7 replies to this topic

[tdill]

I keep hearing about the brain zaps and i do not have a clue what tis is. I am 5 weeks off cymbalta and struggling. Moatly with body aches and pains, lack of energy and fatigue. I ahave skin rashes and a terrible back and neck ache this week......But I do not know what the "zaps" are. I get a pins and needle feeling in my back sometimes but I am so curious to know what this Brain zap is and why I haven't experienced them or really maybe I have!

[melly]

I keep hearing about the brain zaps and i do not have a clue what tis is. I am 5 weeks off cymbalta and struggling. Moatly with body aches and pains, lack of energy and fatigue. I ahave skin rashes and a terrible back and neck ache this week......But I do not know what the "zaps" are. I get a pins and needle feeling in my back sometimes but I am so curious to know what this Brain zap is and why I haven't experienced them or really maybe I have!

So far I have not had them either, and we should be happy as they are terrible. My sister had them and siad it went like lightening all through her head.Mel

[GrandPulse]

Not sure if I've had the zaps either. I've had some pounding "pulses" in my head, but they seem a bit different than what most people are describing as brain zaps.

[PoisonGirl]

I have brain zaps and they suck.

Imagine there's a tiny Mariachi guy inside your head. His instrument? The maracas!
He's usually a very quiet guy, but once in awhile after he's had a few too many shots of Patron, he lets loose!

Basically the "zap" I feel is like an electric jolt (I'm guessing the maracas-playing mariachi finally had enough tequila shots and started bouncing around) and it sounds like someone shaking a maracas and my vision get slightly distorted.... It feels like it lasts for awhile, in reality I'm guessing only milliseconds ..... I"m taking dramamine so I don't get dizzy, but I know that before I started doing the dramamine, the brain zaps would also get me dizzy and nauseous. In between the zaps, everything is normal which is why it's really noticeable when they do happen.

If you escape the maracas-playing, tequila shooting mariachi guy jolting about in your head, awesome!

[scared60]

Tdill... I was wondering the same thing. However I have had what my aunt and I affectionately call SHOOTERS, like a shooting pain in the head. I haven't even started going off Cymbalta yet so I'm pretty nervous about zaps! PS poisongirl, love yourself description!

[equuswoman]

Tdill... I was wondering the same thing. However I have had what my aunt and I affectionately call SHOOTERS, like a shooting pain in the head. I haven't even started going off Cymbalta yet so I'm pretty nervous about zaps! PS poisongirl, love yourself description!

Scared 60, Hi and welcome to the forum. I have been 'bead' counting since Nov 7th coming off the 60mg capsules. I am down now 125 beads from 200 of the evil, vile things. This is the ONLY way that I can get off this poison. I tried the "cold" turkey by "mistake" it sucked. Then the instructions given me by my pain specialist which sucked just as much on day #10 of dropping from 60 down to 30...day 10 the w/d(s) from hell were knocking on my door!

Anyway, again welcome and let us know if we can help!  TheEquusWoman

[thismoment]

Tdill... I was wondering the same thing. However I have had what my aunt and I affectionately call SHOOTERS, like a shooting pain in the head. I haven't even started going off Cymbalta yet so I'm pretty nervous about zaps! PS poisongirl, love yourself description!

 

Scared60

 

That 'shooting pain' could very well be the zaps. People explain them differently. Was your shooting pain accompanied by the sensation of a flash of light? Had you missed a dosage or two?

 

Don't worry about the brain zaps- for me they were electric-like little shocks that seemed to go diagonally through my brain- sort of from behind my right ear to in front of my left ear. There is the sensation of a 'flash' of light that accompanies the zap. It doesn't hurt, but it can sort of jerk your head around a bit. I got 5 or 6 zaps a day for 6 days. This occurred on day 19 of tapering off from 30 mg. Then they were gone.

 

Because you know what to expect, it won't be so spooky. 

 

Not everybody gets them, and some people get fewer than I got. It seems to be a regular event in withdrawal. Take care.

[Lindalou]

my experience with brain zaps is my whole head goes completely numb like completely dead . like someone pinched my spinal cord in my neck. it happens only for a second. just enough to feel it happen. its insane.