Prozac/Klonopin: A lifetime commitment?
Question:
Hi all: New to the group. Lots of good stuff here. And good people! I’m 32, and have had PD since I was a teen.Just had it diagnosed 2 years ago when the attacks were so bad, that I couldn’t leave home. Went straight to a psychiatrist since I thought I was going nuts. Well, at least I survived. The doc gave me Prozac and Klonopin, telling me that the Prozac was for controlling the PAs and the Klonopin for the anxiety associated with them. After a few weeks, I returned to work. and have improved steadily ever since then, with only the occasional PA, and those were never that bad. I currently take 20mg of Prozac every other day, and a 1/4 to 1/2 mg Klonopin only when I need it (pretty rare). Here’s my question: has anyone here been able to leave Prozac (or Paxil, or etc.) completely and been able to cope well just dealing with the PAs on a psychological level without medication? As I understand it, the reason for panic attacks is the body’s poor control over the release of serotonin in the bloodstream, and Prozac (et al) helps regulate this. If this is truly a biological malfunction, can psychology really help alleviate the symptons? (Yes, I know one still has to deal with the psychological trauma that PD causes.) Good to know there are other people that have this disorder. It is REAL, I hate it, but I’m dealing with it. Medication has been a huge help. Hoping someone can help, Jim
Response:
Hi all: New to the group. Lots of good stuff here. And good people!
Hi Jim: Welcome to asap. :) – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -I’m 32, and have had PD since I was a teen.Just had it diagnosed 2 years ago when the attacks were so bad, that I couldn’t leave home. Went straight to a psychiatrist since I thought I was going nuts. Well, at least I survived. The doc gave me Prozac and Klonopin, telling me that the Prozac was for controlling the PAs and the Klonopin for the anxiety associated with them. After a few weeks, I returned to work. and have improved steadily ever since then, with only the occasional PA, and those were never that bad. I currently take 20mg of Prozac every other day, and a 1/4 to 1/2 mg Klonopin only when I need it (pretty rare). Here’s my question: has anyone here been able to leave Prozac (or Paxil, or etc.) completely and been able to cope well just dealing with the PAs on a psychological level without medication? As I understand it, the reason for panic attacks is the body’s poor control over the release of serotonin in the bloodstream, and Prozac (et al) helps regulate this. If this is truly a biological malfunction, can psychology really help alleviate the symptons? (Yes, I know one still has to deal with the psychological trauma that PD causes.)
I was on Prozac for about 4 years, with Xanax on hand to take as needed – which wasn’t very often after a while. I quit taking Prozac last fall. To date I’ve been PA free since last summer – some anxiety sometimes. Depression can still be a problem for me at times. I have my own theories, don’t we all! <g, about PD. In a nutshell, I think a person has a biological propensity to develop PD when certain trigger situations are encountered. Probably those trigger situations vary for each of us. Once the PD symptoms start, we are helpless victims of the chemical/biological symptoms. Medications, over time, gradually reduce the production of whatever chemical triggers are involved. They also allow us to gently and carefully resume the activities that we had become phobic about. As far as psychological approaches go, I had very bad experiences with therapy – so I am not the person to be discussing them. However, my PD started over twenty years ago, so I was getting the therapy approaches that were thought of as appropriate in the seventies. I think and hope, that these practises have changed a lot since then….though some of what I read and hear about therapy makes me wonder if they’ve changed that much! So….in my case anyway, yes you can quit meds when you are totally PA free. Whether this is a permanent cessation of meds for me remains to be seen. For all I know, I could be back to square one tomorrow! Not being pessimistic, just cautious! :) Hope that helps. Keep posting. Mally :) Good to know there are other people that have this disorder. It is REAL, I hate it, but I’m dealing with it. Medication has been a huge help. Hoping someone can help, Jim
