2 replies to this topic

[silverseed72]

Quick summary....

 

Was on zoloft for a while (1996-2000), effexor (2001-2005),cymbalta (2005-2013) and then had a psychiatrist put me on something else until another psych put me back on cymbalta because the other drugs weren't working and I was having brain zaps, mainly while driving.

 

Fast forward to November 2015. Med doctor says my liver functions are high, so I wean off of cymbalta per his demands. Been ok, not great, but livable since then, until last week I have to travel to my daughter's surgery (about an hour away.) I was doing ok on the way but had more brain zaps on the way home. Ever since then every time I get in my car to drive, I have these zaps. Mainly going over bridges or up mountains.

 

Help?

 

[fishinghat]

There are some antidotal reports of brain zaps coming and going for people who have come off ssri/snri for a year or more but they are few and far between. There has been some recent research on brain zaps and I will check them out and see what they say.

[fishinghat]

Sorry, this is all I could find.

https://www.ncbi.nlm...les/PMC3733524/
This is the story of one case of brain caps successfully treated with atomoxetine. Due to side effects of the atomoxetine the patient was returned to Venlafaxine to releive the symptoms. The patient came off of the Venlafaxine rapidly and developed debilitating brain zaps shortly later.

Note - Atomoxetine (Strattera) is a drug which is approved for the treatment of (ADHD). Clinical dosages inhibit both norepiniphrine and serotonin (snri).
So basically put back on the same type of medicine to stop the brain zaps.

There has been some research on what causes them and the best educated guess is a residual imbalance in norepinephrin and epinephrine. Most researchers have found that they can reoccur during a period of high stress but after months/years they do disappear.
No scientific research but many report success with the use of omega 3 and/or Vit B12.