Hello.
Thank you for using DoctorSpring.com for posting your query.
I have gone through your question in detail and I can understand what you are going through.
Before I can proceed with my opinion, I have a few queries.
1. How long do these panic attacks last? Do they resolve spontaneously?
2. What dose of cannabis have you been taking? Are you still on it or off it?
3. Do you take caffeine? If yes how much?
4. Any family history of psychiatric illness?
Hope to hear from you at the earliest.
Kind regards,
Dr. Srikanth Reddy MD.
Patient replied :
The symptoms often last all day and usually go away once I become distracted with work or at home. They seem to get worse specifically when I have nothing to do and my mind is allowed to wander. My dosage is hard to explain but it's around 1gram a day depending on the severity of my depression. I haven't had any for around 5 days because the symptoms can get worse. I hate caffeine personally and only have it occasionally. I do have a rather large history of mental illness in my family. Depression is big on my moms side and social anxiety is very big on my dad's side.
Hello.
Thanks for all the additional details.
The symptoms that you have are basically panic attacks. However, it would be wise to get an EKG and Echocardiography done. If these reports are normal (mostly they will be) then you will be reassured and there will be nothing much to worry. This is a disorder of anxiety and occurs because of imbalance of certain neurotransmitters in the brain, especially serotonin, noradrenaline, and dopamine to some extent. Cannabis is not considered a good option for this illness. Medicines are the best options to take care of these symptoms. Paroxetine is the the most popular medicine and my drug of choice. I generally prescribe my patients 12.5 mg per day at night which takes care of their anxiety symptoms. Also certain medicines like propranolol and clonazepam can be given as required when there is a panic episode or a situation where a panic attack can occur.
Also there is an option of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). This therapy is provided either by a psychologist or a psychiatrist, in which the therapist identifies impaired cognitions (thoughts) and tries to correct them. They are 15-20 min weekly sessions and there should be around 8-10 sessions to help you with your illness.
Hope this was helpful.
If you have any further query, do let me know.