Do antidepressants work to treat panic attacks?

No: Antidepressants can not stop a panic attack once it has begun, however being on a regular dose of antidepressants may reduce the frequency of panic attacks.

Yes: Depending on what is causing the panic attacks, some antidepressants can lower your baseline anxiety to make it a lot harder for you to get to panic.

Yes: Certain antidepressants, e.g., the ssris, also treat panic disorder. This means decreasing the frequency of panic attacks, as well as lessening their severity. Not all antidepressants show this effect, though. An online search of any specific antidepressant will tell you if it is "fda approved" for treating panic disorder.