I have some questions for the op .....im going through the same thing also ....im an o/o and my first panic attack was on august of last year and it happened to me while on a load going from chicago to laredo tx.Its one of the worst feelings ever and hope he replies i would like to know how he managed to control or eliminate it

Worrywort .........ive been going through the same issues anxiety and panic attacks. .....it all started going home from chicago to laredo first panic attack never have i had history of them or for that matter and this was back in august i went to the er first thoughr was that i was having a heart attack and that i was going to die. So ive been like this for almost 6 months now and went to see my regular doctor and everytime i go he wanted to do blood work like a **** ton of blood work so he did and everything came back normal and healthy. Ive been at least 5 times to the ER at different hospitals all around and man sometimes i tought i was the only truck driver with anxiety issues and panic attacks. So thats that heres what has been done to me man (x-rays, brain ct-scan, chest ct-scan, holter monitor- u use it 24hrs to check heartbeat and rhythm, blood work every check up and at every hospital, heart sonogram, urine testing and thyroid test .so theycame tk the conclusion that its anxiety and ive been on meds called BUSPAR so whatever u want to know .ill more than likely give u my opinion

Not a doctor, nor attempting to give medical advice. Just want to share some of the herbal helps I found when I had to deal with the "Donkey kick to the face"--
*As someone mentioned before, Valerian root. It helps immensely. It's dose-dependent, so a person would need to start with a few sprinkles to find the level that worked for him/her.
*Also, as someone mentioned, Rhodiola Rosea. This one was wonderful for the sadness/listlessness. However, it should only be taken one or two sprinkles on one day, then like three days in between. The body has a tendency to "over-correct" on ANY substance, once it has cleared, but this one's recoil is noticeable!
Do you have dental fillings? Mercury can cause severe, almost undiagnosable health reactions in some.
Also, google "iron overload/hemochromatosis" and "zinc deficiency in men". Men usually continue to collect iron throughout their lives, so by the time they hit their 50s, they're turning into "Iron Man". That's not a good thing. Iron, without the zinc-dependent carrier proteins, caused SEVERE OXIDATIVE DAMAGE TO NERVES AND TISSUES. Translation: Misplaced iron draws oxygen to it where ever it is...which causes the formation of "free radicals"--which are like having razor blades tumbling around in your body!!!
I said all that to say that anxiety, depression, and adrenal exhaustion could all be linked to oxidative damage (read: RUSTING FROM THE INSIDE OUT!) within the body, brought on by having too much iron stored up because those free radicals can attack the myelin sheath of the nerves... Google this for yourself...
Trucking is stressful enough without added pain.
Wishing you all well.
Jewels

Iron Man = Fe male... .... get it? Maybe that's what happened to Bruce Jenner?

(periodic table signature for iron is; Fe)

I "caught that" on the first read. This scares me. Tremendously!
It's weird that that idea came through, though, because that's what happened to iron-overloaded frogs and mice in experiments! The ramifications of this are frightening, though. The good thing is, though, that once they lowered the iron levels, and added zinc to the animals' diets, they returned to pre-experiment "behaviors". I think it's sad that more men don't know this---instead of Viagra or Cialis, they could give blood and take zinc!
Strong intuitive hit on that one!

I have had anxiety since I was 16. I have found that vitamin D 2000 gl a day and ginger root pills with each meal helped, but give it time. But it will not take away all the anxiety you will have to take medication. I have been on so many medications through the years I cant remember. 2 months ago I had full blown panic attacks and my doctor said he would up the one med that did not help. So I went to a new doctor he put me on Norotin 100mg 4x a day the first few days I was sleepy but no anxiety after 2 weeks I was not feeling tired at all. I jumped in my truck that was sitting and drove around the block a few time to see how I felt. Was a little nervous but as I drove I felt better. This is called exposure therapy and it really works but you have to go slow. You are not crazy it is a chemical inbalance in the brain. So yes you can beat this don't let anxiety take your life away. I lost every thing because they could not find the right medication I was stuck at home for 2 years. This drug really works and they can go as high as 7000mg a day and it is still safe check it out and best of luck to you.

The issue for trucking companies is side effects.. even though people may or may not have them... any accident at fault or not will make the side effects THE issue and lawsuits will kill the companies. For this reason alone, most trucking companies will exclude drivers who are on anti-depressants or similar drugs. It sucks, but you cannot blame the trucking industry.. blame the "jackpot justice" industry..

Totally agree, that's why I have my very long list of country music recorded on my phone to ease boredomness whill one the road

I am very prone to depression. I often have panic attacks and anxiety flushes. And most often it happens when I'm on the road. I tried in every possible way to calm myself down and get rid of this condition as soon as possible when I'm driving. I've tried a lot of things, but the best thing that helps me is the soothing music downloaded that you can download click here. I hope it will help someone

You should listen to rock when you’re in the car, it’s universal music.