can nicotine make panic attacks worse?

[ZT]

so my health hasn't been great. still waiting for the results of a mri scan. but I keep having panic attacks. got some 0 nicotine. and trying to cut down on how much I vape.

Hi Lene

as a sufferer of panic attacks since I was 16 (30 odd years ago!) I can say that (for me) it depends what is causing your panic attacks, and what form your panic attacks take.

I was particularly debilitated with panic attacks from my mid twenties to mid thirties - and am still capable of getting them now - tho I have over the years learned many techniques for dealing with them, so they are not as life encroaching as they used to be.

I often worried about my health - and during a panic attack could not smoke or do anything detrimental to my health such as smoke weed or drink alcohol because it made it a lot worse.

If I have a panic attack and the cause is obviously something external to health I seem to be able to vape - but don’t think I should.

for me one of the techniques is to avoid any kind of stimulant during and for a few hours after a panic attack as increasing your heart rate is not a good idea if a pounding heart is one of the things you are worried about.

I highly recommend looking into calming and centering techniques. I know mindfulness and meditation sounds like dippy hippy bullshit - but it does work If you can get past the initial panic to a state you can reach that kind of calm.

While you are in the midst of feeling unable to breath I totally recommend breathing into a paper bag. We hyperventilate during panic episodes which causes numbness and pins and needles in the extremities and a feeling of not beating able to breath (in actual fact you are generally breathing to much and too much oxygen is making you light headed, hence the paper bag. At least in my case)

everyone is different and you will find what works for you if you look - these things ruined my life for many years - but you can take control.

 

[rew]

Can only speak from personal experience, but I think my last panic attack was triggered by too much caffeine. I then tried to cut that out and then suffered withdrawal symptoms which were almost as bad as the original anxiety. I then decided to have a limited amount of caffeine and that seemed to help. In my case I don't think the nicotine was a major factor but I guess we are all different.

 

[DeeDee aka (Pod Queen)]

Hi Lene

as a sufferer of panic attacks since I was 16 (30 odd years ago!) I can say that (for me) it depends what is causing your panic attacks, and what form your panic attacks take.

I was particularly debilitated with panic attacks from my mid twenties to mid thirties - and am still capable of getting them now - tho I have over the years learned many techniques for dealing with them, so they are not as life encroaching as they used to be.

I often worried about my health - and during a panic attack could not smoke or do anything detrimental to my health such as smoke weed or drink alcohol because it made it a lot worse.

If I have a panic attack and the cause is obviously something external to health I seem to be able to vape - but don’t think I should.

for me one of the techniques is to avoid any kind of stimulant during and for a few hours after a panic attack as increasing your heart rate is not a good idea if a pounding heart is one of the things you are worried about.

I highly recommend looking into calming and center if techniques. I know mindfulness and meditation sounds like dippy hippy bullshit - but it does work If you can get past the initial panic to a state you can reach that kind of calm.

While you are in the midst of feeling unable to breath I totally recommend breathing into a paper bag. We hyperventilate during panic episodes which causes numbness and pins and needles in the extremities and a feeling of not beating able to breath (in actual fact you are generally breathing to much and too much oxygen is making you light headed, hence the paper bag. At least in my case)

everyone is different and you will find what works for you if you look - these things ruined my life for many years - but you can take control.

I agree ZT definitely a paper bag is good, for me it enables me to concentrate on my breathing and rh3at calms me.
My initial thought process was to smoke a cigarette but i learnt quickly made it worse.
I hate that pins and needles feeling in my hand and arms plus the rapid heart beat but 9 out of times its not health related its your mind thats causing it.
If u a really worried about something talk to.someone, let it out. If it is just the health issue a waiting then im sorry but its a waiting game, there is absolutely nothing u can do till u get the results. maybe try listening to a audio book or meditation,
What works for me may or may not help u

Sorry you are feeling so shit

 

[oORobOo]

Hi @lene really sorry to hear that you are feeling crap. I did a bit of research into this over the years as I also suffer from panic attacks and severe anxiety. Nicotine does cause the body to release adrenaline and and a stress hormone (norepinephrine) from my own personal experience vaping sub ohm at 3mg it's not in itself caused a panic attack but it can be a contributing factor.
My immediate reaction always used to be to vape or have a cigarette if I felt stressed or like I could have a panic attack. Having researched I now make sure if I start to feel anxious/weird or go into a situation where I know it's likely to happen that I don't vape at those times and I've found the frequency of going from being on the edge to a full on panic attack has reduced.
It's a bit of a fine line as not having nicotine when you feel you need it causes its own stress obviously, and we are all different so it's a bit hard to say. So this is just my own personal experience rather than any kind of recommendation on the subject.
Already some great advice above on what to do when you start to get anxious/have have a panic attack so I won't go into that

 

[Mutley1]

I gave up coffee completely yonks ago, made me anxious as fk n was giving me the shits.
It's the little things like that ,that can all add up and make a difference, In my case IBS

Like i say im down too 2 cups of coffee per day & they are usualy lattes after its yorkshire tea for me & like you ive had the panic attacks/ cold sweats followed by the shits, the worste one for me i was out with friends in the middle of nowhere on our bikes & man i had too just dive in a field for obvious reasons..

 

[lene]

my cpn is coming to see me tomorrow. I've been given some tablets for an anxiety disorder. I had a breakdown 10 years ago and ended up sectioned. I just want to get well. but I've got good news I went out today without my walking stick! thank you everyone for their advice.

 

[Gert Meyers]

my cpn is coming to see me tomorrow. I've been given some tablets for an anxiety disorder. I had a breakdown 10 years ago and ended up sectioned. I just want to get well. but I've got good news I went out today without my walking stick! thank you everyone for their advice.

Have you considered vaping CBD ejuice? Some swear by it for anxiety related disorders...

All the best, in any case. I've had psychiatric problems too. For anxiety I found CBT ('talking therapy') to work well.

 

[lene]

been vaping only if I have a beer. its going ok now let me think cigs wouldn't let me do that! yes @Gert Meyers i'll look into it.

 

[rew]

been vaping only if I have a beer. its going ok now let me think cigs wouldn't let me do that! yes @Gert Meyers i'll look into it.

Glad things are improving for you lene