CO2 inhalation has been reported to induce panic attacks in panic
disorder patients. State anxiety, somatic symptoms of anxiety,
physiological changes, and cerebral blood flow (CBF) were monitored in
panic disorder patients before and after intravenous injections of 1 g of
acetazolamide (13 patients) and saline (10 patients), given under
double-blind conditions. In spite of significant hypercarbia, as evidenced
by increased CBF in the former group, only one subject reported panic and
even that attack did not meet DSM-III-R criteria. There was only one
significant difference between the drug and placebo groups; the
acetazolamide group experienced significantly more dizziness.
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