Should I avoid (fear!) alcohol?

[kitsune__]

Hello lovely people,

Most of you shan't have seen my only other post here but I can confirm I am on the whole so so much better than I have been for over a year and part of that is certainly owed to you guys and the support you give on this forum!

I now find that my panic / physical symptoms almost exclusively now occur after taking caffeine or alcohol; not always but more often than not (and even a relatively small amount is enough to set it off, I've had 1 pint of beer and felt dreadful but also had 3 and been fine).

Knowing this, and having cut back extensively on my intake of both, is it wise to stop taking these altogether for the moment (I did do 2 weeks off both previously) or continue to take them responsibly?

These panic attacks induced by caffeine and alcohol are still horrible but I KNOW why they are happening. About 1 hour after drinking caffeine or when falling asleep having earlier drank alcohol an attack will strike 75% of the time. Is it possible I can learn to accept this fully and thus feel better or should I just give it a miss? The anxious side of me suggests they highlight an issue other than panic disorder that might be life threatening (lol, of course it does).

Thank you again everyone!

[Sunflower2]

I couldn't say about the alcohol because I don't drink, but I cut out caffeine for a good 6 months to a year because it always made me feel really hyped up and full of energy. Add that to already feeling nervous and it was just not worth it. Now I've started to drink small cups of tea now and then and don't get those feelings any more because in general I'm a bit less anxious. I still stay away from it on days when I am struggling though.

[kitsune__]

I couldn't say about the alcohol because I don't drink, but I cut out caffeine for a good 6 months to a year because it always made me feel really hyped up and full of energy. Add that to already feeling nervous and it was just not worth it. Now I've started to drink small cups of tea now and then and don't get those feelings any more because in general I'm a bit less anxious. I still stay away from it on days when I am struggling though.

I certainly don't think I'm going to OD on coffee or binge drink but is there something to be said for accepting the consequences that could possibly make me feel better in the long term, or is it simply best to avoid it all together?

Thanks for your response and well done on your progress, I can manage green tea and not have a negative response :)

[Brunette]

I gave up caffeine for good and my suggestion would be for you to do the same. Caffeine is a stimulant and will make anxious feelings and panic attacks worse.

Alcohol is a depressent so it has the opposite effect as caffeine but it might be wise to give it up in the short term if you feel it might be having an adverse effect.

[HalfJack]

For me alcohol is a mixed bag, it's a "depressant" but people often mistake what that means, it isn't great if you're miserable but generally, it makes me relaxed and happy. About a year ago I kept getting tense when I drank beer, I cut it out for a year and now I'm fine.

Caffeine is something I've always avoided but cutting it out completely is a double edged sword because then you're likely to become more sensative to it.
I used to avoid it completely, now I have a small amount of caffeine (chocolate, pepsi, coffee, tea) now and then and I've found that better, at least for me.
Bodies are weird!

[Catherine S]

Like half jack I tend to do half-and-half with caffeine and alcohol, at home no alcohol and decaff coffee and tea, and outside caffeinated coffee and a glass of wine with a meal, works for me. Everybody is different with this though and we have to find what suits our bodies best I guess.

ISB x

[lhappylife]

I think that everything would be okay in moderation, if the body and mind is okay with that. I also believe that if you can do without any drugs like caffeine or alcohol, all the better.
:)

[MyNameIsTerry]

The think to remember with alcohol is that its also a diuretic of sorts and will cause you to lose hydration. What about if you rehydrate close to drinking alcohol? Dehydration brings on anxiety and given the time delay, this could be a possibility.

In terms of caffeine, it may depend on strength. Why not look at the mgs of the caffeine that causes you an issue now and try a lower dosage to see what the effect is? If the effect is the same, lower it further. If you reach a safe point, maybe that tells you what your body can take now?

The sensible approach is to remove what is causing anxiety or change how you respond to it. If the factor is nutritional, the obvious answer is elimination.

Another point on these is medication. I've read in some SSRI's I used to take, it might have been the Citalopram, that is suggested avoiding guarana because its very high in caffeine. The current SNRI I am on, when I did some reading around, came back with responses that it altered the patients sensitivity to alcohol in some cases. Some people got drunk on far less, some acted out of character than when normally drunk, some noticed no difference and some had days of high anxiety afterwards.