YOU ARE NOT ALONE - A companion online community discussion board for The Mental Illness Happy Hour podcast with Paul Gilmartin

Does anyone else get the electric brain and/or body zaps? I have experienced it off and on for some time (not too often), however in the last day or so I have noticed the occurrences increasing. Typically electric zaps are associated with anti-depressants (I take both Welbutrin & Cymbalta) as well as anxiety. Because I take my meds for anxiety, and having brain zaps doesn't fucking help much with me with not getting anxious. Naturally another cause for body zaps is high anxiety, so I am currently at a loss as to why I am even having them -- although my guess is medication.

Anyway, just curious if any of you had "the zaps", and if so whatTF did you do about it?

*btw, and electrical zap is just that -- it feels like a zap of electricity going through your body or brain. it is freaky as hell*

I had brain zaps while on Citalopram, even on a little 5mg starter dose. Nausea too. I had to quit.

Hi!!!
I get them too. I posted about them awhile ago.
I'm on Effexor and Wellbutrin and just went off seroquil cold turkey!!!
My psych basically told me to take adavan to counter act it...

imnotcrzee wrote:My psych basically told me to take adavan to counter act it...

Of course he did. God forbid he should spend some time trying to figure out what's going on and maybe find something that wouldn't be problematic. Just throw more meds at it. Douche bag.

Ativan might provide some relief, but you should be aware that benzodiazepenes are addictive and tend to become less effective over time. So you run the risk of adding an addiction to your other issues.

Probably not wise to just dump the seroquel. There's a great website for advice and support on stopping meds -- http://survivingantidepressants.org -- they can give you help in trying to do it safely. Have you consulted with your pdoc about it?

Good luck.

I've had "brain-zaps" months after quitting SSRIs. I don't know if I had more of a problem because I quit them all cold-turkey. Both my therapist and doctor tell me this shouldn't happen because the drug is out of my system, but I would still get the occasional zap now and then. Good Luck!

I didn't even think the whole body zaps/massive head to toe twitch was associated to my anti-depressants and was instead just a thing I experienced because I was tired and falling asleep. It is so freaky! I am on Wellbutrin (150mg), Effexor (300g), Ciplarlex (10g) and Seroquil (100g) with the Seroquil at bed time so I actually fall asleep. I am hesitant to even try to change my cocktail combo because of the zaps when it seems to be working for everything else. But it is a relief to know other people are experiencing some of the same weirdness on these meds.

Holy crap! So It's not just ME! I've had these on and off meds I thought they where just there. Anyone have a zone out followed by a zap that snapped you back? I get those frequently and always thought it was just a neurological side effect of my Cerebral Palsy. I have noticed these happening more frequently after getting back on Celexa (20mg daily).

I only ever get brain zaps when I forget to take my medication. They're certainly uncomfortable, but I guess a good reminder for me to take them. I just worry what it will be like when (if ever) I finally ease off the meds.

I think I understand what you're describing- if it is what I'm thinking then I've been having them for months. I wasn't sure if it was just tension in my body from anxiety that would cause me to suddenly jolt/flex/twitch, meds, or some other physical issue (I have so many anyways). I even questioned whether or not I was imagining it/making it up/subconsciously causing it to happen. lol

I've noticed a common denominator in quite a few of the posts, and that is: Wellbutrin
I currently take Cymbalta, Vyvanse, Neurontin, and Wellbutrin. I'm thinking the zaps probably started not long after I began taking the Wellbutrin, which was a few months ago.

Very interesting...

Hmmm - this is very interesting. I am on Cymbalta, Welbutrin, Buspar, and Neurontin. I usually have three to four days per week where I experience brain zaps. I am going to talk to my Psych about next time I see him. Thanks for all the input folks.. Billie