I suffered panic attacks pretty often during the last couple years of my drinking. For me, the chances of having a panic attack went up on the days after a heavy night of drinking. During the last year, I discovered that if I drank in the morning I could get through most days at work without a panic attack, although sometimes a trip to the liquor store at lunch time was necessary. On the weekends, I just stayed drunk.
I have not had a panic attack since I stopped drinking for real five and a half years ago. When I went into treatment for the drinking, my physician prescribed Paxil for the panic attacks. I stayed on that for the first year and a half of recovery.
One of the many good reasons I have to not take that first drink is the certain knowledge that if the drinking starts up, so will the panic attacks. I like the freedom of being able to stand in line at the grocery store without fear. In the past, I had to drink to do simple things like that.