Panic disorder is a specific type of
anxiety disorder. People with this condition have recurrent, unexpected feelings of extreme fear and dread that strike for no apparent reason, causing increased heart rate, rapid breathing, sweating, and shakiness. These "attacks" can send people to the hospital believing they are having a
heart attack. A
panic attack may even occur when the person is not in a situation that would normally create stress, anxiety, or fear.
Sometimes, people deal with panic disorder by avoiding situations and places that may lead to a
panic attack. This, combined with the fear of having a panic attack in public, can lead people to avoid social interaction and can cause people to become "housebound." This problem is known as
agoraphobia and often accompanies panic disorder.
Clonazepam is approved to treat panic disorder and can be used to treat people with or without agoraphobia.
(Click What Is Clonazepam Used For? for more information about how anxiety can be treated with clonazepam. This article also explains how the medication works and discusses possible off-label uses for the drug.)
