First, relax your shoulders and become conscious of any tension that you may be feeling in your muscles.

Then, with gentle reassurance, progressively tense and relax all the large muscle groups. Tighten your left leg with a deep breath in, for example, hold it, then release the leg muscles and the breath. Move on to the other leg. Move up the body, one muscle group at a time.

Slow down your breathing. This may best be done blowing out every breath through pursed lips as if blowing out a candle. Also, place your hands on your stomach to feel the rapidity of your breathing. This may allow you to further control your symptoms.

Tell yourself (or someone else if you are trying this technique with someone) that you are not “going crazy.” If you are concerned about not being able to breathe, remember that if you are able to talk, you are able to breathe.

If medications are prescribed, several options are available. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as sertraline (Zoloft), fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil), and fluvoxamine (Luvox) are often the first choice. Clinical trials have shown SSRIs reduce the frequency of panic attack up to 75-85%. SSRIs must be taken 3-6 weeks before they are effective in reducing panic attacks and are taken once daily.

Other choices of drug treatment include benzodiazepines such as alprazolam (Xanax), clonazepam (Klonopin), lorazepam (Ativan), or diazepam (Valium). They effectively decrease panic attacks by up to 70-75% almost immediately; however, they must be up to 4 times per day. Additional drawbacks include sedation, memory loss, and after several weeks, tolerance to their effects and withdrawal symptoms may occur.

Tricyclic antidepressants such as imipramine (Tofranil) and MAO inhibitors such as phenelzine (Nardil) have also been used, but many individuals experience side effects that are difficult to tolerate.

About 5% of the population will experience panic attacks during their lifetimes. People who have repeated attacks require further evaluation from a mental health professional. Panic attacks can indicate the presence of panic disorder, depression, or other forms of anxiety-based illnesses.

For more information about panic attacks, click on this link

My doctor also suggested going to a therapist to see if I can root out a possible cause. This seemed like a much better option since I’m 28 and in fairly good health. I don’t want to keep taking SJW or Lexapro or some other “head pill” for the rest of my life.

I hope this helps. It’s not much of a solution, but it’s my experience with this so far. Namaste.