Caffeine and panic attacks can affect people in different ways. Some people can drink large quantities and be seemingly unaffected, whilst others only need a small bit and are nervous, jittery,unable to sleep, and feeling anxious. The amount of time it takes caffeine to leave each person’s system can also vary dramatically .

It is generally understood that with caffeine and panic attacks , caffeine stimulation can be triggered by a misinterpretation of a physiological response. It’s easy to see how caffeine’s affect on the central nervous system could mistakenly trigger a fear response that triggers the panic attack.

Caffeine toxicity can also produce an array of symptoms that can look similar to many categories of anxiety disorders or panic attacks. Some people in the medical profession believe that people are often misdiagnosed and medicated unnecessarily when they are actually suffering from the effects of caffeine.

In small doses many people report very positive effects on their mood after ingesting caffeine. It appears that in larger doses there are problems that can occur with caffeine and panic attacks.  For example one study on children and Mountain Dew showed an association between large amounts of caffeine and depression. Caffeine can cause a crash in some people that can mimic depression.

If you suffer from panic attacks or panic disorder, it would be important to pay attention to the association between your caffeine and panic attacks. Keeping a chart where you note what occurs after drinking your morning coffee or soft drink can help you to see if your symptoms of panic are actually symptoms of caffeine stimulation.