SSRI for Palpitations

[Carrie41]

I am sorry to post again but I just wanted to ask what SSRI you would recommend for me.  I suffer severe anxiety and panic attacks over these palpitations and I read on the internet that a lot of SSRI's give you palpitations!  

Also could you please clarify that if a person has a thallium test and a normal echo and normal ekg that these palpitations are no big deal?  I still think they are missing something.

[Michael J. McWilliams, M.D.]

Hi Carrie,

what SSRI would recommend for me.  I suffer severe anxiety and panic attacks over these palpitations and I read on the internet that a lot of SSRI's give you palpitations!

Some people have side effects with one and not an other.  There may be an element of trial and error -- if one increases your PVCs, after a few weeks (prefer a few months) of waiting for them to calm down, consider stopping that one and trying a different one.  They all work slightly differently and ones that work in some people do not work for others.  I do not prescribe SSRI often -- that is usually done by primary care doctors.  I would start with paxil or zoloft and see if it helps.  There are tons of these medications on the market now.  The newest medication isn't always the best medication, but it will probably be the most expensive.

Also could you please clarify that if a person has a thallium test and a normal echo and normal ekg that these palpitations are no big deal?  

I would be very satisfied with a normal thalium, echo and EKG.

I hope this helps.  Thanks for posting.

[Carrie41]

Thank you for your quick reponse!

I will try the paxil I think.  I am going to see my doctor this week.

Can you tell me if everyone has PVC's and PAC's then why does nobody in my family feel them?  I can't seem to get it thru my head that everyone has them?  I feel every little skip and flutter and run it does.  

[SillyHeart]

Celexa drastically reduced my PVCs.  I was almost completely free of PVCs for 5 years while on Celexa.  Maybe one or two skipped beats a month versus hundreds per day.  It was like magic.  They returned within months of quitting the drug.

For insurance purposes when I wanted to start back on an SSRI I had to take Lexapro which I now take.  The improvement isn't as drastic as it was on Celexa.

[Carrie41]

I was on Celexa for years and it took the edge off so that the PVC's didn't bother me as much.  I went thru a horrible time last year, losing my job, getting another job which I HATED and being let go again and that is when they totally started up again.  

I may even try the Celexa again.  I was on Lexapro for three months and it didn't do a thing for me except give me more anxiety.

[arma]

A related discussion, cardiologist was started.