Hi everyone. My daughter has a form of agoraphobia which triggers anxiety attacks on different levels. We've learned a lot about her anxiety and are trying to identify triggers to no avail. They seem to come out of nowhere and for no apparent reason. My sister also has panic attacks and they are very similar reactions. I never have these, but am very open to her needs and trying hard to understand and be there for her.

Yesterday, she woke up for school and could not breathe...which happens a lot. She is on a varsity girls hockey team and usually if the attacks happen at hockey practice, I force her to put on her skates and exercise and it almost always helps to get the adrenaline and endorphines going, but when she's short of breath, I just bring her home because she's dizzy and who can exercise with no air?

Anyhow, yesterday, she woke up yesterday with the heavy breathing, so I let her stay home from school. By dinnertime, she was in the recliner reading a book and breathing so hard I could hear her all the way across the room! Then she started tingling in her hands and face, her palms were sweaty, hot flashes and red blotches all over her face and (scariest of all) her mouth was forcing itself into an O shape! So, we went to emergency where they told me she was hyperventallating, which they said is common with anxiety and they gave her Xanax. In 20 minutes, she was relaxed, breathing normally and back to her sweet self. So, the doctor gave her a prescription for 6 more pills (25 mg...or .25 mg?) and I'm thinking of having them on hand for her on an as-needed basis, but of course, I'm always nervous giving my daughter an anti-depression/anxiety medication.

What can I expect from Xanax? Any bad stories or success stories or warnings would be greatly appreciated. I just want my little one to be happy. The Xanax seemed to really relax her so her breathing woudl be normal and I loved how fast it calmed her down...not in a dopey way, but just took the edge off.

I have fairly severe panic attacks with poorly predictable triggers (I am afraid of, among other things, allergic reactions after I nearly died from taking penicillin, so I freak out whenever I try something new. Which is often). I also have some good predictable ones (flying). And when things go awry in my life (I'm currently in some personal turmoil), I launch into panic at almost nothing and become incapable of sleeping. It really isn't good, but it's what I have to work with.

For me, particularly given the fact that long-term anxiety/depression meds do not work for me and make my issues worse, having a prescription on hand can be a lifesaver. Often it's enough to talk me out of a panic to know that I could take it, if I needed to. I probably end up -actually- taking one every 1-2 weeks, after trying all of my other "calm down" methods (exercise, meditation, etc)

You know manda I am actually afraid of Allergic reactions also because I am allergic to benadryl (Of all things) And several other medicines...Maybe this is part of our problem. YOU SOUND LIKE ME But I do take my xanax but proboly because I wasn't aware of the allergic reactions yet~Plus I am sure I am addicted to it by now after all these years of taking it....(Although I perscribed 3 a day as needed and take 1 when I first get up)

Lori: I home my daughter doesn't have to take these for 8 years. I would hope it would be a means to an end to the panic attacks! Thanks for your replies

Lori259 - you're not addicted. Addiction is poorly understood by many folks, including doctors, and the word is bandied about far too liberally. Addiction really should only be used as a term for abuse of medications, not using medications as directed and prescribed by a responsible physician. You could be physically dependent, but that only means that if you wanted to stop the medication, you would have to do it gradually.

My sister started having anxiety attacks after an accident in which our infant nephew was accidentally burned from her coffee (my sister, sitting across the table had knocked over her coffee and our other sister holding her son in her lap didn't jump up quickly enough to get his leg out of the way of the spilling coffee). The burn was severe enough to need an ER visit, but healed quickly - but my sister couldn't help but feel she was to blame, and she started having anxiety and panic attacks. She went through some short term counseling (6 weeks) and was given an anxiety medication (I don't know which one). She still has a prescription to use as needed, but rarely needs it now, and it's made a HUGE difference in her. She was always incredibly shy, and she's really come out of her shell. She's traveled to Europe (where she'd barely left the house before) and is now active in her church and at work, going to classes and joining clubs. She's almost a completely different woman that she was just 2 years ago. Even if she were having to take the medication daily indefinitely, I think it would have been worth it for quality of life.

Xanax seems to work, but it is also highly, highly addictive. I work in the mental health/substance abuse feild and I see a lot of issues with Xanax. It should be fine as long as you keep a strong control over the amount and use it as a last resort, as-needed basis as you said. But have they tried any other types of medication before that one?

Tech - because of the potential for abuse, if you decide to get a prescription, you might want to consider keeping it in your possession/out of reach. Even if your daughter would never take something in an abusive manner, I had a "friend" steal some vicodin from my parent's medicine cabinet when I was growing up. So that's something to consider.

All drugs, especially those with increased abuse or physical dependency potential have to be given their proper respect, but the distinction still has to be made between abuse potential and actual abuse. No drug should be taken carelessly, and any drug given to children should to be monitored and managed closely by the parents.

I worked in substance abuse treatment and social service much of my career, and I've not seen a single case of "addiction" in which the person was using the drug as prescribed. I was raised, taught and educated to be so very respectful of medications that I would never consider taking a medication in a way other than which my physician prescribed. The risk of addiction is very low for most drugs if properly used, monitored and managed; and generally the risk begins when the drug is used in a way in which it was not intended - when the patient thinks that it's ok to use the drug in a way, or for a purpose to which it wasn't prescribed, whether that means taking it when it isn't needed, or fudging the dosage or the time between doses.

techwife maybe you could look into something like Bach Rescue Remedy. I don't know anything about Xanax, but this is a little more natural. She may need the stronger medicine but it couldn't hurt to look into, especially if you are concerned. Good luck, that would be so terrifying to watch your daughter go through that.
Take care,
K

I've been taking anti-depressants since I was 12. It helps a lot, but the thing is, once parents get their kids that kind of medication, the expect them to not act up, or emotionally at all. Your daughter WILL still get angry, sad, and annoyed - but not as easily or to such an extreme.

I had a very bad experience with a family member abusing xanax - the potential is definitely there, but if taken under a doctor's supervision and as prescribed I saw it work quite well. It does NOT NOT NOT mix well with alcohol (that was where the trouble started) - I know your daughter is only 14, but for future reference. Good luck! I hope you find something that works, xanax or otherwise!

Here's the catch and the reason WHY Xanax is HIGHLY addictive. Yeah IF you use it ONLY as prescribed you will not be addicted BUT... what happens is the person taking the Xanax will have relief from the anxiety attack when they take a pill. Pretty soon they need a pill because they know an attack is coming. And anybody who has ever taken Xanax (I have for anxiety) knows that after a while it takes more and more to get the same effect you had when you first started taking it.

I have never worked in the substance abuse field but I work in the music field and I personally know and have known quite a few people getting their drugs legally (prescribed) and they are definitely addicted to Xanax and Valium.

I knew one woman who was SO addicted to Xanax that she would make up reasons to go to the emergency room to get it and also beg all her friends to find out who has a script so she could have a few.

I made the mistake of telling this person I had 15 Xanax's stashed at home for emergencies (I suffered from anxiety attacks for years) and I gave her a few because I felt sorry for her and she literally bugged me DAY AND NIGHT crying and begging and finally even getting angry at me until I just gave her the rest of them and I told her to go get help and haven't had anything to do with her since.

So yeah you are right on one hand in saying that you won't get addicted if you take them they way you are supposed to but the problem is that many people don't.

You wouldn't BELIEVE how many times I have heard someone who took Xanax say the drug just "takes the edge off" ... I have even said this when I used to take it.

I never had an anxiety attack in my life until I was about 40 years old. I can't to this day for the life of me figure out just what it was that was the reason why I would get them. I had no trigger really to speak of. I would just be sitting there and I would just feel kinda funny inside and I could literally feel adreneline pumping into my system, my blood pressure go sky high, racing heart beat, sweaty palms, dry mouth, shortness of breath and felt like I was going to pass out. ALL the classic symptoms of anxiety attacks and generalized anxiety disorder.

Soon I would be afraid to go far from home because I was afraid I would get an attack.

I went to several doctors and they checked me out upside down and backwards and they could not find anything physically wrong with me. So they gave me Xanax.

I took them and sure enough they would work and calm me down. Took about 20 minutes for the drugs to work. I wouldn't go ANYWHERE without a couple of pills with me just in case.

Soon I found myself I would take one when I wasn't even having an attack. I would take it when I went out because I knew I was going to have one and if I take one now I wouldn't have to experience the attack and then wait 20 minutes for the drugs to kick in.

I did my reasearch on the drug as I do any drug that is prescribed to me and I knew that Xanax could become a problem if I took too many. I didn't like this.

THANK God at the VA Hospital I was refered to a great psychiatrist who REALLY cared about us Vets. She spent a lot of time with me (twice a week an hour at a time) and even worked with me over the phone.

She introduced me to meditation and breathing techniques. She told me that meditation is a skill like anything and you can develop it like any other skill!

I wasn't very good at it at first and it was hard to concentrate for any length of time but soon I became pretty good at it.

THEN ... she hooked me up to a Biofeedback machine to PROVE to me that meditation can drastically affect your blood pressure and heart beat! I KNEW I had control because it could be measured on a machine.

This doctor literally changed my life. Once I got adept at meditation and the breathing techniques I no longer needed Xanax. In fact if I felt an attack coming on I could cause it to subside TWICE as fast as with the drugs, remember it takes 20 minutes or longer for drugs to work.

I haven't had an anxiety attack in a long time and I think the reason why is because I know inside that I can control them, I am not afraid of them anymore.

Now I am not saying that Xanax and other drugs are not needed by some people. Because there are people who are really helped by them I know this.

But I am saying if it was my daughter I would try every avenue BEFORE I turned to meds. Because if you start a 14 year old on Xanax now it might be a part of her life for a VERY long time.

sorry this was so long but I feel so strongly about kids taking drugs and about anxiety attacks because I used to suffer SO bad from them.

Good Luck!