Panic attacks triggered by caffeine and alcohol?

Hi,

I've always been a hyperactive person who has anxiety in certain situations. I've also exhibited textbook ADHD symptoms since childhood (now I'm 31), but I don't think that anyone in school thought to diagnose me b/c 1) I'm a girl, and grew up in a time that girls were not diagnosed and 2) I did and have always done well in school, though my condition has always made me a severe procrastinator. I have engaged in "self-therapy" to combat my ADHD ways, I realize, the more I read about the topic, but I know that I could really benefit from taking something, both personally and professionally. Last but not least, I was diagnosed with delayed sleep phase syndrome recently (I HATE GETTING UP EARLY AND ALWAYS HAVE!)

I've had a pretty rough family life and about a year ago, my mother committed suicide. Ever since then, my anxiety has skyrocketed and I started getting panic attacks. My doctor prescribed Xanax for a few months, and then told me that she would have to cut me off b/c she didn't think Xanax was good for the long run unless a psychiatrist recommended it. She recommended that I take an anti-depressant, but I am hesitant to do so b/c of the commitment factor of taking them (also, I get situationally depressed, and am not chronically depressed). After talking with her about my ADHD, she's agreed that I probably have it and wants me to go to a psychiatrist to address my ADHD and anxiety. My experience with Xanax is a whole 'nother story and I won't get into it here. Let's just say that I now know what's it like to be a drug addict going through severe withdrawal. Not fun.

After weaning off Xanax, I've had panic attacks on and off. My doctor prescribed me some "emergency" Xanax to take as needed, but not everyday so that I don't get dependent on them again. I've noticed that my tendency to get panic attacks increases if I am hungover from a night of heavy drinking and if I drink coffee on an empty stomach (or at all, really). I've avoided coffee altogether but I am addicted to coca cola, which doesn't seem to trigger my panic attacks. Has anyone who has panic attacks ever experienced this? Thanks in advance for the replies!

I'm glad you were able to post!

I cut caffeine out two years ago - mainly because I had trouble sleeping...so I'm not sure that on this one...but if you think they are connected take a break from the alcohol and coffee - the soda try non-caffeinated...

Welcome Aboard!

Thanks for the friendly welcome! I have trouble falling asleep b/c of my sleep disorder, but I find that caffeine doesn't seem to really affect my ability to go to sleep. If I can't sleep, I can't sleep! If I'm tired, I'll sleep. That is the whole problem though -- I can only sleep if I'm exhausted. And, I'm always exhausted in the morning. Ugh. Anyway, everyone tells me coke is bad for me, but I can't cut out coca cola b/c it's too good! Does de-caffeinated coke taste like real coke, or diet coke?

Another thing about the panic attacks: I find now that the association of panic attacks with alcohol and coffee have definitely deterred me from them, but I can't cut alcohol completely out of my life -- feels too good to drink, though the good news is that I have cut down on my drinking substantially due to the fear of getting a panic attack and from a supportive bf who doesn't drink that much and encourages me not to. However, I get rather oppositional when someone tells me NOT to do something. hehe.

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
Direction said:
I'm glad you were able to post!

I cut caffeine out two years ago - mainly because I had trouble sleeping...so I'm not sure that on this one...but if you think they are connected take a break from the alcohol and coffee - the soda try non-caffeinated...

Welcome Aboard!

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">

I can't notice the difference between the caff and de-caff soda. I don't like to drink sugar (rather eat it - ice cream), so if I have a soda it is generally no caffeine and diet...

I can relate to the feeling good to drink...though at what cost are we feeling good?

I am sensitive to caffiene so I avoid it as much as possible. But I also feel that there is more to it than just the caffiene...like lack of sleep, eating poorly...etc. As far as drinking I do very little of it.....but when I drank more often I did notice an increase in depression which in turn increased my anxiety. Now on the other hand I have a sister who has anxiety/depression and she drinks caffiene all the time and drinks alcohol more often than I do without any problems. So in our circumstance I think its our chemicals that react different.
Snow

Welcome to the community mavenfp. Indeed, caffeine and alcohol are bad for those of us with anxiety and panic . Although caffeine is sorta like a quick "upper", the crashing afterwards definitely can increase anxiety . Alcohol is a DEPRESSANT, so for anyone who has depression, even situational, will suffer. I cut caffeine in 1990 - I drink caffeine free Pepsi. If I am out somewhere and have no choice but to have a soda with caffeine, I can tell the difference in my anxiety level. Like someone else said about drinking alcohol......is it worth making you feel so bad afterwards?

I think all of us prone to anxiety and panic have to make decisions about what we ingest, who we keep company with etc, because once we know certain things (and you have identified the caffeine and alcohol as bothersome to you) - its up to us to decide if we want to change, or continue to "feed" our disease.

Good luck !

Ok, I am new to this site and I am a 26 yar old female who has been suffering from: major panic/anxiety disorder, O.C.D., depersonalization disorder, depression/bipolar, and agoraphobia since I was in elementary school. So we wil just guestimate around 15 years. I didn't know what was wrong with me at first but then after years of fighting this demon a late night commercial came on talking about anxiety and panic disorder and I was like, "Oh my goodness, that is what I have!!?!? So there is actually something wrong with me i'm not just weird! So I told my mother that I believed I was havig panic and anxiety and she told me to suck it up and she didn't believe me. This was due in part to the fact tht her and my father, whom divorced when I was age 4, argued all the time about this problem because my father himself had it very bad. He also had S.V.T. , sudden ventricula tachycardia, and eventually had to have an ablation done. So when I told my mother this she blamed me "believing" I had this because my dad. My father never talked about this though so that couldnt have been it. Well to get on with things, I would have good times and bad times, as im sure we all do with our anxiety, and I had been doing extremly well until I got married and had my first child. After that it came back full throttle and worse than ever!! After months of losing weight and not being able to eat anything because it would make me vomit I decided to go see a psychologist. I was on a low dose of xanax at the time tht the E.R. Dr. had given me from being in and out of the hospital with heart palpitations. I have M.V.P. So I went to see this Dr. and I was put on xanax 1 mg 4-5 times daily. I was also put on 50 mg of zoloft. I never had any side effects from the zoloft until I started coming off of it. The xanax I LOOOVVVEEEDD!!!! I eventually did get extremely addicted to it and had to go through detox. I said I would NEVER take xanax again! That is the most awful feeling having withdrawls from something like that, i'm sure some of you out there know exactly what I am talking about. Well I did great there for a long time except the fact I couldn't really travel outside of my comfort zone. Then I met my hsband now and we had a baby and after I came home from having the baby everything came back again but it was worse than it had ever been! I was vomting three to four times a day with nothing inmy stomach, i would try to make myself eat but couldnt and would usually throw up in the process. I became extremly agoraphobic and didnt leavemy room or even take a bath for over a month. My husband was having to work and take careof everything. I wouldn't even get up to go to the bathroom, I would urinate in cups and he would dispose of them when he got home from work. He had to bring me all of my meals I was actually bedridden. So my mom actually called my Dr. and told him what was going on and he said that in order for me to get started on medications that I would have to come in for a visit. Which at the time was out of the question so I was homebound for over 10 months in 2006. My Dr. eventually turned my care over tomy mother, she would come by and give me my medicine and make sure I took it and all that stuff because my Dr. couldn't do anything for me unless I came in. So after finally getting on 150 mg of zoloft he wanted to put me on xanax and I was against it because what had happened last time. So he inisted that I tried Klonopin!! My mix of 150 mg of zoloft once a day and klonopin 1 mg three times a day was my God send. I was up and my normal self again after 1-2 moths of being on this coctail. I have been on several differnt medicatin throughout my suffering with this and that was the best fix for me. I am now back in school full time and out of the house I go and come as I pleas and am almost back 100% so for any of you out there this is what I would sugget you take to rid youself of the demon panic and anxiety disorder. For all of you women out there, you might have noticed in my paragraph that the two worst times I ever had with my panic and anxiety diorder was after giving birth to both my children. It hasn't been proven but I know in my case that is waht triggered mine to come back because it happend twice so if you can get out of the house I would highly recommend haveing your thyroid levels checked and your hormonial levels checked first thing. I am in the process of recieving my doctrine for nuclear medicine andi have a masters in genetics so i just didnt make this stuff up. Iknow what i'm talking about. If you cannot relate your anxietyto something in your environment you just have anxious episodes for no apparent reason you shoudl definately consider medications. I know how some of you out there are a little phobi about taking any medications because I used to be the same way too. It is so worth it though because it can and will heal you. Maybe not my exact drugs I am on but something will help you ad relieve you of this terrifying nightmare you have been living for only knows how long. I am here now if anyone needs any advice!! If you can check out my quizzes you can see what conditions I have and what I dont have. Oh yeah one more word to the wise, exercise is the best thing in ther world for people with anxiety disorder. It releases you of all your nervous energy you have. I would highly recommend exercise. Also make sure and drink drink drink plenty of water!!!! Water can help stablize mood and so can a proper diet!!

One more thing, about the caffeine and alcohol triggering panic attacks, that is an absolute YES!! I have been free of caffeine for 8 years, this include chocolate and anything that has coco in it. Also Tea, unless decaf. Caffeine and alcohol can also trigger heart palpitations and other arrythmias. Anyone who has an anxiety disorder needs to completly rid their diet of caffeine and alcohol because it's like adding gas to a fire!! If you can't cut out caffeine, chocolate, and tea from your diet then your obviously arent suffering from panic disorder because if you were you would be willing to do anything for just a slight relief. You are probably just suffering from genrealized anxiety disorder.

I had to wean myself off of Xanax, too. One of the worst physical experiences, ever. When you're not dependent, it makes you feel so good but when you are, it becomes such a chore to worry about taking the next dose at the right time or else suffering torture!

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
Jessica6626 said:
Ok, I am new to this site and I am a 26 yar old female who has been suffering from: major panic/anxiety disorder, O.C.D., depersonalization disorder, depression/bipolar, and agoraphobia since I was in elementary school. So we wil just guestimate around 15 years. I didn't know what was wrong with me at first but then after years of fighting this demon a late night commercial came on talking about anxiety and panic disorder and I was like, "Oh my goodness, that is what I have!!?!? So there is actually something wrong with me i'm not just weird! So I told my mother that I believed I was havig panic and anxiety and she told me to suck it up and she didn't believe me. This was due in part to the fact tht her and my father, whom divorced when I was age 4, argued all the time about this problem because my father himself had it very bad. He also had S.V.T. , sudden ventricula tachycardia, and eventually had to have an ablation done. So when I told my mother this she blamed me "believing" I had this because my dad. My father never talked about this though so that couldnt have been it. Well to get on with things, I would have good times and bad times, as im sure we all do with our anxiety, and I had been doing extremly well until I got married and had my first child. After that it came back full throttle and worse than ever!! After months of losing weight and not being able to eat anything because it would make me vomit I decided to go see a psychologist. I was on a low dose of xanax at the time tht the E.R. Dr. had given me from being in and out of the hospital with heart palpitations. I have M.V.P. So I went to see this Dr. and I was put on xanax 1 mg 4-5 times daily. I was also put on 50 mg of zoloft. I never had any side effects from the zoloft until I started coming off of it. The xanax I LOOOVVVEEEDD!!!! I eventually did get extremely addicted to it and had to go through detox. I said I would NEVER take xanax again! That is the most awful feeling having withdrawls from something like that, i'm sure some of you out there know exactly what I am talking about. Well I did great there for a long time except the fact I couldn't really travel outside of my comfort zone. Then I met my hsband now and we had a baby and after I came home from having the baby everything came back again but it was worse than it had ever been! I was vomting three to four times a day with nothing inmy stomach, i would try to make myself eat but couldnt and would usually throw up in the process. I became extremly agoraphobic and didnt leavemy room or even take a bath for over a month. My husband was having to work and take careof everything. I wouldn't even get up to go to the bathroom, I would urinate in cups and he would dispose of them when he got home from work. He had to bring me all of my meals I was actually bedridden. So my mom actually called my Dr. and told him what was going on and he said that in order for me to get started on medications that I would have to come in for a visit. Which at the time was out of the question so I was homebound for over 10 months in 2006. My Dr. eventually turned my care over tomy mother, she would come by and give me my medicine and make sure I took it and all that stuff because my Dr. couldn't do anything for me unless I came in. So after finally getting on 150 mg of zoloft he wanted to put me on xanax and I was against it because what had happened last time. So he inisted that I tried Klonopin!! My mix of 150 mg of zoloft once a day and klonopin 1 mg three times a day was my God send. I was up and my normal self again after 1-2 moths of being on this coctail. I have been on several differnt medicatin throughout my suffering with this and that was the best fix for me. I am now back in school full time and out of the house I go and come as I pleas and am almost back 100% so for any of you out there this is what I would sugget you take to rid youself of the demon panic and anxiety disorder. For all of you women out there, you might have noticed in my paragraph that the two worst times I ever had with my panic and anxiety diorder was after giving birth to both my children. It hasn't been proven but I know in my case that is waht triggered mine to come back because it happend twice so if you can get out of the house I would highly recommend haveing your thyroid levels checked and your hormonial levels checked first thing. I am in the process of recieving my doctrine for nuclear medicine andi have a masters in genetics so i just didnt make this stuff up. Iknow what i'm talking about. If you cannot relate your anxietyto something in your environment you just have anxious episodes for no apparent reason you shoudl definately consider medications. I know how some of you out there are a little phobi about taking any medications because I used to be the same way too. It is so worth it though because it can and will heal you. Maybe not my exact drugs I am on but something will help you ad relieve you of this terrifying nightmare you have been living for only knows how long. I am here now if anyone needs any advice!! If you can check out my quizzes you can see what conditions I have and what I dont have. Oh yeah one more word to the wise, exercise is the best thing in ther world for people with anxiety disorder. It releases you of all your nervous energy you have. I would highly recommend exercise. Also make sure and drink drink drink plenty of water!!!! Water can help stablize mood and so can a proper diet!!

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">

A little over a year ago, I developed panic attacks and then what I believe to be classic, full-blown panic disorder. I didn't understand what was happening to me until I had them enough times to be able to establish patterns and cause and effect. The thing is, as long as I stick to, say, 2 drinks, I'm ok. Otherwise, I'll be worse for the wear the next day and I CANNOT get out of bed until my hangover is over b/c of the fear of getting a panic attack from being out and about in that state. It's horrible -- when I realize that I'm having a panic attack I feel like I'm going to pass out, throw up, have a heart attack and need to flee all at the same time.

It's great to know that there are people who understand b/c most sympathize but try to tell me to "understand that nothing really bad is happening" -- I've tried to coach myself through them but unfortunately for me, once I start having the symptoms of one I gotta let it run its course and hope for the best. My BIGGEST FEAR is looking like a FREAK in public or at work -- I've been really good about not making a scene in general but 2 incidences stand out that made me feel so awful: 1) I had some drinks at a concert and went to sit down and saw that I was smack-dab in the middle of a row. THE HORROR! and 2) sitting at an expensive steak restaurant and not eating b/c I lose my appetite during them. The waiter was so irritating b/c he kept asking if I liked the food and if it was prepared to my liking as if I wasn't eating b/c the food sucked! The last thing I want when I'm going through one is someone talking to me and demanding all these answers from me when I'm not exactly in the mood to talk.

If there is a bright side, I would say that having these conditions has made me more concerned with having a healthier, less frenzied lifestyle.
</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
Jessica6626 said:
One more thing, about the caffeine and alcohol triggering panic attacks, that is an absolute YES!! I have been free of caffeine for 8 years, this include chocolate and anything that has coco in it. Also Tea, unless decaf. Caffeine and alcohol can also trigger heart palpitations and other arrythmias. Anyone who has an anxiety disorder needs to completly rid their diet of caffeine and alcohol because it's like adding gas to a fire!! If you can't cut out caffeine, chocolate, and tea from your diet then your obviously arent suffering from panic disorder because if you were you would be willing to do anything for just a slight relief. You are probably just suffering from genrealized anxiety disorder.

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">