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Alpha23: palpitations after switching from Prozac to Lexapro and back again


Alpha23

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Thanks for the reply Grandma D. It's always good to get a response.

 

I agree that worrying about symptoms can ramp things up and lead to a vicious circle. I haven't read Clair Weekes book, but I have seen some of her videos on Youtube. Her advice to "float" through the anxiety rather than run away from it makes a lot of sense. Also, as you say, it's important to find something else to focus on. Of course, that's easier said than done when the symptoms can be so debilitating at times.

 

This week I've had really bad hay fever on top of everything else. I think this may be making my chest tightness and breathing difficulties worse. It's strange because I don't normally suffer from hay fever at this time of year. I guess it's just another sign that my nervous system has been sensitized by the drugs. It's stopping me going outside, which is a pain. Normally I might take an anti-histamine, but the advice on here is to avoid them if possible.

 

I'm glad you were able to ditch the benzos. I'm not sure if any of the mods will be able to comment on the beta-blockers option, although I did find the following thread where a member had a lot of success with Atenolol. Reading this is what made me consider beta-blockers for myself. Would be good to find a magic bullet like that!

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/topic/33-waking-with-panic-or-anxiety-managing-cortisol-spikes/?page=13#comment-256121

 

Prozac 30 mg for many years.

Short two-week taper to 20 mg followed by 5 day washout period. (January 2017)

Lexapro 10 mg for 25 days. Stopped due to intolerable side-effects, notably palpitations and tinnitus. (February 2017)

Two day washout period before reinstating Prozac at 40 mg. (February 2017)

3 weeks later end up in ER due to severe palpitations and dizziness. (March 2017)

2 weeks of insomnia and intermittent akathisia. (March 2017)

Stabilization of Prozac dosage at 20 mg. (April 2017)

Gradual recovery and eventual return to work. (December 2017)

Reinstatement of Prozac dosage back to 30 mg gradually over 5 years. (February 2024)

 

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I have remembered now that the beta blockers were out of the question because I have low blood pressure and they are prescribed for high blood pressure.

 

Sorry you now have a fever and hayfever, etc.  Having extra things like that on top of everything else seems to make it all a whole lot more unbearable. 

 

I hope you can manage without anti-histamines.  I get it bad also and bought off the internet a face mask and I add an extra piece of cloth muslin inside it to block anything I breathe and that weeks quite well.  You could try the masks they sell at hardware shops to stop you breathing in dust, etc.

 

If you find a magic bullet, let me know!!!!

1995-2007      20mg Aropax/Paxil for pain.  Years of up and down doses

2008                Endep, Lexapro and then Esipram (hell!) CT (oh dear!)

2009                20mg Aropax.  Tried skipping doses for a year (more hell!)

                        2010                10mg.  10% taper.  Lasted 4 months. Crashed again

2011                5% taper. 9mg-7mg (hell got even worse!)

2012                2.5% taper.  6.6mg – 5.6mg (worser still & unbearable)

2013                5% taper.  Big mistake.  5.5mg – 4.6mg  (even worserer)

2014                2.5% taper.  4.9mg – 4.5mg;    2015 2.5% taper 4.4 - 4.0mg

2016                2.5% taper.  3.9mg  Feb 3.8   Mar 3.7  May 3.6   Jul 3.5

2017                2.5% taper.  Jan 3.4;   Mar 3.35;  Apr 3.3; Oct 3; Dec 2.9;

2018                2.5% taper. Jan 2.8; Mar 2.7; Mar: 2.75; Jun 2.7; Aug 2.6; Oct 2.5; Nov 2.4; Dec 2.3

2019                Jan 2.2; Feb 2.1;

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  • Moderator Emeritus

There is a very important survey on drug WD at the moment. We might finally get some acknowledgement for all the suffering these drugs caused us.

 

Adding your experience would be very valuable. It only takes a few minutes. They extended it because they got so many replies after Alto mobilised our members here but the more people join, the more powerful we are.

 

I even invited my friends who are not on the forum and some of them were not even aware that what was happening to them was a WD... Every vote counts.

 

https://roehamptonpsych.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6gSHZN88sOmHDlr

Current: 9/2022 Xanax 0.08, Lexapro 2

2020 Xanax 0.26 (down from 2 mg in 2013), Lexapro 2.85 mg (down from 5 mg 2013)

Amitriptyline (tricyclic AD) and clonazepam for 3 months to treat headache in 1996 
1999. - present Xanax prn up to 3 mg.
2000-2005 Prozac CT twice, 2005-2010 Zoloft CT 3 times, 2010-2013 Escitalopram 10 mg
went from 2.5 to zero on 7 Aug 2013, bad crash 40 days after
reinstated to 5 mg Escitalopram 4Oct 2013 and holding liquid Xanax every 5 hours
28 Jan 2014 Xanax 1.9, 18 Apr  2015 1 mg,  25 June 2015 Lex 4.8, 6 Aug Lexapro 4.6, 1 Jan 2016 0.64  Xanax     9 month hold

24 Sept 2016 4.5 Lex, 17 Oct 4.4 Lex (Nov 0.63 Xanax, Dec 0.625 Xanax), 1 Jan 2017 4.3 Lex, 24 Jan 4.2, 5 Feb 4.1, 24 Mar 4 mg, 10 Apr 3.9 mg, May 3.85, June 3.8, July 3.75, 22 July 3.7, 15 Aug 3.65, 17 Sept 3.6, 1 Jan 2018 3.55, 19 Jan 3.5, 16 Mar 3.4, 14 Apr 3.3, 23 May 3.2, 16 June 3.15, 15 Jul 3.1, 31 Jul 3, 21 Aug 2.9 26 Sept 2.85, 14 Nov Xan 0.61, 1 Dec 0.59, 19 Dec 0.58, 4 Jan 0.565, 6 Feb 0.55, 20 Feb 0.535, 1 Mar 0.505, 10 Mar 0.475, 14 Mar 0.45, 4 Apr 0.415, 13 Apr 0.37, 21 Apr 0.33, 29 Apr 0.29, 10 May 0.27, 17 May 0.25, 28 May 0.22, 19 June 0.22, 21 Jun updose to 0.24, 24 Jun updose to 0.26

Supplements: Omega 3 + Vit E, Vit C, D, magnesium, Taurine, probiotic 

I'm not a medical professional. Any advice I give is based on my own experience and reading. 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Just wanted to post this for my own reference so that I can refer back to it in the future:

 

The original can be found here: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/6655-dignan-pre-work-for-an-eventual-taper-attempt/?p=98469

 

A lot of people, including healthcare practitioners; in fact, I guess, most people-- are operating from entirely the wrong paradigm, or way of thinking, about these meds. They're thinking of them like aspirin--as something that has an effect when it's in your system, and then when it gets out of your system the effect goes away.

That's not what happens with medications that alter neurotransmitter function, we are learning.

What happens when you change the chemistry of the brain is, the brain adjusts its chemistry and structure to try to return to homeostasis, or biochemical and functional balance. It tries to restabilize the chemistry. 

For example: SSRI antidepressants work as "serotonin reuptake inhibitors." That is, they cause serotonin to remain in the space between neurons, rather than being taken back up into the cells to be re-used, like it would be in a normal healthy nondrugged brain.

So the brain, which wants to re-establish normal signaling and function, adapts to the higher level of serotonin between neurons (in the "synapse", the space between neurons where signals get passed along). It does this by removing serotonin receptors, so that the signal is reduced and changed to something closer to normal. It also decreases the amount of serotonin it produces overall. 

To do that, genes have to be turned on and off; new proteins have to be made; whole cascades of chemical reactions have to be changed, which means turning on and off OTHER genes; cells are destroyed, new cells are made; in other words, a complex physiologic remodeling takes place. This takes place over time. The brain does not grow and change rapidly. 

This is a vast oversimplification of the amount of adaptation that takes place in the brain when we change its normal chemistry, but that's the principle.

When we stop taking the drug, we have a brain that has designed itself so that it works in the presence of the drug; now it can't work properly without the drug because it's designed itself so that the drug is part of its chemistry and structure. It's like a plant that has grown on a trellis; you can't just yank out the trellis and expect the plant to be okay.

When the drug is removed, the remodeling process has to take place in reverse.

SO--it's not a matter of just getting the drug out of your system and moving on. If it were that simple, none of us would be here. 

It's a matter of, as I describe it, having to grow a new brain. 

I believe this growing-a-new-brain happens throughout the taper process if the taper is slow enough. (If it's too fast, then there's not a lot of time for actually rebalancing things, and basically the brain is just pedaling fast trying to keep us alive.) It also continues to happen, probably for longer than the symptoms actually last, throughout the time of recovery after we are completely off the drug, which is why recovery takes so long. 

With multiple drugs and a history of drug changes and cold turkeys, all of this becomes even more complicated. And if a person is started on these kinds of drugs at an early age before the brain has ever completely established normal mature functioning--well, it can't be good. (All of which is why I recommend an extremely slow taper particularly to anyone with a multiple drug history, a history of many years on meds, a history of past cold turkeys or frequent med changes, and a history of being put on drugs at a young age.)

This isn't intended to scare people, but hopefully to give you some idea of what's happening, and to help you respect and understand the process so you can work with it; ALSO, because you are likely to encounter many, many people who still believe these drugs work kind of like aspirin, or a glass of wine, and all you need to do is stop and get it out of your system. 

Now you can explain to them that no, getting it out of your system is not the issue; the issue is, you need to regrow or at least remodel your brain. This is a long, slow, very poorly understood process, and it needs to be respected. 

Prozac 30 mg for many years.

Short two-week taper to 20 mg followed by 5 day washout period. (January 2017)

Lexapro 10 mg for 25 days. Stopped due to intolerable side-effects, notably palpitations and tinnitus. (February 2017)

Two day washout period before reinstating Prozac at 40 mg. (February 2017)

3 weeks later end up in ER due to severe palpitations and dizziness. (March 2017)

2 weeks of insomnia and intermittent akathisia. (March 2017)

Stabilization of Prozac dosage at 20 mg. (April 2017)

Gradual recovery and eventual return to work. (December 2017)

Reinstatement of Prozac dosage back to 30 mg gradually over 5 years. (February 2024)

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi, I have a question for the mods or anyone else who might be able to help. Lately, I've been having trouble breathing and am wondering if my childhood asthma has returned. I'd like to try a short acting inhaler such as albuterol or ipratropium to see if this will help. Do you think it would be safe to do this? I am worried about possible effects on my sensitized CNS. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Alpha

Prozac 30 mg for many years.

Short two-week taper to 20 mg followed by 5 day washout period. (January 2017)

Lexapro 10 mg for 25 days. Stopped due to intolerable side-effects, notably palpitations and tinnitus. (February 2017)

Two day washout period before reinstating Prozac at 40 mg. (February 2017)

3 weeks later end up in ER due to severe palpitations and dizziness. (March 2017)

2 weeks of insomnia and intermittent akathisia. (March 2017)

Stabilization of Prozac dosage at 20 mg. (April 2017)

Gradual recovery and eventual return to work. (December 2017)

Reinstatement of Prozac dosage back to 30 mg gradually over 5 years. (February 2024)

 

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  • 1 month later...

Hi Alpha, sorry you didn't get any answers. I don't have any experience with inhalers but hopefully some who has will notice your thread with this bump.

Aug-Dec 2015 Prozac 20mg / Dec 2015-Feb 2016 Prozac 15mg / Feb 2016-May2016 Prozac 20mg

May 2016-June 2016 15mg

June 2016-August 2016 10mg

October 2016-January 2017 15mg, alternating agitation/akathisia sets in --> cold turkey

January 2017 Clonazepam .5mg 

February 2017 Clonazepam 1mg (for a week) then .5mg morning and .25mg evening for about a month. Came down to .25mg morning and evening. 

May 1, 2017 Clonazepam .25mg morning and .125mg evening. // May 20, 2017 Clonazepam .25mg morning and .0625 evening (.3125 total).

early June .28125 // early mid june .25mg // mid june .21875 // late june .1875 // early july .15625 // early mid july .125 

mid july .09375mg // late july .0625 //early August 2017 down to .03125mg once a day, hopped off in mid August

reinstated at .0625mg late August // Oct 16 - updose to .07mg and switch to oral Rosemont solution

Nov 17 2017 reinstate Prozac .5mg // Nov 21 2017 prozac 1.6mg // Dec 18 2017  3mg prozac / fast taper off the reinstatement -- probably completely off early Oct 2018

June 2019 begin tapering off .07mg Clonazepam, Finish taper December 2019

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On 2017-04-28 at 10:39 PM, Alpha23 said:

Hi all, I had four good days of relative peace and then Thursday night I had really bad symptoms at night. These symptoms are really hard to describe - they are like mini explosions in my chest but they run through my whole body from my brain to feet. My whole body jolts as if it has been electrically shocked, and then I wake up.

 

The next day my Akathisia returned. I could feel all this tension in my body and my brain stem and back of neck was in an energized state. My heart palpitations also returned. My heart doesn't beat that fast (only around 70 BPM) but it beats really hard against my chest-bone and starts to get painful. Sometimes it beats so hard I can feel my whole body shaking.

 

Just wondering if anyone else has experienced symptoms like these and has any idea what to do about them.

 

Thanks,

 

Alpha

It’s great you had 4 days of peace, that’s a great window. I have had all your side effects, heart palpitations were the worst, but got better after I stabilized. It just takes time unfortunately. Slow steady taper is the way to go. Try not to switch to another drug, I tried and it was a very big epic fail and I was worse off. Hope you feel better soon and get more windows and less waves. Welcome to SA. Ali 

10 years citalopram 30mg- tapered down in December 15/2015- Jan 15/2016 to 20mg for two weeks, ten for one week and five for another week, then stopped, less then two weeks later, sheer hell broke lose with debilitating withdrawal symptoms.

 

Update-- reinstated 5mg of celexa on feb 5-- within hours noticed immediate difference in WD symptoms-- Holding holding and more holding.

 

Updose- March 23/16 too 10mg- relieved the harsher head symptoms- current symptoms headaches, dizzy, numbness and tingling in my head.

 

Benzos- 2015-Ativan on and off for 6 months 2mg- switched to clonazepam nov 2015- 2mg till Jan 2016 Zopiclone 7.5mg nov-dec 2015- was tapered off over 4weeks- Currently in protracted withdrawal. ????????????????????????????????

 

Update- ended up in the hospital April 18/16 major suicidal ( never had that before) was admitted/ been there ever since, put me back to full dose celexa 30mg no drugs added, IAM FINALLY STABLE AFTER 3 months of tortuous hell. Got a great physiatrist that new all about WD, he will help me taper properly in a couple of months at 5% deductions holding 8 weeks. I never want to relive that hell again.

 

Udate- stable and holding, doing things slowly is key.

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18 hours ago, bheb said:

Hi Alpha, sorry you didn't get any answers. I don't have any experience with inhalers but hopefully some who has will notice your thread with this bump.

 

Thanks Bheb. I took the risk and tried a Ventolin inhaler. It didn't help my breathing so I'm pretty sure my breathing difficulties are antidepressant related rather than asthma. Thankfully the Ventolin didn't make my symptoms any worse.

Prozac 30 mg for many years.

Short two-week taper to 20 mg followed by 5 day washout period. (January 2017)

Lexapro 10 mg for 25 days. Stopped due to intolerable side-effects, notably palpitations and tinnitus. (February 2017)

Two day washout period before reinstating Prozac at 40 mg. (February 2017)

3 weeks later end up in ER due to severe palpitations and dizziness. (March 2017)

2 weeks of insomnia and intermittent akathisia. (March 2017)

Stabilization of Prozac dosage at 20 mg. (April 2017)

Gradual recovery and eventual return to work. (December 2017)

Reinstatement of Prozac dosage back to 30 mg gradually over 5 years. (February 2024)

 

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17 hours ago, Ali4 said:

It’s great you had 4 days of peace, that’s a great window. I have had all your side effects, heart palpitations were the worst, but got better after I stabilized. It just takes time unfortunately. Slow steady taper is the way to go. Try not to switch to another drug, I tried and it was a very big epic fail and I was worse off. Hope you feel better soon and get more windows and less waves. Welcome to SA. Ali 

 

Thanks for your comment Ali. I wrote the quote you mentioned a while ago and my palpitations have calmed down a lot since then. The problem I have at the moment is tightness in my chest. It's hard to explain but it feels like my heart has lost its flexibility. There's a dull aching underneath my chest bone that won't seem to go away. As you say, these things can take a while to sort themselves out. Hopefully we will all heal in time.

Prozac 30 mg for many years.

Short two-week taper to 20 mg followed by 5 day washout period. (January 2017)

Lexapro 10 mg for 25 days. Stopped due to intolerable side-effects, notably palpitations and tinnitus. (February 2017)

Two day washout period before reinstating Prozac at 40 mg. (February 2017)

3 weeks later end up in ER due to severe palpitations and dizziness. (March 2017)

2 weeks of insomnia and intermittent akathisia. (March 2017)

Stabilization of Prozac dosage at 20 mg. (April 2017)

Gradual recovery and eventual return to work. (December 2017)

Reinstatement of Prozac dosage back to 30 mg gradually over 5 years. (February 2024)

 

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1 hour ago, Alpha23 said:

Thankfully the Ventolin didn't make my symptoms any worse.

 

Good, good to hear. But sorry that antidepressants cause this in the first place :/. 

 

1 hour ago, Alpha23 said:

The problem I have at the moment is tightness in my chest. It's hard to explain but it feels like my heart has lost its flexibility. There's a dull aching underneath my chest bone that won't seem to go away.

 

I have this tightness/uneasiness in my chest as well. Sometimes for me it becomes a "choked up" feeling as well. Very hard to relax. 

Aug-Dec 2015 Prozac 20mg / Dec 2015-Feb 2016 Prozac 15mg / Feb 2016-May2016 Prozac 20mg

May 2016-June 2016 15mg

June 2016-August 2016 10mg

October 2016-January 2017 15mg, alternating agitation/akathisia sets in --> cold turkey

January 2017 Clonazepam .5mg 

February 2017 Clonazepam 1mg (for a week) then .5mg morning and .25mg evening for about a month. Came down to .25mg morning and evening. 

May 1, 2017 Clonazepam .25mg morning and .125mg evening. // May 20, 2017 Clonazepam .25mg morning and .0625 evening (.3125 total).

early June .28125 // early mid june .25mg // mid june .21875 // late june .1875 // early july .15625 // early mid july .125 

mid july .09375mg // late july .0625 //early August 2017 down to .03125mg once a day, hopped off in mid August

reinstated at .0625mg late August // Oct 16 - updose to .07mg and switch to oral Rosemont solution

Nov 17 2017 reinstate Prozac .5mg // Nov 21 2017 prozac 1.6mg // Dec 18 2017  3mg prozac / fast taper off the reinstatement -- probably completely off early Oct 2018

June 2019 begin tapering off .07mg Clonazepam, Finish taper December 2019

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I also have palpitations, harder to bear at night when it thumps into the bed and I cannot sleep.  I also have a feeling like my heart is trying to beat underwater and another sensation like it is "flopping around."

 

I have also have the tight chest where it feels like a heavy weight on my chest. 

 

I also breathlessness where you try and breathe deep, to catch your breathe, but cannot.  It does help when you sit in a chair and lift yourself up with both arms either side of your body and try and breathe deeply then.  Often I have both tight chest and breathlessness same time.

 

I also tried ventolin and it didn't help.

 

I hope it helps to know it isn't just you, or something sinister,  but others experience the same symptoms!  I have had these for the last 3-4 years.

 

 

1995-2007      20mg Aropax/Paxil for pain.  Years of up and down doses

2008                Endep, Lexapro and then Esipram (hell!) CT (oh dear!)

2009                20mg Aropax.  Tried skipping doses for a year (more hell!)

                        2010                10mg.  10% taper.  Lasted 4 months. Crashed again

2011                5% taper. 9mg-7mg (hell got even worse!)

2012                2.5% taper.  6.6mg – 5.6mg (worser still & unbearable)

2013                5% taper.  Big mistake.  5.5mg – 4.6mg  (even worserer)

2014                2.5% taper.  4.9mg – 4.5mg;    2015 2.5% taper 4.4 - 4.0mg

2016                2.5% taper.  3.9mg  Feb 3.8   Mar 3.7  May 3.6   Jul 3.5

2017                2.5% taper.  Jan 3.4;   Mar 3.35;  Apr 3.3; Oct 3; Dec 2.9;

2018                2.5% taper. Jan 2.8; Mar 2.7; Mar: 2.75; Jun 2.7; Aug 2.6; Oct 2.5; Nov 2.4; Dec 2.3

2019                Jan 2.2; Feb 2.1;

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1 hour ago, grandmaD said:

I hope it helps to know it isn't just you, or something sinister,  but others experience the same symptoms!  I have had these for the last 3-4 years.

 

Hi Grandma D. Yes, it does help to know that. Thanks for your comment!

Prozac 30 mg for many years.

Short two-week taper to 20 mg followed by 5 day washout period. (January 2017)

Lexapro 10 mg for 25 days. Stopped due to intolerable side-effects, notably palpitations and tinnitus. (February 2017)

Two day washout period before reinstating Prozac at 40 mg. (February 2017)

3 weeks later end up in ER due to severe palpitations and dizziness. (March 2017)

2 weeks of insomnia and intermittent akathisia. (March 2017)

Stabilization of Prozac dosage at 20 mg. (April 2017)

Gradual recovery and eventual return to work. (December 2017)

Reinstatement of Prozac dosage back to 30 mg gradually over 5 years. (February 2024)

 

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Hi Alpha. It's good to see that you are still stabilizing on 20 mg and that you are listening to your body. The tightness in your chest is most likely to be withdrawal but nevertheless it may be a good idea to get some tests done by your doctor or specialist, if you haven't done so already. With anything like this, it's always best to be cautiously careful.

 

I have had many severe heart arrhythmia's during withdrawal: some ending up in the ER. It turned out to be a W/D symptom, but I think it's always wise to get it checked out. Then, if everything is fine you don't have to stress about it constantly and that in itself can be such a relief as stress can so exacerbate symptoms. 

 

Have you read this thread ? It may help to ease your mind just a little ...

http://survivingantidepressants.org/topic/1868-irregular-heartbeats-palpitations-tachycardia-bradycardia/

 

Ali

Many SSRI's and SSNRI's over 20 years. Zoloft for 7 years followed by Effexor, Lexapro, Prozac, Cymbalta, Celexa, Pristiq, Valdoxan, Mianserin and more - on and off. No tapering. Cold turkey off Valdoxan - end of May 2014

 

                                                  Psych Drug - free since May 2014
.
         

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On 11/7/2017 at 7:32 PM, AliG said:

Hi Alpha. It's good to see that you are still stabilizing on 20 mg and that you are listening to your body. The tightness in your chest is most likely to be withdrawal but nevertheless it may be a good idea to get some tests done by your doctor or specialist, if you haven't done so already. With anything like this, it's always best to be cautiously careful.

 

I have had many severe heart arrhythmia's during withdrawal: some ending up in the ER. It turned out to be a W/D symptom, but I think it's always wise to get it checked out. Then, if everything is fine you don't have to stress about it constantly and that in itself can be such a relief as stress can so exacerbate symptoms. 

 

Have you read this thread ? It may help to ease your mind just a little ...

http://survivingantidepressants.org/topic/1868-irregular-heartbeats-palpitations-tachycardia-bradycardia/

 

Ali

 

Hi AliG, do you think there's any chance of cardio symptoms caused by withdrawal showing up on hospital tests? When I suffered my severe adverse reaction I did have some tests done but they only found a slight "idiopathic" arrhythmia. One of the things I find most frustrating is having these cardio symptoms and not being able to convince people they are real. I saw a psychologist today who said she didn't think it was possible for the drugs/withdrawal to cause the symptoms I have. I really wish there was a way of proving to her (and people like her) that the drugs have harmed my body. I used to exercise strenuously for about 10 hours a week but since my adverse reaction I've been restricted to walking and light exercise. I tried to explain this to her but the more I explained the more convinced she became that I was either imagining it or making up excuses for not exercising. In the end I decided to stop talking about my withdrawal symptoms because there was no way to convince her they were real.

Prozac 30 mg for many years.

Short two-week taper to 20 mg followed by 5 day washout period. (January 2017)

Lexapro 10 mg for 25 days. Stopped due to intolerable side-effects, notably palpitations and tinnitus. (February 2017)

Two day washout period before reinstating Prozac at 40 mg. (February 2017)

3 weeks later end up in ER due to severe palpitations and dizziness. (March 2017)

2 weeks of insomnia and intermittent akathisia. (March 2017)

Stabilization of Prozac dosage at 20 mg. (April 2017)

Gradual recovery and eventual return to work. (December 2017)

Reinstatement of Prozac dosage back to 30 mg gradually over 5 years. (February 2024)

 

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Alpha. I'm not sure. I really think it's just the drugs and withdrawal.  This is a part of what I went through : Excerpt from Irregular- heartbeats- palpitations- tachycardia- bradycardia/

 

I had Supraventricular Tachycardia. During an episode the hearts electrical system doesn't work properly causing a very fast heart beat of anything from 100 - 300. I reached 280, lasted a few hours and needed medical intervention - Adenosine to revert it back to normal beat.

 

My last episode only lasted a few minutes and I used deep breathing and ice water.

 

There are simple maneuvers that stimulate the vagus nerve which can slow conduction of electrical impulses that control your heart rate. One of these is to hold nostrils closed whilst blowing air through your nose. Another is to plunge your wrists in ice cold water and then if that doesn't work to immerse your face in the ice cold water. ( Diving Reflex).

 

I had regular heart palpitations also throughout W/D and found that deep breathing helped slow down the heart rate. I had the medical tests done and nothing abnormal was found.

 

It has been over 12 months since I had any symptoms so I attribute it to not only withdrawal but also being on the drugs themselves as I had episodes before withdrawal

 

 

There is nothing more frustrating than trying to convince anyone of a truth , if they are not willing to listen. I encounter it all the time. In fact, I just had a conversation with my mother who believes my father has Alzheimer's and the doctors solution is to put him on Endep because he is depressed and can't sleep. :rolleyes:  Don't even get me started.

 

I have found that my fitness has suffered through this ~ I used to be at the gym everyday and even through the beginning of withdrawal after no sleep, I was still pushing through but eventually, running on pure adrenaline and little sleep ~ I collapsed and am still trying to make my way out of the ongoing maze of low energy, sleep imbalance, cortisol/adrenal/ endocrine/ imbalance~ general anhedonia, not to mention the depression and ongoing anxiety after years on these drugs.

 

I don't know if there is any proof but as long as you know your truth and are in charge of your health and become your own health advocate, then that's all that really matters in the long term and you have to just keep on going...  this too shall pass ...

 

Ali 

Many SSRI's and SSNRI's over 20 years. Zoloft for 7 years followed by Effexor, Lexapro, Prozac, Cymbalta, Celexa, Pristiq, Valdoxan, Mianserin and more - on and off. No tapering. Cold turkey off Valdoxan - end of May 2014

 

                                                  Psych Drug - free since May 2014
.
         

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Thanks AliG. The Supraventricular Tachycardia sounds awful. I'm really sorry you had to go through that as well as all the other symptoms you describe. Your point about symptoms being attributable to "not only withdrawal but being on the drugs themselves" is very true. I did have some cardio symptoms before my adverse reaction, although they were milder and not nearly as debilitating as they are now.

 

As you say, it can be incredibly frustrating trying to convince someone who is unwilling to listen. In such situations I'm always reminded of Mark Twain's quote that "It's easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled". So many mental health practitioners have accepted the Big Pharma lie that psych drugs are beneficial and only very rarely do harm, so trying to suggest otherwise is a thankless task. Their defence mechanisms kick into high gear and they get all stern and authoritarian with you to protect their world view. I suspect this is because they wouldn't be able to continue doing their jobs if they admitted the drugs they dole out are essentially harmful.

Prozac 30 mg for many years.

Short two-week taper to 20 mg followed by 5 day washout period. (January 2017)

Lexapro 10 mg for 25 days. Stopped due to intolerable side-effects, notably palpitations and tinnitus. (February 2017)

Two day washout period before reinstating Prozac at 40 mg. (February 2017)

3 weeks later end up in ER due to severe palpitations and dizziness. (March 2017)

2 weeks of insomnia and intermittent akathisia. (March 2017)

Stabilization of Prozac dosage at 20 mg. (April 2017)

Gradual recovery and eventual return to work. (December 2017)

Reinstatement of Prozac dosage back to 30 mg gradually over 5 years. (February 2024)

 

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I have what I think is common in w/d and is also a side effect of SSR's and that is "missed beat" due to electrical something or other.

Has to do with long QT - you might be able to google that or perhaps moderators know more about that aspect.

1995-2007      20mg Aropax/Paxil for pain.  Years of up and down doses

2008                Endep, Lexapro and then Esipram (hell!) CT (oh dear!)

2009                20mg Aropax.  Tried skipping doses for a year (more hell!)

                        2010                10mg.  10% taper.  Lasted 4 months. Crashed again

2011                5% taper. 9mg-7mg (hell got even worse!)

2012                2.5% taper.  6.6mg – 5.6mg (worser still & unbearable)

2013                5% taper.  Big mistake.  5.5mg – 4.6mg  (even worserer)

2014                2.5% taper.  4.9mg – 4.5mg;    2015 2.5% taper 4.4 - 4.0mg

2016                2.5% taper.  3.9mg  Feb 3.8   Mar 3.7  May 3.6   Jul 3.5

2017                2.5% taper.  Jan 3.4;   Mar 3.35;  Apr 3.3; Oct 3; Dec 2.9;

2018                2.5% taper. Jan 2.8; Mar 2.7; Mar: 2.75; Jun 2.7; Aug 2.6; Oct 2.5; Nov 2.4; Dec 2.3

2019                Jan 2.2; Feb 2.1;

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  • 4 months later...

It's been quite a while so I thought I would update my thread with an account of what has happened since the last time I posted.

 

About 8 months on from my adverse reaction I experienced a window during which my symptoms got quite a lot better. My sleep improved, my agitation and restlessness largely went away, and my cardiac symptoms calmed down enough for me to forget about them for a while. I'm not sure what triggered this. I did switch my magnesium supplement from glycinate to threonate around this time, but that was probably just a coincidence. I think what probably happened is that my nervous system needed those 8 months of relative stability to recover from the severe shock it had suffered. Taking long daily walks during this time also helped to regulate my nervous system and combat some of the dysfunction I was experiencing.

 

By the time I reached this window I was under quite a bit of pressure to go back to work, so I reluctantly decided to return. For the first six weeks everything seemed to be going smoothly. My symptoms, while never disappearing completely, were mild enough for me to concentrate on work, which I found to be a useful distraction. However, after six weeks they started to deteriorate again, with palpitations and dizziness being a particular problem. Again, I don't know what triggered the deterioration. It may have been the cumulative stress of work, not being able to take long walks outside anymore, or just the normal cycle of windows and waves. So far I've managed to continue working, but am not sure how long I can continue if things remain as they are. It's a dilemma because work is a good distraction when things are manageable, but very hard to handle when things get bad.

 

In terms of dosage, I'm still on 20 mg of Prozac a day. This is the dose I decided to stay on after all the drug and dosage changes I went through last year. It took a while but I eventually stabilized on 20mg, so I didn't want to change anything while things were going relatively smoothly. Now I'm not so sure. I'm tempted by the idea of a slow taper to see if things improve, but need to figure out whether I'm going to continue working and how this will effect the timing of any taper.

 

I also need to make some lifestyle changes to try and combat stress. I spend a lot of time staring into a computer screen during the week, so I want to start going for long walks in nature again on the weekend. I also want to try epsom bath salts as suggested by one of the moderators.

 

At the moment things are up in the air and I'm feeling a bit lost, but at least they are better than they were this time last year.

Prozac 30 mg for many years.

Short two-week taper to 20 mg followed by 5 day washout period. (January 2017)

Lexapro 10 mg for 25 days. Stopped due to intolerable side-effects, notably palpitations and tinnitus. (February 2017)

Two day washout period before reinstating Prozac at 40 mg. (February 2017)

3 weeks later end up in ER due to severe palpitations and dizziness. (March 2017)

2 weeks of insomnia and intermittent akathisia. (March 2017)

Stabilization of Prozac dosage at 20 mg. (April 2017)

Gradual recovery and eventual return to work. (December 2017)

Reinstatement of Prozac dosage back to 30 mg gradually over 5 years. (February 2024)

 

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  • 2 years later...
  • Moderator Emeritus

Hello @Alpha23, how are you doing?

2006 : 20mg Paxil+Bromazepam. 2008 : cold turkey of both. 2010 : Reinstatement 20mg Paxil + Bromazepam.

2014-June2017 : Switch from Bromazepam to Prazepam, slow taper to 0mg.

2018 to August 2019 : Paxil 20mg taper (3% every 15 days). 22 Aug 2019 updose to 10mg (was at 8.4mg).

25th Sept 2019 To April 2020 : found SA, holding at 10mg Paxil. 

April 2020 : Paxil 10mg to Prozac 7mg bridge. Details topic/21457

 

Current Supplements : magnesium citrate + fish oil

Current medication :

* 7pm Diazepam  : 0.85mg (15 Aug 2022) / 0.95 mg (24 April 2022) / 1mg Diazepam (since 29 Aug 2020)

* 8am Prozac : 6.16mg (25 oct 2022, feel awful, slight updose) / 6.08 mg (9 oct 2022) / 6.24mg (11 July 22) / 6.44mg (22 May 22) / 6.64mg (4 Nov 21) / 6.72mg (8 oct 21) / 6.8 mg (15 Sept 21)6.88mg (14 Aug 21)/ 6.92mg (23 Jun 21)

 

I am not a professional, I don't give medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

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  • ChessieCat changed the title to Alpha23: palpitations after switching from Prozac to Lexapro and back again
  • 5 months later...

Hi Erell, sorry for the late reply. I am doing much better now, thanks.

Prozac 30 mg for many years.

Short two-week taper to 20 mg followed by 5 day washout period. (January 2017)

Lexapro 10 mg for 25 days. Stopped due to intolerable side-effects, notably palpitations and tinnitus. (February 2017)

Two day washout period before reinstating Prozac at 40 mg. (February 2017)

3 weeks later end up in ER due to severe palpitations and dizziness. (March 2017)

2 weeks of insomnia and intermittent akathisia. (March 2017)

Stabilization of Prozac dosage at 20 mg. (April 2017)

Gradual recovery and eventual return to work. (December 2017)

Reinstatement of Prozac dosage back to 30 mg gradually over 5 years. (February 2024)

 

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This is the full story of my adverse reaction and subsequent recovery:

 

https://ryanelliot.medium.com/three-seasons-in-hell-384a07a80a96

Prozac 30 mg for many years.

Short two-week taper to 20 mg followed by 5 day washout period. (January 2017)

Lexapro 10 mg for 25 days. Stopped due to intolerable side-effects, notably palpitations and tinnitus. (February 2017)

Two day washout period before reinstating Prozac at 40 mg. (February 2017)

3 weeks later end up in ER due to severe palpitations and dizziness. (March 2017)

2 weeks of insomnia and intermittent akathisia. (March 2017)

Stabilization of Prozac dosage at 20 mg. (April 2017)

Gradual recovery and eventual return to work. (December 2017)

Reinstatement of Prozac dosage back to 30 mg gradually over 5 years. (February 2024)

 

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  • 2 years later...

Dear all,

 

I have a question for the mods or anyone who might be listening.

 

Background

I made the mistake of gradually increasing my Prozac dose to try and deal with my OCD symptoms so that I could continue working. I increased the dose very gradually over about 5 years from 20 mg to 30 mg. In the last few months I made the last jump from 27.7 mg to 30 mg and have unfortunately been hit by a wave of insomnia and akathisia. I realize that increasing the dose was foolish, but the OCD symptoms were very unpleasant and I wanted some respite from them. I wish that I could change my decision, but unfortunately I can't so I need to decide what to do now.

 

Method of Prozac dose change from 27.7 mg to 30 mg

At 27.7 mg I was taking one 20 mg hard capsule and 7.7 mg of liquid solution made from a hard capsule. When I moved up to 30 mg, I swapped the 7.7 mg liquid solution to a 10 mg hard capsule which was incidentally another brand to the 20 mg hard capsule.

 

Current Situation

I have just been through 3 days and nights of insomnia, Akathisia and other symptoms that became so unbearable that I took 0.5 mg Klonopin to relieve them and get some sleep. In the previous 5 years after my initial recovery, I only took Klonopin 0.25 mg a handful of times, so I am not a regular user.  My question to the mods and anyone else is: what do I do now? I think it makes sense to go back down to 27.7 mg and hope I stabilize. Is that what I should do? Is there anything else? I am really frightened at the moment, so any kind words or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Prozac 30 mg for many years.

Short two-week taper to 20 mg followed by 5 day washout period. (January 2017)

Lexapro 10 mg for 25 days. Stopped due to intolerable side-effects, notably palpitations and tinnitus. (February 2017)

Two day washout period before reinstating Prozac at 40 mg. (February 2017)

3 weeks later end up in ER due to severe palpitations and dizziness. (March 2017)

2 weeks of insomnia and intermittent akathisia. (March 2017)

Stabilization of Prozac dosage at 20 mg. (April 2017)

Gradual recovery and eventual return to work. (December 2017)

Reinstatement of Prozac dosage back to 30 mg gradually over 5 years. (February 2024)

 

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Over the last few months I've been running pretty intensely on the weekends. My mental health always seems much better immediately after I run, but then it seems to decline a lot during the next few days. Has anyone else experienced anything like this? I'm wondering if being on an SSRI might have something to do with it.

Prozac 30 mg for many years.

Short two-week taper to 20 mg followed by 5 day washout period. (January 2017)

Lexapro 10 mg for 25 days. Stopped due to intolerable side-effects, notably palpitations and tinnitus. (February 2017)

Two day washout period before reinstating Prozac at 40 mg. (February 2017)

3 weeks later end up in ER due to severe palpitations and dizziness. (March 2017)

2 weeks of insomnia and intermittent akathisia. (March 2017)

Stabilization of Prozac dosage at 20 mg. (April 2017)

Gradual recovery and eventual return to work. (December 2017)

Reinstatement of Prozac dosage back to 30 mg gradually over 5 years. (February 2024)

 

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  • 1 month later...

For anyone reading this, please do not make the mistake I made. I stabilized on 20 mg of Prozac in 2017 and was able to return to work. However, after some time, my psychological symptoms worsened to the point that I felt I needed to increase my dose again in order to continue working. I slowly increased the dose back to 30 mg over 5 years while continuing to work. Things seemed to be going well until February of this year when I made the final dose adjustment to 30 mg. Now I'm in a world of pain and regret.

 

As bad as the psychological symptoms were, they pale in comparison to the physical symptoms I'm experiencing now. I honestly don't know how I survived the last 6 weeks and have no idea how I will survive in the future. If you are reading this and considering increasing your dose after stabilization, I would strongly advise against it. Once you are physically stabilized from an adverse reaction, your focus can shift to the underlying psychological symptoms, and there is a tendency to forget how bad the physical symptoms were. When that happens, you may be tempted to try to increase your dose, but it's not worth the risk. Hopefully this post helps at least one person avoid the mistake I made.

Prozac 30 mg for many years.

Short two-week taper to 20 mg followed by 5 day washout period. (January 2017)

Lexapro 10 mg for 25 days. Stopped due to intolerable side-effects, notably palpitations and tinnitus. (February 2017)

Two day washout period before reinstating Prozac at 40 mg. (February 2017)

3 weeks later end up in ER due to severe palpitations and dizziness. (March 2017)

2 weeks of insomnia and intermittent akathisia. (March 2017)

Stabilization of Prozac dosage at 20 mg. (April 2017)

Gradual recovery and eventual return to work. (December 2017)

Reinstatement of Prozac dosage back to 30 mg gradually over 5 years. (February 2024)

 

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Dear Mods,

 

I know I have been foolish, but is there any advice you can give? 

 

I posted the following a while back and didn't get any replies.

 

Dear all,

 

I have a question for the mods or anyone who might be listening.

 

Background

I made the mistake of gradually increasing my Prozac dose to try and deal with my OCD symptoms so that I could continue working. I increased the dose very gradually over about 5 years from 20 mg to 30 mg. In the last few months I made the last jump from 27.7 mg to 30 mg and have unfortunately been hit by a wave of insomnia and akathisia. I realize that increasing the dose was foolish, but the OCD symptoms were very unpleasant and I wanted some respite from them. I wish that I could change my decision, but unfortunately I can't so I need to decide what to do now.

 

Method of Prozac dose change from 27.7 mg to 30 mg

At 27.7 mg I was taking one 20 mg hard capsule and 7.7 mg of liquid solution made from a hard capsule. When I moved up to 30 mg, I swapped the 7.7 mg liquid solution to a 10 mg hard capsule which was incidentally another brand to the 20 mg hard capsule.

 

Current Situation

I have just been through 3 days and nights of insomnia, Akathisia and other symptoms that became so unbearable that I took 0.5 mg Klonopin to relieve them and get some sleep. In the previous 5 years after my initial recovery, I only took Klonopin 0.25 mg a handful of times, so I am not a regular user.  My question to the mods and anyone else is: what do I do now? I think it makes sense to go back down to 27.7 mg and hope I stabilize. Is that what I should do? Is there anything else? I am really frightened at the moment, so any kind words or advice would be greatly appreciated

Prozac 30 mg for many years.

Short two-week taper to 20 mg followed by 5 day washout period. (January 2017)

Lexapro 10 mg for 25 days. Stopped due to intolerable side-effects, notably palpitations and tinnitus. (February 2017)

Two day washout period before reinstating Prozac at 40 mg. (February 2017)

3 weeks later end up in ER due to severe palpitations and dizziness. (March 2017)

2 weeks of insomnia and intermittent akathisia. (March 2017)

Stabilization of Prozac dosage at 20 mg. (April 2017)

Gradual recovery and eventual return to work. (December 2017)

Reinstatement of Prozac dosage back to 30 mg gradually over 5 years. (February 2024)

 

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