Panic Attacks?

Over the weekend we got invited to our next door neighbors house for a campfire. We have been invited to their house before and our kids get along great. They are aware of Abby's allergies so they do their best to make sure to have Abby-friendly snacks (even when we bring our own... so nice of them!). I was outside hanging out and Abby followed our neighbor into the house along with her kids for a snack. Abby grabbed a Nilla Wafer and stuffed it in her mouth without thinking. When Grace told her that it wasn't vegan Abby went into panic mode. She spit it out, came running out to me and just about lost her little mind.

She began crying and gagging and choking for air. It looked like she was having a full fledged panic attack. We got her past the pure panic but still had to take her home she was so upset. She went to bed still crying. I figured the combination of being tired and having a food "accident" just triggered an extreme response.

But then this week she had another similar incident. She was over tired and we were in a restaurant. Out of nowhere she looks at me with a look of sheer panic and says "I need to go home". Thankfully she got calmed down quick enough to avoid the peak of the attack but it was still scary for her (and for me).

Being that we were just at the developmental pedi last week I am not quite sure what to do. I don't want to do meds yet. No amount of deep breathing helps when you get a three year old into a panic attack. I am (naively) hoping it doesn't happen again. (Please don't let it happen again...)