Psychiatrist Houston – Anxiety/Panic Disorder

admin — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 22:37:07 +0000

I am a psychiatrist in Houston, Texas concentrating on the treatment of adults, including adults with Panic or Anxiety Attacks. One of the most helpful classes of medications for anxiety is the SSRI medications (Celexa, Lexapro, Paxil, Prozac, Zoloft). Once a patient has been on a therapeutic dose of an SSRI medication for a 30 days, many will experience a decrease in their overall level of anxiety along with a reduction in frequency and strength of anxiety attacks. However, for some people with Panic Disorder starting a new medicine can be difficult. People with Panic Attacks can become so hypersensitive to their body’s own sensations, that normal sensations such as an increase in heart rate with physical exercise can trigger panic or anxiety attack. For these people, taking a new medicine which may possibly have unwanted side effects can feel very scary; sometimes to the extent that taking the 1st dosage can bring about a panic attack. There are a couple of techniques that can help with this. One possibility is to have the patient take the first dose of their SSRI medication along with a dosage of a mild sedative medication like Ativan or Klonopin. The Ativan or Klonopin reduces the sensations of anxiety and prevent a panic attack. Another probability is to start the medicine at an very low dose and titrate up as the individual feels comfortable. Some SSRI’s such as Lexapro actually are available in a liquid formula so that the dose can be increased as slowly as one drop at a time to the target dose. Often during the 1st month of medication therapy, a patient might have to rely on using Ativan or Klonopin to treat panic attacks as they occur but as they stabilize on their SSRI medicine, they will have fewer occurrences where they need to take Ativan or Klonopin for panic attacks. The goal is that the SSRI medicine will reduce or get rid of panic attacks and decrease the severity of any panic attacks that do occur, and also lower anticipatory anxiety about having panic attacks and help the person feel more at ease to be in scenarios or locations they formerly refrained from due to worries or having panic attacks.

Call (281) 241-9470 to schedule a scheduled visit.

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Psychiatrist in Houston » Houston Psychiatrist Panic Disorder

Psychiatrist Houston – Anxiety/Panic Disorder