Brain Zaps and Antidepressants - Why Do they Happen?
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- Опубликовано: 1 июн 2024
- Brain zaps are part of what we call medication discontinuation syndrome. Medication discontinuation syndrome are symptoms that you can see when you suddenly stop your medication.
In this case were talking about what you see when you stop the serotonin enhancing antidepressants.
An easy way to remember these symptoms is with the mnemonic FINISH
F - Flulike symptoms.
I - insomnia.
N - nausea or maybe even vomiting.
I - imbalance like dizziness or even vertigo like your head is spinning.
S - sensory disturbances and that would be the electric shocks that seem to be coming from your brain.
H - for hyperarousal and this would be anxiety, irritability, aggression or even jerkiness.
Disclaimer: All of the information on this channel is for educational purposes and not intended to be specific/personal medical advice from me to you. Watching the videos or getting answers to comments/question, does not establish a doctor-patient relationship. If you have your own doctor, perhaps these videos can help prepare you for your discussion with your doctor.
I upload every Wednesday at 9am, and sometimes have extra videos in between. Subscribe to my channel so you don't miss a video goo.gl/DFfT33
WATCH NEXT: *Are Antidepressants Addictive?* ruclips.net/video/Ux0FHPux6J0/видео.html
Hi Tracey. I'm wondering what I can do to support myself coming off antidepressants. I'm down from 40mg to 30mg of citalopram. I've done that over about a 3 month period and I'm doing breath work and using some frequency technology called the healy (which you should check out( but wondering what else I could do? Thanks
Pliz help. yes I struggle terribly with electric brain shock, terribly nasty dreams, feelings of unreality, struggle with sleep and terrible nightmares. what do i have to do and when will this stop me from having these abitences? best regards Ezgi
Is it posibble to ween off of respidone 2 mg with out with draws or vertigo i have been taking it since march of 2003?
@@icosium1icosium957 After regular practice the below given meditation helps a lot. Develop your mental muscles by reprogramming the mind [brain]. Your breath is directly related to your mind [brain] causing anxiety-stress. For a relaxed life without anxiety-stress sit on a chair, back erect, hands on lap with palms upwards, eyes closed, be still and observe your natural incoming--outgoing breath and body sensations for around 5-10-15 minutes. Be as still as possible. Avoid moving too much. Many thoughts will come which is ok--slowly negative thoughts will reduce and your mind will relax. Mind[brain] are reprogrammed. During your daily activity at home or office keep observing your breath with eyes open or closed. Best part is mood swings also reduce after daily meditation. Do the above meditation daily without any doubts and enjoy life. If any pills need to be taken see that the lowest mg is taken which may not be habit forming. Best wishes. Shyaaam Sir. -Counsellor-Teacher.
I wish you would counsel me .. I don’t know what else to do I’m taking klonopin and even though it’s only 0.5 once a day it’s hurting me I’ve tried getting off slowly by taking it every other day but now idk wat else to do I’m super dizzy, jerking, irritable , nauseated and off balance nonstop... what do I do 😓😓😓😓😭
To all the homies coming off the meds you got this!! It comes to an end eventually!! Love you all and wish you luck!!
Thank you. I really needed this reassurance.
Thanks Bradly ❤😊
This withdrawal from Effexor is a complete nightmare…I seriously think I have brain damage…
Getting off Sertraline is the hardest thing I've tried to get off of . I'm fukd up . . It's killing me
Bro I fucking hate this shit
I tried to tell my Dr I was experiencing these symptoms and she looked at me like I had 5 heads.... Thank you for explaining this. 🤦♀️
THEN WHY DONT YOU USE ONE OF THE BRAINS IN ONE OF THOSE HEADS AND FIND ANOTHER DOCTOR, DUHHHH
I said about brain zaps to my doctor and she was like: "Wtf is he talking about?" 🤔
@@stbam1965 considering that I’ve gone to multiple doctors, I think I have that covered. Thanks for the ignorant assumption though.
@@MarcosVAlves87 lol most of them have no clue. They don’t update their knowledge of medicine, new findings, and breakthrough treatments. It’s hard to find doctors that take ongoing education, seriously.
@@stbam1965 That was TOTALLY RUDE. GROW UP. YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MANY DOCTORS SHE'S SEEN.
Ive gone through this maybe 4 or 5 times. Running out of my meds, can’t get them, but whatever the reason, Brain Zaps are no joke. They can be debilitating. It literally feels like every time you shift your eyes, someone is shocking you with a defibrillator. Brutal.
Yes yes yes! I get this after 1 day of missing dose. I thought I was slowly having a stroke as my lips were tingling too and my finger ends.
Are you better now.
@Denim Hi.
If I'm going constant with taking them every morning it still happens some days but not as often as if I'm late putting prescription in and have to go cold turkey 😢
I have noticed that I get tingling in my hands too sometimes.
@Denim Update to that. I'm on Doluxetine daily and I've noticed that some days, say stood at the road side, if I turn my head I can hear the traffic in broken 'stages' as it passes by me. . O can't really explain better than this. It is very abnormal though and makes me wonder if we are all just 'human guinea pigs' to these lethal experiments via the drugs we are prescribed!?..
I know it horrendous, heinous. The people that make them should be asleep...PERMANENTLY
I recently stopped cold turkey from sertraline/Zoloft (yes I know not advisable, but I hate the thought of having to ween off for months, so I'd rather just tough it out for a couple weeks). The worst part is the fatigue I have been experiencing, I have been getting the zapping sensation but not nearly as bad as it seems as others. One thing that I've noticed that almost completely eliminates withdrawal symptoms is EXERCISE. Specifically cardio, I've been using a stationary bike at home. I've noticed my symptoms are worse just laying around and giving into the fatigue. Trust me, get up, get moving, get your blood flowing, eat nutritious food.
Finally adequate comment!! I have been on sertraline for about 14 months and tapered it easily even without a doctors help within 2 months (I did not rush). And it’s been just fine! I would say almost ZERO negative effects (light brain zips that I actually enjoy lol) ! But I am so grateful for having a chance taking it and really improving my mental health and quality of my life!! I did have chemical imbalance and if I knew how it works, I would not spend 15 years on pain…
Thank you for this!
Also, try taking a Nootropic. Thay call Nootropics brain food. Good for memory, alterness,fatigue, cognitive behaviour. I went off my antidepressants after 18yrs.
Only 3 weeks in,but I'm doing ok
Yeah I take the same meds my brain feels like every time my siblings scare me I get them and I twitching a lot in my brain arms and legs sometimes I can’t move my hand but its twitching and the another reason is that I feel really weird and I have electric shocks in my head but it don’t hurt sometimes it does
I'm going through this right now. Brain zaps, nausea/dry heaving, mood swings, vivid dreams, and body aches. It's not fun.
Try Headstand yoga pose just once for 5 minutes ...i did it and now feeling much better
Kerry F how are you now? Hopefully well
Me too,you are not alone
Same here been going through it for months
Kerry F are you completely off them?
I have all of these symptoms at the moment, i started yesterday even though i stopped 5 days ago.
Wish health to everyone who is reading
How do you feel after 3 weeks?
I'm withdrawing from Zoloft and I want to die.
But hearing this all in the video comforts me so much.
Thank you thank you thank you so much.
I hope it got better for you, take care💛
HANG IN THERE I KNOW WHAT YOUR GOING THROUGH
How are you doing now, Darling?
update
Good video! 3,5 weeks off of Sertraline. Had brainzaps all over the place. Weird kind of dizzyness. Still experience them, but less often. Or I am getting used to it 🤔? Dreams? Yes! Emotion outbursts: Yes! I’m embracing it. I am healing.
Stay strong everybody! 🌻
How is it going?
Any feedback?
I'm going through this right now coming off of Zoloft. No matter how bad things get, know YOU ARE NOT ALONE. It is very difficult and is effecting everyday life for me with the constant brain zaps, irritability and emotions, but I know that I am not alone. There are always people who have it much worse than you. Keep your head up and we will get through this TOGETHER!
Hey do you still have have them ?
@@bridarby2299 Not anymore, they progressively started to go away and now I do not have them.
Yeah I numb it by drinking vodka
Loved the comment, until you said «there are always people who have it much worse than you» 🙈 Its basically like saying «hey, don’t be happy with what you have bc there are people out there who have it much better than you» .. Also just going off of my Escitalopram Actavis and I’m only having brain zaps. On day 3 and I’m going mad it feels like.. 😬🙄🙃
I needed this,Mel.
I feel like I'm losing my mind.
None, NONE, of my doctor knew what I was talking about with this years ago. Thankful new patients have an explanation. It took YEARS for mine o end.
Oh goodness Debbie years? I'm sorry you had that experience.
The glories of being one of the first thrown on Paxil, and losing my mind getting yanked off.
Of course, I was making it all up, and the medication didn't cause any of it.
The fun of psychiatric care during the 1990s. The pills don't work right, and it's ALL the patient's fault they aren't working right.
@@lilbatz they never warn people. It makes me more angry when children are put on meds they may not need. Doctors also act like medications are not as dangerous as street drugs when in reality they're equally dangerous
Took years for what?
Inner Beauty For the withdrawal symptoms to end
I quit cymbalta a few years ago, tapered and then was opening my pills and breaking them down until I was barely taking any. Still had intense brain zaps for a month plus. If you are suffering through this right now just know that you're not alone and you'll get through it. Exercise helps.
Maintsaturn did u feel fatigue and stomach cramps and feet sweating in ur withdrawals please Answer I quit sleeping pills 84days before still feel those sym
@@sangeetalambh6389 i don't remember having cramping, but the sweating was one of the reasons I had to get off the drug. I had really intense soaking night sweats. I don't remember how long it took to stop the sweating. I'm sorry you are having to suffer with those symptoms for so long. I hope it goes away soon. Almost all drugs make people deficient in magnesium. I recommend doing some reading and ask your Dr if it is ok for you to take a supplement because magnesium helps cramps, fatigue and neurologic symptoms like sweating. Hang in there
@@mintsaturn how many months u take to recover, I sleep daily 6 hours
@@sangeetalambh6389 it was at least 3 months of zaps but I can't remember how long until I felt totally normal. It's been a few years and I feel back to nornal.
I had the same thing.. I wasn’t even on it that long and it made me feel suicidal which is why I was getting off it. I had brain zaps and felt like I was crawling on the ceiling. It was awful and I went to the ER where they looked at me like I was crazy and send me home with Xanax.
I was taking Cymbalta for nerve pain, coming off of it and have awful brain zaps. My neurologist doesn't believe me and thinks I'm making it up, and my migraines are still full blown at this point. My head is not ok and this is the first time I'm hearing ppl understand ❤️
He believes you but gets money by pretending not to believe you, it's all about the money.
Effin Drs
It feels like weird chills that run down from your arms to your head. It’s horrible.
Yup
Look up Dr Peter Breggin on RUclips best in the world. Good luck 🙏🙏
It feels like electric shocks. Seriously. Not just chills
But for me personally they stopped after like 2-3 months
I'm going through this as I get off my effexor. It is honestly so bad and people who haven't gone through it just can't understand how disorienting and sickening it feels.
Currently going through the brainzaps as I’m coming off one of my meds. It actually doesn’t bother me that much because I actually feel great otherwise. Also, knowing that it’s happening because of the withdrawals also keeps the mind at ease. Like this isn’t happening for no reason, and eventually will go away, so it’s not worth worrying about too much. I’m still able to go to work and focus and everything (nurse) so if I really felt it was interfering with my abilities as a nurse I would just take time off. But other than the sensation of brain zaps, I still feel totally normal, my energy level has not been affected, and I’m in a great mood, and I still feel clear mentally. It’s a weird experience but it will pass!
does it happen when youre in deep sleep or just awake in a daytime just doing some work?
All day no matter what you’re doing. But it doesn’t affect sleep and you don’t feel it while you’re sleeping either.
@@ryanclark1366 oh im so sorry to hear that!
idk if mine is a brain zap or not. i get this mini kind of seizure when im asleep and i cant open my eyes while it’s happening its like a electric shock in brain lasting 5 seconds.
anyway i hope u feel better! we got this ❤️🩹
Are you feeling better now?
better now ?
“Your brain dropping through space”. THIS IS IT. YES. THANK YOU. I always explain it as a hole in my head/falling backwards through that hole, or I’ll feel like my entire head is missing and like I’ve had 30,000 coffees and I’m “buzzing”. I’ve had these symptoms while decreasing AND increasing dosages.
Right that was the best explanation I’ve ever heard for it. It’s exactly how I felt coming off Paxil. Made me scared to try another antidepressant for 15 years.
@@Bmac_Gaming yes, after about a month it stopped. I’m now weaning off of Zoloft very slowly and I’ve had some Brain zaps but nothing like I did with Paxil. I made myself wean so much slower this time and it’s made a big difference.
I immediately fell into tears during this video. I’m currently during withdrawal from lexapro and going on week two of flu like symptoms, irritability, high anxiety, low low depression and brain zaps that happen all day, multiple times in a row. My doctor completely failed me. He does not know how to help so he put his hands up and told me to find a new doctor, I realized that my health is now in my hands so I started my own research and this is the first thing i came across. Thank you so much for this video, it’s making me feel less scared and alone
Oh I'm so glad to hear it Kyle. I'm sorry your having this experience. Hang in there hopefully it will start to taper off soon.
Kyle Giordano look into Point of Return about tapering....there is support, they do build you up with supplements so your body can handlenthe taper without the withdrawal symptoms....just check out their info....may help you....I'm currently about to taper off of Effexor then I have 3 more after that
Kyle Giordano I tried weaning off of 30mg of Lexapro 2 years ago. I’ve been on it since I was 15, and I was 31 at the time I tried to stop taking it. Felt great until I got down to 15mg and I legit thought I was going to die. I had every symptom you mentioned, along with all kinds of breakdowns. I called my doctor several times a day for a few days because I just didn’t know what to do. I eventually went back up to 30mg and have been on it since. Even on 30mg every day I still get zaps now and then. I absolutely hate it. 😕
This just happened to me from taking alot of molly two days ago. I right now am experiencing brain zaps and cannot sleep. Please help. I need to go to work in 4 hours. Will taking a very small amount help?
Im so sorry kyle! Ive not had the courage to stop my ssri after 20 years. I tried twice, and after 5 days i was suicidal.
This 100000% needs to be talked about more. This symptom alone has influenced and will continue to influence how I go about almost every aspect of my life as someone with Bipolar 2 disorder. For anyone finding out which medications are right for them, this can end their journey towards seeking help altogether.
This!
this is me right now, i have bipolar 2 and im coming off effexor. i feel so awful i don’t ever want to take medication again
Doctors who don't warn patients about this should be struck off.
F**** a right as well as BIG PHARMA!
My dr never warned me about this and I had brain zaps and flu symptoms for about 6 months.. they didn’t go away for another 4-5 months and my dr was unreachable that whole time
I stopped lexapro just under a week ago and I am beginning to feel again! I actually cry with movies! I can feel for my teen daughter when she is frustrated and crying, I am moved by her suffering which I haven’t felt in over a year. I thought I was turning into an intellectual and practical person but I was actually loosing my humanity. My daughter had stopped talking to me since I couldn’t be empathetic no more!! 😢😤😡
I am never going back to meds again! unless I feel I am failing an exam because of anxiety, then I will take it till the exam is over.
How long were you on lex for.? And how long was your taper
This is how I felt when I was on lithium.
I'm with you 💯
@@chantalclarke5305 I’m tapering off of lexapro. I was in 20. I did 10mg for 10 days and then 5mg for 10 days. It’s been 5 days since my last dosage and I can still feel brain zaps
Yes!!! Crying is beautiful! Brain zaps are not :(
This woman is incredible! She covers so much and has such a 360 view on issues
I wish she was my doctor!
I thought she was so wrong on lots of what she say she talks in circles 😂
@@francesgillotti1378 Ah yes because you are a licensed psychiatrist
She’s rational and well informed.
I tried gradually weaning myself off my medication and I’m still feeling the brain shock. I’ve called it a “brain shake” sensation and it’s really weird.
Have your symptoms disappeared, and how do you feel now?
@@MS-mz8kh I weaned myself off my SSRI myself, too quickly (didn't feel like getting my prescription refilled). I experienced brain zaps about an hour before my pill taking time. Then after I took the last pill fragment, the violent mood swings / emotional rollercoaster began. I chose to quit my job before my actions got me fired :) I didn't like the job anyway and it was a good excuse to quit lol
@@Sisterlisk I tried to slowly wean myself off, but I became very emotional and weepy. I only take HALF of a 37.5mg pill, so I decided I am a happier person taking it.
Hey i want to withdrawal from my antipsychotics, how’s your brain zaps ??? Do you still get them ?
Ugh mine feel like my brain is doing a back flip every other minute 🥲🥲🥲
I'm dealing with this right now and I even tapered off my meds because I knew it would be a while before I get a refill. Ive been off for almost 2 weeks and it feels like there is no end in sight. Luckily I see the doc in a couple days. The withdrawal is truly disturbing, and this video is helpful to share with people who don't understand what we are going through.
I have had the brain zaps but I thought it was just me. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who has felt them.
Vivid dreams. Brain zaps (mine's like someone drops a grand piano and as it hits the ground someone takes a flash photo at the same time.) 🙄 The vertigo is about as fun as a carnival ride. 😂 I'm on my last week of sertraline taper and the struggle is real. The vivid dreams and the insomnia and the nausea and the occasional zaps aren't worth the price of admission - me first taking the meds in the first place. It's mind over matter though -- I'm not letting a little blue pill boss me around.
How are you feeling now?
It's the most horrible feeling EVER...I will never do it again..it takes a year to even feel right...
Doctor Marks, it is no exaggeration that as someone who suffers from panic disorders and was taking Paxil, your videos have greatly improved my life and been such a warm comfort during my lowest points. Thank you.
I just want to say that I am so thankful for these videos. Even with a 1 hour long session with my doctor, I don't get this much information. You are awesome!
I'm currently having withdrawals from lexapro. I feel like I'm dying and I just want this to go away
Inquire about it that's crazy, I'm so glad I'm not on it anymore. It was too strong for me and it was giving me psychotic dreams. I'm definitely never going back to it
Inquire about it I was taking 10mg for a month and a half then I was taking 5mg for about 10 days and then I stopped. The withdrawal symptoms were so bad I thought about admitting myself to an institution
I was just put on that and Xanax scared to take it! I had a bad experience with med.. :(
Inquire about it i have taken some of them but I have a fear of meds.. bad. I take it occasionally half a mg but not regularly.. I’ve been on meds that’s changed me too bad one made me psychotic. Been living in fear ever since that experience.
How to get cured
I tapered off of my meds in about a year, it's been two weeks I've come off of fluvoxamine completely, brain zaps have gone down in intensity but the emotions are too intense, it feels like I would relapse again, I have tried quitting them before but this is the first time I've reached this far. And I feel like crying again after reading the comments. I cannot vent out elsewhere, feel really alone sometimes but I know I am not. Stay strong everyone.
💛 it will get easier
I've been taking antidepressants for many, many years and I've never had any of my many doctors explain the FINISH symptoms, which I've experienced while getting on and off medications. Thank you so much! I'm so glad I've discovered you!!
Back in the 1990s, my doctor put me on a new drug - Paxil. I took it for awhile and felt much better so I went off of it (with the doctor's approval). The doctor never told me to withdraw slowly - I think Paxil was so new that they didn't realize what stopping the drug would do. I did not have symptoms right away. And when I started getting brain zaps, I did not even think it was due to stopping Paxil (since the doctor did not tell me I'd have symptoms.) The brain zaps got worse and worse to the point that I could no longer work. I could barely walk. I had SO many medical tests - MRI, xrays, CAT scan, etc until I was finally told, "It's all in your head." Doctors looked at me like I was crazy. Brain zaps?? What the heck is that. Eventually, after about 11-12 months, the brain zaps slowly disappeared. Fast forward 20+ years and a doctor put me on Lexapro. I could not even go 23 hours before I'd have brain zaps. When they started happening, i realized what had been wrong with me in the 1990s. It was withdrawal from Paxil. (My husband at the time also thought I was crazy and he divorced me.) It took me a full year to taper off Lexapro. I still had brain zaps throughout that year, but they weren't as debilitating as the Paxil withdrawal ones were. Finally I had an answer to my crazy brain zaps in the 1990s. I called my ex husband to tell him and he apologized for treating me like I was crazy , too., My doctor advised me to NEVER go on an SSRI again.
How did you get out of withdrawal? What did you do to get of brain zap?
@@jineshgeorge3514 I tapered very very slowly. Since I was trying to come off of Lexapro and it was a capsule, I opened up the capsule and counted beads. Sounds crazy, but I tried taking half and the zaps were horrible. It took me a year to get off of it by taking away bead by bead in the capsules. The craziest thing was that I was only on Lexapro for a month. I was having brain zaps after 22 hours. My doctor has advised me to never take an SSRI again.
This video is over a year old but I am so glad I found it. You have at the very least given me a term for these nervous system zaps I’ve been experiencing. It was so hard trying to explain this feeling to my therapist. Thank you so much!!🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
I experienced this phenomena back in 2008 with phenelzine. The medicine itself worked great for anxiety but I had to discontinue it on account of incompatibility with Adderall as well as chronic fatigue. I had about 2-3 weeks of brain zaps which, at the time, no doctors seemed to know about. I always described it as a lightbulb exploding in my head - they were freaky and disruptive as hell (though I was a little intrigued by the novelty of the symptom, as well.) The only time the brain zaps truly concerned me were the very rare cases of them occurring while I was driving.
It's good to see the greater awareness of this symptom in the past ten years.
My mood swings are absolutely insane. Thank you for this video
So I notice brain zaps are intrinsically related to lateral eye movements for me...does anyone else experience this? Know anything?
Yes it happed to me and when I was quiet I realized it was when I moved my eyes. I always thought that was separate like during the day the noise was a swooshing sound and when I was nearly asleep I'd get a brain zap.
Same here. Moving my eyes side to side triggers it. It's a terrible feeling.
yeah. it is for me too
Yes! Thats when it would happen to me. I haven't been on any antidepressants for a long time but years ago, I took a trip across country and left my medication the plane. I started going through cold turkey withdrawal and every time I looked to the sides, it felt like my head was warping for a second. I always thought it was strange. Today is the first day I'm finding out that this happens to a lot of people.
Spot on yes
I've experienced this with Effexor XR. Anytime I would miss a dose ZAP, ZAP. I still quit cold turkey though which brought the ZAPS but I made it through and will never probably never take it again..every time i would move my head, ZAP ⚡️ ZAP ⚡️and a vertigo feeling, like my head wasnt connected to my body
Oh Rusty that sounds awful. I hope you were warned about that. It's so weird that it's easy to think there's something seriously wrong with you. I'm glad you're past that.
Dr. Tracey Marks My psychiatrist did NOT warn me about this. i had to look into it myself AFTER the fact. i’ve learned my lesson: research every medication and their potential side effects myself rather than trusting my doctor has told me everything i should know
I'm going through it with cymbalta now. Every missed dose would cause them. Now I'm quitting because of an insurance mishap. So its not a choice, but I'm not going through this anymore. My brain feels like its going stupid.
@@rustymcgee7488 Dr Tracey hi, can you please help me? These zaps are killing me. I was also on Effexor XR and my doctor is trying to replace it with Bupron SR 150. I gradually reduced it to 37.5 mg and then stopped it. I have started taking Bupron from past 3 days and have been experiencing zaps non stop. My doctor says to give Bupron SR 150 about 10 days. I don't know how I'll survive next few days. Can you share your experiences please?
rajat upreti honestly rajat, I don’t know of any way to stop the brain zaps. I think that since you are taking a new antidepressant they shouldn’t be as bad or last as long as they would if you simply went cold turkey. But I think you’re just going to have to endure them until it goes away. Maybe in the next 10 days. The only thing I can tell you is to take it easy. Get plenty of rest and sleep. Try not to stress too much or move around too much or engage in any strenuous activities. Stay hydrated and eat healthy. And just wait it out. That is what I had to do when I went through withdrawal. You’ll notice the zaps become less intense and less frequent.
AHHHH i can’t believe there’s a video on this!!!!! i was going throughhhhhh ittttt when i stopped my meds and i hadn’t heard of this before
I have been seeing your videos and you are great!!! I am a psychiatrist myself based on mexico city and you inspired me to start a channel like this for Mexican patients. Great work psychoeducating!!! 👏🏻
Hi Joanna, maybe you can help me. I seen to have some mental gaps when speaking from spanish to english and viceversa. Spanish is my first language. As Im getting older it seems is getting worse. I get blanks in my head making me slow to speak. And often forget what was just said. I ask people often to repeat. It gets annoying. I did take antidepressants and stopped over 10 years ago. What can I do to improve my speaking skills. Im in my mid 40's and I dont like it. My husband tells me is not the language that is the problem. Maybe is just my head. I dont know. I welcome any suggestion. Thank you so much
Out of around 10 psychiatrist I have only met 1 other doctor besides you that knew what brain zaps were! I describe them in as like a sudden electrical surge in my body and brain. I personally don’t just feel it in my head I feel it throughout my body. Thank you for doing these videos!
Yes me too it goes through my body I’m coming off busperone
Me too, horrendous feeling.😢
Well yeah, the drugs are poison and cause neurotoxic events like brain zaps.
“Medication Discontinuation Syndrome” lol we’re just gonna act as if this isn’t just a withdrawal
Money money money
@Jim Mork not really
If eat clean we will be clean
@Jim Mork then pills shouldnt either. Everything has an effect
@Jim Mork epigenetics.
Dryga made me unable to feel emotions. You can alter a lot
@Jim Mork wdym
Love this video it perfectly explained everything that i desperately wanted to know.
Your videos help me so much,
with building my trust in SSRI's.
Thank you Tracey 💗
I really hope my therapist is as comforting and professional as you .
You make me feel safer & more protected in this crazy world 💕 Thank you/ Ronja, from Sweden
Thank you so much. Answered a lot of my questions and helped to explain everything I'm going through.
I love how she speaks in an informative manner with that calm demeanor.
Yes, this brain zap feels like an electric shock in my head. Scared mr the first time and continues to cause me concern. Thank you for this lecture.
This is absolutely the most accurate, informative, and helpful video I've seen on this so far. I'm textbook. Feels less lonely and more situational instead of catastrophic that I'm experiencing these symptoms. Thank you!!!!
I appreciate these informative videos, and that you understand not everyone wants to be on medication.
After watching your video my anxiety attack has been stop.
Yes, and thank you! Going through discontinuation syndrome as we speak. It was completely unintentional, and it sucks. I started meds back up as soon as I could, and I'm in Day 2 of start-up. Brain zaps were no joke, and I still feel them, but very mild compared to initial onset. I'll be happy once I'm back to 100%, but it is a rough journey even in this short term experience.
Holy jimmy crickets, this is real. It shocks from my head down my body. They don’t happen unless I forget my meds. Your such a big help.
Yes! I just stumbled across this video from looking up info about ppmd. I tell my doctors that I get electric shocks whenever I accidentally skip a dose of effexor. They act like I'm crazy. Thank you, thank you! You are a great doctor.
I absolutely had these 'popping bubbles', I called them, during my first experience with Paxil in 1997. I had only been taking it for 6 months or so and just ran out. I didn't connect it with the meds at the time but vividly remember the sensation. I have now been taking paroxetine for over 20 years and had finally got confirmation that it was a withdrawal symptom in 2015 from a psychiatrist. I have been afraid to try to get off of it for all these years because of the instability that comes from missing even a few days.
Thank you for explaining the metabolism and half-lives of the different medications and how that effects the timing and intensity of withdrawals. It kind of gives me hope that I won't be stuck on this stuff forever.
Really, thank you for your videos. They are helping me to form a more comprehensive view of my major depression and to gain a vocabulary with which I can relate my experiences and also in validating several of those experiences.
Update: I was not seen in 13 months so I get to do the intake prices again. This time with private insurance so I had to wait for a therapist with a particular license to meet with me before I could meet with an MD for meds. This therapist told me I had been fighting my anxiety and depression on my own since my meds were no longer effective after 3-5 years. He didn't use the word but told me the effect was psychosomatic. He ignored the withdrawal symptoms I told him about and that I'm not always compliant.
But could this be possible????
@@shannonr1983 Hi Shannon. I'm also tappering off of Paroxetine after 23 years of being on it. It's tough but what I've found to be incredibly difficult is finding well-educated, compassionate doctors who under the complexities of SSRI withdrawal.
I've also tried tappering in years past and was unsuccessful. This time, I'm going much slower as well as eating "clean" (no dairy, no gluten, low carb). Supplements help and meditation has been a life changer. But the biggest adjustment has been my understanding of these drugs. Reading "Your Drug May Be Your Problem" was a fascinating read into how unpredictable these drugs are. They often cause as many issues as they relieve. Also, google Will Hall's "Guide to Harm Reduction" for some great practical advice on withdrawal.
Don't listen to the doc that told you your SSRI stopped working after 3-5 years. Withdrawal from these drugs is severely underplayed by the drug manufacturers. Uneducated doctors often mistake withdrawal for the patient's "underlying illness rearing its ugly head." Some of that is true, and things like meditation or EMDR can really help process unresolved trauma.
You are not broken. You are not mentally I'll. You're human and I believe humans are capable of incredible change and healing. All my best to you!
I’m super late to this but I explained the brain “zaps” as my head felt like a bee hive full of bees. Super weird feeling.
She is THE best clinician out there. She helped me understand my Unipolar depression. I absolutely adore her and she is brilliant and so communicative. Thank you for all your help Dr!!
I struggled to get off Effexor! I tried several times. This time I did it successfully with drinking LOTS OF WATER! Wow! It was so much easier! I drank about 3/4 a gallon daily for 2 weeks. And, I did lots of praying! I hope this helps.
It’s so hard to come by measured and reasonable information like this. Thanks very much-particularly the context for how long symptoms might last. Very reassuring!
Your welcome Jennifer. Some people in the comments have said they had symptoms last for a year + I’ve never seen this with anyone I treated but still worth mentioning
day 12 cold turkey case :
when i move my eyes i feel like my heart faints with crazy dizziness ...it's like seeing at 10fps !
i see pinkish hue when facing a face fever.
talking to myself ?
lowest volume please
irritated from nonsense
bruises on arms and thighs.
raging libido ...
nausea .
numbness on lips...
crazy appetite aaaaaand nausea .
defensive mechanisms are sharp !
sleeping ? are you kidding ? how about some real life gore nightmares instead !
restless ...well i have to go.
is this hell ?
Eclipse I could have typed your experience myself. I have all the same except bruises, nausea, and talking to myself.
@@brinaynichole2593 God help us 💜
Eclipse, I've been off zoloft for 2 weeks and your first symptom with your heart fainting when moving your eyes is exactly what I've been experiencing. I feel like my whole body shuts down for a split second. Thought I was the only one haha. It has been getting less with every week I've noticed though so fingers crossed. Good luck
It's Hell's Last Resort.
@@danielhughes6484 I feel like this while being on Paxil. The whole body shut down thing.
wish there were more educated doctors like you on this topic
So glad I found your channel, my psychiatrist didn't taper me off of my Clonazepam and I have been off for 3 weeks. I was told physicians don't want to prescribe Clonazepam because of the opioid crisis. I've been on this med for 8 years and now I am having muscle spasms on my side, irritate, insomnia and vivid dreams.
This is horrible.
I was on venlafaxine for about 6 years. It takes time to taper off it. I counted beads in each capsule and slowly took more beads out and that helped a lot with withdrawal. Also fish oil seemed to help with the brain zaps
Fish oil? Can you be more objective and specific? I'm on that drug right now, but if I ever get off of it, this sounds useful.
That's my plan
@@thehuntressdanni2972 o tried fish oil, but did not work... don't have any scientific proves about it...
Help me out here
I was prescribed Effexor for 3 years, and when I stopped taking it, the withdrawals were miserable and debilitating. In addition to the zaps, I would also experience what I perceived as a simultaneous crashing "sound" originating inside my head, like something similar to a door slamming. It seemed as though eye movement or head turning could either trigger or exacerbate the sensations.
What you described is identical to when I astral project, which means sometimes I am awake when I fall asleep and can experience the whole process of falling asleep and it starts of with a high pitch frequency and adrenaline type bursts going off in my head and as it goes on the bursts get stronger and a loud crashing sound , it gets really intense then like a big explosion sound happens and I am then asleep, it's like being in a coma because I know I'm lying in bed, but I am also somewhere else, very strange experience, it only happens a couple of times a year
I'm sorry you experienced that. I hope the withdrawals are gone.
Those crashing sounds are called a "hypnogogic bang" and can be very real and very loud. Its also transient and harmless.
@@mr.hitchens after I quit the tramadol I had that loud crashing sound for 5 weeks, then it stopped
@@stevenvitali7404 Tramadol is very strange stuff. Its a synthetic opioid and is actually a really good ssri. It was marketed to doctors as a "addiction free opioid"..... like Perdue Pharma did with oxycontin. Because obviously heroin (heroin is a trademark btw) in a box is non addictive. Yeah..... of course it is. Anyway, I digress. Hypnogogic bangs are crazy. I get them with jetlag, its so loud! Your experience with Tramadol withdrawal is very common as your coming off a SSRI and a opioid, try getting your doctor to admit that, never. Good news is Hypnogogic bangs are totally harmless and just odd. Well done for leaving Tramadol behind, I hope you no longer need the pain relief and your bangs are gone.
Thank you for the clear, concise and helpful words of wisdom, Dr. Marks. You are a beautiful soul, both inside and out. Peace and love be with you.
Thanks Dr. Marks. I couldn’t find the words to describe my symptoms when I didn’t take my meds. Thanks for helping me finally find the words.
i'm coming off of my ssri and this really eased my anxiety about the withdrawal symptoms i'm having. thank you so much!
How are you feeling? :)
Did u complete it?:)
Thank you so much for this video! I am currently stopping an antidepressant under the care of my doctor. My first two weeks off of the medicine I kept getting brain zaps! I couldn’t explain what the feeling was or how it felt. This video just put a word to what I was experiencing!
Hi Ashley. Now you know. It's a real thing. 🙂
Look up Dr Peter Breggin best in the world . Good luck
I’ve literally been off antidepressants for over two years and I still get them…. I will never feel the same again!
This has been really helpful! I regularly miss a tablet & get “brain zaps” often. That term is so apt!!! Although I also get dizzy sometimes too, I did not realise that other symptoms like flu-like symptoms or fatigue, could also be due to missing tablets! 😮
I will make more of an effort to not miss tablets now, because so much that I experience can be attributed to my not taking them as regularly as I should.
I have also tried to get off of my medication in the past. It was incredibly difficult & just realising that my increased anxiety is not a relapse is very helpful too.
Thank You so much for your incredibly insightful and helpful videos!!! 💗
So glad I found your video...thanks for putting this out there! I am off my Cymbalta temporarily due to a refill delay and thought I was losing my mind. Went from 60mgs a day to 0 overnight :( Been 4 days now, and i was so uncharacteristically angry and irritable all day that I was driving myself nuts. Also getting the brain zaps. Hopefully I get the refill tomorrow. *crossing fingers*
oh my goodness!!! Thank you so much for making this video! I started effexor and was having these brain zaps. I explained it to my doc as feeling these hypersensitivy like I could feel my nerves zapping in my body. He seemed puzzled by my explanation and wrote it off and just said to keep an eye on it. I have forgotten to take my meds from time to time and didn't realize this could happen. I thought I was experiencing some neurological condition. Thank you again for this!!!
Did it go away
Brain shocks... was never mentioned to me. When I experienced it , I didn’t know what was going on. Thank you.
Thanks so much. Every time I’ve mentioned this, even my primary didn’t say that it was a normal experience but that it would be hard to go off of. At least now I know what is causing it. My experience is like being given an electrical charge in my brain with vertigo. It sucks and makes even walking a straight line almost impossible. I was on the lowest dose available tapered to once every other day for a week then cut it out via primary care. I’ve mentioned this so many times in the past no one ever had any answers for me. Thank You!!!
Thank you so much for this video Dr Marks . I am on week 2 of tapering off of my Escitalopram and trying to consume as much info as possible and this was quite helpful in my process .
I was on Cymbalta a few years back and quit cold turkey. It was a nightmare. I called a therapist and he provided me with a taper regimen. It HELPED TREMENDOUSLY!
Taper regimen:
Week 1: Take meds M-F (weekend off).
Week 2: MWF off.
Week 3: Every other day.
Week 4: Take meds Monday / Thursday.
Week 5: Take meds on Monday and none after.
OMG thank you so much for posting and leaving this video up. I thought I was literally going crazy or dying. I have been on Sertraline for about 7 months. I take it at night. Sometimes I have fallen asleep and forgot to take it. I’ve done this several days in a row. And now I have horrible headaches toward the back of my head, and now what I know to be brain zaps and dizziness. I couldn’t explain this to anyone without them looking at me like I had lost my mind. And now I know for sure what to attribute this to because I didn’t know you needed to taper off this medication. I didn’t even think I had been on it long enough to require tapering. Apparently I was wrong.
So helpful. I am trying to taper off right now and have experienced these zaps. I tried before and the zaps prevented me from fully quitting the drug. This time I am doing it over a longer period and its working well. Thank you for explaining what is happening!
Thanks! Super helpful. Thank you for caring about your work enough to share these details.
You're welcome grrttic2! And yes, I love my work. Thanks for noticing that.
Look up Dr Peter Breggin on RUclips best in the world on withdrawal. Praying for you 🙏
Wow. Thank you for this! I've told drs in the past it felt like i could feel when my synapses were firing. They thought I had 10 heads. Dealing with the insomnia withdrawal this time around.
Found this video in 2022 and thank you so much I tried explaining these zaps but didn't realize they were coming from the antidepressants!
I was misdiagnosed and prescribed. Antidepressants took me almost 6 years to recover from them. Finally getting my emotions back finally getting the sensation to do things in life. I would never wish that feeling upon anyone feeling lifeless feeling motionless, having no ambition having no energy to live anymore if you’re going through what I went through, don’t give up. It gets better at the end of the tunnel.
Thank you so much for this video. I saw the term "brain zaps" and resonated immediately with it. That's exactly what I feel. I'd like to get off my antidepressant (Paxil) and just be on the Lamictal, but everytime we've tried, I simply fall apart. Brain zaps and dizzyness are the worst, but I could deal with that if I wasn't an emotional wreck when we reduce my dose. Anyway, thank you for giving a name to the weird feeling in my brain.
I’ve had this problem with both Effexor (the very first harder drug I was on) as well as pristiq (what I currently take) on occasion if I’ve had to miss a dose or few. It’s an awful feeling and tapering off is not fun. I really enjoyed your explanation of this. Really excited to have found a new channel to watch! You seem like a very compassionate mental health professional which is always nice to see.
Oh thank you Marcella! Welcome to my channel. If you have a topic or question you want to hear about let me know.
Great content, Dr Tracey.. your videos are always helpful 👍
OMG. When I was in my early twenties, I was given venlafaxine, but because it didn't help, I stopped it. Every time I reduced the dose, I felt these irregular electric shocks behind my eyes for days. It was horrible! No one could help me, even my doctor didn't seem to believe me. That was 15 years ago and I'm so glad to finally get an explanation for it! So I wasn't crazy. Thank you!
Thank you for this! I am struggling with horrible discontinuation syndrome (mostly brain zaps, anxiety, and insomnia) after 15 years on 120mg of Cymbalta and a slow 20mg taper over 6 weeks. Your message is encouraging.
Hi Kate, how are you feeling now?
How are you feeling now?
So basically, we don’t know? Don’t you think doctors should probably find out before prescribing SSRIs?
No. SSRIs still save peoples lives. The person always has a choice not to start medication and deal with the illness on their own or with therapy.
Dr. Tracey Marks I didn’t have a choice. My doctor told my mother to give them to me as a child. I’m sure that if drugs like Cannabis, LSD and MDMA had a market within the pharmaceutical industry, they would show the same cherry picked results in any of the studies that are funded and tampered with by big pharma. I’m not saying that these drugs aren’t useful, just maybe that as a society we’re a bit careless in the way that we use them. Personally, I think that doctors should advise patients to make positive changes to their lifestyle before offering drugs
I would have made a different choice had I been informed, and currently, most doctors aren't even aware that these side effects are taking place so long after detox, so then can't give that information to their patients when starting. Absolutely there's a huge problem with rampant prescription of this type of drug. But when putting something in our bodies, especially something so potent, it is also on us adults to do our research and find out what we want to know to feel safe first. Ollie I'm sorry you weren't given a choice. It does get better apparently.
Well you see, to truly test something out, some group of people would have to die from overdose.
We don't live in medieval times so doctors cannot do that.
On every info paper inside your pill box at the says 'call us if you have some side effects' or suffering like that. Why do you think that is?
We are voluntary lav rats.
Graphic Ghouls 222 it’s not a perfect system by any means. But don’t shoot the messenger. Part of the reason I put in the time to do these videos is to provide more information for people that may be beyond what they get in their doctors’s appt.
I’m glad these videos exist. I’m taking Prozac and tbh I’ve been ignorant knowing the long half life it has, and not taking it daily. I feel like crap, and realize through these videos it was my fault to begin with. Some times I wish the doctors would tell you this either when you get the drug or when your taking it.
I cant tell you how happy I am to hear this is a thing, I recently stopped taking my lexapro and wasnt able to go back to the doctors as its a city away
So iv kinda just been off my lexapro for a little over a month now and throughout the day I constantly felt these brain zaps, I described it like my brain was searching for something.. almost felt like my brain was glitching
Thank you sooooo much for making this video
Thank you for this video. I thought I was the only one getting these symptoms. So good to know there is a name for what I’m experiencing. Brain zaps ⚡️ vertigo etc
Yes I'm going through it now come off citralopram two week now.👍
Thank you so much for explaining this. I had such a hard time putting a name to the brain zaps and couldn’t describe them really. I have been taking Effexor for a couple of years, and was increased to 150mg and was tapered off too quickly. I have the “zaps” pretty frequently. They are triggered through loud sounds, light, and sudden movements. It affects me during work and it is very frustrating. I will be talking to my doctor soon to fix this.
I was never warned about brain zaps i worked it out myself. Im glad we have youtube and vids like tbis thankyou
Thank you Dr...I'm getting this with sertraline and been missing a day here and there....wish you was in the UK so I could buy you a coffee....this video has given me some comfort that a general practioner dr fails to give...especially the relaps vs withdrawal difference...found this key....thanks again...love from the UK
I discontinued venlafaxine a few times, so I know exactly what you're talking about. :D Luckily the symptoms lasted no more than two weeks.
I was quite fortunate with Venlafaxine too. I have been through discontinuation syndrome (Trust me it is discontinuation syndrome as opposed to withdrawing from illicit drugs or alcohol where you crave the drug of choice and its like an insatiable thirst) and it is really unpleasant. People said the Venlafaxine is one of the worst. I found it much easier than many others I have taken over the years.
You have explained it the best possible way .. been on Zoloft for over a decade with short breaks .. as a maintenance dose I kept it for some years at 50mg while tapering off with 25mg, and after every other day after for a total 3 month time before I stop it .. after being on keto diet for 2 months I believed I could forget Zoloft and live without it being happy again ..
I was told Ketosis fixes the mitochondria in the brain in order to produce serotonin by themselves after a period of time … I had a relapse and felt sad all the time , no energy at all to get off the bed , and quit my job (after 2 months off Zoloft ) .. Doc is that the sertraline levels I had achieved all these years under medication that kept me active those 2 months without the medicine or the keto diet? It was hard and I was crying all day that I had to start again the Zoloft at 50 mg daily dose to feel normal again .. because you said 2 months without a SSRI will indicate you if it’s the time to stop 🛑 it 😢. Well I guess I failed 😣… I will never be able to live without the small dose of Zoloft … if only you could help me. What’s your opinion ?
God Bless 🙏🏽
My doctor denied the request for a refill. I’m dying right now
Nicely done. Short crisp delivery.
Sometimes I have those zaps if I am just a couple hours late on my SNRI. I have used prozac to wean off medication in the past, as well as to substitute for a day or two while waiting for my SNRI. Prozac always makes the symptoms disappear, or drastically get better. Thank you for all of your videos.
You're welcome Angie. So glad the Prozac helped too.
Sometimes the other drug Is only masking the symptoms and the body/brain Is still In withdrawl. That's how they think at psych wards and they only end up
compounding the problem. A full discontinuation withdrawl recovery before trying to re-manage someone's original Issues Is the only healthy way imo.
I am now hearing noises with the zaps. They have become so constant. My mood is all over the place. I seem to wake up every 15mins when I try to get some sleep and I'm having crazy nightmares.
that definitely sounds pretty extreme if it’s disrupting your sleep. I I hope it goes away soon for you.
try kratom but eat very well balanced with it try dif grams doses use mainly powder type mixed in orange juice of coffee it may help a lot but it’s alkaloid properties affect people differently. Makes me a killer worker though esp in hot weather but have to eat earlier on and drink plenty of fluids. Hope this helps if you haven’t ever heard of kratom before.
Me too and I'm having bad nausea
Same with me
@@DrTraceyMarks I don't know if you'll see this after all this time.
I have a lot of these symptoms but I'm not on any medications. Those brain zaps especially , I've had for over 10 years.
Vivid dreams have become a norm.
I've just embraced my insomnia at this stage.
Anxiety is my faithful companion.
Diagnoses.. Recurring depression. Never took the medication. Too paranoid.
What else can be causing these symptoms?
Thank you for this. I hope others find this helpful as well.