# Brain zaps



## scriabin221 (Nov 16, 2008)

Surely others on here get these as well. I've done some internet research on them and it seems that they are a withdrawal symptom of common SSRI's like Zoloft and Paxil and SNRI's like Effexor. Now, when I was younger, I was on a ****load of them, so that would have been expected back then, but now it's been over five years since I've been on any medication any they still pop up every now and then. I have done some other drugs recreationally that work in on your serotonin, but gotten them even when I wasn't doing them and they're still there, though not as much and only when I'm tired. Once, it was even accompanied by a twitch. Now, you're probably going to tell me to go to the doctor and talk about it and that's been on my to-do list, but I'm pretty sure there isn't much he can do about it, but I am kind of curious as to whether I should go. I can't seem to find any reputable sources on it, only forum posts and I was wondering if anyone can lead me in the right direction. Thanks.


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## Ramondo (Feb 16, 2011)

fissionesque said:


> Surely others on here get these as well.
> Yes, if you do a search on this site, you'll find loads of references to brain zaps.
> 
> I've done some internet research on them and it seems that they are a withdrawal symptom of common SSRI's like Zoloft and Paxil and SNRI's like Effexor. Now, when I was younger, I was on a ****load of them, so that would have been expected back then, but now it's been over five years since I've been on any medication any they still pop up every now and then. I have done some other drugs recreationally that work in on your serotonin, but gotten them even when I wasn't doing them and they're still there, though not as much and only when I'm tired. Once, it was even accompanied by a twitch. Now, you're probably going to tell me to go to the doctor and talk about it and that's been on my to-do list, but I'm pretty sure there isn't much he can do about it, but I am kind of curious as to whether I should go. I can't seem to find any reputable sources on it, only forum posts and I was wondering if anyone can lead me in the right direction. Thanks.


You'd probably need to see a neurologist or a psychiatrist. Many GPs haven't heard of brain zaps. You probably will have read that, rarely, they can become a long term problem. The zaps can be controlled with benzos, but if you only get them now and then, it's probably not worth it. 
Then again, if you're getting twitching, it might be a mild epileptic phenomenon (which some people have postulated for brain zaps anyway.)
It won't hurt to talk to a doctor, but it might not help much either.
PS: I got them withdrawing from Zoloft, but they're gone now. I'm on Cymbalta. No doubt, I'll get them again if/when I go off this!


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## Noca (Jun 24, 2005)

Yeah I get the rare brain zap from time to time as well as shudders and tremors.


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## Neptunus (Oct 29, 2007)

Yep, even 6 yrs after I stopped taking Paxil (the first time), I would have brain zaps, usually when I looked up and to the right. They'd manifest more when I was tired too. When I got back on it, they went away. 

Perhaps SSRI's permanently change the brain chemistry for certain, sensitive individuals? That'll probably come out in some study soon. Wouldn't surprise me.


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## scriabin221 (Nov 16, 2008)

Ramondo said:


> You'd probably need to see a neurologist or a psychiatrist. Many GPs haven't heard of brain zaps. You probably will have read that, rarely, they can become a long term problem. The zaps can be controlled with benzos, but if you only get them now and then, it's probably not worth it.
> Then again, if you're getting twitching, it might be a mild epileptic phenomenon (which some people have postulated for brain zaps anyway.)
> It won't hurt to talk to a doctor, but it might not help much either.
> PS: I got them withdrawing from Zoloft, but they're gone now. I'm on Cymbalta. No doubt, I'll get them again if/when I go off this!


I did a search, but I didn't really find anything I hadn't heard in other places, so I thought I'd make my own thread about it. What I'd really like to find are some links to legit medical sites that talk about it.

@Neptunus
Yeah, I feel that's going to happen at some point, with a lot of meds. That's one reason I went off medication and decided to battle it on my own.


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## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

I would talk to a doctor, there may still be an issue somewhere.


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## Makaveli (Jul 15, 2009)

I had the zaps whenever I hadn't taken my effexor or cipramil for a couple of days. I got them even when slowly withdrawing, but they subsided after about 3 months. Speak to a psychiatrist about it. Doctors may not know much about this and how to treat it.


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## Devil (Apr 25, 2011)

I had brain zaps with Paxil for a week or longer.


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## valentyna (May 13, 2011)

im on 150 mg dose of effexar, and if i dont take it for a day i get the brain zaps too, they are a very short dissorientation with a sudden move of the head, so annoying


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## Rossificus (Apr 27, 2011)

I used to get this while I was actually taking Venlafaxine/Effexor, not just during withdrawal. It was like the sensation you get licking a battery, just though my head. Sometimes it felt like I'd pass out. I believe it has no physical implications but it sure is horrid. I've read stories where people had to open their capsules, count the number of little balls inside, and gradually remove a few, otherwise the brain zaps were too much to handle. Venlafaxine is Evil.


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## Arisa1536 (Dec 8, 2009)

Oddly enough i did not experience them on paxil or effexor withdrawal, i did however have them before being put on medication
the most noticeable long lasting effect that similar but not really the same as brain zaps on SNRI/SSRI stuff is tremors and jerky body movements involuntary


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## cybernaut (Jul 30, 2010)

Hi, I've been dealing with brain zaps since July 2010-even before I was placed on Lexapro, which I only took for a month. After months of dealing with the issue, I went to see a neurologist 3 times because of the issue. Then in Nov. 2010, I got an MRI and EEG on my head. This was one hell of a crazy process, especially the EEG. My results came out positive after the scan though.I'm going to tell you right now that there's pretty much nothing the doctor can do about it. It seems to be a "rare" and "harmless" issue, and not too many of them seem to be familiar with it. I've gotten so many crazy looks when I try to explain the symptoms. 

It has been almost a year now, and I still suffer from brain zaps. I have gotten used to them, but it feels weird having a electric volt/shock sound in my head on a daily basis. I even get them when I turn my head or bend down to get something.Sometimes, the jolt can make it to my neck or I can see an actual flash of electricity when I close my eyes. But, the only effect that I get from brain zaps is feeling dizzy every blue moon but nothing unbearable.Brain zaps seem to be harmless though.I've endured almost a year of them now and nothing bad has happened to me so far. I hope they go away for you soon though. If it concerns you, you might want to get the EEG and MRI like how I did. The EEG won't be too pleasant though :/.


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## CryingMinotaur (May 14, 2011)

Neptunus said:


> Yep, even 6 yrs after I stopped taking Paxil (the first time), I would have brain zaps, usually when I looked up and to the right. They'd manifest more when I was tired too. When I got back on it, they went away.
> 
> Perhaps SSRI's permanently change the brain chemistry for certain, sensitive individuals? That'll probably come out in some study soon. Wouldn't surprise me.


I had brain zaps when I went off Paxil after being on it for about a year. They are really scary. They went away for me though, I think after a month of being off it.


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## TooRational (Aug 4, 2011)

*Brain Zaps*

I am brand new to this community and was reading/googling about "brain zaps." I am a 30 y/o female and my social anxiety came on immediately and suddenly about 8 months ago. Given how assertive I was beforehand, it is very bizarre and uncomfortable. I was on Lexapro about 5 years ago experimentally for other issues/symptoms. It did nothing for me but my odd symptoms eventually went away so I stopped it. I haven't taken any other anti-depressants in my life.

All of that said, I can assure you that the "brain zaps" are a specific symptom of social anxiety disorder and I doubt they're an effect of any anti-depressant unless this disorder, as any anxiety disorder, is complex chemical imbalance that has various manifestations depending on the individual (given the medications work differently for different people, that's unfortunately a very real possibility...which will make a cure hard to find). But I had very uncomfortable brain zaps prior to taking any anti-depressants for this condition. For the last few months I have been taking Celexa and have had a lot of relief from the symptoms, though it hasn't gone away entirely. The only side effect I've noticed is a little bit of tiredness, but it's worth the progress that I've made. I don't have the brain zaps that often and I can feel that they are less intense on Celexa. Oddly enough, I interpret them as a kind of immune response to the disorder. Because Celexa works to lessen the intensity and they are a reaction to socially induced anxiety, it almost feels like other aspects of my brain are fighting against the perceptual misfiring that is SA. It's unfortunate that psychiatrists know nothing of brain zaps, because they may be the key in understanding this issue.


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## krees23 (Jan 22, 2013)

I was on Effexor from about 1995 to 1997. Now, 2013, I still get the brain zaps. I never had those until I started Effexor.

They predictably appear when I'm tired or I'm starting to come down with a cold. Very strange, I know.

I'm glad that I finally put a label on these feelings and I'm not alone. My doctor's didn't have a clue about this when I went in for physicals.

Does anybody have any information on how common these long term brain zaps are? Will they ever go away on their own?

Thanks for any insight on this.


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## M90 (Jan 10, 2013)

I got those brain zaps when I stopped taking Cipralex.


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## Mia 91 (Jan 28, 2013)

I got them when I was weaned off of Cymbalta, and they were intermittent even up to 6 months AFTER all the other withdrawal symptoms had ceased.
I've been brain zap free for a year and a half now.


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## skaysee (Apr 2, 2013)

*Brain Zaps*

I've been living with occasional brain zaps since going off Zoloft in the mid-90s, so getting close to 20 years now. I get zaps when I'm tired and when I run fevers. I don't know that they're harmful, but they're certainly unpleasant. Just wanted to add my voice to the list of long term sufferers.


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## whattothink (Jun 2, 2005)

I had them when I was discontinuing my SSRI. I also had them when I began taking the SSRI again. They really don't meet the infamy I've read about them. In fact, they're kind of pleasant.


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## renegade disaster (Jul 28, 2009)

yea I got these when coming off paxil. sometimes i'd get them just from walking around the house.
I had to explain to the professionals what they were,best description I could give was a similar sensation to when you dunk your head into a bowl of freezing cold water, that similar electric shudder.


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## microp (Jun 1, 2013)

One more ... here I am. I have quit Celexa 7 years ago, withdrawal was a king of hell. Brain zaps were unbearable. If someone would ask what zaps look like the best answer for me would be; try to put a 9V battery on your tongue and imagine the electricity running not only through your tongue but deep inside your head. It's a kind of acid feeling. They occur mainly when I'm tired and are so stressful that make me even more tired. After 7 years I still hope they will end. When they occur sometimes I experience hot ears and dry mouth also. My girlfriend makes fun of my ears turning red, so I'm confident my imagination it's not playing a major role here.


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## Zack (Apr 20, 2013)

Brain zaps are INFAMOUS with Effexor/venlafaxine withdrawal, or a missed dose, but I haven't heard of them with anything else. In my case they are very mild, anyway. More like a tingling.


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## Ramondo (Feb 16, 2011)

TooRational said:


> All of that said, I can assure you that the "brain zaps" are a specific symptom of social anxiety disorder and I doubt they're an effect of any anti-depressant unless this disorder, as any anxiety disorder, is complex chemical imbalance that has various manifestations depending on the individual (given the medications work differently for different people, that's unfortunately a very real possibility...which will make a cure hard to find). But I had very uncomfortable brain zaps prior to taking any anti-depressants for this condition. For the last few months I have been taking Celexa and have had a lot of relief from the symptoms, though it hasn't gone away entirely.


I know you probably won't get this, given that you posted two years ago. You seem to be in minority. What qualifications do you have to "assure" us that brain zaps are a symptom of social anxiety disorder, and not caused by medications? 
I believe that you might have had brain zaps before going onto medication. But one testimonial is hardly scientifically convincing. Also, we don't know whether what you call "brain zaps" are the same as what others get on drug use or withdrawal.


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## Sirenz (Dec 9, 2011)

I've never experienced brain zaps before this year. I have been on 3 different anti depressants but it's been over a year since I've been on anything, I have times where I'm up for 2 or 3 days because I can't sleep but I get these during that time and it feels like zaps but sometimes like my brain is quivering? It's strange. When I have to stay up for a day or so but do get tired they don't happen but when I'm wide awake for days in a row for no reason they start happening along with more frequent panic attacks. When I was on anti depressants it was just for major depression, anxiety was very bad then but not as extreme as it has been since I've been off them, so I think the zaps or quivers have something do with my anxiety.


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