kas 1,
Not totally accurate. Prozac is an effective anti-panic drug, as much so as any other ssri, including paxil and zoloft. It has a more energizing effect and at times can exacerbate anxiety, more so at first, meaning it usually just needs to be started more slowly with gradual titration. The choice for medicine to be used depends on many factors, too numerous to go into here, but they all likely equally serve panic well in this family of meds. The muscle relaxant sedatives and new sedative you mentioned are all in the same family, called benzodiazepines, and all are typically good for panic disorder for short-term treatment primarily, given the fact that they are addictive. However, since antidepressants often take 4-6 weeks for full efficacy, using a benzodiazepine for the first few weeks is often very useful, but after usually is more for an occasional breakthrough symptom than regularly the majority of the time. Also, I wouldn't bet a lot on zyprexa as an anti-panic drug...it helps with anxiety to a degree, but it has many other purposes, and still is categorized as an antipsychotic. More more likely to serve a purpose for bipolar disorder than true panic disorder. Pity that it tends to cause a lot of weight gain, as people on depakote or lithium already don't usually need this.
Regards, and sorry for those who would rather not discuss the psych. meds this in depth on this thread, but given Lilly's focus in this area, it is worth being somewhat aware for those investing here.
Marshall |
