Sully,

I have some propanolol and atenolol for those rare situations where I have a sustained panic attack. They are both blood pressure meds. I have had panic attacks last for hours with dangerously high blood pressure.

PCS can cause adrenal-cortical hyperfunction. Your adrenaline goes haywire. The BP meds help to settle things down.

I can now tell when I am pushing the limits and remove myself to a safer environment. I get triggered by sounds and visual over-stimulation. Sounds are the worst. Too many voices at the same time can be brutal. I no longer attend church services because it takes me all afternoon to recover from the over-stimulation.

You would do good to keep track of the environment where you have these panic attacks. With time, you ought to be able to notice the early precursors to a panic attack. I start to get very precise hearing that tries to identify every different voice at the same time. As soon at I notice this cascade of voices, I run for the door. All I have to do is catch my wife's eyes and she can tell I am in crisis.

Sometimes, she will see it coming before I do. Sometimes, I will get very quiet and withdrawn. She knows to excuse me to the others.

These are all very valuable skills to have. First, they require that you recognize this problem as beyond your control. This can be a humbling personal observation. The only control you have is to leave the environment.

You need to have your safe person (my wife is mine) if you can. A co-worker can help if you can trust one with this personal information. In the US, the Americans' with Disabilities Act protects you from negative actions from your employer. In fact, they are required to make any reasonable accommodations for this. This is also not required to be disclosed to a prospective employer during a job application unless it creates an unsafe situation.

Let me know if I can help you any more with this struggle. As others have said, stay away from benzos. They are brutal and only make matters worse with the tiredness. Also, stay away from any caffeine. It can make panic attacks worse.