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Panic Disorder pp 289–301Cite as

Pharmacological Treatment of Panic Disorder with Non-Selective Drugs

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Abstract

Until now, little information exists about pharmacological strategies to follow in the treatment of panic disorder (PD) patients with unsatisfactory response to first line medications. Furthermore, there is no consensus about the definition of concept and management of treatment-resistant PD. The physiopathology of panic disorder is related to serotoninergic, noradrenergic and GABAergic systems. Based on this knowledge, antidepressants, anxiolytics, atypical antipsychotics and anticonvulsants have been studied in PD treatment. Besides selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors, tricyclics, benzodiazepines and venlafaxine, there is limited scientific evidence on the effectiveness of other medications. More studies are needed for a better elucidation of the effectiveness and tolerability of medications in PD, especially atypical antipsychotics, anticonvulsants and other new drugs. For the moment, it is important to use existing scientific evidences regarding effectiveness, tolerability and safety, combined with clinical experience, to plan a rational treatment sequence for PD patients.

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  1. Laboratory of Panic and Respiration, Institute of Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Patricia Cirillo & Rafael Christophe R. Freire

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  1. Patricia Cirillo
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  2. Rafael Christophe R. Freire
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Correspondence to Rafael Christophe R. Freire .

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  1. Laboratory of Panic and Respiration, Institute of Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Antonio Egidio Nardi

  2. Laboratory of Panic and Respiration, Institute of Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Rafael Christophe R. Freire

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Cirillo, P., Freire, R.C.R. (2016). Pharmacological Treatment of Panic Disorder with Non-Selective Drugs. In: Nardi, A., Freire, R. (eds) Panic Disorder. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-12538-1_19

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