For the past few weeks since starting xanax after so many trial and errors with the SSRI's I had been feeling soooo much better. I mean no anxiety, no panic attacks, no bad thoughts, nothing. I was actually enjoying my life and even started painting again. I was doing well being alone after going through a period where I was afraid to death to be alone because I thought I was going to die and no one would be here to help me. Well on Saturday I started having some skipping heart beats and boom it started again, the anxious feelings and bad thoughts. This has been happening to me for years and I've been told it was nothing to worry about but still I worry. I recently had a holter monitor and echo but haven't gotten the results back yet. I get so worked up about these skips and flutters. And also I get weird pain in my chest on and off and have been to the ER where they did an EKG but said I wasn't having a heart attack. I just don't understand why the skipping started again when everything was going so well. As long as my heart is doing ok I'm ok. If one little thing happens I'm right back to anxiety city. So I'm now thinking it isn't anxiety causing the skipping and fluttering but the opposite. And then I read these stories about how people were told everything was fine but it wasn't and they had serious problems. I'm thinking maybe my dose of xanax may be too low. My pdoc said to start with this dose(1 mg 4 times day) and we'll see how it's going. However, I'm taking 0.25 morning, noon, and dinner and then 0.5 before bed so I can sleep. I felt 1mg 4x a day was too much for me to start with. Once I get the results from my tests and hopefully a stress test and they say everything is ok then maybe I'll be better able to talk myself out of these panic attacks from the skipping and fluttering.

I'm just really disappointed that the xanax was working so well and now not so much.

Thanks for listening!

Tori

same thing happened to me at first with a low starter dose.. it wasnt until i got to the 1mg 4 times a day that i started to be anxiety free.. everyone reacts different to meds so you may need to bump your dose up a little.. and since your Dr said you could take 4mg total a day.. i dont see why you couldnt try this on your own.. like maybe .25 morning .5 noon .25 dinner .5 bed time you would only be bumping your dose up by .25 a day but it may be enough to help.. (best to talk to your Dr though)

heck i have read on here that people have had great effects with just .5mg a day and some need way more (like me)... its a real trial and error with xanax.. you dont want to take to much so you get zonked out you want just enough to feel normal without the zonked out feeling or side effects (if any since they seem to be pretty rare)

I agree. I have been on 1.5 mg per day and have started to have reoccurence of anxiety symptoms lately. I am going to try and bump it to 2 mg and see how that goes. Baby steps though. Make sure you stay on the lowest dose possible. I think your doctor's plans were probably get you comfortable with the higher dose and then after a while of anxiety free life taper you down to a lower dose to keep you comfortable. I agree though. Bump up your dose another .25 mg and see if that helps. I thend to agree with you that the heart issues are probably anxiety related. 9 times out of 10 they are, but still it is always good to get it checked out. Take care.

When I initially had my attacks in the hospital after surgery, then put me on xanax on an as needed basis. They suggested I take it at night so I could sleep better. That was .25mg. I would do that and guess what? I had the skipping heart thing too. I refuse to take xanax now b/c of it. I wonder if it is a side effect that they are overlooking b/c people with anxiety get that anyway?? Who knows. Go with you doc's suggestions, and esp if you are feeling better on it. I have the same "medical" anxiety with my heart and for awhile, I was over it. But after a few months, it came charging back. I take no meds now, but I did take a Benadryl once b/c I felt "swollen" even though I wasn't. It actually helped but made me SO tired. Anyway, you are not alone in the heart department. If I had insurance I would probably go to the doc's unneeded a lot. But instead, I monitor my heart myself and usually that helps me. I also try to keep myself REALLY busy (I have a 2 year old) and that helps too. Sitting and thinking about it all is what does it. Good luck. I know exactly what you are feeling. :)

I absolutely don't think benzos cause palps. I've always had less palps after taking benzos (though my palps have never completely gone away). It sounds like your heart has been checked out pretty thoroughly and you have this irritating stuff like the rest of us. My skips can sometimes set off panic when I feel otherwise well, too. Chicken or egg?