Am I in danger

I have been taking Cipramil 20mg/day for about 7 months for panic attacks caused by bereavement.  In that time I have had the constant symptom of skipped heartbeat which I'll be honest has always scared the living daylights out of me, but I have read on this page that this symptom can be a side effect of SSRi's and have tried to perservere.  In the last fortnight my stress levels have increased, as have the heart irritability which really brings me to my question.  Is this reaction to stress or anxiety normal when using this kind of medication? or is something else going wrong/is this dangerous?.  I feel so sensitive at the moment that somebody even speaking to me can be enough to startle me.

Thanks in advance

Simon

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

It is most likely that the underlying anxiety is breaking through and you should either change the dosage of the medication with your doctor, or change medications, or get some good supportive counseling in order to get to the root of the anxiety.

On the other hand, if you are having frequent skipped beats you must have a good cardiac workup...and if any problems, you should discontinue this drug and try another...there are many to choose from.