Alcohol to calm panic attacks

[inflagranteineveryway]

Hi, new member here, I looked through all of the forums to see where I should land this topic but didn't seem to find anything dealing with this specifically. As we all know there are plenty of topics concerning benzos and panic attacks/anxiety, I was hoping to find others that find that a quick relatively large dose of alcohol tends to remedy a panic attack, and how they deal with it. I mean, not hoping, because who the hell wants that. But I just was wondering about others' experiences doing this.

I have read all the studies that google wants me to know about how alcohol is terrible for fill-in-the-blank, so I already know the "powers that be" do not only do not recommend this, but site studies showing alcohol could actually create panic attacks.

I have valium that I take as a prophylactic measure twice a day (low dose 5 mg - and I naturally have a HIGH tolerance for about everything, so the low dose for me is practically microscopic), but it does help in reducing the amounts of panic attacks. Could just be the placebo effect because like I said, I feel next to nothing when I take it scheduled in advance. I tend to have a paradoxical affect from drugs, where sedatives generally create the opposite affect, etc. And I seem to be the only person alive that weed does not help. Nope, it's not that I have yet to try the right strain, I've tried many and all it does is make my mind hell until it wears off.

All this said, when I am not able to get ahead of an attack (because no one can tell when they will happen) once a panic attack has started, the valium doesn't do a thing, primarily because mine usually last about 30 minutes, and it takes valium (and a large amount of it) to get into your blood stream right about when the attack is beginning to subside anyway.

Any advice where I should post this question/topic?

EDIT: I just noticed that no one else here has an actual photo with their profile. Should I not be doing that (maybe for legal reasons?)

 

[Wiserthanearlier]

Geez, fair question and pretty well detailed. Im not right to offer guidance but do use alcohol daily and have for over 15 years. If you can avoid medicating with alcohol, do so. It is terrible for you but deterioration is slow so hard to spot.

Panic attacks and anxiety are different i think. But not sure either actually will help that, therspy to identify why your attacks may help , but not what you asked.

Good luck

 

[pancake cat]

There's a pretty well known mouth spray called "rescue remedy" to calm nerves, the packaging sprains the herbal ingredients but base liquid is brandy.

A nip of brandy is an occasional use thing, doesn't help long term. Nothing does except bloody cognitive therapy.

 

[Zonxx]

valium is also on the weaker end of the spectrum for benzos maybe xanax might be more suited for your particular case or infact best suited would most likely be Clonazepam (being able to take before they occur since it has a very long half life which is likely to last through most of the day)

 

[Zonxx]

alcohol does definately tone down gaba activity which would lend to theory that it might actually aid aswell, but is probably the least functional option

 

[inflagranteineveryway]

alcohol does definately tone down gaba activity which would lend to theory that it might actually aid aswell, but is probably the least functional option

Thank you so much for your reply. I agree it is the least functional option, especially considering I don't have a drinking problem but at some point I might if I keep using it for this purpose. Just wondering if anyone else has found temporary success using only in the short term (I only have these bouts of panic attacks every few years).

 

[inflagranteineveryway]

valium is also on the weaker end of the spectrum for benzos maybe xanax might be more suited for your particular case or infact best suited would most likely be Clonazepam (being able to take before they occur since it has a very long half life which is likely to last through most of the day)

It's funny you mentioned Kpins, as that was what I was prescribed the first time I started up with panic attacks several years ago. They did pretty much next to nothing for me (although again, possibly by placebo effect, help stave off some panic attacks). He had me on 3x a day taking those things, and I can be honest here, they did so little I started titrating up just to see if a much larger dose would help. Bottom line, even several of them did nothing for me. In terms of trying to get a panic attack to stop, at least. The only benzo I have felt even SLIGHTLY helped by is the valium, but at higher doses.

I am a strange person with regards to drugs, I genuinely feel I simply have a type of paradoxical affect with most sedatives. Not related to panic attacks, but notable for relevance, I have battled pancreatitis for over a decade, and when I am I am hospitalized for several days with nothing in my system besides BOATLOADS of narcotics plus Ambien. I will go three days without a wink of sleep, on all of that. So...... idk. I'm a weirdo.

 

[Zonxx]

depends on the clonazepam dosage, aswell as just swallowing them mid panic won't do the trick, i was once upon a time instructed to place them under my tongue and they take effect within a few minutes vs having to build up in the blood stream with the peak i believe being achieved over 30minutes-1hour

 

[inflagranteineveryway]

There's a pretty well known mouth spray called "rescue remedy" to calm nerves, the packaging sprains the herbal ingredients but base liquid is brandy.

A nip of brandy is an occasional use thing, doesn't help long term. Nothing does except bloody cognitive therapy.

I hear ya.

What is discouraging for me is that I have spent thousands of dollars seeking "talk therapy", and I will admit it did indeed help at the times I did it. (I had a horrendous divorce where my husband left me for my best friend, and the details are more and more horrific when you dig deeper into the story, which is not for this forum.)

What discourages me, is that my life is an open book, and I know at this point I have taken every single tiny piece of myself, my memory, my life, picked it up, examined it from all sides, dealt with whatever seems flawed, and I am just flat out of things to talk about. I am actually, at this point in my life, happier than I have been in 12 years since the divorce.

Now panic attacks again. Cannot explain it. grrrr.

 

[inflagranteineveryway]

depends on the clonazepam dosage, aswell as just swallowing them mid panic won't do the trick, i was once upon a time instructed to place them under my tongue and they take effect within a few minutes vs having to build up in the blood stream with the peak i believe being achieved over 30minutes-1hour

I guess I never thought of using it that way. So what you are saying is that clonazapam could be more effective because of its half life, but use a method to get it into your system faster? Maybe?

 

[inflagranteineveryway]

Geez, fair question and pretty well detailed. Im not right to offer guidance but do use alcohol daily and have for over 15 years. If you can avoid medicating with alcohol, do so. It is terrible for you but deterioration is slow so hard to spot.

Panic attacks and anxiety are different i think. But not sure either actually will help that, therspy to identify why your attacks may help , but not what you asked.

Good luck

Thanks for your reply. Everyone one of us knows alcohol is no good for our organs, and the only medical benefit could come from a glass of red wine at dinner. (yeah RIGHT).....hahaha

 

[Zonxx]

I hear ya.

What is discouraging for me is that I have spent thousands of dollars seeking "talk therapy", and I will admit it did indeed help at the times I did it. (I had a horrendous divorce where my husband left me for my best friend, and the details are more and more horrific when you dig deeper into the story, which is not for this forum.)

What discourages me, is that my life is an open book, and I know at this point I have taken every single tiny piece of myself, my memory, my life, picked it up, examined it from all sides, dealt with whatever seems flawed, and I am just flat out of things to talk about. I am actually, at this point in my life, happier than I have been in 12 years since the divorce.

Now panic attacks again. Cannot explain it. grrrr.

Have you ever tried Phenibut? Lyrica might aswell aid you, theyre gabaergics (phenibut being sold over the counter) and lyrica/pregabalin being rx that have anxiolytic effects, plenty can cause anxiety and it can always arise out of the blue

 

[Zonxx]

Everyone one of us knows alcohol is no good for our organs, and the only medical benefit could come from a glass of red wine at dinner. (yeah RIGHT).....hahaha

for a period of 8 months, i drank upwards of 2 litres of rum on a daily basis, and have a perfect functioning liver, so if thats the key you might aswell put it in the door

 

[GENGAR]

for a period of 8 months, i drank upwards of 2 litres of rum on a daily basis, and have a perfect functioning liver, so if thats the key you might aswell put it in the door

I also drank large amounts of whiskey for over 8months period of time and have had a perfect functioning liver. Weird huh. Some people don’t have liver problems while drinking large amounts

 

[inflagranteineveryway]

Have you ever tried Phenibut? Lyrica might aswell aid you, theyre gabaergics (phenibut being sold over the counter) and lyrica/pregabalin being rx that have anxiolytic effects, plenty can cause anxiety and it can always arise out of the blue

I never heard of Phenibut, but I actually did try Lyrica years ago in my battle with pancreatitis as a pain med. Didn't help much in the way of pain relief, but have no idea how it would affect anxiety. Although...now that I think about it, at the time I was taking the Lyrica, I was beyond......I don't even know the word for it. I'm Sicilian, and a therapist once told me that genetics could possibly (slightly) affect how we react to things. All I know is that the phrase " Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" is 100% true, so God only knows exactly what my brain chemistry was like at that stage in my life.......

 

[inflagranteineveryway]

for a period of 8 months, i drank upwards of 2 litres of rum on a daily basis, and have a perfect functioning liver, so if thats the key you might aswell put it in the door

Thank you for the imput. So I can allow myself to be a raging alcoholic as long as I don't let it go on for too long. hahahaha......no I hear ya, just kidding. Thanks again.

 

[inflagranteineveryway]

Thanks for your reply. Everyone one of us knows alcohol is no good for our organs, and the only medical benefit could come from a glass of red wine at dinner. (yeah RIGHT).....hahaha

thanks for the imput though. I really am concerned about liver damage.

 

[GENGAR]

thanks for the imput though. I really am concerned about liver damage.

The liver is one of the few organs we have that can heal itself. It can take the hit so to say. It would be hard to damage your liver drinking alcohol. You would have to drink heavy for ten years.

 

[pancake cat]

Thank you so much for your reply. I agree it is the least functional option, especially considering I don't have a drinking problem but at some point I might if I keep using it for this purpose. Just wondering if anyone else has found temporary success using only in the short term (I only have these bouts of panic attacks every few years).

Valium only when necessary (never every day) and a combo of various SSRI's long term.


Getting older helps, just being comfortable not going into scenarios that cause panic attacks and anxiety is easier with age.

 

[ChemicallyEnhanced]

Be careful. I had terrible social anxiety and discovered drinking made me confident and outgoing socially. But it led to 7 years in a hell of dependency and addiction that nearly killed me.