Post-Panic Recovery: Nutrients to Bring Your Body Back to Baseline

Introduction

A panic attack can feel like a storm inside the body. The pounding heart, trembling, shortness of breath, dizziness, and overwhelming sense of doom are deeply unsettling. Even after the attack passes, the aftermath often lingers—fatigue, muscle soreness, brain fog, or emotional exhaustion. Many describe this phase as the “panic hangover,” where the nervous system is still frazzled and struggling to return to equilibrium.

This recovery phase is critical. While most people focus on stopping panic in the moment, few realize that post-panic recovery practices can shorten the aftermath, reduce the risk of another episode, and help retrain the body to feel safe again. Nutrition and targeted supplementation play a central role.

This article explores what happens in the body after panic, which nutrients help restore baseline, and how combining them with breathwork and therapy can build resilience for the future.

Looking for supplements for people with Anxiety? Click here.

🌪️ The Aftermath of Panic: What Happens in the Body

A panic attack is essentially a massive adrenaline surge. The sympathetic nervous system floods the body with fight-or-flight chemicals to prepare for danger—even when no actual threat exists.

Key Aftereffects:

Adrenaline crash: Leaves you shaky, tired, and wired at the same time.

Cortisol spike: Keeps the body on edge long after the panic fades.

Neurotransmitter depletion: GABA, serotonin, and dopamine drop, leaving you vulnerable to mood swings.

Electrolyte shifts: Sweating, rapid breathing, and muscle contractions alter sodium, potassium, and magnesium balance.

Blood sugar swings: The body burns glucose rapidly during panic, sometimes leading to crashes.

This is why the aftermath often feels like you’ve run a marathon—your body has, in a sense, just fought a war with itself.

🧠 Why Nutrients Matter for Post-Panic Recovery

Food and supplements provide the raw materials the body needs to restore balance after panic. Without replenishment, recovery is slower and the nervous system remains dysregulated.

Nutrients Help By:

Replenishing neurotransmitters like serotonin and GABA.

Restoring electrolyte and hydration balance.

Supporting adrenal recovery and reducing cortisol.

Rebuilding cellular energy (ATP).

Enhancing resilience against future panic.

🌿 Key Nutrients for Post-Panic Recovery

Magnesium: The Nervous System’s Relaxer

Panic depletes magnesium through adrenaline-driven muscle contraction.

Supports GABA, calms muscle tension, steadies heart rhythm.

Best forms: Glycinate (calm), Citrate (digestion), Threonate (brain).

Dosage: 200–400 mg.

Looking for supplements for people with Anxiety? Click here.

B Vitamins: Nervous System Repair Kit

Stress rapidly burns through B vitamins.

B6: Supports serotonin and GABA production.

B5: Helps adrenal glands recover from cortisol spikes.

B12 & Folate: Rebuild dopamine and serotonin.

Best form: Balanced B Complex.

Vitamin C: The Adrenal Supporter

Cortisol release drains vitamin C.

Powerful antioxidant that calms inflammation after panic.

Dosage: 500–1000 mg after a panic episode.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Mood Stabilizers

Reduce inflammation and stabilize neurotransmitters.

Long-term support against anxious spirals.

Dosage: 1000–2000 mg EPA/DHA daily.

Electrolytes: The Calm Restorers

Panic causes sweating, rapid breathing, and shifts in sodium and potassium.

Rehydrating with electrolytes steadies the nervous system.

Sources: Coconut water, electrolyte powders, mineral-rich salt.

Amino Acids: Neurotransmitter Builders

L-Theanine: Promotes calm alpha brain waves.

Taurine: Stabilizes heart rhythm and enhances GABA.

Glycine: Improves relaxation and sleep.

Tryptophan: Precursor to serotonin.

Adaptogens: Resetting the Stress Response

Ashwagandha: Lowers cortisol, restores energy.

Rhodiola: Reduces fatigue after stress.

Holy Basil: Balances blood sugar and calms nerves.

Zinc and Selenium: Mood Micronutrients

Panic and stress increase oxidative stress, depleting minerals.

Zinc supports GABA and serotonin.

Selenium helps regulate thyroid and mood.

Probiotics: Gut–Brain Axis Support

Panic often disrupts digestion.

Gut bacteria produce serotonin and influence stress response.

Strains like Lactobacillus rhamnosus shown to reduce anxiety.

🌬️ Breathwork for Faster Recovery

Supplements restore chemistry, but breathwork helps calm the nervous system in real time.

Post-Panic Techniques:

Physiological Sigh 😮💨: Two quick inhales + one long exhale → lowers heart rate and cortisol fast.

Resonance Breathing 🌊: 5–6 breaths/minute → rebalances vagal tone.

Box Breathing ⬛: 4–4–4–4 pattern → restores steady rhythm.

Pairing an electrolyte drink with 5 minutes of breathwork can accelerate recovery.

Want to try Breathwork? Click Here.

🛋️ Therapy for Long-Term Reset

Nutrients and breathwork reset the body, but therapy resets the mind’s relationship with panic.

Helpful Modalities:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Reframes catastrophic thinking about panic symptoms.

Somatic Therapy: Helps release physical tension stored in the body.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR): Strengthens awareness without judgment.

Therapy trains the nervous system not to overreact to sensations, reducing the cycle of panic.

Looking for online therapy for people with Social Anxiety? Click Here.

🕒 A Post-Panic Recovery Ritual

Step 1: Rehydrate 💧

Glass of water with electrolytes + magnesium.

Step 2: Calm with Nutrients 🌿

B Complex + Vitamin C + Omega-3s.

Step 3: Breathwork 🌬️

5 minutes of resonance breathing or 3 rounds of physiological sigh.

Want to try Breathwork? Click Here.

Step 4: Gentle Nutrition 🥗

Balanced snack with protein + complex carbs (e.g., Greek yogurt with berries).

Step 5: Rest 😴

Journal, stretch, or nap to allow full recovery.

🚫 Mistakes to Avoid

Drinking only plain water without electrolytes (can worsen imbalance).

Skipping meals after panic (blood sugar crashes worsen symptoms).

Overusing caffeine or alcohol post-panic (both stress the system).

Expecting supplements alone to fix panic (therapy and mindfulness matter too).

🌟 Long-Term Benefits of Nutrient Support After Panic

2–4 Weeks: Reduced “panic hangover” symptoms, better energy.

6–8 Weeks: Nervous system becomes more resilient, fewer relapses.

3–6 Months: Panic episodes feel less overwhelming, faster recovery becomes second nature.

🎤 Conclusion

Recovering from panic is more than just “waiting it out.” The aftermath is a chance to nourish your nervous system, restore balance, and reduce vulnerability to future attacks.

By replenishing with magnesium, B vitamins, vitamin C, electrolytes, and adaptogens, alongside breathwork and therapy, you give your body the tools it needs to return to baseline quickly and calmly.

With the right nutrients and practices, panic doesn’t have to leave you drained. Instead, each episode can become an opportunity to strengthen your resilience and reclaim calm.