Anyone,

I keep hearing about people getting zaps. Do you mean feeling of a wave of adrenaline(sp.) quickly getting pushed through the body? A sudden quick wave of anxiety, kind of like a muted electric shock?




[This message has been edited by sgt207 (edited 09-28-2003).]

Yes, that's exactly what a "zap" is. It feels like your brain gets "electrified" for a couple of seconds. They come and go in waves. http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/frown.gif

Thanks

i thought zaps were a type of candy

mmmm...zaps

thank you, thank you all, i thought i was losing my mind. i'd only been taking zoloft (50mg) for approx 3 months, but didn't notice any improvement. i stopped cold turkey 3 weeks ago and i immediately began to experience the "zaps" (what an appropriate description) what a blessing to know that i wasn't losing it. i refuse to resume the taking of this medication. i don't know how long the "zaps" will last, but i can make it. again thank you all for your input.

freeone,

We have a similar story. I was on the same dosage as you - stayed on for only 3-4 months but quit cold turkey because I didn't feel the benefits were worth taking the drug every day and the weight gain.

My withdrawl was very difficult. I'm afraid to think what it would have been like if I had stayed on the drug for a long time.

The way I try to describe the "zaps" is like a lightning strike in the brain. Not painful but a jolt that is very scary unless you know what's going on.

All,

Hope everyone had a good day. It was not a particularly good day for me, but I'm hanging in there.

Can anyone tell me how Benadryl helps to alleviate the withdrawal symptons?

Also, how long does withdrawal take?

I want all of you to know how much finding this site means to me.

I'll keep all of you in my thoughts and prayers.

freeone

day 13, and i missed most of it...

the lethargy has set in. i fell asleep at about noon, and woke up at 10. this was in the middle of my day. and though i'm a little pissed about not getting anything done, at least i didn't have to work today. really vivid, disturbing dreams, but the zaps are definitely getting easier to manage.

hope everyone's ok
cheers
miguel

Today is about 2 and a half weeks since I stopped the Zoloft. Yesterday and today were both really good days. I feel like maybe my withdrawal is coming to an end - I hope. I didn't have to take Advil Cold & sinus or Benedryl at all these last two days, and I only had a few minor zaps in the evenings. One thing I've noticed, is that I have much more energy now in the evenings, but that is when the withdrawal symptoms tend to be worse. On the Zoloft, I was so tired by the time that i got home from work, I'd be in bed sound asleep by 9pm. Now I can actually stay up late and get stuff done in the evenings, but i have headaches and zaps. I was only on Zoloft for about 8 months, I wonder if the length of withdrawal is related to how long you were on it?

I wish everyone good days and clear heads.

hi..

i'm on day 4 of not taking zoloft after about 8 months on it at 50mg (weaned myself to 25mg for 2 weeks before stopping).. i've been feeling really strange and i wonder about these zaps. what i feel is more like someone is tickling the inside of my forehead and it makes me feel almost dizzy but not quite. it's just such a strange feeling that it distracts me and makes me feel like i'm about to go somewhere else mentally, but then i'm still here. anyone felt this? is it a form of the zaps or something just completely different and weird..

Hey 37 - that sounds similar, but maybe different. To me, the Zaps seem to be like a zooming sensation in my head - almost like a mild shock. But, definitely not a tickle. I was on Zoloft about 8 months and I've been having withdrawal for a month now. The zaps are the one symptom that just won't go away. I haven't been dizzy or sea-sick this last week, but I keep on having the zaps! It was a really scary sensation at first (before I found this board and heard that other people have experienced the same thing), but now it is mostly just getting on my nerves.

Experienced this same sensation, zaps, with Valium, but they would begin just as the main effects of the drug wears off, after just 8 hours! That along with tremors and with only taking the drug for a week.

Hmmm, I just started taking Zoloft yesterday. This does not sound like fun. Even the guy who did it right and weened off the medication got these "ZAPS" should I stop taking it now, before its to late?

Brain jolts is what my doctor calls these little zaps in our head. I recently quit Lexapro cold turkey and I have had them now for 2 weeks. They aren't as pronounced as before and I think they are getting a bit better finally! Three years ago I quit Zoloft cold turkey and nothing happened at all. But, the Lexapro, which is supposed to be milder, has my brain in a jargon. I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one who gets these brain jolts so now I know they are indeed real.

I made another post about Zoloft..but figured I would just add to this thread.

All I know is that these zaps are horrible. I was doing ok, but last night and today, I just feel like I'm gonna die. Advil Cold and Sinus helps some...but I'm having numbness in my cheekbones..and these zaps make my eyes so sore. I noticed the more tired I get, the worse they are.

This better not last much longer, its the most annoying thing I've ever had to deal with. ugh!

I was only on 25mg and I spent 2 months titrating off that dosage... just quit at the end of September. I took a razor blade and would slice off a bigger piece every two weeks until I was just taking a crumb. I had no "discontinuation" problems during this time.

5 days after taking the last crumb, I started having some mild jumpy feelings every day, always around 5 p.m. until I go to bed. It's on the edge of annoying... it's not quite annoying, but a little worrisome. It's been almost 2 weeks of this now and I thought it was getting better, but I had them worse last night.

I haven't been calling them zaps because it doesn't feel electrical. It feels like it affects my shoulders and head. It's not twitching (none of this is visible to anyone), but I've used that word to attempt to describe the feeling. Very rapid, random, comes and goes, always in the evening.

I hope it goes away!

Anyway, I highly recommend titrating off this medication as slowly as possible. Less shock to your system.

CarrieLynn

My zaps are more like in star trek when they get a "phase shift" or the transporter fuzzies them in and out.

It feels like a quick jump into another dimension.

It sounds like I haven't had it too bad...

Hang in there y'all.

An update... on Friday, which was 17 days after discontinuing Zoloft, I finally experienced a zap in the evening. It was scary because I was falling asleep when it happened. It happened again last night as I was falling asleep. Like a lightning bolt electrical zap going through my head. Scared the heck out of me... I couldn't go back to sleep because I didn't want it to happen again.

I remember when I was on Zoloft I would sometimes feel like someone was rapidly plugging/unplugging my body into an electrical socket when I fell asleep.

I weaned myself so slowly off this medication. I was only on 25mg and I started going off it in July! By September I was only taking a small crumb! I could barely hold it! I think I'm super sensitive to this medication and I must metabolize it slowly, because I'm only starting to get the zaps 2/12 weeks after stopping. I feel fine during the day.

Anyone else have a similar experience to mine? I sure hope this zap stuff doesn't last too long. Very bizarre!

CarrieLynn

Day 23 of being off of Zoloft. During the last week I've been feeling really, really tired. It's difficult to exercise. I've also been aching in my arms and legs and shoulders. The twitchy feelings are still going on in my shoulders and neck... they are still happening around 5 p.m. every day. Last night I had them pretty bad, even in the middle of the night. Today I've had the worst anxiety I've had in a long time. I've been able to "manage" it okay, but I'm a bit concerned. Since I've read that others have had anxiety during withdrawing, I've been hoping it's related to that. There is good news... I have not had any brain zaps since last weekend.

Does this sound like withdrawal still? I saw the psychiatrist 2 days ago (last appointment) and he was pretty "amazed" that I had a brain zap last Saturday. Said that the medication should have already exited my system (in 2 weeks) and I shouldn't be experiencing any more withdrawal symptoms. But others have mentioned that their withdrawals go on for weeks and months.

As I said before, I withdrew from this medication very slowly... started last July. So I was hoping I wouldn't experience any symptoms like I've heard about.

Any insight is appreciated.

CarrieLynn