Suggest Remedies For Anxiety And Panic Attack

Posted on Fri, 3 Nov 2017

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Fri, 3 Nov 2017 Answered on

Wed, 27 Dec 2017 Last reviewed on

Question : Lately when I go to sleep I am awakened in a state of panic. I wake up gasping for breath and extremely startled. This usually happens to me a couple of times every night for the last week. Then I stay awake for several hours until I fall asleep again. Then I am able to sleep in a normal fashion and get a restful sleep. I was wondering if you have any suggestions to handle this situation?

Answered by Dr. Ivo Ditah (6 hours later)

Brief Answer:
This is a panic attack!

Detailed Answer:
Hi and thanks so much for this query.

I am so sorry to hear about these symptoms that you have reported. This is typical of a panic attack. This often happens in association with anxiety episodes. Panic attacks and anxiety disorders are often worsened by stressful life situations. They may be related to work, personal life, family, financial, etc. I will suggest that you review your prevailing conditions fully and address any outstanding excessive demands that might be making conditions worse for you.

In the interim, clonazepam in addition to behavioral and lifestyle adjustments would be helpful. Because clonazepam isn't available over the counter, I strongly recommend that you talk to your doctor for a script.

I hope this helps. I wish you well. Feel free to follow up with me if need be. Above all, keep me updated with your progress.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar