Panic Attacks Support Group

i think maybe it's because a lot of decongestants contain caffeine and alot of us panickers are hypersensitive to caffeine (and other stimulants)

Yes, decongestants do contain a stimulant. From this page,
http://otolaryngologyheadandnecksu...
"Decongestants are chemically related to adrenalin, the natural decongestant, which is also a type of stimulant."

yup, pseudoephedrine (which is now only prescribed i believe) is awful for people with panic disorders!

I notice a lot of medication has caffeine in it - and that the caffeine triggers the very thing the medication is supposed to be curing. Very interesting - and if that is so, what are these pharmaseutical companies up to?

yeah, pseudoephedrine is a stimulant decongestant thus it can worsen anxiety. You don't need a script you just have to ask for it from the pharmacist. They don't put it on the shelfs b/c ppl can buy mass quantities of it to make meth.

I had a God awful panic attack while taking the decongestant guaffeinsin (spelling?) I didn't realize it was a panic attack and went to the hospital thinking I was having an allergic reaction to the meds. (that was pre-panic times). Those meds speed up the heart or something freaky. I refuse to take any decongestants now.

There are some good resources out there. One I came across recently was on a lot of topics related to better living with hypnosis. You can sure give it a try. Here is the link http://www.betterlivingwithhypnosi... I also noticed that they are offering a free mp3.

I have problems with the ones behind the pharmacy counter, but the ones on the shelf I do fine with.

Your doctor is SO RIGHT. I found this out the hard way years ago. Sometimes it's not just a panic attack, but a chemical reaction between your meds and the over the counter stuff. Luckily those reactions are fairly brief, but they can be really scary! Be mindful of what you take for colds!

I have found that anything with Dextromethorphan (DXM ) can cause me to have a panic attack. A few OTC medications that have DXMVicks DayQuil Multi-Symptom Liquid, Vicks DayQuil Multi-Symptom Cold/Flu Capsules, Coricidin HBP Cough & Cold, Robitussin DM, etc.