Can caffeine cause panic attacks?
Many patients who carry the diagnosis of panic disorder want to know if caffeine can induce or exacerbate panic attacks. Medscape Medical News reports on a study published in Comprehensive Psychiatry; May-June 2007 that examines this very issue. “The study enrolled 29 patients diagnosed with panic disorder, 27 patients with major depression with panic attacks, 25 patients with major depression without panic attacks, and 28 healthy volunteers. The study subjects underwent a 4-week period with no psychotropic drugs. Then on 2 occasions, 7 days apart, the subjects participated in a randomized, double-blind challenge with either a 480-mg caffeine solution or a caffeine-free placebo solution that looked like coffee.” The authors noted that “480-mg caffeine is equivalent to about 5 cups of Brazilian coffee, which is much stronger than American coffee.” The subjects were evaluated for panic symptoms 30 minutes after caffeine intake. And the results? An oral caffeine challenge induced more panic attacks in patients with either panic disorder (59%) or major depression with panic attacks (44%), as compared to patients in the control group (7%) or those with major depression without panic attacks (12%). Of note, no patient in any of the four groups had a panic attack after ingesting the caffeine-free solution.
The Bottom Line: The study suggests that patients with panic disorder are at significantly increased risk of having a panic attack if they ingest high doses of caffeine.
Suggested Reading:
- Living With 'It': A Survivor's Guide to Panic Attacks by Bev Aisbett
- Your Life is Waiting: The Average Joe's Guide to Overcoming Panic Attacks and Anxiety (Paperback) by Rafe R. Martin (Author)
- Panic Attacks Workbook: A Guided Program for Beating the Panic Trick (Paperback) by David Carbonell
Dr. Jeffrey Speller
Dr. Tanya Korkosz
Psychopharmacology Associates
of New England
