Before you understand how panic attacks are treated, you should understand what kind of disorder it is, the reasons for its development, who is susceptible to it, and what the symptoms are.
The human body responds to stress by releasing the hormone adrenaline. It triggers a mechanism that prepares the body to confront a dangerous situation or escape: the heart begins to beat faster, breathing quickens. This leads to increased ventilation of the lungs and, as a result, the level of carbon monoxide in the blood decreases, causing dizziness, tingling in the fingers, numbness of the arms and legs.
Nature initially instilled in people just such an algorithm for responding to danger, so this is quite normal and characteristic of all representatives of homo sapiens. However, if such a mode “turns on” for no reason, then this will already be a manifestation of a panic attack, which is a mental disorder - one of the subtypes of anxiety conditions.
Description of the drug
Novo-Passit is a combined medication, the mechanism of action of which is provided by the substances included in the composition. All components are extracts based on healing plant materials with a calming effect. It is also characterized by anti-anxiety effects.
The drug has a complex effect on pathological neuropsychic processes, fights excitability, anxiety, and irritability. The product has proven itself to be effective in restoring normal sleep. It is also actively used for the purpose of carrying out preventive measures to prevent various diseases.
Release form and composition
Novo-Passit is produced in the form of film-coated tablets and in the form of a solution for oral use. The medicine contains only natural ingredients. Contains:
- muscle relaxant and anxiolytic – active ingredients;
- St. John's wort, characterized by antidepressant effects;
- valerian is characterized by a calming, mild hypnotic effect;
- black elderberry flowers;
- medicinal lemon balm;
- hawthorn flowers and leaves;
- passionflower incarnate.
The effect of the drug is due to the properties of each component. There are 30, 60 or 100 tablets in a jar, or 10 tablets per lozenge.
Who to turn to for help and how to diagnose
Poor awareness among people about panic disorder leads to the fact that some consider it completely frivolous, while others consider it a dangerous incurable mental illness. Therefore, they believe, you should not go to doctors: in the first case there is no need, and in the second the main role is played by the fear of being branded as mentally ill. Both opinions are completely unfair: it is both very serious and completely controllable and treatable. A competent approach will allow you to successfully and fairly quickly get rid of the problem.
First of all, you need to understand that you need to contact only experienced, highly qualified specialists - a psychiatrist, who will develop treatment tactics based on the causes of a panic attack, because they are the ones that need to be eliminated. The doctor will determine why the patient’s nervous system could not withstand the load and malfunctioned in the form of panic manifestations.
The doctor must carefully examine the patient to establish an accurate diagnosis and study the symptoms. The selection of therapy is made based on the characteristics of the patient’s body on an individual basis. The work of a professional consists not only of recommendations and prescribing certain medications, but also of carefully monitoring the progress of treatment and, if necessary, its correction.
As for the psychologist, such a specialist is useless in this case - he is not able to identify the causes of the pathological disorder and prescribe medication and psychotherapeutic treatment, which, in case of getting rid of this problem, are necessary. The picture is the same with sorcerers, psychics and “wise” advisers from the Internet - they will only bring harm to the patient, which is then quite difficult to correct, aggravating his not the best condition.
The psychiatrist, first of all, will seek advice from a cardiologist, therapist, endocrinologist, neurologist, or psychotherapist. This is necessary to exclude the presence of somatic and serious mental illnesses.
It should immediately be noted that a therapist in ordinary clinics does not have the opportunity to carefully and competently examine the patient. In addition, long queues and the nervous atmosphere in them often serve as an impetus for another panic attack, and the person generally loses all desire to be treated.
In specialized paid clinics, such a picture is not observed: any person who comes here receives great attention. In addition, it is usually comfortable; highly qualified doctors work here, “armed” with advanced techniques and equipment for accurate diagnosis and successful treatment. The latter implies the use of pharmacology, psychotherapy, physiotherapy in combination, as well as changing the usual lifestyle.
The attitude of the patient himself to the treatment of panic attacks is also important - he must understand his problem, that this, in essence, is not a disease at all, but a sign of a disorder of higher nervous activity. For a successful result, you need the desire and good will of the patient, compliance with all the doctor’s recommendations.
Indications for use
Novo-Passit is indicated for mild forms of neurasthenia, which is accompanied by the following symptoms:
- fatigue;
- impotence;
- fears;
- absent-mindedness;
- memory impairment;
- exhaustion;
- increased anxiety.
The product is also used for milder forms of sleep problems, increased neuromuscular excitability, migraine attacks, vegetative-vascular dystonia, menopausal syndrome, functional diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, dermatoses accompanied by itching.
Contraindications and special instructions
Novo-Passit is contraindicated for:
- myasthenia gravis;
- hypersensitivity to the components in the composition;
- epilepsy;
- pregnancy;
- lactation.
The presence of these conditions is an absolute prohibition on taking the drug. The drug is prescribed with special caution to children under 12 years of age, as well as to people suffering from disorders of the gastrointestinal tract.
During therapy, you should refrain from driving and using machinery, as taking the medication reduces attention and slows down mental and motor reactions. This can cause trauma to the patient.
Do not drink alcohol during use. Patients with fair skin should avoid exposure to ultraviolet rays. If all symptoms of the disease persist for a week, it is important to consult a doctor.
Why panic attacks need to be treated
The syndrome may not appear too often: the interval between attacks can be quite significant, but sooner or later, the panic will return anyway, that is, nothing will go away on its own.
The consequences of this are:
- Since a panic attack can take you by surprise at any time, in any place, in public, the person suffering from the disorder begins to avoid loved ones, friends, does not go anywhere, and withdraws into himself.
- Various phobias develop - fear of open space, darkness, phenomena, i.e. anything.
- Psycho-emotional disorder leads to personality disorder.
- Self-doubt develops, which affects personality, appearance, family relationships, and professional activities.
- Sleep is disturbed, appetite is lost, and the body becomes dehydrated. As a result, the body suffers.
- Refusal to share problems causes problems in the nervous system.
It is imperative to get rid of this problem, since, judging by the above, it brings problems in social adaptation, worsens the quality of life, interferes with normal work, and negatively affects the physical and mental state.
Side effects
Taking Novo-Passit may provoke some unwanted reactions. The main ones include:
- drowsiness;
- general malaise;
- tight circles under the eyes;
- headache;
- nausea and vomiting;
- muscle weakness;
- constant feeling of fatigue;
- allergic rashes;
- cramps and heartburn;
- problems with stool.
If side effects occur, you should stop taking the drug. You will need to contact your doctor, who will select an analogue.
Limitations, unwanted effects, overdose
The medicine has its limitations for use. Novo-Passit should not be used by patients with allergies to its components, especially to guaifenesin. The drug should not be used in patients with myasthenia gravis. Contraindications include the following diseases:
- deficiency of sucrase or isomaltase;
- fructose intolerance;
- malabsorption syndrome.
The sedative is not indicated for patients under 12 years of age.
Undesirable manifestations of a sedative occur rarely. Allergic reactions are possible, since the medicine contains a complex of medicinal herbs. While taking a sedative, exanthema, dizziness, a feeling of fatigue, muscle weakness, and drowsiness may appear. Patients may experience decreased concentration.
Gastrointestinal disorders may occur during the course of therapy. Some patients noted stool retention, nausea, vomiting, heartburn, and loose stool.
When the sedative is discontinued, all side effects disappear. If undesirable effects intensify or do not disappear after finishing treatment, you should tell your doctor.
Overdose manifests itself:
- depression;
- drowsiness;
- nausea;
- joint pain;
- weakness.
If symptoms occur, you should stop taking the medication. To relieve symptoms of overdose, gastric lavage and symptomatic therapy are performed.
Instructions for use and dosage
Adult patients and children over 12 years of age take 1 tablet or 5 ml of suspension three times a day before meals. It is advisable to take every 4-5 hours. It is possible to increase the dosage to 2 tablets, but only after consulting a doctor. For constant fatigue, powerlessness, depression, use half the dosage.
It is advisable to use Novo-Passit in elderly patients with mental disorders. Start treatment with the minimum dosage. The drug is not used during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Prescription is possible only after agreement with the doctor. During lactation, stop breastfeeding for a while.
Interesting fact
Novo-Passit 60 tablets
In psychiatric practice, anxiety states and obsessions are often encountered. The mechanism for the development of anxiety is based on a violation of the metabolism of serotonin, norepinephrine and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Most often, herbal medications, tranquilizers, barbiturates, antidepressants, and some antipsychotics are used to treat anxiety disorders. The mechanism of their work does not affect the metabolic processes of GABA, norepinephrine and serotonin.
Psychiatrists and psychologists recommend using Novo-Passit, as it contains not only a complex of medicinal herbs, but also guaifenesin. This component normalizes the exchange of norepinephrine, serotonin, GABA, has a muscle relaxant effect, including on the vessels of the head, thereby relieving anxiety. Guaifenesin helps improve concentration and memory, eliminate sleep disorders and absent-mindedness.
Due to the presence of guaifenesin in the medicine, it is possible to effectively stop attacks of autonomic dysfunction. The drug effectively eliminates fear, anxiety, restlessness, headaches, palpitations, pain in the heart area, tachycardia and other manifestations of neurocirculatory dystonia in patients.
Customer Reviews
Reviews of Novo-Passit for insomnia are extremely positive.
Igor, 29 years old
“A year ago I lost a friend, after which a terrible depression began. His departure left a significant imprint. I started having health problems, became nervous, tense, and aggressive. I could not sleep at all. I went to see a doctor who recommended Novo-Passit. I took it strictly as prescribed and within a couple of days I felt improvements. The feeling of fear and anxiety has passed. My sleep has improved significantly, I can fall asleep normally, and I don’t wake up at night.”
Alina, 35 years old
“Recently I have become very ill, and the constant lack of sleep has provoked irritability and nervousness. Without even wanting to, I offend people. I drank Novo-Passit and am pleased with the result. The drug has a very mild effect, so it does not cause harm. I feel calmer and sleep well.”
Signs of a panic attack
Many people, unfortunately, do not understand that they were “visited” by a panic attack, believing that their heart suddenly “grabbed”. Indeed, the symptoms of a panic attack are similar to a vegetative crisis: rapid heartbeat, pulsation in the temporal regions, lack of air - difficulty breathing, pain in the chest and abdomen. However, medications taken “for the heart” do not improve the condition in any way.
Also, at these moments, a person begins to either sweat or feel chills, his limbs tremble, the skin becomes numb or tingles, there may be dizziness and nausea, and an upset stomach. Everything seems unreal to him, blurry, that this is not happening to him (derealization and depersonalization), he goes crazy or dies. The patient experiences incredible fear, but there are also individuals who, instead, feel sadness; they always want to cry or be aggressive.
We can talk about the presence of a mental disorder such as panic attack syndrome if attacks occur several times a day or a couple of times a month, and last several minutes or up to an hour (the average is from 15 to 30 minutes).
The attack appears unexpectedly, without any pretext, and not in some frightening or alarming situation: in a store, on the street, in a cinema, while driving a car, at home - on the sofa, and even in a dream. A person at this moment can either be among people or be alone.
It can hardly be said that all of the above is dangerous to health, but panic attacks can lead to the development of neuroses, depression, and phobias. A patient, having experienced an unexpected attack, even a very short one, several times, tries to do everything to avoid a recurrence. He becomes suspicious, loses confidence, constantly “listens” to himself, gets nervous and tries to avoid places and situations where and in what case this happened. That is, now he is afraid of just such an attack and lives in constant anxiety and phobic avoidance.
The mechanism of the onset of panic disorder is very simple to explain using an example. A completely prosperous person, usually a strong personality, living a normal life, received a very strong emotion (anger, fear, etc.) in a certain traumatic situation. The brain absorbs this experience and stores it in the unconscious. That is, the individual himself seems to have forgotten everything, but this is far from the case: the negative is securely stored in a distant corner of the memory and, over time, added to it are memories of the troubles that inevitably accompany our life, no matter how wonderful and calm it may be .
One fine day, some significant event happens, very joyful or sad (the birth of a child, the death of a parent), and it, by coincidence, becomes the last straw that overflows the vessel with memories. Then it “explodes” and the person has a panic attack.
This sudden attack worries and worries a person, even if it passed very quickly. Such a lack of understanding of what happened, anxiety, tension and excess emotions about this can provoke another attack, and then they will happen again and again. The patient is frightened by his physical and mental state at these moments, he tries not to visit those places where he was overtaken by an attack - phobias appear. As a result, panic disorder develops, and if this problem is left to chance, the consequences can be very sad.
