New symptoms - Heart Palpitations. Feels like irregular heartbeat.

[Jade1]

About 3-4weeks ago, I decided to go off Celexa...I did it gradually. So I went from 40 mg to 0 in about 3 weeks...It s been about 5 days I'm not taking it at all anymore.
Plus I was taking xanax (0.25 mg) every night to sleep. I stopped taking that as well.

Now it's been about a week that I have this weird heartbeat feeling...as if my heartbeat was irregular...and I feel it pounding in my chest. It's not constant..but I notice it mostly at night, when I come back from work. It s so scary.

I wonder if I should go to the ER...knowing that I'm such a hypochondriac, I dont want to overreact.
Has this happened to any of you??

[lawkcrabb]

This happens to me all the time...I will feel like my heart is pounding and occasionally I feel skipped beats.  In fact, today I was eating lunch and felt like my heart stopped, felt like I had to cough to get it going again...although I probably didn't need to.  With all of my EKG's, chest x-rays, blood work and CT scan I know deep down inside that my heart is great...but I worry about it EVERY DAY! 

I take Lexapro and I tried to go off of it a few months ago, prematurely, I had in no way had my anxiety under control enough to stop taking it.  I, like you, went off of it gradually and once it left my system my anxiety was WAY worse than it was before.  I also had a lot of anxiety leading up to it wondering what side effects I would have from the withdrawal...I am sure THAT is what made it so bad.  So, long story short, I am now back on 10mg of Lexapro with the realization that I need to learn and hone in on coping mechanisms to keep my anxiety in check before I get off the medication...I am not there yet.

How long have you been taking the Celexa and why did you decide to go off of it?
What testing have you had done?

Try and stay calm...anxiety makes us feel like we are going crazy!  Know that you aren't alone!

[Jade1]

Hi Lawkcrabb,

Thanks for your reply. I was on Celexa since september..so for about 6 months..! I had ( and still have) a lot of neuro symptoms such as twitching, dizziness, unequal pupils, floaters, headaches ( that symptom went away) 

I had a ct scan of the brain, mri /mra of the brain, emg, ct scan of the upper body ( that was because I had an emergency appendectomy in july) gastroscopy ( because I was throwing up quite a bit for a few weeks) I did have an EKG while at the hospital as well...ohh and x ray of the lungs as well as multiple blood tests..

The only thing I havent done, and that I was supposed to do is a colonoscopy...and that s because I canceled my appointment. The doctor told me I prob have IBS, but I am currently stressing about the fact that I should have gone because I have symptoms going on as well..

anyway...now it s the heartbeat that seems to be not normal..I pray it's nothing and just me going off the medication. I decided to go off because first of all, I've been seeing a therapist, and thought I had things under control, and second it's made me gain so much weight.

How long have you been on lexapro for?

[lawkcrabb]

I went on Lexapro in September 2011 after I made my mom take me to the ER because I "just knew" I was having a heart attack.  Right when we went in my mom told them about my anxiety (I have had it since my 15 year old son almost died 13 years ago...it started as PTSD).  The doctor asked me what I thought was wrong and I told him my heart...he asked if I had a family history, and I don't...anywhere.  He said he was going to test me for all the heart conditions...the ones that will kill you and the ones that won't.  He ordered an EKG, chest x-ray, blood work up and a CT scan from my chin to my toes with a contrasting liquid.  He came back and told me that he had tested me for way more than he should for a 35 year old with no family history of heart disease.  The only thing that was off was my overall muscle blood test, but when he tested it again it was fine (I had just started a new workout program the day before).  He said my heart was great and that I had a severe case of anxiety.  When I went in, I had worked myself up so much that my blood pressure was 190/110 and my pulse was 125 bpm...he decided not to give me anything to bring my blood pressure down because he wanted to see what lying there and relaxing would do.  When I was discharged my blood pressure was 110/62 and my pulse was in the 70s.  They gave me some Ativan and referred me to my primary doctor who then gave me a script for Lexapro (which has helped immensely)!  I did discover from the testing that I am allergic to Iodine from the contrast liquid...I had a horrible allergic reaction which sent my anxiety into overload.   

You would think with all the testing I have had done it would be enough...but it isn't.  I still constantly check my pulse rate and worry about every skipped beat and bizarre feeling.  The only time I don't notice it is when I am busy doing something else.

I know it takes weeks, maybe months, for the medication to get completely out of your system.  I wouldn't worry about the feelings you are having...you have had a lot of testing as well ;)

How long have you been in therapy?

[Jade1]

I've been in therapy for years..( seeing a psychologist ) for different reasons, but I pretty much always had hypochondria..since I was a teenager. I dont really know what triggered it in my case.

That feeling when you just "know" you have something is pretty awful. I totally understand you. And everytime you think that this time there s really something wrong. I try to rationalize and not freak out. Coming on this board helps..however the symptoms are still there. For instance, today the irregular hearbeat/ pounding heartbeat feeling happened a few times already. I try to make senses of it, try to make myself believe it s because I went off the SSRI's

I know I had a lot of testing done, however I  havent been to the doctor since december..which for me is almost a miracle..but now I'm scared that I should have gone back. Plus I didnt do the colonoscopy I was supposed to do. Although the doctor didnt seem to think it was such a big deal. He said ; if metamucil helps, you can cancel the appointment.  That's another stress I have right now..

[Engineerwhisp]

I have been going through the same thing. I've cut my citalopram dosage in half about a month ago and for the past couple weeks several times a day I get this fluttering type feeling in my chest where my heart is. Today it happened a lot and really freaked me out. How many times a day do you guys get these skipped heart beat feelings? I feel as though its way too much.

[illini81]

When I went off Cymbalta a few years ago my heart rate really increased.  I also noticed more palpatations.  It went away after a few months, and since then my heart has been fine.

I think with anything cardiac related, it makes sense to get it checked out by a cardiologist - not because there is necessarily anything wrong (or anything dangerous, at least) - but because anxiety sufferers need that reassurance that everything with their heart is ok.  A fairly significant percentage of the population has premature atrial and/or ventricle contractions.  Those with anxiety, though, more often feel them, and it can cause increased heart rate, chest pain, etc., because they get so stressed about it.

I really struggle with anxiety.  But once I got checked out by a cardiologist, I was able to let it go and it doesn't worry me (which is saying something, b/c it seems like everything else worries me).

[Lalaland]

Hi guys

I have a naturally fast heartbeat and I get that same 'skipped best' feeling occasionally (I'm 25). I know exactly what you meant when you say you felt like you need to cough, my doctor explained it really well to me, she said that when your heart is going fast (naturally, because you're anxious, etc, etc) your heart doesn't have enough time to completely fill with blood in between each beat. She said the feeling is actually an extra beat, not a skipped one and that it's perfectly safe :)

She also said drinking a huge glass of very cold water very quickly can help if you get a few of these happening in a short amount of time. I find it works every time! In fact I have trouble sleeping at night until I've had my cold water, it keeps me awake all night otherwise! 

Good luck!:)

[Jade1]

Hi guys, thanks for everyone answers

I  must say that the irregular hb feeling has almost subsided. I guess it was really related to stopping the meds!
I still feel it occasionally..but it's not as intense.

[Jade1]

well..after yesterday's post, I started having the irregular hb feeling. Plus lately I,ve been putting on weight pretty quickly...I googled about that last night, and that brought me to a site about congestive heart failure, and how it s related to weight gain.
Now I'm absolutely terrified...