panic attack on Adderall | ADHD Information

sassee - I'd say it can't be the caffeine - most "chocolate" isn't much chocolate at all but a cocoa butter mixed with milk.  Even pure chocolate has much smaller amounts of caffeine than either coffee or tea.

Panic attacks are known to happen unannounced and without clear reasons.  You may have just had a guilt trip (chocolate is known to be a guilty pleasure LOL), a random thought went to overdrive, etc. 

Also - have you considered that you may have an allergy? Short breath and raised BP/heartbeat can be a symptom.  If you don't eat chocolate much then maybe... it's possible.  Perhaps a trip into the MD is prudent.

Also - how long after your dose was this attack?  It's possible it was a combo of things - maybe lack of food followed by sugar (hypoglycemia), the small amount of caffeine AND maybe allergy?  A triple whammy perhaps.  Do check.

I'd not think it's caffeine.  Unless you gulp a triple-shot espresso on an empty stomach you being ADHD it wouldn't be much of a whack against you no matter what.

Now - relax!!! Don't make me come up there - I certainly can't afford it and you wouldn't want it!!

Yup, suxor. 

*sympathy

Thanks Reisa - I needed some reassurance.  It is pretty funny - me stuffing my face with chocolate and wondering why don't I feel good??

I'm feeling sad/angry today - no doubt from being off my med, but still....I keep thinking about how I wish I didn't have to worry about stupid things like eating chocolate when taking medicine, and how I wish I didn't have to take medicine just to feel normal, and how I can't just simply enjoy something without having to think of consequences and interactions and whatever.  How I can't function without a frickin notepad and reminders and medicine and strict routines.  How I need medicine to be able to sleep at night.  I just feel so sick and disgusted with this whole disorder.  It's really hitting me hard today.   

*pouty face*  

There is a tendency for adderall to cause (or worsen) anxiety.  I am also really caffiene sensitive when taking it.  Sounds like you just overloaded your system.  I wouldn't give up on it if it has been working for you. 

You could try a lower dosage and work your way back up - and stay out of the chocolate *grin. 

I have been on Adderall 2 months now and everything has been great... and then last Friday I took my regular dose.  This might sound dumb but I ate kind of a lot of my Valentine's chocolate (I usually try not to eat a lot of sweets but I just decided to go for it ) anyway, I started feeling really short of breath and then BAM! I had a severe a panic attack.  It was horrible.  I haven't had a panic attack since I was in high school and I just felt like I was going to die.    So I'm thinking it's from the caffeine and sugar in the chocolate??? I don't drink coffee, tea, or sodas so I rarely have any caffeine at all, and maybe I overdid it?  I called the Dr. and she said take a few days off from the Adderall and then try again and see how I feel.  She said don't have any caffeine and then it hit me about the chocolate.  I don't have any more than usual stress, so this is all I can come up with, but now I'm afraid to take the Adderall...I can't be having panic attacks and trying to function.  I was so lucky because my husband was home from work that day so my son didn't have to see me freaking out.  I haven't taken the Adderall since Friday, I'm having kind of a med vacation...so of course I feel like crap and I haven't felt like coming here or posting.  Anyway I would appreciate feedback and/or advice please..... Glen?  Help me out here.

Wow, I had posted something about almost the exact same thing.  Let's see what Glen has to say about it.   He seems somewhat of an authority, being he's all over this site.  Not to worry, Mr. Glen, I made no mention of Meth.

Glen, Reisa, Lewiss - thanks for responding.  Sorry it's taken me so long to catch up, I haven't had time to post in the last few days. 

Thanks Glen for taking time for such a well-thought-out response.  I do appreciate that. 

Okay here's an update:  I took a break from Adderall for a few days and thought about everything, and also my husband talked to me about what he noticed, too.  First of all, I remembered that the reason I don't drink soda is because I seem to have a strong reaction to the caffeine in it - my heart races and pounds and I don't like the sensation.  Adderall has never made my heart pound anywhere near the way caffeine does.  So if there was caffeine in the the chocolate, I probably reacted to it.  Second, I do also have trouble with my blood sugar - the reason I am usually careful with sweets is because my blood sugar tends to spike and then drop drastically.  I had a GTT at my doc's office and it dropped down to 42, which is pretty abnormally low and of course it made me feel really sick.  Third, I haven't been eating as much as normal because I'm not as hungry on the Adderall.  So I think all of these combined to create the panic attack...Now this all sounds pretty obvious but I just didn't realize it - since being on Adderall I have kind of forgotten about my food intake which was something I was really careful about before.  The other day I started taking Adderall again and it has been just fine, and I'm making an effort to eat something small every few hours even if I don't feel like it.  My doctor did say avoid chocolate and very sugary things while on Adderall even before this happened but I sort of filed that info away and ignored it until this happened. 

So the moral to this story is make sure you eat well on this medication, and when in doubt ask Glen.