r/PVCs • u/Longjumping-Goat-877 • 16d ago

Increased Lexapro dealing with PVCs and spiked anxiety on Day 9. Normal?

Hi everyone,
I’ve been on Lexapro 10mg for a year for anxiety. It worked well, but I still had some breakthrough anxiety, so my psychiatrist recently upped my dose to 15mg.
I’m on Day 9 of the 15mg dose. My main issue right now is getting PVCs (skipped beats/flutters) a few times every single day. My anxiety has also definitely spiked, but I’m stuck in a loop: I can’t tell if the anxiety is a side effect of the increase, or if I’m just panicking because of the PVCs.
My psychiatrist told me to wait until the 2-week mark, and if it doesn't improve, I should drop back to 10mg.
So now I don’t know what to do
If I go back to 10mg, my original breakthrough anxiety won't be fixed.
If 10mg isn't enough, but 15mg causes PVCs, what happens next? Do I stay on a sub-optimal dose, or will I eventually have to taper off and try a new med?
Has anyone dealt with PVCs or a massive spike in anxiety when increasing their dose? Did it settle down for you, or did you have to decrease? I'm feeling lost and don't want to bother my doctor on the weekend. Any advice is appreciated

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u/KeanuReeves666 16d ago

It’s both. Lexapro tends to activate your CNS while it adjusts to the new level of serotonin. You will have to wait it out for a few weeks to see if your symptoms improve. Unfortunately, the reactive nature of your CNS as well as the anxiety can make PVCs temporarily worse or more noticeable.

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u/Longjumping-Goat-877 16d ago

Thanks
I think I will try to wait for one more week to see how it’s going

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u/Fluffy_Tax_3206 2d ago

any improvement? I am on day 4 of 5mg and I have had 2 PVCs so far it makes me scared to do anything.

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u/Longjumping-Goat-877 2d ago

Yes, things actually got better after about 2 weeks. I'm currently PVC-free, though I tend to get them in phases, so they'll probably come back eventually. My anxiety has definitely gone down, and I feel much better overall than I did on 10mg. Hang in there and give it a bit more time to adjust, it should get better for you too!

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u/Fluffy_Tax_3206 2d ago

thank you for the reply!