Panic disorder is a potentially disabling disorder.  However, nowadays, it is possible to control and successfully treat this condition.  Due to the intense symptoms that come with panic attacks, it may be mistaken for a life-threatening physical illness such as a heart attack.  This false impression frequently aggravates or triggers future attacks.  There are many people that visit hospital emergency rooms when they are having a panic attack.  They then have extensive medical tests in order to rule out other conditions, which does in fact create further anxiety.

There is little evidence that pharmacological interventions can adjust phobias, and few studies have in fact been performed.  It is possible to use medications in order to treat panic disorders.  Medications can include:

    * Antidepressants (SSRIs, MAOIs, tricyclic antidepressants)

These are taken on a daily basis, and change the neurotransmitter configurations which in turn assist to block the symptoms and anxiety.  Even though these medications are described as "antidepressants", almost all of them, in particular the tricyclic antidepressants have anti-anxiety properties, due to their sedative effects.  SSRIs have been known to make symptoms worse in panic disorder patients, particularly when first beginning the treatment, and have even provoked panic attacks in otherwise healthy individuals.  SSRIs are also known to produce withdrawal symptoms which include rebound anxiety and panic attacks.  Comorbid depression has been mentioned as imparting the worst course, which leads to chronic, disabling illness.

    * Anti-anxiety drugs (benzodiazepines)

Using benzodiazepines for panic disorder is controversial with various opinions in the medical literature.  Some experts recommend benzodiazepines as a long term treatment strategy.  There are then other experts that believe that benzodiazepines should be completely avoided due to risks of the development of tolerance and physical dependence.  The National Institute for Clinical Excellence stated that benzodiazepine class of drugs are not effective in the long term and recommend that they are only used for the short term in order to treat panic disorder.  The World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry state that benzodiazepines should not be used as a first line treatment option, but they are an option for treatment resistant cases of panic disorder.

Even though there has been an increasing focus on the use of antidepressants and other agents for the treatment of panic attacks and anxiety as recommended best practice, benzodiazepines still remain a commonly used medication for panic disorder.

    * Beta Blockers

Beta blockers can be helpful when it comes to controlling physical symptoms of anxiety and panic attack, especially social anxiety, and they are prescribed in order to control rapid heart beat, trembling, shaking, and blushing.

This particular medication does tend to have fewer side effects than other medications, but they can cause light-headiness, drowsiness, short-term memory loss, decrease in heart rate, insomnia, diarrhea, cold extremities, depression and nightmares.  As with all anxiety medication, Beta Blockers are a temporary treatment.

Beta Blockers include:

-                      Propranolol (Inderal) social phobia

-                      Atenolol (Tenormin) social phobia