Brain zaps are commonly reported electrical shock sensations that are often experienced during discontinuation of antidepressant medications. Other common names for brain zaps include: brain shivers, electrical shocks, and brain shocks. People often describe them as feeling electrical current uncontrollably zapping their brains, which can be extremely frightening and uncomfortable. A person experiencing these zaps may get dizzy, feel minor pain, and high levels of discomfort.
What causes brain zaps?
Brain zaps are considered to be caused by neurotransmitter alterations within the brain, particularly those involving “serotonin.” It is believed that serotonin plays a vital role in the development of these zaps due to the fact that people typically experience them when discontinuing serotonergic antidepressants (e.g. SSRIs). The zaps may also be caused via discontinuation of other psychotropic medications including: antipsychotics, benzodiazepines, MAOIs, SNRIs, and tricyclic antidepressants.
- Antidepressant withdrawal: During withdrawal from antidepressant medications, “brain zaps” are considered common symptoms to experience. It is believed that the severity and length of brain zaps may be related to whether a person discontinues “cold turkey” as opposed to tapering off of their medication.
- Eye movements: It has been speculated that moving the eyes side to side may provoke or intensify brain zap sensations. While this is purely speculation, there are online accounts of individuals that found things like “looking to the side” can trigger them.
- Medication side effects: Some individuals have reported experiencing “brain zaps” as side effects from certain medications. These may be experienced when a person initially begins taking a psychotropic medication. It is thought that adjustments in the functioning of various neurotransmitters are responsible for the zaps.
- Skipping a dose: If you are on a medication and you accidentally miss or intentionally skip a dose, you may notice unpleasant brain zaps. When people experience the zap sensation, they quickly remember that they forgot to take their medication.
- Other medications: It should be mentioned that medications other than antidepressants can cause brain zaps. While they are most commonly experienced as a result of taking serotonergic antidepressants, benzodiazepines and antipsychotics have also been suggested as potential causes.
How long do brain zaps last?
There is no set “timeline” that says how long brain zaps will last. The zaps people experience are generally subject to individual variation. One person may experience them for a significant duration (e.g. weeks or months), while another may find that they go away in short order (e.g. hours or days). There are a number of factors that can influence how long these “zaps” may persist including: your physiology, duration you took your medication, the dosage, and whether you quit cold turkey or tapered.
It should also be noted that while some individuals experience a bulk of the zaps immediately following discontinuation, some experience the zaps during more protracted phases of withdrawal. In other words, some individuals may have no zaps for weeks, and then experience them seemingly out of nowhere.
Factors that can influence the severity of brain zaps
There are several factors that are thought to influence both the severity and duration of the brain zaps. These factors include things like: individual physiology, level of anxiety, the drug that was taken, how quickly a person discontinued, and whether they are currently taking other medications.
- Individual physiology: Since not everyone experiences brain zaps, it should be noted that severity of the zaps will vary based on the individual. People with certain genes and/or more resilient nervous systems may not ever experience zaps even when quitting cold turkey. Some individuals will experience the zaps for longer duration than others. Keep in mind that your experience with these zaps may not be the same as someone else in terms of sensation, severity, and duration.
- Medication: Another huge factor in determining the duration and severity of the zaps is the particular medication that a person was (or is) taking. In most cases, the zaps occur upon discontinuation or skipping a dose of an antidepressant medication. While it is most commonly experienced during SSRI withdrawal, other classes of antidepressants and medications (e.g. benzodiazepines) have been suggested to cause zaps.
- Cold turkey vs. tapering: If you want to decrease your chances of experiencing severe, persistent brain zaps, make sure you taper off of your medication slowly. The more gradually you taper, the less likely the brain zaps are to occur. If you quit cold turkey, you are significantly increasing your chances of experiencing these jolts.
- Duration of treatment: How long were you taking your medication? Those who were on a particular drug for a long period of time are more likely to experience the zaps. This is due to the fact that the drug induced more changes in neural functioning and neurotransmission over the long-term than it would have over the short-term. In general, the shorter the duration for which you took your medication, the less likely you are to experience zaps.
- Half-life: What was the half-life of your drug? Medications with extremely short half-lives are more likely to cause zaps upon discontinuation or missing a dose. A common example of a medication with a short half life is that of Paxil (21 hours). People are much more likely to experience zaps from Paxil than Prozac (with a longer half life of several days).
- Specific drug: Some would suggest that the particular drug that a person takes will influence the zaps. Certain drug formulations are thought to be of greater potency and affect neurotransmission more than others. The more potent the serotonergic drug, the more likely a person will experience zaps.
- Other drugs: One factor that not many people consider is that of taking other drugs. Often times people who are taking other medications will not experience brain zaps because the other medication and/or supplement is mitigating the zaps. This is why many people transition to other medications like Prozac or claim that certain supplements help them cope with the zaps. If a person isn’t taking any other drugs or supplements upon discontinuation, the zaps will likely be more severe than those who are still medicated.
- Level of anxiety: Some have speculated that when a person becomes more anxious, they are more prone to the zaps. This could be due to the fact that anxiety stimulates the central nervous system, and thus could be preventing repairs from occurring after withdrawal. In other cases, people with high anxiety may perceive the brain zaps as being worse than they actually are and/or believe that there is some more significant health problem.
Theories about causes of brain zaps
Brain zaps have long been described by individuals dealing with first-hand experience of antidepressant withdrawal. The zaps feel like jolts of electricity through the head, neck, or other areas of the body such as the spine, arms, and/or legs. In most people, the most common area to experience these zaps is in the head, thus being referred to as “brain” zaps. There are several theories in regards to what may cause them. While certain factors are suggested as causes, the specifics are unknown.
REM Sleep and Serotonin
One hypothesis is floating around the internet that suggests brain zaps are linked to both REM sleep and serotonin. Some people experience brain zaps after waking up from sleep and/or when they fall asleep. A theory is that REM sleep (rapid-eye movement) may influence serotonergic processes in the brain, and the “zaps” are a byproduct of the rapid-eye movement. Whether this has any credibility is debatable. Those who have felt the zaps while sleeping may be able to provide more insight into this experience.
Transitioning out of drug-induced states
Some experts believe that they are a result of the brain suddenly attempting to transition out of the drug-induced neurotransmission to which it had adapted. There are many reports of brain zaps, some of which have been so severe that doctors thought they were experiencing seizures. A couple of British psychiatrists described brain zaps as, “sensory symptoms or symptoms of disequilibrium in brief bursts” when a person moves their head or eyes.
Analogy: Scuba diver surfacing too quickly
They emphasized that this generally occurs during discontinuation from a psychiatric medication. An analogy that has been used to describe why brain zaps occur is a scuba diver who is at the bottom of the ocean, but rises to the surface too fast – resulting in unwanted effects. Other psychiatric authors have suggested that brain zaps are likely influenced by serotonin’s role in sensory functions and muscle movement.
Paresthesia
When a person quits an antidepressant, the person then may experience paresthesia or various sensations as a result of abnormal serotonin levels. These authors describe the fact that major changes to neuronal networks can occur during antidepressant treatment, thus leading to zaps when the brain attempts to function without the drug.
Length of treatment and dosage
Authors have also suggested that both length of treatment and the dosage taken may influence the severity of brain zaps. Additionally, other researchers have hypothesized that in addition to serotonin playing a role in the zaps, norepinephrine may also be a contributing factor – especially for individuals who come off of SNRIs.
Pre-Seizure symptoms?
Researchers have stated that these brain zaps could be similar to pre-seizure symptoms seen in cases of epilepsy. Since there is evidence that the noradrenergic system plays a role in seizure development, it would make sense that norepinephrine could influence brain zaps.
What do brain zaps feel like?
They are relatively difficult to describe because they affect each person differently. For some they are more severe and resemble electrical jolts, while for others they are less severe and easier to cope with. Most would agree that they feel some sort of “electrical” sensation within their head as a result of them. Below is a list of various descriptions of the zaps based on first-hand experiences.
Descriptions:
- Electrical shocks
- “Flicking cards” through your head
- Electrical jolts
- Light-bulb going off in your head
- Lightning strikes in the brain
- “Pop rocks” in the head
- Pulses of electricity
- Shivers of the brain
- Strobe light flashing in the brain
Note: These sensations are often accompanied by sensations of dizziness and/or vertigo. Others may experience symptoms of nausea and/or tinnitus (ringing in the ears).
How to stop brain zaps…
There are no known medical treatments that are prescribed specifically to stop the brain zaps. In most cases, people will have to put up with them and understand that with proper time, they will eventually subside. Below are some recommendations that may help you better deal with the zaps.
- Conduct a slower taper: If you quit your medication cold turkey, you may need to start taking it again, and then conduct a slower, more gradual taper off of it. Many zaps are caused when people quit their mediation too quickly and/or from too high of a dose.
- Go back on medication: Another option that some people pursue is simply going back on their medication. After a person is back on their medication they can then decide to taper more slowly and/or switch to a different medication.
- Take Prozac (longer half-life): A strategy for minimizing brain zaps and general antidepressant withdrawal symptoms is to transition to a drug with a longer half-life. Often an experienced psychiatrist will recommend transitioning to Prozac and eventually withdrawing from the Prozac, which should reduce the chances of the zaps.
- Supplements: Many people swear by taking various supplements to reduce the severity of brain zaps. Whether these supplements actually work to alleviate the zaps is unverified. Many individuals have said that supplementation of vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids improve these zaps to a significant extent. Some have suggested that they completely cure the zapping.
- Omega-3 fatty acids: Many people claim that the best way to deal with brain zaps is to take omega-3 fatty acids in the form of fish oil supplements. It is unknown why the fish oil helps, but many have testified that it works wonders. While most user accounts suggest taking “fish oil” some would speculate that “krill oil” would provide similar results.
- Vitamin B12: Some have suggested that getting proper vitamins helps significantly to minimize the zaps. In particular, many people have recommended taking Vitamin B12 supplements and have found them especially helpful. The combination of the B12 with fish oil is able to decrease the severity and frequency of zaps in some people.
- Time heals all: Understand that although the zaps may be somewhat painful, frustrating, and annoying, they will eventually subside. Even if it seems like they are a permanent neurological problem, rest assured they are not. Eventually your brain will figure out how to repair itself and as your neurotransmission restores itself, you will no longer feel the zaps. For some people the zaps may last days, for others weeks, and for others even longer, but they will subside in time.
Are brain zaps considered dangerous?
If there’s one thing to know about these brain zaps, it should be that they are not considered dangerous. There is no scientific evidence supporting any claims that these jolt-like sensations cause any brain damage or interfere with the health of neurons. Although they may be highly-uncomfortable to experience, at least you don’t have to worry about them killing brain cells.
Have you experienced brain zaps?
Many people have experience brain zaps upon discontinuation from an antidepressant medication. I personally remember quitting Paxil CR and wondering why it felt like my brain was being tortured in an electrocution chamber. For most people, the brain zaps suck, but will eventually subside. If you have a personal experience with “brain zaps” feel free to share it in the comments section below. Also feel free to mention any supplements and/or strategies that have helped you cope with the zaps.
Take the “Brain Zaps” Questionnaire
Patients know that most medical professionals are unwilling to acknowledge “brain zaps” and usually attribute them to worsening of neuropsychiatric conditions and/or a somatic disorder. Because brain zaps are a legitimate [yet largely unacknowledged] phenomenon among psychiatric patients, a subset of professionals (and many patients) agree that it would be useful to develop guidelines for their prevention and/or treatment.
After being presented with a patient experiencing severe brain zaps, a clinical psychiatrist decided to conduct an investigation by formatting a questionnaire. I was asked to include the questionnaire on this page.
If you’re interested in helping medical professionals better understand “brain zaps,” feel free to participate in the following survey: Click here to take the “Brain Zaps” Questionnaire. The questionnaire results will be used to develop guidelines for brain zap prevention, minimization, and/or treatment. (UPDATE: Questionnaire is now closed).
I have been off of Paxil for two years now and am still having these “brain zaps”. Some nights are worse than others and it leads me to believe that this is a permanent condition. I fear nothing will end them except being forced back onto medication.
I can tell you that I get brain zaps from eye movement side to side. I have just tapered off Effexor and the brain zaps are the worst feeling in the world. it woke me up last night I assume it was the movement of the eyes going into rem sleep. I am going to try the fish oil and see if that helps. I have been on SSRI’s for 15 years along with antipsychotics for the last 3 years and now I am going to try natural supplements as I am sick of being in a haze and having no emotions anymore. I am glad I found this site this morning. just thought I would give you some insight on the eye movement and brain zaps it does happen with me.
I really feel like I need to share my brain zap “remedy.” I was on Paxil for 1 year when my insurance lapsed. I thought no biggie, I just have to wait a few weeks before it’s taken care of. I ran out of my meds but figured I’d be good a couple of weeks. Oh my! I was soooo wrong! The withdrawals and brain zaps from that drug were horrendous…at first I didn’t know why I got so sick but after two trips to the ER I finally realized it was my lack of meds.
I suffered for 16 days. Finally got to see my Dr where she then transferred me to Zoloft. Took that at 100mg for a couple of years then decided I would wean off. That’s what we (my dr and I) decided. It took months to do this. I got down to 5mg and then eventually stopped. However, my brain zaps still came about two days after I stopped. I tried the fish oil and even krill oil with a B complex vitamin but did not work for me.
I was going on five days of hell and about to just tap out and get back on the Zoloft when I seen something about 5-HTP herbal supplement helping with brain shocks/zaps. It said this stuff helped with withdrawal symptoms from antidepressants but just be sure to get a good brand. At the time the one I could remember was Natrol and I got it at 100mg. IT HELPED BIG TIME!!!
It’s going to be one week since I’ve been taking this stuff and it soooo helped me. The first day I got it I was getting hammered with brain zaps like literally back to back. Took this pill and within the hour they stopped. So I have been taking it as directed and I’m good!! I only took one today in the morning and I didn’t need to at night because I feel fine. I really swear by this supplement because it helped me. I hope this helps someone else out…you’re definitely not alone. -Xo
I had been taking Prozac for approximately 5 years – I wanted to come off them as I felt they had taken over my life – low libido, and a feeling like I was a slave to them. I took my last pill approximately 2 weeks ago. I had weaned myself off from one 20mg pill a day to one every 5 days. It took me 6 months.
I had tried to do this before but went back on them because I felt awful. Last week wasn’t too bad for brain zaps, but this week they are frequent. I liken them to being ‘dropped’ from a height! Also like ‘tripping’ – sort of like when you go past some trees with the sun flickering the other side. Although they are really annoying, they are not affecting my life!
So the plan is to give it another 2 weeks, then give 5HTP a go – just small doses. Wish me luck! What I would like to say is if you are offered Prozac for your depression, be very sure it is what you need. When I first started taking it, it was great, I was happy and it was like a miracle. After a while it was more of a hindrance than a help and getting off them was a nightmare.
I missed a pill one day, and had a psychotic episode where I wanted to hurt my family, and also wanted to hurt myself. It was the worse day of my life. So before taking drugs from your Doctor, take a while to research and see if you really need to take them. I would say three years have been ‘stolen’ from me because of Prozac. Be careful guys.
In addition, I feel I am not the only one thinking that GP’s are encouraged to offer these drugs to keep the pharmaceutical companies in business – not just a problem in the UK then by the sounds of it! I don’t really trust Doctors – they collude with the drug companies…you learn the hard way eh! Good luck and best wishes to you all.
With a nurse’s advice, I’m “taking a vacation” from Zoloft. As a result, I feel a sensation in the brain similar to what is mentioned. It’s not all that “electrical” (I’ve been shocked plenty of times in my electrical experiments as a child, I know what that feels like) more like a click (not audible, but felt) for me, not all that severe. It’s like thoughts suddenly being interrupted. I feel like Wile E. Coyote suddenly feeling the need to shake his head while saying yaayeyaayeyaayeyaayeyaa before getting his act back together. Doesn’t hurt, just feels strange.
The comments on this site are very accurate. Moving my eye focus from maximum side to side triggers the brain zaps in day 6 of stopping Effexor 75mg. Down from 150 for 6 years. Days 2 and 3 were the worst. Initially, My brain would zap constantly regardless of what my eyes were doing. Every day is a bit better so don’t give up. If you are considering it: Unless you cannot get out of bed in the morning; do not take this drug. It is heavy sh*t with side effects. Try other natural seritonin boosters first. St. John’s Wort, Sam-e, 5-HTP, kava kava etc. Psychological professionals are paid off for telling you how good they are. Get informed. Make educated decisions. Best of luck to everyone!
Thank you for the info. I’ve battled with these for many years. I had almost decided I was just crazy. Turns out I underwent surgery 6 days ago. I know they gave 10 mg Valium before I went in. Plus, whatever else they knocked me out with.
Oh the brain zaps!!! They’re awful! I always thought of them as nerve spasms… Or muscle spasms but the muscles never move. I get them throughout my whole body, not just the brain. I’ve been on 150mg of Zoloft for 6 years… I was tapered off them and now have stopped taking them, but I have always suffered with the brain zaps even when missing one dose. It’s hell on earth or hell inside my body.
Like A Olson above, I had brain zaps for years without ever taking antidepressants. 19 years to be exact. Then after an ailment in 2005, my doctor gave me a few samples of Lexapro to get over a bit of stress. Well guess what, no more zaps! I got him to prescribe ’em to me and was delighted. That lasted a long time, but then my insurance forced me to go generic. The generic didn’t work so the zaps are back. I heard of was is called “authorized generic” where the ingredients are the exact same as the name brand. Anyone know if this is available or am I being too naive? I can’t afford nearly $300 a month for Lexapro.
I too get the brain zaps when I miss my dose of Effexor 150. I have to force myself out of bed. I get very dizzy and have trouble walking. My heart races and I get very hot and sweaty. Horrible feeling, but feel better awhile after taking the missed med.
Brain Zaps are interesting to say the least and are always the first tell-tale sign of “Oh crap, I forgot to take my Lexapro”. It usually takes a few days off the meds before it happens. Eye movement is the big trigger for me and I generally feel it finger tip to finger tip. It’s bizarre, but tolerable. Walking is the biggest challenge, requiring a steady stare at the ground. I hardly notice it while driving. Adding two more analogies, before I knew “Brain Zap” was a thing, I called it instant tilt-o-whirl or swirlies. The bad part experienced here, the Brain Zaps eventually lead to a Headache+ Brain Zaps… that’s when it’s pretty miserable.
Omg I’ve been off Pristiq for 3 weeks now. Due to cost I’m on Wellbutrin XL. I’m so tired I’m so tired of this salt shaker in my head. Time before I tried to go off them and I was crying, super dizzy, and had brain zaps. It’s heartbreaking that something that was helping me after the passing of my son has stressed me out more than I can stand some days. Shame on drug companies for making impossible to afford.
I am so glad I read this after coming off tramadol. I have experienced brain zaps and minor hallucinations, that is very frightening, just when I thought they were gone, here they came back. Will definitely try fish oil, and vitamin therapy.
Hello, I am a 35 year old male and I can say with complete certainty that I have been experiencing these zaps for reasons not associated with antidepressants or discontinuation of any medication and I have for quite some time. Yes, I was on a few different antidepressants for a period of about two or three years sporadically with little or no results. So I chose to discontinue the medication and experienced some severe brain zaps like most people have described. But the difference with me is that I experienced this feeling before I was ever prescribed any antidepressants, and I still get the feeling after years of being off of any medications.
It comes in short severe bursts when I am in situations where I am suddenly in scary situation. An example might be, the last moment when I’m about to introduce myself to an important person, or if I see something on television that from experience makes me anxious like cliff diving or a rodeo. The condition doesn’t have a seriously negative impact on my daily life since it is pretty infrequent, but when it occurs, it is undeniable and severe. I am not one to hastily assign emotional diagnoses or theories to the physical ticks and pains that may be a mystery to me.
In fact I usually ignore the vast majority of them like most people, but I can tell you with complete certainty that withdrawal from the mentioned types of drugs is not the only source of this condition. I experienced the sensation before antidepressants and now many years after. I had no way to explain it until my withdrawal from antidepressants manufactured the exact same condition ( albeit with much more frequency, but a nearly identical sensation just the same)I just felt that important to share since I’m sure I’m not the only one with this experience that may find it comforting to at least give it a name and possibly share in others experiences. Thanks.
My brain zaps became reduced to 98 percent less occurrences after I had a heart valve replaced. Bad shutting valve created low oxygen levels in blood. Seriously believe that low oxygen levels have a lot to do with with it, and also anything that causes a reduction of oxygen levels like medication and supplements–even meso gold, enzymes, tryptophan etc., can add to the problem. It did in my case.
I’m just so frustrated with the so called brain zaps!! It sound like a salt shaker in my head and my neck cracks!!! Pristiq is what I have been on for about 2 years! After the loss of my youngest son I have been on 2 different types! My husband has lost his medical dental due to shortage of work. The cost of this drug would be 100.00 a month!! When you are faced with the choice to go off the meds it’s scary! I’ve been crying have anxiety and these damn head zaps!! I can only hope it stops soon. I wish there was an easier way to get by!! I hope very few are faced with this terrible feeling!!
I just started viibryd 2 weeks ago, I cant sleep anymore. As soon as I fall asleep I get a huge brain jolt, and it makes my entire body jump. My legs and arms feel like jello and I can’t keep from constantly shaking them. I am starting a low dose of clonazepam to help my anxiety. I haven’t slept more than 3 hrs a night in an entire week, yet im constantly energized. If I’m not constantly doing something, I gotta move, gotta get up, gotta go! It sucks. Good luck to all who are going through this, and good vibes!
Be well it truly is frustrating!!
I have been having brain zaps since 2002, for over 13 years now. I was only on paroxetine for 6 months. A few years ago, I thought they had stopped, but I still get them, mostly when I am tired. So I think it might be linked to sleep rhythms. I take it now as a sign that I need more sleep. They are not nearly so violent as in the early months though, luckily, and much less frequent – they used to come every few seconds for a while.
I just quit Lexapro 10mg daily. First reduced to 5mg for a week and now stopped completely since 4 days. From day one after stopping altogether I experience brain zaps. Everytime when I move my eyes or head from left to right even just a little, I feel light electricity jolts from my head trough my arms, hands and my legs and feet. The feeling is best felt in my neck and hands. Furthermore I feel like living in a dreamstate / movie and I hear a constant low buzzing sound in my head. Not too bad altogether but if I would not have know what caused it, I would worry a bit. Let’s wait and see when it ends.
I have been suffering brain zaps for one week. They are shivers through my spine and brain that make me feel as someone balance me. It is scary because it always happens while I’m sleeping and I wake up with a feeling of panic. Now that I have read this article I feel better. I have been on Lexapro for 4 years and I gradually stopped it. However, It seems that I have to be back to 5mg dose and do it even slower. The real problem is that they always happen at night and I can not sleep. Everytime I fall asleep the woosh thing vibrated me. Any help?
I have been experiencing what I believe are brain zaps for over a year now. I am 40 years old and do not take any medications. I had to quit smoking about two years ago cuz when I would smoke I would pass out with seizure like shaking. I went to the hospital a couple of times with nothing being answered. I have no insurance so I can’t afford to go to the doctors now.
After stopping smoking I never have had that happen again but now I have the zaps. They happens a lot so much that I am scared to be alone at times. At times when I am driving, or at the store alone. I can describe them as the scariest thing that has ever happened to making me absolutely terrified. Last night I had one so strong that I could feel it into my chest so I decided to check my blood pressure.
While trying to do my blood pressure I experienced to more zaps back to back and my blood pressure came up 112/84 which it had been as high as 190/116. so that was OK what scared me was this time during the blood pressure it said it detected an irregular heartbeat at the time of the zaps. I have developed anxiety do to overwhelming stress now so I just try to calm myself down when these happen.
But it is very hard cuz every time these happen I am scared I am going to have a heart attack or a blood clot in my brain. Any advice would be appreciated.
I get exactly the same. All the money I gave to doctors gave me no answers… the vagus nerve syndrome is the closest they got (search for it). Still, as I mentioned to an earlier reply, the only thing that stops the shocks for me is 1/3 teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of water before or after the first shock. (Or before going to bed if the episodes are more common in bed position).
I stopped taking klonopin cold turkey about five years ago. I stumbled upon this article and now I know, what the feelings are that I had in my brain. Thank you for this. They stopped, but at one point thought I was dying. They were awful.
I started getting these “Brain Zaps” 3 days ago… At first I was very sick to my stomach, throwing up, that lasted about a day and a half…then started to have a pretty bad headache, feels like someone has my head in a vice. Yesterday, day 2 – I started getting these zaps in my head… they come on every few minutes or if I move around a lot… I did go see my doctor she has no idea, has never even heard of this happening… she ordered a CT and have me something for the nausea! These zaps are truly very uncomfortable… anyone know of anyway to get them to stop?
I am having some wicked zaps right now (actually having a hard time typing) I’ve been on 20mg cipralex for around 8 months. My psychiatrist thought it would be good to switch over to Effexor as my anxiety had lessened which was the sole reason I was on it. And has switched over to more depression symptoms. I’m on a quick taper 5mg drop every 3 days. Today is the last of the cipralex 5mg.
Tomorrow I start the Effexor 37.5mg for a week then up to 75mg. I hope these pass quick with the new meds. I haven’t been able to accomplish much at work as I almost feel like I have Parkinson’s. Walking or bending over makes my knees feel like they are going to give out. Having a hot bath and relaxing helped up until tonight. Not much seems to be helping right now.
This site has described my symptoms perfectly. I was having trouble explaining it all to my doctors. The question now is that I have not taken any meds for depression, so I wonder what has contributed to my serotonin levels. This site has been so insightful. Thank you!
I briefly took Sertraline 5mg (Zoloft) for about 1.3 months in 2012 for mild depression. I’ve always been wary taking medications but decided to follow my doctor’s advice. After taking about three weeks I decided that I shouldn’t be taking this and saw a few sides effects at that time. My doctor and I then started the weaning process. The last time I ingested this drug was in 11/2012. Today, 11/2015 I still have brain zaps, though they have decreased over time. I currently only notice them from what seems to be a lack of sleep or if I go to bed drunk. Sooo I’ve been living with brain zaps for about 3 years now… when do they stop??
I take 60mg Cymbalta for post nerve damge to my right foot after L5-S1 surgery. Whenever I forget to take my dose at night, I experience “brain zaps” as well, especially the next morning. It is the weirdest and most uncomfortable feeling and I can actually hear the zapping &/or swishing sound in my head when these zaps occur. I seem to also feel dizzy right after this happens.
The zap reminds myself that I forgot to take my dose. I also decided to go cold turkey once and I turned into one mean & agitated b*tch so I decided that I was better off staying on this medication. Cymbalta definitely helped reduce the pain strikes in my foot which is non curable and more painful than the zaps.
Sometimes they never completely go away. In 2005, I quit Effexor cold turkey when I moved and was without a doctor for some time. I didn’t know anything about brain shivers but knew something was very wrong and although I could not describe the unusual sensations, when I googled Effexor withdrawal symptoms, plenty of others had already described it and at least I knew it wasn’t just me. At that time, many doctors didn’t believe in brain shivers.
Lucky them to have the option to believe or not… But anyway, years later I was still getting mild brain shivers whenever I was sick, or especially tired. I swore off antidepressants after the awful, awful experiences I had with Effexor. However, about a year ago, I had to go on an antidepressant again. They put me on Citalopram which was supposed to be much gentler (and it was).
Nonetheless, since I came off of it – tapered ever so gradually over the course of several weeks – I immediately started having near-constant brain shivers. They are fairly mild, but they are non-stop. It is a real nuissance and it makes me feel unwell, off balance, out of sorts, etc. I take multivitamins and fish oil already, and perhaps that is why they are “mild” but really, I wish they would just go away.
I want to thank the person who wrote this article. I will see how the B12 vitamins and Omega’s work for me. But I think you are amiss in that “time heals” paragraph. I am a testament to how that is not true. It’s been about 15/16 years for me and these brain zaps still show up, seemingly, out of nowhere for me.
After reading your article, aside the vitamin deficiency, I can perhaps pinpoint that I’ve not had a good nights sleep in a couple of weeks now but that does not explain previous episodes. I”ll keep an eye on what is happening in my life the next time I have this show up for me. They do eventually subside again over time… but inevitably, return at some later date. Stronger. Sometimes it’s quite painful and extremely annoying.
I started having “zap” 10 years into Effexor XR while I was on it. Doctor changed me to Cymbalta with no relief. Now they are horrible! A daily occurrence… HELP ME!
I thought I was about to lose my balance and my vision became blurry while experiencing these electric shocks. It’s uncomfortable and kind of scary because you don’t know how long it’ll last, how severe it will get, or what to do to stop it. Typically it’s after I’ve missed my Paxil for about a day. Usually I can take it and about an hour later it subsides. Lately I’ve had a more severe case that has gone on for a few days and it’s worrying me.
I stopped taking my antidepressant (celexa), and my other meds because I felt like a slave to the drugs. I quit cold turkey (not recommended). I get these electric shock sensations or “brain zaps” every time I move my eyes and head. It started a few days after I quit taking my meds and has persisted for over a month now. The sensation is more annoying than anything but I just hope it stops soon. I don’t want to go back to taking the meds that caused the problem. Feels like a shockwave coursing through my whole body every time I look at something.
I’m glad I now know the name of them because I never could describe them. When I googled I put in “brain flashes” cuz thats what they feel like to me. I take Effexor for depression and Lamotrigine as a mood stabilizer. I realized that I forgot to take lamotrigine yesterday so I’m assuming that’s what caused the problem today. They do definitely suck because I want to take my motorcycle out and get some groceries but I’m worried that I’ll zap while I’m riding around. Just to be safe I’ll wait a couple of hours and let the lamotragine get distributed through my brain. As everyone said they do go away with time.
I am reducing venlafexine stopped it three days ago. I am having brain zaps on moving my eyes and head from side to side they are scary I also get pins and needles in my fingers and lips and a burning up sensation like hot flushes feels a bit like when you have a temperature with Flu. I agree though the zaps occur when I start to get stressed. Hoping I can stay off the meds been on different antidepressants since I was 22 I am now 46.
Never had brain zaps before with reducing though. Today I thought about phoning the doc to get a lower dose because I stopped at 75 mg but then I think that’s just going to add to the symptoms starting again when I stop 37.5mg. Trying to hold it together without hard when you live as a single parent though. Good luck to everyone on here.
I have suffered from these for years after Paxil and later Celexa cessation. Of course all of the “experts” including every single doctor I EVER spoke to wrote it off. I found only one direct connection and relief. When the zaps were at their worst, my blood pressure was elevated. It got to the point I could tell my nurse and doctor what my blood pressure was to within a few points! Now, that got their attention. To begin with they used Clonidine, a short acting BP medication, but you quickly build a tolerance to it & it has horrible rebound effects.
Finally I went on Lisinopril at a relatively low dose of 10mg/day. You may have to fight and find what works for you, but if you are having these, and they are as miserable as mine, and even if your BP is just slightly high, it may well be worth taking a look at. Also, as far as all the, it causes no damage stuff, well, they used to tell me they didn’t even exist….who knows what the long term effects of antidepressant use are?!?!?
My zaps from celexa have been relentless and I tapered, are you still having them?
First off, I have to say that I have always had high anxiety from my job and family life. The stress had pushed me to use medical marijuana and alcohol to relax and as a way out, but eventually may have dug myself into a deeper hole. I was never claustrophobic or anxious in my younger years but now I am. For the anxiety I would take a small .15 dose of xanax only in emergency panic situations.
My brain zaps started very mild and would occur often when using medical marijuana and going to sleep. At the time, I felt that the jolt in my sleep was due to sleep apnea, like forgetting to breath during sleep, but now realize that they were likely brain zaps. One day, after having very little sleep and a night of drinking, I felt a strong zap while driving. It was accompanied by brain shivers, tenseness in my neck and dizziness. I took b12 and was good for the day.
That weekend I was in Las Vegas, got little sleep, and had several drinks with friends during a bachelor party. After the party and a week later is when my dizziness and brain zaps started, on a regular basis. For weeks I would have constant headaches, almost like my head was about to explode. Pressure was built up in my temples and sinuses. My neck was constantly tense. I no longer drink or use medical marijuana; they both elevate my anxiety now, although the cold turkey from it may be the cause of my brain zaps.
The brain zaps usually occur when I am driving, and I usually ride them out by squinting my eyes. Wearing sunglasses helps to prevent them. I noticed that I am sensitive to light. The zaps are accompanied by vertigo and high anxiety. B12 and vitamin E have helped get me through the day. When having high anxiety and vertigo, a small dose of xanax and advil have come to my rescue. In my research, one co-relation with people having these symptoms is the lack of exercise, sleep, and high anxiety.
Running has definitely helped me overcome anxiety, and on days that I do run, I don’t experience the zaps. Meditation, reiki, energy balancing and acupuncture have also given me much relief. A vegan diet once in a while has also put me at ease. Hopefully this helps someone, and if you can be of any additional advice to me, that would greatly be appreciated. Thank you!
Here I thought I was going crazy and I have been isolating myself, my dr switched me from citalopram to buspirone – I work in the industry field, and I feel these “brain zaps” while at work, at home, I can’t see straight, I feel out of touch with reality and my eyes are burning. Does anyone have any thoughts on how to deal with this?
After having a very traumatic experience using cymbalta (seizures, falling, vertigo, more…), I was advised to slowly decrease my dosage to nil. Once I completed the process, I continue to have a lot of the same side effects with the worse being brain zaps and vertigo. Any advice to the suffering? Thank you.
No physician I ever talked to understood or had heard of this. The first time I experienced it was when I stopped taking Prozac cold turkey. I didn’t correlate the two at the time. The next time was when I quit Zoloft cold turkey. This time I realized it because it accompanied other, extremely lame symptoms like clouded judgement and confusion. Wow did I make bad decisions.
The next time it was Cymbalta. I knew it was going to happen, but I couldn’t afford it anymore. So I kept about 15 pills and took one every time I felt the zaps. They’d almost immediately stop and then I could co a slightly longer time between doses than I had the last time. I highly recommend this method over gradually decreasing your dosage. This method takes a significantly shorter period of time.
Well I have been experiencing brain zaps for two weeks, I have been on citalopram for ten years, I didn’t gradually stop, I was taking 40mg then 20mg then 10 mg over one week. Then stopped completely. They are hard to describe, zaps in the brain is pretty much what I experience, moving my head and eyes seems to make them worse.
I am so glad I read this article as I have to say I was getting to the point of thinking I had a serious neurological problem. I am not going to restart my antidepressants, so I will just have to live with it and hopefully they will disappear. I hope to tell you in the near future that they have gone completely. Thank you for putting my mind at rest.
These brain zaps are driving me up the wall. I’m feeling tortured. Since January 2015, I stopped taking my prescription for Cabergoline and tried taking vitamins and exercising. I still take the vitamins, but stopped exercising. It sucks! I’ve experience brain zaps before and it subsided. Now it’s back. Now I’m back taking my medication. Hopefully, it stops ASAP.
My problem this time is a little different than the norm. I used to get brain zaps from tapers or if I missed a dose. For the past 3 weeks or so, I am getting zapped for no apparent reason. I haven’t missed a dose of my Paxil and I am not tapering down. Have a Dr.’s appt scheduled next week, but have no clue why I am having this reaction this time. No changes on my end. A little confused over here. Any feedback is welcome!
The same thing has been happening to me for the past year. Did you ever figure out why the zaps started even though you weren’t tapering? I learned the hard way all about the brain zaps from SSRI withdrawal. It is a very unique type of “headache.” I tapered off Cymbalta when I wanted to start trying to have children. After I had my daughter, I switched to 25 mg Paxil with 450 Wellbutrin.
For 13 months this worked well with no brain zaps. I had my son and immediately went back on the paxil and wellbutrin. I started to notice that I was starting to get brain zaps several months after having him. At first I thought I had forgotten to take my medicine. But I hadn’t! I was also experiencing pretty bad “normal” headaches every day around 4-5pm.
I was always rushing around with both little kids and the zapping would occur more when I moved my head fast. The periodic zapping happened for months. My first step was making an appointment with a new psychiatrist (unfortunately my psychiatrist was no longer practicing). Our collective thinking was that maybe I was metabolizing the Paxil too fast so that by 4-5pm (when I noticed the buzzing to be worse as well as the normal headaches) I had nothing left and thus was feeling withdrawal.
Even though the Paxil was extended release, I have a history of fast drug metabolism so maybe this was the reason. I started taking an additional 12.5 mg of Paxil around 4pm every day. I think I did this for about 6 months. It didn’t help. I weened off the 12.5mg at 4pm. Then the psychiatrist suggested taking Vitamin A for better absorption.
That did nothing. My next step was a Naturopathic doctor. It’s been my experience that your average Primary Care Physician is not all that well versed in these drugs despite being able to prescribe them and the majority of them have never heard of “brain zaps.” I didn’t want to waste time going to one for this. They always look at me incredulously when I tell them it’s like getting tazered in between my eyes!
A friend, had gone to see a naturopathic doctor and even though the holistic route generally isn’t my go-to, I decided to give it a chance. Not before making sure that she wasn’t one of those people who was against any and all medications. The visit was fascinating. She ran a ton of blood work and found that not only was I anemic (not enough iron in blood throughout the body) but my ferritin (iron stored in liver) was ridiculously low.
My red blood cell count was too low and my body wasn’t producing enough oxygen to supply to my organs. She said I was basically using excess adrenaline and cortisol to keep myself moving throughout the day and that by 4pm the overproduction was causing my major headaches. In addition, I was estrogen dominant with low progesterone. We decided to tackle the two problems (anemia/ferritin and Low progesterone) one at a time so I’d be clear as to which was causing the problems.
A little backstory: an hour after I delivered my son I started hemorrhaging. In fact, I spent the day hemorrhaging losing 3.5 liters of blood. A blood transfusion and 4 hemorrhages later, my OB performed an emergency hysterectomy, removing my uterus and one ovary. Turns out my son’s placenta had grown past my uteran lining into the uteran muscle. I never stood a chance of keeping my uterus but unfortunately the doctor didn’t know this till pathology came back 3 days after the emergency hysterectomy.
SO, it made total sense that maybe I was buzzing and getting headaches after my son was born but not after my daughter because I lost so much blood! I started taking an iron supplement and was told to eat at least 100g of protein a day. This ended up being a significant change in my diet. That’s a lot of protein! But it worked!! The buzzing stopped and so did the afternoon headaches. 3 months after the initial lab work, I went back again. My red blood cells were up and so was my ferritin. I was shocked to see just how important protein was!
Prior to changing my diet, I had been charting my symptoms (brain zaps, normal headaches and night sweats). All of these symptoms appeared to occur around the same time and they also appeared to follow my menstrual cycle although this was incredibly hard to be sure about since I no longer get my period. After I increased my protein, the brain zaps and afternoon headaches went away but my night sweats didn’t. We then decided to work on my low progesterone. I started taking Vitex extract (Chasteberry).
I took it every night vs. 2 weeks before my period because again, we weren’t sure when exactly that was. The first 3 months it really helped and the night sweats went away. The next blood work I had done not only showed increasing ferritin levels, but also lower estrogen and higher progesterone. Then it stopped working and the night sweats returned. I switched to a plant based progesterone cream that you rub on the inside of the thigh.
That’s also pretty much when I noticed that my afternoon headaches were back and just as bad as before. And then I started getting faint buzzing once a day! Nothing that I couldn’t live with, but also a bit concerning since I thought the issue had been finally eradicated. I started charting it all again and again it seems cyclical. Recently I have been asking around for a recommendation for a good neurologist figuring that was the next place to go for answers.
In the meantime, the same friend who told me about the naturopathic doctor told me about a psychiatrist she was seeing who performed a genetic test on her which would tell her what drugs (including antidepressants) worked the best for her specifically. All from a cotton swab! The Paxil works for me. Having spent both pregnancies (and the time trying for both pregnancies) un-medicated, I clearly know the difference between my medicated and un-medicated self.
But maybe a different drug will work for me without the buzzing? Paxil is known for its short half -life, maybe another drug might be better. The thing is, I’m 39 now, since college I feel like I’ve tried the great majority of the ones out there. Is the Paxil “working” for me if I still get these monthly brain zaps? Is it the Paxil at all or maybe I have to start on a more powerful progesterone?
So that’s my long story. Would love to hear back from Liann and anyone else in the same sort of situation (on an anti-depressant, not tapering off, but still experiencing withdrawal symptoms as if you were!). For those of you who are trying to get off the medications, my advice is to TAPER slowly. I’ve come off of Effexor, Cymbalta and Paxil and what I learned is that you need to slowly taper. Plan it out.
I used a calendar where the first week I took half of what I normally take. Then the second week I took half of that and so on and so on. It’s easier when it comes to drugs like Effexor and Cymbalta bc they are capsules with beads and they’re dealt in high doses that are easy to cut in half. I used to pop the capsules open and portion out half the beads. I found the end to be the hardest part. By the time you’ve halved and halved and halved you just want to be done.
But I think the brain just clings on to the little that is left! I literally was taking 4 beads of the 60+ beads in just one capsule of Effexor by the time I totally was able to stop. I also recommend skipping every other day towards the very end. When the buzzing stops, you can stop! When it comes to non capsule meds like Paxil, it’s a lot harder to taper. They tell you not to cut the controlled release or extended release in half. So I went from 25mg to 12.5.
I think the lowest dose you can get Paxil in is 5mg. But, I found out that there is a liquid Paxil! Orange flavored. Not bad. I used that to taper off and ended up taking 1mg every other day, till I felt confident that the buzzing would stop. Don’t go cold turkey! I tried it the first time. Made it to Day 3 and then couldn’t even get out of bed. Day 4 I was loathe to start taking anything again, giving up the 4 day progress I had made, but I was physically unable to cope with the withdrawal symptoms any longer.
My doctor told me to go back to my normal dose for a week and start tapering from there. It can take weeks and weeks, but it can be done. P.S. My zaps have sound like the light saber description above and usually come in 3-4 quick bursts. I also feel it in my mouth and teeth. When I move my head during a zap it’s like I’m in slo-mo.
I have to be in massive pain before I take Tylenol or ibuprofen. I get brain zaps at least once every other month and sometimes more. I normally get 6 hours of sleep everyday. I don’t suffer from depression. I don’t take other medications and I still get brain zaps 98% at the point of falling asleep. I normally have a full body convulsion prior to the brain zap. Sometimes I get a massive ringing in the ears which I have found that when I’m lying down I can provoke it further leading to a brain zap. I do get regular headaches when the weather changes and I do have compressed vertebrae in my neck, but I don’t know if that’s part of the cause or not. The brain zap normally feels like getting hit with 220 volts of electricity in the head.
I am a student a Syracuse U School of architecture. My school is nutritious for depriving their students of sleep. This article interested me because I noticed my “zaps” mainly last year when I was getting about 12 hours of sleep per week. Alongside the poor sleep, I quit my antidepressant. The zaps were out of control and were VERY painful. I keep a very close eye on my health and I cannot figure out why these zaps would continue this year, where I am getting more sleep and have been off my meds for almost 6 months.
Took paxil for 2 years at 20mg. After losing my bottle and being cold turkey for 3 days, the brain zaps are very annoying and kind of frightening.
I was having very severe and anxiety accompanied by panic attacks. I was also having visual migraines every other day if not daily and to this day am still not sure if they we’re related. I was very scared and it was constant. I saw my general doctor finally and she prescribed me paxil. The migraines stopped immediately and after a few weeks my anxiety did too. I had a constant restlessness in my left arm and left leg for months that also went away after taking paxil. For once I feel back to normal however, if I miss one dose of my paxil my vision becomes a little shaky very briefly but the shake is rapid and my vision also gets blurry for literally one second at a time.
I am no hypochondriac. The worst symptom I have of missing my paxil are the brain zaps! They are so sudden and so severe that they make me dizzy. They only last for just a second and seem to happen more when I move my eyes alone or my whole head left to right or right to left down or up. And it stays it is relentless until I take another dose and then it’s gone within the hour. Glad to know I’m not alone.
I am so happy I’ve just read this thread. I didn’t realize that was an actual name for what I’ve been experiencing coming off Citalopram. I thought I was imagining it! Such a relief. Brain zaps are horrendous.
I’m withdrawing from Paxil, cold turkey. The zaps I have feel like waves hitting me in the ocean. There is also some disequilibrium, or at least sensations of that. To help it I can keep myself busy. The more I have stimulation from the outside, the less I feel it. My autonomic nervous system seems to be overly stimulated and I think it has to do with that. I know this because my heart rate is higher than usual and (skip this if easily offended) I masturbated yesterday and it only took 3 minutes to come to a conclusion. Mind this, I’m 68!
I would like to say this: Regarding the opinions I’ve read stating that brain zap symptoms are considered “harmless” or “not dangerous”, my personal experience with atrial fibrillation concerns me vis-à-vis brain zaps. As a child, my family doctor dismissed my arrhythmia as harmless, and as far as I know, the medical community in general agreed with this at that time (in the 1970’s).
Over time, with research and advances in knowledge, that opinion was proven invalid. My symptoms worsened with age, my diagnosis morphed into super ventricular tachycardia (SVT) and after multiple visits to the emergency room including a frightful experience with paramedics in an Atlantic City casino, was finally corrected with a procedure called a catheter ablation.
I’m not sure how the medical community can possibly conclude that these brain zap symptoms are harmless. I’d rather read that it is unknown, which to me would be the honest conclusion to reach, rather than half-baked reassurances that this is “harmless”. If anyone has any information of substance to support the opinion that these symptoms are harmless, that would truly be welcome!
I agree that the Medical community seems almost silent on this matter, or at least extremely vague. Conspiracy of Silence? All of the information I have found has been from distressed patients. Dr’s seem to hardly even want to discuss this most distressing symptom of anti-depressant use or withdraw. I’m disappointed to say the least. Perhaps more media attention needs to be given to this reality, this giant elephant in the room.
I too am frustrated with the silence, or worse, from the medical community. My zaps started last week and have left me barely able to walk. In the last 7 months I’ve transitioned from escitalopram to desvenlafaxine to duloxetine. I’m certain I have a bad cough and wheezing as a side-effect from the Cymbalta but the doctor thought it was probably an infection and so prescribed antibiotics.
Whilst out on a strenuous walk I developed constant zapping, loss of balance, tinnitus, visual disturbances that feel like my eyes are jumping, tingling in my arms and legs, nausea and stomach pain. And the hissing in my ears is so loud! Not much fun on a remote track in a mountainous area. I requested a medication review and was told by the psychiatrist, before he’d heard all that I had to say, that it was a virus in my ear.
He prescribed seasickness medication, which definitely doesn’t address my concerns. I don’t know if it is a delayed withdrawal from Pristiq, an interaction caused by the antibiotic, or the Cymbalta. I decided I’d try going off all medication but the buzzing and zapping is constant. Going cold turkey, after three days I’ve become bedridden and gone back to taking the medication. I have to be careful moving my eyes and head, and need support when I walk.
It’s exceedingly frustrating to have my concerns not heard, and also to be almost completely non-functional when the point of taking the medication was to recover from PTSD and depression and become functional again. There are way too many side-effects for me, but no-one will listen because Cymbalta is meant to be ‘one of the good ones’. I’ve been on and off antidepressants for 40 years (and probably taken most of them at one time or another) but I’ve never experienced anything like these zaps.
Or the aches and pains and muscle stiffness. Zaps taking Cymbalta, worse zaps not taking it. I want to get off this stuff asap, but it’s not going to be something I can do easily. I foolishly thought I could tough it out. I can’t decide whether I’m least impressed with the medication or the psychiatric community.
I am so grateful for this article! I have been experiencing the shocks since coming off of Prozac. I have been on Prozac for 14 years and have finally decided to quit. (I think it worsened my anxiety). About 12 years ago I tried effexor and did not like the side effects from missing one day,(nausea and brain shocks.) I quit cold turkey and experienced the brain shocks pretty bad, but at that time there was very little information about them on the internet.
Fast forward 12 years and I’m experiencing them again with discontinuing Prozac. I tapered off a little, but have been experiencing them terribly the last week. I am so grateful to know other people feel these annoying and often somewhat uncomfortable shocks. I am going to try the fish oil and b12. I have a bottle of 5-HTP and GABA and wonder if that will help also? I will let you guys know.