For the past year I’ve taken 0.25mg (1/2 of my 0.5mg I have) almost every night before bed. And maybe reflexology? It never occurred to me until now that I didn’t start having these brain zaps until after having my baby which was the same time I started Effexor. Please if anyone has any idea how to get rid of these please let me know. It’s like my brain pulses forward in my head and gives me a split-second tunnel vision effect. I didn’t know how to explain it to my parents, but I knew when I move my eyes it got worse. The zaps get worse later in the day, and I do notice them when I shift my eyes to the side, or blink. I feel like I am going to have a seizure but do not! For most people, the brain zaps suck, but will eventually subside. It did its job but again the side effects were just awful. Over time I ended up on 150mg of Effexor and have been on that dosage close to 2 years. I was on paxil for almost 4 months. Antidepressant discontinuation syndrome, also called antidepressant withdrawal syndrome, is a condition that can occur following the interruption, reduction, or discontinuation of antidepressant medication that was taken continuously for at least one month. My zaps are accompanied by a quick feeling of blackout and then head pain for days. These articles and the ability to post and share our experiences is so helpful. I’m breaking my tablets up into tiny pieces – an eighth or smaller – but can’t seem to get completely off them. Will try fish oil. It make me even more depressed and miserable. I knew I would, but that thought doesn’t help! Unfortunately I was advised to switch immediately from one to the other. I have been tapering off for 7 months now and I am just ready to be done with Paxil for good. I really think this was due to my being on two anticonvulsants – one is Klonopin, the other is lamictal. I pray mine don’t last much longer either. I have been taking Paxil – 30 – 60 mg daily for 4 straight years (doctor prescribed 1 or 2 daily as needed – I would only take 2 – 60 mg about once a week). I started those in Jan and stopped it in June. It’s the overall awful, indescribable feeling that comes along with them. Eventually it stopped. But I got them much worse when I tried to taper off on my own. I had no idea coming off them would do this. Below is a list of various descriptions of the zaps based on first-hand experiences. I struggled with anxiety so badly. Good luck everyone, you’re not alone! Patients know that most medical professionals are unwilling to acknowledge “brain zaps” and usually attribute them to worsening of neuropsychiatric conditions and/or a somatic disorder. I’m two days off Venlafaxine too, and they’re driving me crazy! It kind of just flat lined my mood and missing just one dose would make me super irritable, random crying, and not wanting to talk to my boyfriend who I live with, or leave the house. A current hypothesis for the cause of brain zaps is that they may be due to declining levels of GABA. Other common names for brain zaps include: brain shivers, electrical shocks, and brain shocks. I am on blood pressure medicine only. It wasn’t. Just weaning myself off of several months of Cymbalta 60 mg. Try 5-HTP!! I’m taking fish oil. Took another at 1:00 PM today – so far no zaps. I was taking 2 30mg per day. Once again – thanks to you. Effexor XR withdrawal was the absolute worst for me… and that was like 10 years ago. I’m hopeful. I have had them around the same time frame as the tinnitus. The first day after stopping the Effexor was torture. Many middle-aged women report brain shocks as a side effect of hormone replacement therapy (HRT), sleeping pills, and anxiety drugs. 3. 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