The NHS states: 'See your doctor if you get severe withdrawal symptoms after you stop taking antidepressants' The NHS lists 'feeling as if there's an electric shock in your head' in its list of withdrawal symptoms after coming off antidepressants, without giving these a specific name. They instead fall elusively under the umbrella of 'discontinuation symptoms' or 'withdrawal', with the precise neurological mechanisms behind them still something of a mystery. I’d started to feel better, and instead of seeing that as a sign the medication was working, I took it as proof I didn’t need them anymore.ĭue to so little being understood, there’s no medical term beyond the acutely non-scientific ones I've mentioned. In my case, a week or so before I experienced my first 'zap' I made a common mistake when taking one of the group of antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI’s). The little evidence we do have suggests that coming off medication quickly might up your chances of experiencing brain zaps. 'According to some authors, the zaps are due to an alteration of neuronal activity in the brain,' he says, referring to the few studies into the topic. They can rule out any potential other causes and can provide advice on your symptoms If you're worried about brain zaps, contact your GP.
They’re sometimes also experienced as a symptom of anxiety disorders and some people report dealing with them after taking large amounts of the illegal party drug MDMA (ecstasy.) What are brain zaps?Īlso referred to as 'brain shivers', frustratingly little is known about the phenomenon beyond that they're often triggered when antidepressant treatment is discontinued, explains Verinda Sharma, Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Western Ontario. Only then did I start to connect the dots. But I kept digging and eventually came across the term 'brain zaps'. Naturally, my thoughts flew fast to dark places, not aided by the results that came up after a quick search of Dr Google (brain seizure symptoms early signs of brain tumour). I blinked away the tiny white lights blooming in my vision, the moment reminiscent of the head-fizzing dizziness caused by standing up too fast, and went back to my desk dazed and scared. As rapidly as it seized my brain, it was gone. The sensation felt like old, rusty pennies smell, metallic and sharp.
Suddenly, though, what felt like an electrified jolt lit up my mind, startling me beyond belief and causing me to slop hot liquid onto the office carpet.
Here, writer Lauren Brown explores what we do know.Ī couple of years ago, I was slowly walking with a too-full cup of tea back to my desk. The neurological mechanism behind the phenomenon, however, remains a mystery.
The occurrence is commonly understood to be related to decreasing or stopping medications, especially some antidepressants. If you've ever experienced a 'brain zap' – the term typically used to refer to the startling feeling that a shot of electrical current has run through your head – you'll know that they can be disorientating and, frankly, terrifying.
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