For some people, the anxiety episodes they experience are so severe that breathing exercises hardly ease their suffering. They turn to medication instead to control their panic attack disorder. There are different kinds of drugs that can help control and suppress anxiety attacks, however these drugs must be used under the guidance of a physician because the misuse of these medication may prove hazardous to a person’s health.
The most commonly used type of medication to alleviate panic attacks the benzodiazepines which has sedative effects that can be used as muscle relaxant and anti-convulsion, among other hypnotic benefits. There are several drugs that fall under benzodiazepines such as Alprazolam, Clonazepam, Diazepam and Lorazepam. These medicines are very effective and the effects can be felt by a person shortly after ingestion. However, there are also negative side effects when these drugs are used incorrectly.
Alprazolam – Goes by the trade names Niravam, Reclam and Xanax. This drug can also be used to treat clinical depression aside from anxiety and panic attack disorder. Alprazolam should only be used for short-term treatment, which usually lasts for a two to four weeks. This is because the human body develops a tolerance for the drug extremely quick so the risk for overdose is quite high. Harmful side effects for this drug include decrease of inhibition, hallucination, aggression and suicidal thoughts.
Clonazepam – The risk of using this drug for a prolonged period of time includes muscle fatigue and weakness, dependence and tolerance. There have also been reported cases of withdrawal symptoms for patients that have discontinued the use of Clonazepam. The effect of withdrawal symptoms include aggression, hallucinations, irritability and even Status epilepticus, which is a life-threatening condition.
Diazepam – More commonly known as Valium. This drug is highly addictive and produces a sense of euphoria. Withdrawal symptom is also a risk when a patient abruptly stops taking this medication
Lorazepam – The withdrawal symptom for this type of drug develops even if the patient has only been taking Lorazepam for one week. The symptoms include dizziness, sweating, irritability, delirium, seizures, short-term memory loss, hypersensitivity to light and numbness of the extremities among others.