Comments for Panic Attacks

Comment on Caffeine and Panic Attacks by John M.

John M. — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 17:33:55 +0000

I have been suffering from panic attacks since 1991. I have been prescribed klonopin since 1991. All of these years and I had never made the connection between panic attacks and caffeine. Up until 3 days ago, I would drink between 2 and 5 Venti (20oz) sized regular drip coffee’s from Starbucks. Also, I would occasionally have 1 to 3 diet Coke’s a day.

Since I have stopped drinking coffee and soda 3 days ago, I feel like I have emerged from a 20 year old nightmare. I’ll keep you posted on my situation/progress.

Comment on Caffeine and Panic Attacks by James

James — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 11:47:41 +0000

I searched and found this article after, yesterday when I was at school, I thought I would drink a Mt Dew since I hadn’t really drank any soda in over 2 months. By choice of course, just because I thinks it’s terrible for the body.. anyway. I got my little treat, and drank just a fourth of it, and to my dismay I started getting really nervous and my heart was sort of beating strangely, and I just felt odd. I was starting to have a panic attack. I’d had them weekly at times in my life so I knew that’s what it was. At first I didn’t have any clue what was causing it until I realized that I had had nearly 0 panic attacks during my soda hiatus. So I suppose I just need to lay off of caffeine at all. I don’t really crave it so it’s not a problem.. it is very interesting how much it can affect our bodies and minds.

Comment on Public Speaking Panic Attack Problems by Jason

Jason — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 03:48:59 +0000

I have been dealing with this since my freshman year in college. Now I am 32. I have moved along with my career. I have moved to middle management, but there is still the uncertainty with the future. I hate presentations and I am working on my doctorate degree in business (my 4th degree). I have a genius IQ (130+) but I’m ultimately controlled by my thoughts. Panic attacks set in and completely handicap my ability to become an executive. I constantly get praised for my work and panic sets in when I have to present to upper management. In college, there were times where I had to have someone speak for me during class. I feel I could be much more advanced in my career if I didn’t have panic attacks, but I feel intelligent people will make their way. I have always dreamed of being a professor, but my classroom anxiety keeps me from that. I am a social person…so it is confusing to me how I react in a classroom setting. I am an upper middle class guy, but I feel I have the ability for more, My anxiety holds me back. I would love to hear more stories like mine….at this point in time (being 32), I feel there will never be an answer for me…

Comment on Caffeine and Panic Attacks by Polly

Polly — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 03:43:31 +0000

I never experience panic attacks when I don’t drink caffiene or smoke cigarettes. But it is so hard to stop those substances. For me, I just have to be realistic and moderate them. Almost every time I over indulge in nicotine or caffiene, I have a panic attack.

Comment on Caffeine and Panic Attacks by Charley

Charley — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 04:50:55 +0000

Good read, thank you! I started having panic attacks about 4 years ago. I had one now and then for about 6 months or so, then they subsided. Recently (over the past year) I start to get them now and then. I did notice they usually occur after I drink my morning coffee (which is weird because I’ve been drinking coffee semi-heavily for about 12 years). In fact, they always occur when caffeine is involved.

Granted, I haven’t done much research, but I think after a person has a panic attack or 3, they are more prone to keep having them, at least that’s the case for myself, I feed my brain worrying that I might have one, then I sometimes do lol. They happen to me most often when I’m driving. It’s such a horrid feeling, as I’m sure most reading this can relate. Like feeling a loss of control, and not sure if you can make it through the next moment. Fuddle around and try to get your mind off it and it won’t work…

Anyways, without much research… For myself, I definately believe that caffiene and panic attacks go hand in hand. Of course everyone’s body is a little different, and it might just be a pure psychological thing. None the less – It is good advice to lay off the caffiene if you experience panic attacks =)

Comment on Caffeine and Panic Attacks by Stacie

Stacie — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 22:40:32 +0000

Great advice. I am in the same situation as a lot of the people here. My panic attacks started about 12 months ago and I noticed they would usually occur at work (where I was drinking tea and coffee which I do not do at home). I also noticed that caffeinated soft drinks had the same effect for example when we were out at the cinema drinking coke after about an hour I would have quite a severe panic attack and need to leave.

In the past week I have switched to decaff coffee and so far so good! I would also advise to be careful of anything too sugary as I have noticed this with certain cordials and juices will have the same side effects!

Comment on Caffeine and Panic Attacks by Kris

Kris — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 13:42:41 +0000

I started having panic attacks in the beginning of this year. I didn’t know what was happening. I noticed how they would be triggered in the morning right after I had my coffee. I only had a cup a day, but would then drink a soda at lunch and probably one at dinner. Once I started drinking decaf coffee and diet ginger ale they steadily decline until I didn’t have them anymore. I decided to try caffeine again a few months ago (big mistake) and they started back again. I guess I will have to live without it. I didn’t have withdrawals so it wasn’t a huge deal, but it is definitely difficult to get going in the morning. I have been taking Vitamin B for energy, seems to help. Panic attacks are so horrible, I wish there was a quick fix that wasn’t addictive (i.e. Xanax).

Comment on Panic Attack: What Exactly Is It by Jay

Jay — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 09:45:56 +0000

Meeka, that’s not necessarily true. I thought my panic attacks were caused by blood sugar issues (hypoglycemia), so I bought a blood testing kit. Every time I had a panic attack, I checked it. I checked it in the morning after 8 hours of not eating. I checked it before and after every meal. Not once was my blood sugar abnormal. It was always between 80 and 100, give or take a couple. My panic attacks were/are a direct result of caffeine. The day I got the first one, I had been up all night and was loaded with caffeine; 5 hour energy, soda, and coffee. I went to the doctor the next day and he perscribed me Zoloft. I was perfectly fine for a week until I upped my dose (per the doctor’s order). I became a maniac. The meds really messed me up for about a month, so we decided I should stop taking it. After a couple of weeks, I was completely back to normal. No panic attacks, nothing. That lasted two months or more. During this time I had no caffeine, so I decided it would be okay if I drank some. That night, I got a bad panic attack. I don’t think this was coincidental. But you’re right, it’s not ALWAYS in your head…

Comment on Public Speaking Panic Attack Problems by Gavin

Gavin — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 21:22:32 +0000

I’ve just started college a few months ago and my first project is coming up on Monday. It’s a group project and we will all have to talk about the bit that we were responsible for. Each person is given 2 slides each and a minimum of 2 minutes to talk about it. It may seem silly but I’m not even sure I will be able to do those 2 min.

I’ll will let you in on where I developed my fear. It all started in secondary school where a guy called Fergus had this problem (6 years ago)… He would be asked to read in class and after about 30 lines or so his voice started to shake quite noticeably… Everyone giggled when it happened. I was so embarrassed for him. I used to hate listening to him read because it made me nervous. After a year or so of this I was asked to read one day in class… I felt fine for about 30 seconds when I started to feel like I couldn’t breath, it got to the stage where I had to ask the teacher to pass the reading on. At the time I remember covering it up by saying I had a sore voice but that excuse didn’t last long.
For years I dodged reading until I got into the top English class where the teacher love it so much he used to do it everyday. What annoys me so much is that in that class that teacher knew I had the problem but he felt that the best way for me to get rid of it was to make me read every other day instead of talking to me and teaching me things like breathing. That year I felt so down.
Now it is at the stage (I can’t believe I am saying this) where I dread a 2 minute speech? Monday is the last straw… If I don’t get through that I definitely need help.

Comment on Caffeine and Panic Attacks by Nicole

Nicole — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 05:28:11 +0000

I used to drink three to six cokes a day! One night I went to watch a stupid “horror” film and during the movie my chest began to hurt and I felt awful. This had never happened to me before, but I figured I had gotten really sick. Well the following weeks, I become extremely ill and my weight dropped from 168 to 140 in 8 weeks. Every night, my chest would tighten and it would hurt to breath, anxiety would set in, my body would begin to shake, I would vomit almost every night, I was not sleeping and worst of all, I honestly thought I was going crazy or dying. I was scared to eat or go out in public because I feared my symptoms would set in, so I became withdrawn. I had an upper scope done because of my sever chest and stomach pains, and the entire linings of my intestines were severely inflamed to the point where I could hardly keep water down. I was taken completely off caffeine and started exercising ever day (which kept my adrenaline levels down) which eventually led to my full recovery! I still have problems, but only once in a blue moon and only when I drink caffeine.