Phenomenological comparison of dextrose, lactate, and isoproterenol associated panic attacks.

To investigate the relationship between naturally occurring and drug-induced panic attacks, we compared the phenomenology of panic attacks in 12 panic disorder patients who panicked during both placebo and lactate infusion and in 9 panic disorder patients who panicked during both placebo and isoproterenol infusions. Panic attacks during lactate and isoproterenol infusions were similar to the panic attacks during placebo infusions.