My psychiatrist put me on 40 mg of Celexa at the diagnosis of me with PTSD and anxiety. I have been taking it now for about 9 years. The doctor that put me on it told me that she had gotten some information that it affects the heart rhythm and she wanted me to stop taking 20 mg and just to take 20. My husband died and while I was visiting my daughter in another state and chose that time to wean myself down. Well I got down to 25 was getting ready to go back home and I started having tachycardia hundred 50 beats per minute. I immediately called 911 they took me to the hospital. They said I needed to see a cardiologist and be placed on beta blockers to keep my rhythm normal. I did that for several months and then I had developed a blood clot in my lung and they said I had A-fib. So I had to take blood thinners and the beta blocker and my heart and Rhythm has never did completely stopped. Now the psychiatrist doctor that I was seeing said she couldn’t see me any longer and I had to find a new doctor. After several months they said that the afib was fine and the blood clot was gone. I decided to go back on the 40 mg of Celexa and stop taking the beta blocker. I am doing okay with the exception of knowing that the Celexa could be damaging my heart. I am still grieving over the loss of my husband. I am at a point of not knowing what to do and I left Florida and moved back home to North Carolina to be near my children and my grandchildren. So I do not know what to do?? I will be 78 28th of September.

Started taking Celexa in 2011 after being diagnosed with PTSD. Started on lower dose & then increased to 40MG. 2017 noticed heart issues such as dizziness, tired, almost passing out, more depressed. 2018 changed cardiologist & doctor detected I had a condition called “heart hold” where the heart just stops beating. Had a Pacemaker put in July 2018. The Pacemaker detected I also had AFIB. Concerned how all this happened, I read extensively the information regarding the indications and adverse reactions to Celexa. When I read that Celexa causes AFIB, I immediately took steps to wean myself off of this drug. Unfortunately it was too late for me. I have severe issues with AFIB and the anti arrhythmia medications do not agree with me and make me feel worse. MY LIFE HAS CHANGED COMPLETELY NOW. I cannot do the normal activities of life, have no energy at all (can hardly walk my dog), take care of daily household duties much less cook a meal. I have to rest after doing the smallest task. Celexa has ruined my life and everyone surrounded by me. My quality of life has diminished.

My brother was autistic. His prescriber (psychiatric nurse practitioner) has him on 80 mgs of Celexa. He had no heart problems ever. He went to a home later that year. They took him off of it, I believe. The damage was already done. It was noted he was seeing a cardiologist often. Anyways, one morning, he just collapsed and died. He was only 29. I didn’t put two and two together for a while. No autopsy done, due to his heart issues. Death certificate state cardiac arrhythmia. He was cremated, so nothing I can do now. I just wanted to leave this comment.

I’ve recently quit taking celexa 40 mgs/day for 11 years. I did a slow taper and have been completely off for a month. My heart rate is still all over the place and the beats are so strong, it’s distracting. When I decided to quit with them, I was not even aware of the cardiac issues. I quit because my brain function became increasingly impaired with time. I honestly thought I had early-onset alzhiemers. I don’t, it was the celexa. I am so thankful I got off this poison. At least I have my mental faculties back and I am hoping I don’t end up with some serious heart problems. No more new, unproven wonder drugs for me.

I have been on celexa for over a year maybe 2 . Never had any heart problems until recently within the last year my heart goes from 80 to 116 or 125 even if I’m sitting around doing nothing . I take 40 MG and I decided to look up why my heart does this ,today I was grocery shopping my girlfriend had a heart rate of 86 and mine was 107, I’m very happy to see it might just be the celexa I am making an appointment tomorrow to see the doctor. This is scary…

I was on Cipralex (the Canadian form of Celexa) for about a year. I now have atrial fibrillation. I am only 39 and have no family background of heart irregularities. I’m not impressed, for had I known that this was a posssiblr side-effect, I would have asked to be taken off of it IMMEDIATELY the second I started feeling the effects of atrial fib before I developed a full blown case that I will have and suffer from for the rest of my life.

I have been on celexa 20 mg for 6 years for ANXIETY. A couple days ago I woke up out of my sleep and my heart was racing. My heart rate is usually in the 50’s at night. It was 173 while I was just laying down. After 10 minutes I could not get it to come down so my mom took me to the er. They said that they were diagnosing me with SVT (supra ventricular tachycardia) probably caused by an arrhythmia. Since coming home from the er I have noticed my heart rate gets really high after I eat (130-140) and stays elevated for 4-5 hours. I am not sure if it is the celexa causing this but I have always felt heart palpitations while on this medicine. Now I am afraid to take it. If it is causing my heart issues should I completely quit the 20mg cold turkey or wean off of it? I also just quit my birth control about a week before all of this started so maybe it is from that. I don’t know what to think any more.

Is there a class action lawsuit against Celexa? I was taking this drug and I had Atrial Flutter in April 2013 and Atrial Fibrillation in June 2013. My Dr. said there were heart issues due to Celexa and put me on a different drug. I have a 13 year old son I want to be around for. If there is a class action lawsuit, I would like to be a part of it.

i was on celexa for ssri abilities. I had bad anxiety at my pharmacy tech school. I have been on it for 8 months. I have a high endurance level. took a month off because I had tendonidous in my hip. I couldn’t get my endurance back. wow. its the celexa. I also get sob really really bad even my brother made fun of me lol. and I get angina often. I am getting off this drug the VA gave me an ekg and levels in my heart are very high that aren’t supposed to be. wow pull this off the market already!

I had been taking celexa for 15 years and believe it was the cause of my SCD. They worked on me in the field for approximately 15min., and at the hospital for 45 min. more. The prognosis was bleak at best. The Dr. was actually ready to call it when he noticed a faint heartbeat, an I was transferred to ICU, and for the next 3 days I was having seizures. They tried to take me off of the ventilator, and I just wasn’t ready. At this point they weren’t sure what kind of condition I would be in if I did wake up. The next day(June6th) the Dr.’s told my wife to prepare for the worst. They let alot of people in to visit with me that day, and to say goodbye, but . The Dr.’s were amazed at my outcome.. On June 8th I was moved from ICU to a reg. room. They said i had Sudden Cardiac Death Syndrome, and needed an ICD(defibrillator). On the 9th they did a heart cath, and determined that I didn’t have blocked arteries, and actually other than the life threatening electrical problem my heart is as healthy as a twenty- something’s……..They implanted my device on the 10th, and on the 11th I got to go home.

I was on Celexa for only about 1 1/2 months at the lowest dose. I had the worst side effects. Head tingles, headaches, nausea and extreme dizziness. I couldn’t take it anymore and stopped. The side effects lasted for almost another month and a half, they were like I was still taking it. They finally, mostly went away, but at least a couple times a week one of them would come back. Beginning of Oct I started getting dizzy, didn’t think about it. Kept trying different thing at home, eating more often, drinking even more water, but it was getting worse. Went to the clinic about the 9th of Nov. Blood pressure VERY high. I am now on two meds for it and I finally have a lower level. The medic I went to at the fire station this weekend even said that my heart beat would skip. This is totally new. Always had normal heartbeat. Just started thinking that it might be the Celexa since I had such a hard time on it.

I was put on citalopram in Feb, 2012. By March and April I had headacks so bad thay mimicked a stroke. This went on for a whole month.I was on 40mg. My cardeoligest told me it mit be the citalopram so I cut the dose to 20 mg. By May 12, 2012 I was In the hospital with dying tissue at the bottem of my heart and escemea forming on the top. I had exesting heart probles before I was put on this drug and I never should have been put on it in the first place.

I have been on Citalopram for about 2 years ,from The VA.The last EKG showed That I now have A-FIB .I have never before had this problem and I do not have high blood pressure problems.They told me that it was not from the citalopram?????I have since been given drugs for heart rate control and blood thinner???

Hi, This is in regards to my 75 year old mother. She was prescribed 10mg daily ESCitalopram on december 9th, 2011. She had no intent to begin this antidepressant, but was convinced by the doctor that she saw, that she should ‘try it’. She took one dose the next day, developed chest and shoulder pain, and was dead as a result of ventricualr arrythmia 2 hours later. The ER report clearly states ‘Torsades de Pointes’, yet the report states she died of miocardial infarction (clogged arteries). Yet, her blood pressure was normal, never smoked, drank, and to top it all off, her blood Troponin levels were normal (high levels indicative of miocardial infarction). Not one person in the medical community will even admit that cipralex (escitalopram) caused this – she was 75 years old, after all. Law offices do not want to take on the case unless they can be guaranteed they can make money. My mother, nor I, were made aware of the risks of this medication, and knowing my mother, she would never have touched it, had she been made aware. The internet is littered with warnings wrt citalopram and its effect on the QT interval of the heart. The medication she received was manufactured by Lundbeck Canada. This is an international epidemic. I found out 2 weeks ago, a cousin of mine in Germany is receiving 150mg a day of citalopram (> 3x the allowable limit)! Another acquaintance of mine in Canada showed me that her 70 year old brother was receiving 70mg a day citalopram (3x the allowable limit)- this in march 2012. These are all major overdoses, and it appears it is business as usual with the medical community, despite the news releases regarding the reduced allowable doses recommended by Lundbeck. Is anyone aware of a lawfirm that is willing to go against Lundbeck? I don’t care if they are not located in Canada. I’d be interested in any class action as well. I’d like to post this case elsewhere, if there are links to other sites that pertain to the dangers of SSRIs, in particular citalopram / escitalopram. I’m on a warpath and it will not end until justice and accountability are achieved.

I took one dose of Celexa (20 mg) once and within 20-30 minutes immediately became very ill, with an rapid, irregular heartbeat. I took myself off of it after this first dose. I tried it again 3 months later (after convincing myself that maybe it was my imagination the first time) and experienced even worse heartbeat issues. I was admitted to the hospital with a heart rate of 170 b/m. The doctors thought I was on methamphetamine- not Celexa. I was released and ended up in the hospital again 1 week later- still with an elevated heart rate and a whole slew of other issues. The ER doctor told me to stop immediately and I did. Within 24 hours I was back to normal. Be careful with this stuff.

I have been taking celexa 40 mgs twice a day. I have had two ekg’s and an echocardiogram and I has abnormal heart rhtyems. Please contact me. 609-218-0700

sometimes I have shortness of breath and my voice changes to very low, wonder if this medication is doing this and my quack Dr. still prescribes this medication for me , Lucky for me that I just saw this today on-line . I will have to contact my quack Dr. to tell him about this recall when he should be calling me to to tell me about the recall !!!!!!!!

I am not worried so much about the hear problem as much as how decreasing this drug will effect it use. maybe decrease will bring back your symptoms you had of depression ect.

I have been on celexa for several years with the highest dosage at 60 mg daily. Perhaps as high as 80 mgs. They keep changing the dosage. After the August 2011 article re: irregular heart rhythms I was reduced to 20 mg daily. Shortly thereafter I developed AFib and am now on coumadin and cardizem. Prior to this I had had several cardiac workups but they were all negative.

this worries me…. I been taking 60mg a day for almost 2 years now and as of about 8 or 9 months ago I have been problems with dizziness and shortness of breath. I have been back and forth to the dr and they just keep tryin new things to try and get rid of dizziness and shortness of breath……tried everything except stopping the celexa…I am only 28 years old.

My husband has taken 80mgs citalopram for 2 1/2 yrs and last week the VA called him wanting to do an EKG. First they told hgim the EKG was ok and then today they called and said his heart was beating to slow and now they are sending him to a cardiologist. Before he started taking the citalopram he was on medication because his heart beat to fast of course about 1 yr ago the VA GP took him off that med. I guess it was the citalopram at work on his heart then.

I have been on Celexa (citalopram) for 11 yrs. minus 18mths for 2 pregnancies. Last year 2010 I started having irregular heart beats. I have been to the doctor three times and he has basically said I need to lose weight. Some days it is so bad it is every 50-55 beats and then another irregular heart beat.

I was on citalopram for about 5 years, had an opthamalmic nerve stroke and had to have a cardiac ablation due to PSVT that caused multiple syncopal episodes.

I have been on Celexa for a long time…I have had irregular heart beats and have ended up in the hospital twice ( I had 2 angiograms performed and last year had a heart ablation done….

I started taking citalopram dec 2004. Aug 30 2005 I had to have a pacemaker-defibrillator implanted.

i have been on celxa for 10 yrs and i recently had to have a pace maker put in . iam only 51 yrs old .

I WAS ON CITALOPRAM FOR YEARS UNTIL THE LAST MONTH. I ALWAYS THOUGHT THE IRREGULAR HEART BEATS WERE NORMAL.

I have been on celexa since 1999. One year after I started taking celexa, which I am still on almost 13 years later, my heart went into Afib.