ssri withdrawal/ brain zaps

[fineslime]

started going through ssri withdrawal about a month ago after I lost my insurance and ran out of my antidepressants. this isnt my first time coming off of a daily ssri, but for whatever reason the withdrawal symptoms this time around are bruuuuutal. the brain zaps are next level. if you've never felt one of these imagine a sudden jolt of electrified pulses spiking through your brain. they don't "hurt" necessarily, but they're extremely uncomfortable and jarring... I can feel them in my teeth... luckily I feel no rebound depression or anxiety, in fact, I feel like a fog is being slowly lifted. I feel sharper and more in tune.

any pals ever go through this? any helpful tips on making the best of these symptoms? shout out to anyone whos gone through withdrawal.

[Gene_Harrogate]

I experienced them when I stopped my anti-depressant in early 2020.  I didn't taper my doses down like you're supposed to and just quit cold turkey and the brain zaps were aggressive.  I'll never forget they started hitting me when I was driving on a cold rainy night and it made it real hard to concentrate on the road.  Lasted probably 3 solid weeks and eventually faded away completely, then Covid hit and I got right back on my Lexapro.

[RichardBarkley]

Yep I got them from doing too much yokes (MDMA)

Did 9 in one night and completely fucked myself up for weeks and weeks. No sleep, constant sleep paralysis, insane dizzy spells.. especially when standing up too fast I'd get dizzy and my peripheral vision would go spotted/black

The brain zaps are no fun and seem to just come on suddenly for no reason at all. They will pass though. Takes time and it can drive you crazy if you let it. Exercise, healthy eating and as much restful sleep as you can get.

[augustmoon]

I’ve been tapering mine down really slowly over the last 6 months, and it’s gotten to be less and less of a problem.  Stopped cold turkey a few times in the past and that’s no bueno

[funeral_tuxedo]

OP I'm so sorry you're going through SSRI withdrawal. Those zaps are so brutal.
I just wanted to say that if you're feeling suicidal ideation that it may be from the withdrawals, and a technique I rolled with when I've experienced my withdrawals was writing them down and taking it a day at a time.
Seeing my raw, unfiltered emotions on paper often helps me reconsider toxic thinking and behaviors I'd rationalized.
A day at a time sounds so basic, but when I'm looking down the barrel of an exhausting uphill battle, sometimes breaking it down reminds me that these trials are temporary, and my life not going to be this way forever.
Sometimes I'd chop it up to minute by minute - like I can deal with this pain for one minute.
And some box breathing helps me too.
Please let us know how you're doing if you feel up to it.

[lilboosie]

Woah what? I didn't realize that's what was happening to me too.  I just got my  meds back yesterday but am kinda of scared to get them again incase this happens again.

[IUTSM]

IDK about SSRI withdrawal, but DO NOT EVER try a cold turkey benzo withdrawal. Not only can it cause permanent brain damage, seizures are likely to happen. you can die. there's a chance you won't sleep for weeks. people coming of benzos CT often experience psychosis. acute psychosis... hearing things, seeing things, etc.

if you or anyone you know is trying to get off those little devils in a pill, check the Ashton manual https://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/

share it with healthcare providers because they often don't know what to do either. it's gotta be a long, long taper. too rapid of a taper and the rebound anxiety is going to be crippling.... along with zaps, RLS, PAWS in general.

good luck bud

[froufroufox]

had a bad case of this when i waned myself off of 30mg of lexapro the improper way - didn’t gradually lower the dose, just started taking them once every other day, once every few days, once a week, etc.. i remember i actually didn’t know what was going on with me at all & freaked out, googled the crazy sensations i would feel and found out it’s super common. i remember i’d feel the jolt so bad throughout my body i’d like fall over a few times. def a wild feeling and there isn’t really anything you can do to help it if you’re jusy quitting the meds so abruptly like this. it only lasted a few weeks or so though and then went away. but yeah - moral of the story is to wane yourself off (if you really feel the need) with the guidance of your psychiatrist and you’ll be good :-)

[Loki700]

Never had any brain zaps, had to look up what that was.  I was definitely in a fog for a few days.  Maybe I didn't have a really bad time because I actually needed mood stabilizers?

[skunty]

man I am fucked up... I never felt a fucking thing going on or off of SSRIs

[LebowskisRug]

It might not work for you, but you could try any of the following OTC meds that can, for some, assist in reduction of depression symptoms:

-Methyl Folate, specifically products similar to Deplin. I would recommend a B complex with this and, if you want to super certain, glycine.
-Magnesium Glycinate for sleep quality
-L-theanine can help "calm" and even you out. It's found in many herbal teas in small doses. If you ever drink too much coffee, it's great for making you feel less jittery.
-Kava acts on the receptors much like SSRIs. The two should not be mixed as the effects are greatly increased. Kava can, in reasonable doses, safely reduce withdrawal symptoms. Titrate it down too.
-5-HTP can help increase seratonin levels
-D-L Phenylalanine can help upregulate norepinepherine and dopamine. Very good for caffeine withdrawals as well.

This list has a few more, but I've tried all the above for SSRI withdrawal and it has seemed to help a bit: https://mentalhealthdaily.com/2015/03/19/10-best-supplements-for-antidepressant-withdrawal/

[DarthDingusMaximus]

Been on abilify and I hated it, I quit cold turkey 2 weeks in. Glad I did it though.

[slappies]

Been on abilify and I hated it, I quit cold turkey 2 weeks in. Glad I did it though.

I just got off Abilify recently. I was on it for about a month and it completely fucked with my head. It was basically negating all the progress I'd made through therapy and the Cipralex I take. I felt like I was truly going insane, so I got off those. I weened off over a week or so, so it wasn't quite cold turkey. Took a couple weeks to feel even remotely like myself again after.

[winecrab]

How much abilify were you guys taking? I've taken it for a few months and then stopped with no side effects. Now I take the abilify injection which is once every 2 months. I've tried pretty much every SSRI in my early 20's. I would take them for at least 6 months, upping the dosage until I hit the max and then quit cold turkey cuz I couldn't feel a difference. Never had any side effects of withdrawal symptoms from any of them. I have felt the brain zaps from taking buspirone which is quite common. It's just annoying and uncomfortable but not too bad as long as you're not getting it every 5min. Hope it goes away soon!

[big900]

its natural they go away and arent dangerous.

see if a benadryl chills it out before spendin doc money.

ive done evry drug p much, anyone can ask me anything.ssri are basically same as antihistamines in effect. they just dull your brain a little. anti depressant is a marketing term, they dont make you not depressed, but take them if u want.

you basically got 3 pathways if u wanna change your headspace with doc meds

serotonin

dopamine

gaba

if a drug with action on certain receptors dosent work you can ask for stronger one or ask to switch to a drug with a different action.

but really you gotta change your behavior habits and social habits to really change. but i say that while i eat handfuls of xanax so i understand not doing that part, it is the hardest part.

[DarthDingusMaximus]

They put me on 10mg of abilify and it gave me droopy face hard and jerky feeling, didn’t like the way it felt at all.

[fineslime]

thanks for all the feedback and well wishes pals! happy to say I made it out of the other side and feel so much better. I feel like a fog has been lifted from my personality. What helped the most was fish oil, plenty of sleep, exercise, and 5 HTP.

[winecrab]

thanks for all the feedback and well wishes pals! happy to say I made it out of the other side and feel so much better. I feel like a fog has been lifted from my personality. What helped the most was fish oil, plenty of sleep, exercise, and 5 HTP.

One night I took Zoloft and 5 HTP together and had seratonin syndrome. The hallucinations were fucking crazy. Glad to hear you're feeling better.

[fineslime]

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thanks for all the feedback and well wishes pals! happy to say I made it out of the other side and feel so much better. I feel like a fog has been lifted from my personality. What helped the most was fish oil, plenty of sleep, exercise, and 5 HTP.

[close]

One night I took Zoloft and 5 HTP together and had seratonin syndrome. The hallucinations were fucking crazy. Glad to hear you're feeling better.

I appreciate it man. One thing that helped and has helped in the past was taking a small dose of mushrooms. From my understanding of how psilocin and psilocybin interact with serotonin receptors, and how those compounds decrease blood flow certain parts of your brain, it feels like a genuine reset. I'm not telling anyone to quit their meds or eat mushrooms instead,, but personally I've found great benefit in them for antidepressant cessation.

I'm honestly shocked I never serotonin syndrome'd myself with all the shit I've put my brain through haha. What does it feel like? I'm pretty sure you can seize and die from that. I'd love to hear more about your experience.

[TheBoognish]

My doctor prescribed pregabalin (Lyrica) for the terrible nerve pain cause by my two herniated discs. It’s not an SSRI, but apparently the withdrawls suck.

Reading the shit in here makes me happy I never took it. I’ve had a full bottle for three months and haven’t taken one.

[alonelikeastone]

My doctor prescribed pregabalin (Lyrica) for the terrible nerve pain cause by my two herniated discs. It’s not an SSRI, but apparently the withdrawls suck.

Reading the shit in here makes me happy I never took it. I’ve had a full bottle for three months and haven’t taken one.

I have been on mood disorder meds for 25 years... off and on.. getting the brain zaps is rough when switching or getting off any of them....

LYRICA.... I TOOK IT FOR 2 YEARS after a back injury...... SWEEEEET JESUS. Getting off those was as tough as the injury itself and harder than all the opioid withdrawals.
It did do what its job for those couple years... and it was incredible for sleeping... I only took them before bed or i'd pass out driving to work if I took em in the morning.... damn, I never slept that good my whole life... again, not worth it for the months of bullshit coming off them. AND I got off slow!

[fineslime]

blows my mind how a community like this can come together and openly talk about medication, mental health, withdrawal, addiction, when I know i can't talk about it with some of my family.

Keep on keeping on guys. Always do whats best for you!

[TheBoognish]

Expand Quote

My doctor prescribed pregabalin (Lyrica) for the terrible nerve pain cause by my two herniated discs. It’s not an SSRI, but apparently the withdrawls suck.

Reading the shit in here makes me happy I never took it. I’ve had a full bottle for three months and haven’t taken one.

[close]

I have been on mood disorder meds for 25 years... off and on.. getting the brain zaps is rough when switching or getting off any of them....

LYRICA.... I TOOK IT FOR 2 YEARS after a back injury...... SWEEEEET JESUS. Getting off those was as tough as the injury itself and harder than all the opioid withdrawals.
It did do what its job for those couple years... and it was incredible for sleeping... I only took them before bed or i'd pass out driving to work if I took em in the morning.... damn, I never slept that good my whole life... again, not worth it for the months of bullshit coming off them. AND I got off slow!

Fuck man, so glad I never took them. I’ve never had to take any kinda medication in my life (except antibiotics for my chronic sinusitis) and didn’t feel like starting with something so harsh. It’ll remain on the shelf for sure. Everyone I talked to hated it.

I’ll stick to my back strengthening routine, back’s been feeling really good lately and I have no problem sleeping.

[Doodily]

When I've come off SSRIs, I took fish oil. It helped big time with the brain zaps.  I usually go with the brand "Ocean Blue" (years ago I checked out a bunch of reviews and they were highly rated due to independent testing for mercury and other contaminants found in cheaper products).

[big900]

so... yea

[TunnelVision1]

prescription drugs are honestly the worst. My mom had a major psychoses episode in the summer of 2009 because of a doctor giving her "the wrong" drugs.. It wasn't fun at all. I have mental ocd intrusive thoughts which is a lesser known form of ocd but honestly the most difficult. I've tried a few different benzos and those were the worst I've tried by far. Made me feel like absolute shit for many reasons. In 2018 i discovered a video called "the cure to ocd" by ocdmindful on youtube and his explanation and preciseness of this confusing but yet simple to actually solve disorder is on a whole nother level of anyone else which is why I'm doing better than I ever have in life for many other reasons too. I micro dose mushrooms everyday and it helps so much you have no idea with anxiety ocd and even depression if that's something you deal with. The food you eat is key for mental health so keep it clean lean meat that will give you energy and peace for the day.

[DarthDingusMaximus]

When you finally feel after being doped up on meds, I hate ssri I’d rather do therapy instead.

[Dog the Bounty Hunter]

Stop taking those anti-d’s

[winecrab]

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My doctor prescribed pregabalin (Lyrica) for the terrible nerve pain cause by my two herniated discs. It’s not an SSRI, but apparently the withdrawls suck.

Reading the shit in here makes me happy I never took it. I’ve had a full bottle for three months and haven’t taken one.

[close]

I have been on mood disorder meds for 25 years... off and on.. getting the brain zaps is rough when switching or getting off any of them....

LYRICA.... I TOOK IT FOR 2 YEARS after a back injury...... SWEEEEET JESUS. Getting off those was as tough as the injury itself and harder than all the opioid withdrawals.
It did do what its job for those couple years... and it was incredible for sleeping... I only took them before bed or i'd pass out driving to work if I took em in the morning.... damn, I never slept that good my whole life... again, not worth it for the months of bullshit coming off them. AND I got off slow!

[close]

Fuck man, so glad I never took them. I’ve never had to take any kinda medication in my life (except antibiotics for my chronic sinusitis) and didn’t feel like starting with something so harsh. It’ll remain on the shelf for sure. Everyone I talked to hated it.

I’ll stick to my back strengthening routine, back’s been feeling really good lately and I have no problem sleeping.

Lyrica is very recreational. Take a few and you'll have an awesome day. Good for you for not taking them. As mentioned, the withdrawals are a nightmare. That's why I refused Lyrica and take gabapentin instead for my nerve pain.

[winecrab]

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thanks for all the feedback and well wishes pals! happy to say I made it out of the other side and feel so much better. I feel like a fog has been lifted from my personality. What helped the most was fish oil, plenty of sleep, exercise, and 5 HTP.

[close]

One night I took Zoloft and 5 HTP together and had seratonin syndrome. The hallucinations were fucking crazy. Glad to hear you're feeling better.

[close]

I appreciate it man. One thing that helped and has helped in the past was taking a small dose of mushrooms. From my understanding of how psilocin and psilocybin interact with serotonin receptors, and how those compounds decrease blood flow certain parts of your brain, it feels like a genuine reset. I'm not telling anyone to quit their meds or eat mushrooms instead,, but personally I've found great benefit in them for antidepressant cessation.

I'm honestly shocked I never serotonin syndrome'd myself with all the shit I've put my brain through haha. What does it feel like? I'm pretty sure you can seize and die from that. I'd love to hear more about your experience.

It was like a mix of Ayahuasca, ketamine, and a strong deliriant. I couldn't tell that the hallucinations weren't real. I'd have long conversations with family and friends that weren't there and everything looked like it was every single color at once.