Q I heard coffee and energy drinks can trigger panic attacks. Do I have to quit completely?
A Caffeine is a major panic trigger — during treatment, it is advisable to reduce intake to under 100 mg per day (about one cup of Americano) or eliminate it entirely.
Detailed Answer
Caffeine stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, raises heart rate, and amplifies anxiety. In experiments in which caffeine was administered to patients with panic disorder, panic-like symptoms were triggered at a far higher rate than in the general population. Even a single Americano (approximately 100–150 mg of caffeine) can provoke a panic attack, so substituting decaffeinated coffee or herbal tea during treatment is the safer option. Energy drinks are particularly risky for panic patients because they contain additional stimulants such as taurine in addition to caffeine.
Korean Medicine Clinic Perspective
In Korean medicine, caffeine is viewed as a food that stimulates Heart Fire (심화) and further depletes Heart Qi. At Dongjedang, we recommend jujube tea (sanjoinin / sour jujube seed), lotus seed tea, and chrysanthemum tea as alternatives. These calm the Heart-Mind, cool Deficiency-Heat (허열), and help reduce the triggers of panic attacks.
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