Alprazolam treatment for panic disorders.

Office records of 27 private patients who were treated with alprazolam for panic disorders were evaluated by a second psychiatrist. Alprazolam treatment led to a complete remission of panic attacks in 85% of the patients; panics ceased within an average of 6 days, at a mean dose of 2.2 mg/day. In addition, alprazolam was found to bring about a complete absence of phobic avoidance behavior in 21 of the 23 agoraphobic patients in the group. This is the first study to demonstrate the efficacy of medication alone as a treatment for agoraphobia.