to almost 11am the next morning. And was groggy after that.
However the pills they give you are sleeping pills, the reason for this is to help you to relax because anxiety is worsened when you are fatigued, eventually I got off the medicine just because I forgot to take it.
I still have panic attacks everyonce in a while. You have to just figure out what triggers them, like me , if I bottle everything up and don’t confront it I have one.
Panic attacks can also be hereditery, my grandmother had them, so did my uncle and my cousin, my mom has had them for years but didn’t realize what they were up until about 5 years ago. They won’t ruin your life if you don’t let them. You just have to challenge your self a bit and dig until you find why your having them, seek out a therepist that can help you dig.

well I did had panic attacks about 12 years ago…It was so bad that I used to sit at the emergency room thinking that I was having a heart attack. Doctors prescribe me xanax and it got worse. What I found out my husband was giving me a lot of stress so I got rid of him and everything just stop.Do you have something in your life giving you stress??Here is some information on that. The panic attack is a period of intense fear or psychological distress, typically of abrupt onset and lasting no more than thirty minutes. Symptoms may include trembling, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, sweating, nausea, dizziness, hyperventilation, paresthesias (tingling sensations), and sensations of choking or smothering. Repeated and apparently unprovoked panic attacks may be a sign of panic disorder, but panic attacks are associated with other anxiety disorders as well. For example, people who suffer from phobias may experience panic attacks upon exposure to certain triggers.
Panic disorder is real and potentially disabling, but it can be controlled. Because of the disturbing symptoms that accompany panic disorder, it may be mistaken for heart disease or some other life-threatening medical illness. This misconception often aggravates or triggers future attacks. People frequently go to hospital emergency rooms when they are having a panic attack, and extensive medical tests may be performed to rule out these other conditions, thus creating further anxiety.

Treatment for panic disorder includes medications and a type of psychotherapy known as cognitive-behavioral therapy, which teaches people about the nature of panic attacks, the cycles of negative thoughts, and demonstrates ways to interrupt the panic process.

Medications can be used to break the psychological connection between a specific phobia and panic attacks. Medications can include antidepressants (SSRI’s, MAOI’s, etc.) taken every day, or anti-anxiety drugs (benzodiazepines, e.g. — Valium, Ativan, Xanax, etc.) during or in anticipation of panic attacks. Exposure to the phobia trigger multiple times without a resulting panic attack (due to medication) can often break the phobia-panic pattern, allowing people to function around their phobia without the help of medications. However, minor phobias that develop as a result of the panic attack can often be eliminated without medication through monitored cognitive-behavioral therapy or simply by exposure. The decision to participate in this therapy personally or through a registered practitioner should always be made in conjunction with a medical professional.

Often, a combination of psychotherapy and medications produces good results. Some improvement may be noticed in a fairly short period of time–about 6 to 8 weeks. Thus appropriate treatment by an experienced professional can prevent panic attacks or at least substantially reduce their severity and frequency–bringing significant relief to 70 to 90 percent of people with panic disorder. [2] Relapses may occur, but they can often be effectively treated just like the initial episode.

In addition, people with panic disorder may need treatment for other emotional problems. Clinical depression has often been associated with panic disorder, as have alcoholism and drug addiction. About 30% of people with panic disorder use alcohol and 17% use drugs such as cocaine or marijuana to alleviate the anguish and distress caused by their condition. Research has also suggested that suicide attempts are more frequent in people with panic disorder, although this research remains controversial.

As with many disorders, having a support structure of family and friends who understand the condition can help increase the rate of recovery. During an attack, it is not uncommon for the sufferer to develop irrational, immediate fear, which can often be dispelled by a supporter who is familiar with the condition. For more serious or active treatment, there are support groups for anxiety sufferers which can help people understand and deal with the disorder.

Other forms of treatment include journalling, in which a patient records their day-to-day activities and emotions in a log to find and deal with their personal stresses, and breathing exercises, such as diaphragmatic breathing. In some cases, a therapist may use a procedure called interoceptive exposure, in which the symptoms of a panic attack (such as hyperventilation) are induced in order to promote coping skills and show the patient that no harm can come from a panic attack. Stress-relieving activities such as tai-chi, yoga, and physical exercise can also help ameliorate the causes of panic disorder. Many physicians will recommend stress-management, time-management, and emotion-balancing classes and seminars to help patients avoid anxiety in the future.

All this is way back what in your thought, depressed, worrys, excitement, hyper.
Avoid coffee, take more fruits or herbal to to calm your system.
Lastly watch alot of commedy movies, it helps alot……..Dnt panic Saddam is still in jail.oosh.Bil Landin is still out……….

Panic Disorder is a disorder in which your parasympathetic nervous system overreacts to no stimulation. In other words if you were in danger your heart would beat faster, you’d breathe quicker, you’d get dizzy, you’d want to run, you’d feel tingling in your arms and legs as the blood rushed into them for you to run, but with panic disorder there is no perceived danger and as such the body creates a panic attack. Panic disorder is usually biological but can be created by periods of prolonged stress.

The best way to handle a panic attack is to ride it out and breathe very deeply even though you feel light headed. Benzodiazepines, although highly addictive and are tolerated too quickly are the best solution for panic disorder. There are short and long acting drugs in this class for instance Ativan is a shorter acting drug that may help you for a couple of hours whereas clonazepam stays in your system and prevents the panic attacks from happening. In my opinion the latter is better in treating panic disorder. Also drugs called SSRI’s are used to treat panic disorder by influencing your brain chemistry, such drugs that are indicated for panic disorder are to name a few Prozac, Remeron, Effexor, Paxil and all come with side effects. For instance Remeron will make you want to sleep all the time whereas Prozac will give you a boost in energy.

As for agoraphobia it is simply the fear of being away from your comfort zone. For instance say your apartment is your safe place where panic attacks rarely happen, then leaving your apartment becomes scary because panic attacks happen in other places you go. Agoraphobia is treatable with exposure therapy, where you go out and go a little further each time. But progress is usually slow and takes time. Drugs such as Prozac can aid in dealing with agoraphobia although without exposure therapy they are of little value.

If you have any questions about these disorders email me at rkingssw@yahoo.ca I am in training to be a Social Service Worker and I suffer from both conditions as well.

look up health on yahoo front page at the bottom and you can look it up.

yes yes and yes! honey i have been dealing with these for 2 yrs…….i have a panic attack soo bad that i will feel like my throat is closing up and i will breathe fast and feel like i am gng to pass out and like i am having a heart attack. i take effexor and lithium and xanax and if i didnt have the xanax i wld be in the hospital every night like i used to. i wnt leave the house unless it is a place that is close to home. i wont go anywhere if a hospital is not nearby…it sux becuse poeple dnt understand and i get made fun of because f it. i cant drive, work r even be alone now…if u wld like to tlk genler100@yahoo.com…i know what ur gng through believe me ur not alone…….

check out this site…….
http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk
It’s got great info and there are a bunch of supportive people on there just like you

Try biofeedback too- and an all natural diet- acupuncture.
Some resources and tips below.
http://test-anxiety.blogspot.com/2006/05/resources-for-test-anxiety.html
A self help movie i put out will also really help -
Guide to GSR Biofeedback Techniques for the Natural ADHD practitioner. – Also good for panic attacks and any anxiety.