I had another panic attack this AM and had to go to the ER,i thought my chest would implode and the profuse sweating and breathing heavy,and could not catch my breath....PTSD has a hold on me that i just want to unload on someone,anyone...are there anyone on here who has had them.

I'm on a medication called serax for awhile now it seems to be helping however i'm no longer sure it is and they say ativan helps ....is this true....


Coopstah

Ativan helped me when I was at my worst in the hospital.

M

is it stronger and longer lasting then serax....ativan that is....


Coopstah

I have never taken serax - so I can't say. When I had ativan I was in the hospital with MRSA (serious infection). When they explained what was going on, I went into "over-drive" panic and depression, positive I was going to die. The nurse gave me the ativan and I was better within half an hour. I don't remember how often they gave them to me - but I was on them for like 48 hours.

I have heard that ativan helps but I have not observed the use.
jach1

coopstah,
i'm so sorry you're going through this. when i was experiencing PTSD and was having my panic attacks, i got better when i got away from work...i simply HAD to get out of my office--out of my building. i couldn't breath otherwise. i took xanax, which wasn't nearly as fast acting as it was supposed to be, but it did relax me and help me sleep.

all i can advise you is to try to learn controlled breathing to gain access to some control over yourself in these times. best of luck to you. that feeling in the chest is the absolute worst. i'm so sorry.

russ

I have taken ativan and it should deffinately help you with your panic attacks. It is one of the fastest acting medications in it's class, Benzodiazapines. I have not heard of serax before so I don't know anything about it, but I would definetly give ativan a try.

I wish it was that simple because my fuckin doctor who by the way already has me on serax( benzo ) yet refuses to put me on ativan due to "it's proven and succeptable to relapse" ....this guy is fuckin clueless and i am in the process of looking for a new doc because i've had all i can stand with him.

He essentially told me(although not in so many words)today he's worried about his license due to the fact if something happened to me he'd be put in front of a jury of his peers to decide wether or not he was giving proper treatment(he actually said this to me) therefore i'm second fiddle to him even though i'm his patient....BULLSHIT

He's not the one who has to deal with the feelings i told him and the panic attacks bring on and therefore could care less.

Who knows but i can tell you this i WILL NOT LET THIS GO afterall i deserve the "treatment any other person gets" for him to convince me otherwise to make him look good is fuckin so wrong.


Tomorrow AM i now have to contact the patient advocate and ask them to help me transfer doctors who are willing to deal with and treat the symptoms i go through when i'm consumed with anxiety.

Coop

PS he took on the wrong guy if he thinks for a second i am letting this go.I deserve better care then what i'm already getting....he has known me since 2000 and thinks i could have the ptoential to relapse.This guy is a clown with no backbone.
So much for patient rights to quality care.

Many years ago I tryed self medacating , by useing any drug that I could get my hands on. Hell I was just a drug addic .
I had an experence while eating Ativan . I had taken 10 of them. Yes I know that it was stupid . but any way I rear ended a
semitruck that was stoped.
The first thing that came to mind was that I wondered if the truck driver was OK . I totaled the car that I was driveing . So my experence has ben that ativan makes you just not give a shit . I have ben clean sense Aug of 1991

Well eating 10 ativan is not quite the same as taking one when a panic attack sets in. I used to be a drug addict too and like you I used to take anything I could get my hands on. I can understand why thecoopstah's doctor is hesitant about prescribing ativan. Like all fast acting benzos like valium, xanax, and ativan are all highly addictive, even if used as prescribed. Many Doctors are very worried about prescribing these medications, and some simply won't. The problem with these medications is even if they are used as prescribed one can become physical and/or menatally addicted to them and then need there dose upped again and again. Here lies the problem.