Hello. Thank you for your question and welcome to HCM. I understand your concern. Coffee and other caffeine-containing beverages, like tea or energy drinks, have a stimulatory effect on the heart rate and it can run really rapid and produce pounding heartbeats, due to laboured work of the heart. My opinion is that the panic you went through, only made things worse or put petrol to fire , because it is well-known that also fear, anxiety, panic attack or any other psychologically enhanced situation can increase the heart rate and, subsequently, produce shortness of breath, more fear, dizziness etc. Therefore, I would recommend you to avoid large amounts of caffeine and try to have a normal 6-7-hour sleep cycle, mostly from 11 pm to 6 am. Also, be physically active and recognize this as a very healthy behaviour, for at least 60 minutes a day. My opinion is that these are all the measures that should be undertaken, and no further action, at the moment. If you find this episode worrisome, and it is repeated with no known cause (because you recognize that this one is because of the caffeine), then an EKG would be in order, and, if judged appropriate by your attending doctor, further evaluation. I hope I was helpful. Take care. Regards, Dr. Meriton