Lexapro efffects on the heart?

[guinea54]

I have spent years dealing with anxiety, panic, acrophobia... Most of them stem from fears of the heart, skipped beats, super fast heart rate surges that feel like its 300 beats per min..   I finally decided to try a medication but have been getting paranoid if lexapro is right for me. I don't like the idea of anything effecting the heart, or heart rhythms.
     I have had some tests done from GP, lung doctor in the past and a couple years ago I went to a cardiologist.. He gave me an EKG, and said it was normal, but i read it and saw something that said incomplete right branch bundle block.. He wasn't concerned and just said it was normal...  He gave me an echo cardiogram  as well and said i have a strong heart.   Next he gave me a holter monitor and I had that attack while wearing it.. I was absolutely convinced it would show SVT or something weird..  But he said it was sinus tachy... I couldn't believe it...  I thought that news would cure my anxiety.. but it hasn't..  He also said i didn't have any pvc's pacs on the 24 hour monitor.. he seemed to be impressed by that.. I wasn't surprised cause I usually feel them if i get it, and I HATE THEM.

   Now I am trying an SSRI lexapro..  Am I a making a mistake?   I am starting out with 5mg and see how I do on that..  I have been noticing i got a couple of "skipped heart beats" since taking the meds.  i seem to be getting one of those PVc's/Pacs a day or rarely 2 or 3 a day.. I just want to know what you guys thought.. and if you think that incomplete right bundle block is anything to be concerned about..  The cardiologist had like 0 concern over it.. so much so he didn't even mention, I just happened to see it and asked him.

  sorry for the long post..  Just wanted to hear opinions.. I been suffering from anxiety/panic attacks/ and these weird SVT attacks that are supposedly also panic attacks.. should i just take magenisum/taurine supplements or should i give this Lexapro a try..  If i ever want to ween off lexapro.. Im going to do 2.5mg dosage drops every 2 weeks.. till i hit 2.5 and do that every other day for two weeks.. I don't want any withdrawals.

[2210485]

Yes, this sounds like some,anxiety. Are you self medicating on this ssri? If so thats extremely dangerous and you should let a physician recommend dosages.

Psych meds have alot of drug interactions and need a professional to review everything.

[guinea54]

my doctor prescribed me lexapro .. What is dangerous?  she gave me 10mg, but I decided to start out on 5mg to see how i tolerate it, why would using less be dangerous?

[2210485]

Using less wouldnt be dangerous, if the doctor prescribed 10 with knowledge of your other meds.

I was concerned because your post sounded like you were possibly taking the medicine without doctor supervision.

[guinea54]

well its not much supervision to be honest with you. they just prescribed me the pills.. I decided on my own to take 5mg to start off with.. I noticed I been feeling worse since taking the pill.. Its been 2 weeks now... I might go up another 2.5mg and see how i handle it for another two weeks, till i reach 10mg.. maybe im being silly by doing this.

[guinea54]

im not on any other medication other than xanax/klonopin for "as needed".. i try not to take it often.

[CFS56]

An increase in anxiety is fairly common when starting on a SSRI.  Doesn't mean it's not working.  It takes 3 to 4 weeks to start feeling any difference.

[guinea54]

CFS56... Yeah... I feel like things are worse now. All the weird symptoms that have bothered me throughout the years seem to be hitting me all at once.. last night i had one of those attacks, but this time it was worse than usual.. I haven't had one this bad in a long time.  I have been on 5mg for 2 weeks.. Im not sure what to do.. Stick with the medicine or up my dose another 2.5mg or just go to 10mg.  

[CFS56]

I would give the lexapro a try.  Sinus tachycardia is most likely from a panic attack and anxiety.  SVT is an electrical malfunction, not from panic and anxiety.  So if your holter showed that is not what it was, that is a good thing.If you get your anxiety under control, there is a real good chance the attacks will stop.

[guinea54]

You know how phobic people are, i started thinking they didn't hook up the holter correctly it was in a pattern that seemed weird.  but the doctor said the machine got a good read.. Its almost like its hard to accept how like at a drop of a hat the pulse can take off to a rate that just by feeling it u would def think it was SVT or some abnormal arrhythmia..
   If it truly is anxiety.. Then this is an example of how anxiety can create symptoms JUST like SVT attacks
  I just hope the lexapro doesn't have any adverse reactions on the heart. .

[CFS56]

I completely understand.  I also suffer from anxiety and panic attacks.  I was in and out of the ER every other week for a while with my heart acting crazy and most of it was anxiety.  I couldn't believe that was what was causing so many of my symptoms,but once I got anxiety under control, things got way better. So..I also took lexapro for a while.  Best advice I can give you is what my therapist told me.  If you haven't done it already, try your best to not read and dwell on side effects.  All medicine has side effects, even something like aspirin would scare you if you read everything it could do to you.  And you do not have to take the full prescribed dose to start.  She told me to take what I felt comfortable with, even if it was just 1/4 of the dose.  Then if you are ok with that, go up a little.  Like she said some is better than nothing.  Hang in there with it though if you can.  It will help.  Anxiety really, really, sucks and it will ruin your life if you let it.

[guinea54]

Thanks for the response, so the lexapro has helped you?  How long have you been on it?

[CFS56]

I'm not taking it now.  I took it for about a year and weaned off of it. It really did help.  I stopped obsessing about what my heart was doing and was able to move on and actually enjoy things without worrying all the time.  It took about 3 weeks to really start helping any. And so far, I am still able to focus on other stuff and do what I want without worrying myself to death.  It got me over the hump.

[guinea54]

thats nice to hear, happy for you that it worked out.   I have been taking it less than a week.. decided to do 5mg only to see how i react on it first.  figure to do 2 weeks or so on 5mg then go up 2.5mg for another two weeks if need be, etc.  I think the lexapro has made me stress out about my heart more cause i over read stuff about it.. and i been getting more skipped beats then usual... like at least one a day it seems.  which i guess isn't much but i wasn't getting many

[CFS56]

Try not to worry too much about the skipped beats.  I sometimes have thousands a day and I'm still here.  Been having them for 40 years.  

[guinea54]

Yeah i hear that if you have less than 20,000 a day,, (incredible number) that you don't have to treat it.  The problem with skipped beats is the sensation i get and not knowing fully if they are skipped beats.  can't think of what else they would be, i just hate any sensations with the heart.  

[foodwatcher]

It can all change tho.I am close to age 60 and my attack was svt,but it was never caught before on EKG/holters. if they dont catch it, it means  they perhaps didnt catch it,not for sure that it isnt there!

[guinea54]

Foodwatcher, well i had a monitor on once when it happened and i got that attack at night like i often times do and they said it wasn't svt.. i was shocked.