Why Do Antidepressants Cause Brain Zaps?

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Why Do Antidepressants Cause Brain Zaps?

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For some people who stop taking an SSRI or SNRI antidepressant, they can get a weird side effect called brain zaps. And even though we've known about them for decades, we still don't know exactly why brain zaps happen.
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Пікірлер: 2 000

@SciShow 3 ай бұрын

Visit brilliant.org/scishow/ to get started learning STEM for free. The first 200 people will get 20% off their annual premium subscription and a 30-day free trial.

@user-rg5en6bq4s 3 ай бұрын

Emotions are reasons

@user-rg5en6bq4s 3 ай бұрын

We forget emotions are chemicals reactions not the chemicals themselves

@Stanix36 3 ай бұрын

When do you talk about akathisia and GENERAL intolerance to antidepressants caused by it?

@Hex-Mas 3 ай бұрын

Cocaine works by keeping the transporters from mopping up the dopamine.

@katinapac-baez5083 3 ай бұрын

I wonder if the comments on this video (though anecdotal) could be analyzed for research purposes.

@ChroniclogicalJeff 3 ай бұрын

I remember trying to describe this sensation to my doctor about 10 years ago. To this day, I think she thought I was full of crap.

@jimby812 3 ай бұрын

Crazy considering how common brain zaps are. Some doctors shouldn’t be doctors

@esopsmith3681 3 ай бұрын

Lol I feel like it my brain shutting down for a split second

@jamieclarke2694 3 ай бұрын

My housemate just said exactly the same thing. He was the only person I ever heard the word zap used in that context.

@SongbirdOfficial 3 ай бұрын

If it makes you feel better, my doctor explained brain zaps to me when I started my meds a few months back, so medical professionals know about it now.

@TheDamagedKoda 3 ай бұрын

Yeah it's like it feels like . Two wires crossing touching and feels like a flash bang grenade going off but zap seems more fitting. Even though for me it's bigger than a zap

@Alex-js5lg 3 ай бұрын

"All roads lead to tuberculosis." I will turn this car around right now, Mister.

@edwardcamp3376 3 ай бұрын

That's it! Back to Winnipeg!

@johnteixeira6405 3 ай бұрын

You'll just be going back to Tuberculosis.

@BackYardScience2000 3 ай бұрын

"...... He's been talking to John too much....."

@paulanderson9650 3 ай бұрын

Y'all, imagine if the mongols weaponised tb...

@GhengisJohn 3 ай бұрын

All roads lead to tb... or to becoming crabs.

@Nuovoswiss 3 ай бұрын

Another important side-effect of SSRI discontinuation syndrome is potentially wild/dangerous mood swings and/or anhedonia (the feeling that nothing will ever make you happy ever again). Patients taking these medications **need** to be warned about these potential consequences of missing too many doses in a row, or suddenly discontinuing the SSRI/SNRI.

@Just_Sara 3 ай бұрын

Yeahhhh. I won't give you the details here, but... yeah.

@thingamabitch 3 ай бұрын

I got post-SSRI sexual dysfunction from taking 10mg of Prozac for six weeks and the full thing hit me a month later after I quit because it almost gave me a psychotic episode. :/ Going on 9 months with some improvement. I'm incredibly lucky I have pleasurable orgasms even though they don't feel the same as before. They started out feeling like nothing.

@yeuxdal 3 ай бұрын

One thousand percent. It has made me agitated and even aggressive. Thank you

@brookemauck6033 3 ай бұрын

These have definitely been my symptoms when stopping ssris suddenly. Not fun.

@BeautifulBeansCheese 3 ай бұрын

Yeah

@gothwolf13 3 ай бұрын

One side effect I didn't see mentioned for SSRIs is the effect on libido/anorgasmia. I know it's kind of awkward to bring up but that's why so many people (including my past self) quit taking their meds and many doctors will either not mention it at all or brush off concerns about it. It would be interesting to understand the biology behind it.

@thehandliesthandle 3 ай бұрын

serotonin just tends to inhibit libido. dopamine has the opposite effect and it increases libido

@geeksdo1tbetter 3 ай бұрын

Yeah, I'm finally ready (stable with talk therapy) to taper down a bit, to try reconnecting with my body ... after 12 years.

@Melancholiaaaaaaaa 3 ай бұрын

Its No awkward , But As a person whe is celibate😂 it doesnt affect much

@MoondustManwise 3 ай бұрын

Been on these meds since I was 14, I don't really experience sexual pleasure or arousal like other people, but I've learned different ways to have a relationship with my sexuality. Thought I was broken for a long time though.

@Cemore_Butz 3 ай бұрын

Yep. It’s actually the one thing that has me considering taking my Paroxetine again when I’m so far into quitting. Not only did they help with my anxiety, but they’re also a big help for PE, and I don’t mean gym class. It’s such a huge source of shame and self hatred. But when I’m on the medicine I feel my emotions are dulled, and I have a harder time making emotional connections. I’ve been off them for a little while, and I’ve really been connecting with a new special someone, but now we’re getting intimate and I’ve realized just how much they were helping, and I feel I have to choose between being able to truly feel a deep connection, or being a good partner in bed.

@MrMctastics 3 ай бұрын

The wierdest part of the zaps for me were the perspective changes, like I was walking into a different room

@BackYardScience2000 3 ай бұрын

Same! I'd automatically think of certain things and have to pause to bring myself back to "reality" as it would send me into a short daze.

@glowingfatedie 3 ай бұрын

I know what you mean

@greedyProphet 3 ай бұрын

Yes! This is what I get. The most 1:1 to a 'baseline' experience was running VR on a machine with a very underpowered graphics card. I would be moving in a 3D environment with stutters of 2D pictures that twisted slightly. It felt almost identical to when I get brain zaps.

@JHaven-lg7lj 3 ай бұрын

Yes! And a noise a bit like an old tv turning off. It’s actually really similar to my tinnitus, but as a sharp tweak rather than the normal background tone

@FrostySloth 3 ай бұрын

I feel this. I sometimes would describe it as if i were a character in a mobile game and someone kept tapping my head with their fat finger on the screen lol kinda get disoriented like a flashbang

@kyle__riker 3 ай бұрын

When I've stopped my SSRI I've always ended up being able to HEAR my eyeballs move laterally.

@johnbeckman2698 3 ай бұрын

On SSRIs I felt like a zombie who instead of feeling depressed 80% felt no emotions 100% of the time, certainly not for everyone

@GreatElynator 3 ай бұрын

Sorry to be that person but I’m curious, what does it sound like?

@yeuxdal 3 ай бұрын

THIS

@yeuxdal 3 ай бұрын

It’s like liquid whooshing way too fast, every time you move your eyes

@kyoto9916 3 ай бұрын

I could hear this comment

@hannibal8637 3 ай бұрын

I never knew this was a common thing.. I always described it as a "TV static", like someone was changing the channel in my head. I could practically hear the "Psst" sound it would make.

@kg6801 3 ай бұрын

Great description, along with a brief mental disconnectedness/numbness as if your signal dropped out for a fraction of a second

@jakebrantley8889 3 ай бұрын

For me its more of a BZZADT instead of a psst but yes

@kg6801 3 ай бұрын

@@jakebrantley8889 Yes! Spot on, sometimes with lesser aftershocks that go on for a few fading bursts

@bhwst68 3 ай бұрын

Strangely enough I know the exact same sensation although I never took any antidepressants. It started a few weeks after I had covid and occurs manly when I didn’t get enough sleep…I thought I was the only one experiencing this😮

@dcquence 3 ай бұрын

I would tell people my brain felt fuzzy. But like physically fuzzy

@jacko666 3 ай бұрын

As someone who has tried more than a couple antidepressants… It’s amazing how a pill that seemingly does nothing for you can certainly do something awful when you try to stop taking them 😅

@Yarsig 3 ай бұрын

It's like many medications, but I use ADHD medication as the example since so many people have experienced it. You take it throughout your childhood, and when you stop for whatever reason, you never grew up learning how to cope with it naturally, so everything is far worse. Now you're drug dependent, or you go through the arduous process of learning how to keep focus when doing mundane tasks. I'm very against the, "Here's a pill for your problem," mentality that has likely seriously damaged multiple generations and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Not to say there aren't cases where they are warranted, however, they should be last resorts.

@foolishlyfoolhardy6004 3 ай бұрын

@@Yarsig yeah. Not having access to ADHD meds as a child, does not teach you how to cope better. Or else we wouldn't lose jobs over and over, have depression, fail in school, burn out for months or years at a time etc. Etc The only way I learned processes to cope with ADHD, was learning how while taking medication.

@JimmieHammel 3 ай бұрын

@@foolishlyfoolhardy6004 💯 I barely graduated high school unmedicated. Tried college, dropped out. Tried again, dropped out. Got diagnosed, got medicated, straight As for 2 semesters, stopped being able to afford the medication, failed out again. @everyone else... Not having meds as a kid doesn't make you "better able to cope" as an adult because ADHD is an inability to focus. Inability. Our brains have our Default Mode Network turned on 24/7. The default mode network is supposed to only activate when you are day dreaming, sitting and staring blankly into space. It's the part of your brain that activates while you are driving home from work, pull into your driveway, and realize you don't remember half the drive. When a neurotypical person tries to focus, the DMN shuts off. It might break through occasionally with a random thought, but a neurotypical person usually has control over it. A person with ADHD doesn't have any control. It's on, all the time, and WORSE. When a person with ADHD tries to pay attention to something, the noise from the DMN gets louder not quieter. That's why people with ADHD compare the sensation to TV static. It's a low hum in the back of the brain that never goes away, and when trying to concentrate, it gets louder and for some people can be physically painful, like sensory overload. There's no will-powering your way throught that. There are tips and tricks you can learn to work around your deficits which are all just ways of stimulating dopamine to simulate the effect of the medications. But each of those tricks has a very short shelf life. Maybe it'll work once, maybe three times, maybe for a month or two, but they all eventually fail and you'll be out looking for new one.

@Tika927 2 ай бұрын

@@foolishlyfoolhardy6004 Well said. Even if you can “cope” for a period of time that usually just means surviving, not healthy & sustainable habit formation like you can achieve with meds, therapy, & accommodations. Signed, former gifted kid who later flunked out of college before being diagnosed lol.

@MaxOakland 2 ай бұрын

You just described what it’s like to have ADHD, which is why you were prescribed that medication in the firsts place. It doesn’t just go away when you become an adult

@stevenmcintosh2347 3 ай бұрын

I was literally trying to explain this to a psychologist this morning and I was describing it like "someone just touched a 9-volt battery to my brain for 6 months every time I adjusted my eyes." I was at work walking from my desk to the bathroom and decided to count and I know it was over 100 times in the 2 minute walk. Thank you for this video!

@mikeoxsbigg1 3 ай бұрын

Why don't doctors warn patients about this?

@tomclanys 3 ай бұрын

@@mikeoxsbigg1 most of them just don't care... that's my take. They only care about getting you on meds and not about learning how terrible the side effects can be, especially on withdrawal.

@ElijahCem 3 ай бұрын

@@mikeoxsbigg1 My psychiatrist did! He's a very good doctor so I understand that most people get worse care than I do. He played out every side effect with me and we weighed the pros vs cons while I was in high school. I made every decision regarding my mental health care. Sometimes the pros really outweigh the cons. Plus they aren't sure how you will respond to a certain medication before you take it. You may find the best medication first try or you might end up with one that makes you suicidal. The mark of a good doctor is one that listens to you and does patient first treatment.

@RainbowMama143 3 ай бұрын

I don’t think those were brain zaps. That sounds like nystagmus. That’s my #1 discontinuation syndrome symptom. I can get it after missing only one dose and it lasts for months after I stop!

@rwquote 3 ай бұрын

Psychologists are not psychotherapists

@christopherhoskins 3 ай бұрын

I’m on venlafaxine. If I forget a single day to take it I get the zaps. I’d be happy to serve as an observation test subject for the docs lol.

@xx_theflamingossoul_xx4499 3 ай бұрын

Same, even with the lowest dose

@derikWG 3 ай бұрын

I am on 50 mg of desvenlafaxine. I NEVER forget to take em because I hate the brainzaps and the nightmares

@IainG10 3 ай бұрын

@@derikWG I would take the zaps over the night terrors every time, no question. The zaps are uncomfortable, but I can still function (albeit slowly and carefully). But the night terrors are something else; absolute mind-destroying terror every time you close your eyes to sleep, but being so exhausted you can't help but drift off again less than a second later, to be met again by the terror. And you know it's going to happen if you've had the zaps within like 6 hours of bedtime.

@skinnyjeans91 3 ай бұрын

Do you get brain zaps or whole body? I’ve never gotten brain but will get whole body jerks/zaps if I miss more than 2

@IainG10 3 ай бұрын

@skinnyjeans91 On Venlaflaxine just the brain, but before anything and whilst on SSRIs I got those weird single shudders/full body twitches I think you are referring to.

@alexrogers777 3 ай бұрын

It's worth noting that ""antidepressant discontinuation syndrome"" is just a pharmaceutical term for withdrawal. Corporations are reluctant to admit that their drugs cause withdrawal for some reason.

@enterpassword3313 3 ай бұрын

The fact these drugs are a scam is hiding in plain sight.... depression shouldnt be a side effect of anti depressents, it took an absurd amount of willful ignorance for these drugs to be approved when there was never any evidence they worked and a million known side effects.

@thehandliesthandle 3 ай бұрын

i was going to point that out but saw you already made this comment. the term discontinuation syndrome is intentionally misleading. obviously, the truth is that SSRIs are addictive. not addictive in the sense people abuse them, but addictive in the sense that people struggle to stop taking them, which is still addiction

@JamesFrancis-xj6xm 3 ай бұрын

Medicine is evil it's made by torturous mad Science experiments (animal testing) . They should ban medicine even though I take it myself but those taking medicine aren't responsible for the crimes of the medical field. Ideally medicine should be banned then when we get sick we'll just die as nature intended. Mad Science experiments are far worse than any disease.

@laelaps5246 3 ай бұрын

I told my psychiatrist i was having withdrawal and he didn't believe me, as he told me "SSRIs don't cause withdrawal :')

@thehandliesthandle 3 ай бұрын

@@laelaps5246 they were either gaslighting you or they dont know basic facts about drugs they prescribe. they were smart enough to become a psychiatrist, so i assume its gaslighting. a psychiatrist told me its impossible to get addicted to benzos, when in actuality, you can die from benzo withdrawal. people like this are psychopaths who harm their patients and still sleep soundly at night, which contributes to the yearly quarter of a million deaths caused by medical malpractice in the U.S (third leading cause of death in the U.S, and canada)

@Brando56894 3 ай бұрын

"Antidepressant Discontinuation Syndrome" is just a fancy way of saying "drug withdrawal". My dad explained these symptoms of "withdrawal" to his shrink like a decade ago and the dude said he wasn't going through withdrawal, and my dad retorted with "well why the hell does it feel like I am?!" and he had no response.

@Cemore_Butz 3 ай бұрын

That’s actually crazy, I might expect a medical doctor to try and gaslight someone like trying to get more prescriptions, but a therapist or counselor of any type of all people saying that and then just having no response blows my mind.

@NicholasA231 2 ай бұрын

Yeah, it is "drug withdrawal", but specifically from seratonin drugs. The symptoms are very specific, just like they are for anything that causes a physical imbalance. Alcohol withdrawal can cause fatal seizures, opiates don't. SSRIs can cause brain zaps that are unique. "Drug withdrawal" is just a neat way of saying you feel like crap in some assortment of fun and exciting ways because your body doesn't have a chemical that it got used to having. But they're all different things going on, just like cancer isn't one disease.

@NicholasA231 2 ай бұрын

I also had a doctor get awkward when I said I wasn't interested in an SSRI/SNRI because of "the withdrawals". They just couldn't believe for a long time that they were giving something that caused physical dependence. Yay drug companies.

@hydrochloricacid6731 2 ай бұрын

@@NicholasA231 They know it causes physical dependence and call it something else so patients do not get scared. Because physical dependence is not that bad in this case. You can get dependent to many things that are unpleasant but not dangerous to get withdrawal from. For psychotropic drugs, it's almost impossible to experience 0 withdrawal or rebound effects. You are not as smart or well informed as you think you are.

@PsychoLilDude 2 ай бұрын

@@Cemore_Butznah shrink means psychiatrist and they are more inclined to get prescriptions than medical doctors usually. Especially if they have a private practice

@blobofdespair 3 ай бұрын

I have found both lateral eye movement and lateral head movement make the zaps worse. Moving too quickly in general seems to aggravate it. Love the leaf sheep shirt by the way!

@rosezy755 3 ай бұрын

Same here. But closing my eyes helps. If it happens when I'm walking it can be disorienting though

@dianatorok8871 3 ай бұрын

Same experience especially the head movements!

@darrengreen7906 3 ай бұрын

Same here.

@d00mpirate 3 ай бұрын

Agreed! I have had the same experience.

@asroriadraws 3 ай бұрын

YES! When I wanted to look at something, I had to turn my entire body instead of just looking at the object or turning my head. It was really annoying having to consciously watch my movements, or suffer the brain zaps.

@RhynoD2 3 ай бұрын

Can confirm: ran out of Paroxetine on a long weekend and had to ration. Got brain zaps. Best way I can describe them is that it's kind of like that feeling when you're trying to fall asleep and you jerk awake (hypnic jerk, IIRC there's a SciShow episode on it), plus that feeling when you're zoning out and your attention snaps back, plus a sneeze, plus a jump scare, all kind of at once. "Zap" really does describe it well, though. It is not a fun experience.

@RhynoD2 3 ай бұрын

Fun side fact: one reason you might discontinue your SSRI or switch is that the FAA has a very strict list of medications approved for pilots, and if you're not on one of the very short list approved SSRIs, you will be automatically denied the medical approval necessary to get your certificate. Ask me how I know. Thankfully, the symptoms haven't been bad switching from paroxetine to sertraline (Zoloft). I liked the paroxetine better, so far, but oh well.

@johnbauman4005 3 ай бұрын

@@RhynoD2Would you mind elaboraring about why you prefer zoloft to paroxetine? Have been told paroxetine is very hard to withdraw from, and one approach is to switch to zoloft or prozac (as mentioned here) and then taper off that. Thank you!

@RhynoD2 3 ай бұрын

@@johnbauman4005 Oh, no I much prefer the paroxetine, so far. I've only been on Zoloft for a monthish, and it's mostly the same, but I feel a little more...off. I'm switching because I want to get a private pilot certificate and paroxetine is not on the FAA list of approved medications. It's an automatic medical disqualification. There are only five approved SSRIs, Zoloft among them. My doctor recommended it as the best alternative available. Thankfully, I'm on a super low dose. I just have very mild anxiety and depression. The transition has been very mild. I felt dizzy and awful for a couple days, but no brain zaps. It's nothing like the weekend when I just ran out of paroxetine.

@j_117 3 ай бұрын

I actually think they're kinda fun. I don't mind them at all aside from the fact they're an indicator I haven't been taking my meds 🤷

@JaymieSword 3 ай бұрын

I always described them as like your head is underwater and you're trying to move but it's staying behind. It succkks. Weird thing I realized last year is if I smell mail polish remover (I work in a LTC facility and sometimes have to paint nails) it makes them feel worse.

@zumuvtuber 3 ай бұрын

Good to see people finally talking about this. Whenever I'd tell doctors I was feeling "electricity in my brain" when stopping venlafaxine, they'd give me a confused look.

@rienjen 3 ай бұрын

Localized seizures. Psychology Today had an article a few years ago, and that was the theory, and it was partly based on the fact that SSRIs and SNRIs are not the only drugs that do this. The antibiotic class "fluoruquinolones" also can cause brain zaps, and so can the antibiotic metronidazole and its sister drugs. One thing all have in common is changes in GABA, not serotonin. Fluoroquinolones can damage mitochondria directly; metronidazole causes mitochondrial damage through its destruction of thiamine, both classes causing mitochondria dysfunction that can lead to an accumulation of glutamate, which results in a lowering of GABA, which then leads to a condition called "neuroexcitotoxicity." This can lead to seizures, but usually people experience an over-stimulated central nervous system and, yes, brain zaps. As someone who experienced this with metronidazole, I thought I was dying, and I wouldn't recommend it.

@mc_va 3 ай бұрын

OMG, this is even more interesting than the Sci Show video itself!

@thehandliesthandle 3 ай бұрын

i had brain zaps my entire life before trying any type of medication, which i realize now may have been a mild type of seizure. i had the intuition that there is something to do with disturbed GABA levels that is causing this sort of thing. a few years ago, went on a low dose of a benzodiazepine for an anxiety disorder, and it stopped my brain zaps entirely. i dont reccomend that people take benzos, they're dangerous, but after taking benzos i realized that i was probably born with a messed up GABA system. i also was diagnosed with a mild form of autism, and i have read articles about how people with autism have problems with their GABA system, and 30% of people with autism also have seizures, which i think means there is probably something wrong with the GABA/glutamate balance

@d_i_a_v_l_o3827 2 ай бұрын

i get brain zaps when i have the flu, never taken ssris and I've also had focal seizures before I'm guessing it's related?

@thecatsarealright 26 күн бұрын

@d_i_a_v_l_o3827 The zaps I get from SSRI withdrawal whenever I forget my daily dose are absolutely the same I used to get the few times I had the flu as a kid.

@TheWriterOnFire 3 ай бұрын

I will never stop talking about how little we know about psychiatric meds. My prescriber was shocked that my WD symptoms lasted so long and were as bad as they were. I felt like I had the flu for a month.

@Just_Sara 3 ай бұрын

I felt unbelievably angry, to the point to potential but not actual violence, for several weeks back in the day.

@JustSketchdA 3 ай бұрын

I developed gastroparesis from making a mistake with my meds and at the time there was nothing I could find talking about the gastrointestinal side of SSRIs.

@jenniferr5934 3 ай бұрын

Look up BIND it can last years

@alexrogers777 3 ай бұрын

You prescriber was shocked by that because pharma companies heavily downplay the amount of withdrawal these drugs cause

@erwynnipegerwynnipeg8455 3 ай бұрын

For me when I took them even just once I would feel extreme hyperactivity to the point of breaking down. A feeling like my brain was doused in gasoline and then all my veins are crawling with ice... so vile you will do anything to stop it... Never again... I tried so many of them.

@Brown95P 3 ай бұрын

SciShow: a survey found that lots of patients said brain zaps were brought on by specific bevahiors like lateral eye movement. Me, who uses paroxetine: ...Ohhh, so *_that's_* what that thing is whenever l make my eyes go left and right quickly. For me, it feels more like the clicking of a lightswitch when it happens, but if said lightswitch is somewhere in-between the back of both eye sockets; it's not really painful per se, it just feels particularly overwhelming, especially with the nausea and dizziness on top -- like if my entire sensory system became hypersensitive or something.

@Erin-000 3 ай бұрын

When I try to describe it to people I say it's uncomfortable disorienting.

@S3lkie-Gutz 3 ай бұрын

kinda like lhermitte’s sign in MS which i experience at random especially if i move my neck funny it feels like im being tasered especially since it accompanies a following vertigo episode

@silviavalentine3812 3 ай бұрын

Oh no not paroxetine! I'm on that and trying to slowly switch because the withdrawal symptoms legit makes me want to go to crisis.

@maoman4855 3 ай бұрын

I always thought it felt more like a bouncy ball thudding around inside my skull.

@brandyrose9997 3 ай бұрын

Paroxetine users, thanks for the comments! I've been on it for more than 10 years and have tried getting off it three times...it's terrible. Brain zaps, anhedonia, panic episodes. I feel like if I go off it again I'll need to go inpatient. 🥺

@ktburger659 3 ай бұрын

I got these when quitting an ssri almost two decades ago. Felt like a crazy person trying to describe this feeling. I’m glad it’s more widely acknowledged now

@mohammed7423 9 күн бұрын

I ended up in hospital coming of mirtazapine electric brain shocks

@kaseycarrick 3 ай бұрын

I love that John now appreciates space things and Hank now appreciates TB things… that’s what brotherly love is all about

@bobbrian1641 3 ай бұрын

My sparkles! I feel seen

@jefsti 3 ай бұрын

*~*~sparkles~*~* I love this reframing! Thanks

@enterpassword3313 3 ай бұрын

You people are insane.

@probablyapigeon 3 ай бұрын

@@enterpassword3313that's a funny way to say normal people are weird

@enterpassword3313 3 ай бұрын

@@probablyapigeon no its not. Taking medication that doesnt work and gives you horrible side effects is not normal

@enterpassword3313 3 ай бұрын

@@probablyapigeon no, you are like the sheep from dystopian novels. Take your meds and obey

@MrTomtomtest 3 ай бұрын

As an engineer the medical world looks like total madness sometimes. Trying to fix something before understanding exactly how it works is not how we do things x)

@DudeWhoSaysDeez 3 ай бұрын

Medicines kinda like: "it works, we just don't know exactly how or why it works, so thats good enough" Engineering is like: "make sure it works before you deploy it, and you need to be able to explain how it works."

@alicefreist318 3 ай бұрын

Where's the fun in that? I bet you wear your seatbelt, too!

@OnceUponATimeLori 3 ай бұрын

Except if we do nothing people die....so we do something. I'm thankful for the meds I had and I'm thankful I'm able to come off some now.

@enterpassword3313 3 ай бұрын

@@DudeWhoSaysDeezonly in this case we know they DONT work

@enterpassword3313 3 ай бұрын

@@OnceUponATimeLorino, thats not true. Ssri only make things worse

@Willow_Sky 3 ай бұрын

You guys should do an episode on the psilocybin trials that are being done for many different mental illnesses. I hate having to be on an SSRI, and I know a lot of people on them have had the same experiences I have had. While they do dampen the depression, they also dampen the happiness and regular sadness that one needs to be able to process. It feels like all your emotions have turned from brightly colored to a grayscale, and the scariest part is that I hadn't realized that I hadn't felt true happiness in ages until I had to go two weeks without my meds at one point. The zaps were horrific, and the depressive lows were almost intolerable after being on SSRIs for 4 years at that point, from ages 15 to 19, but I also felt happiness like I hadn't in a very long time. Forgetting to take SSRIs for a day can cause brain zaps. I tell people to imagine that their brain stayed still but their skull suddenly shifted half an inch to the left or right and then immediately back into place.

@jameshatton4211 3 ай бұрын

Mushrooms are medicine

@Willow_Sky 3 ай бұрын

@jameshatton4405 I believe this. And clinical trials seem to prove it. I am, however, hesitant to try an uncontrolled dose in an uncontrolled setting, as the illnesses I have could make me more susceptible to a bad trip. I would be more comfortable trying a small amount in an office with a professional. From what I understand being comfortable also increases your chances of having a good experience

@jameshatton4211 3 ай бұрын

@@Willow_Sky I've mushroom tripped probably more than 300 times now. I just my first experience when I was 18 and there was no information on mushrooms internet bank then; so I well and truly overdosed myself on my first trip....big time! All my friends chickened out too so I was the one person who had them (well until my friends saw how much I was enjoying myself) But I had probably one of the most memorable experiences of my life that night. I'm saying this to be reassuring. I did everything wrong that night according to "best practices" but still had the most epic night. I was 17 then and I'm now 42. I stopped taking mushrooms for like 10-15 years and didn't really know why i stopped in the first place? Then it wasn't until 2018 after my dad died and I was suffering with depression that i started to look back into psychedelics as possible solutions? I tried DMT and LSD among many psychedelics, but nothing seems to stack up as satisfying and fulfilling as mushrooms? Mushrooms make life good 👍

@necoji4910 2 ай бұрын

@@jameshatton4211 judging by how you write, maybe the mushrooms weren't as helpful as you think....

@jameshatton4211 2 ай бұрын

@@necoji4910 I'm autistic. It's not the mushrooms but thanks for criticism

@Authentistic-ism 3 ай бұрын

This describes what I experienced after binge-using and suddenly stopping an illegal stimulant that i struggled with a few years ago. It would happen during the worst cycles of abuse. I called them brain zaps, too. I have been sober 5 years this summer!

@ImplodedAtom 3 ай бұрын

Congrats on 5 years! 🎉

@Nunya7211 3 ай бұрын

Congrats friend

@johnjustice6776 3 ай бұрын

I used to get these a lot. The lateral eye movement thing is definitely a thing, and the sensation of a zap is something like when you lean your chair too far back and you just barely catch yourself. It was for me, at least. Maybe it's our brains confusing lateral movement and thinking we are falling. Idk. I remember it being distracting but painless and somehow invigorating. Kind of like being shocked. 🤷‍♂️

@edwardvermillion8807 3 ай бұрын

hmm, i used to get that feeling quite a bit 'before' i started on antidepressants... weird. i haven't felt that since i started taking them, though.

@johnjustice6776 3 ай бұрын

@edwardvermillion8807 I don't think I ever had them before antidepressants, which I started as a teen with Zoloft. I can cold turkey Prozac with no noticeable side effects, but quitting Zoloft was like putting a 9 volt battery in my head.

@levnzt6949 3 ай бұрын

I always felt like phasing in and out of existence for 0,25 seconds, each transistion accompanied with an electrical sensation. It's interesting to see how other people experienced it.

@AthAthanasius 3 ай бұрын

Ah, that description of just barely catching yourself on a chair. I originally described my brain zaps as "like that sensation you get on a rollercoaster when the 'drop' starts, but only in my head". That was reinforced by the 'electric shock' sensations in my feet when walking.

@johnjustice6776 3 ай бұрын

@AthAthanasius that seems to go with my suspicion that we're experiencing a false fall when we're zapped. I bet it's what cats feel when they rotate in mid-air. Or maybe we're just not very well grounded.. in reality or otherwise. I know I'm not. 😅

@emanueldumea8217 3 ай бұрын

I suffer from schizophrenia and many doctors tried many treatments for me. Now I take venlafaxine and risperidone. Because of olanzapine I gained a lot of weight in a short time, from 60kg to 107kg, and my skin broke. It felt good taking olanzapine and venlafaxine but I had to change to risperidone and venlafaxine. I hate my medication, but life before this treatment was hell. I felt tons of bad side effects when I had to change medication but I don't remember ever having brain zaps. I hope that scientists will discover a new and better treatment in the future with no side effects. Reading trough comments made me realize that I experienced brain zaps 😂. Weird stuff.

@linuslarsson8094 3 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing! I went from 65kg to 120kg while on olanzapine, and my memories from those years feel eerily dreamlike. I have stretchmarks on my upper arms and stomach from the rapid weight gain.

@emanueldumea8217 3 ай бұрын

@@linuslarsson8094 It's hard to look at myself in the mirror and to see haw fat I am now and to see the stretch marks, but It's something that I have to live with. I am lucky to have parents and siblings that love and support me. I wish you the best.

@calebcollins7482 3 ай бұрын

Omg I was on risperidone for tics for a few months and it was awful. The only way I can describe my mindset during that time is... It felt like the meds were looking so hard for psychotic thoughts, but since I didn't have any they assumed that EVERY thought must be symptomatic. So I felt like I was just waiting for my reality to melt away like that one guy who got in a crash and experienced a whole lifetime while laying in the road and the thing that brought him back was a lamp that looked weird. Like, I was just waiting for my lamp to come into my life and I wake up as a 5 year old in the hospital or something. I also lost track of time hardcore, like I'd be standing in the middle of my room like a NPC and suddenly it'd be 10 minutes later. I have almost no memories from that time because I'd be trying to do work and it'd be hours later with nothing done. It didn't even help my tics... But honestly I can see how it works for psychosis! It certainly was looking for unreal ideas!😂 But I also get the weirdest bad side effects that are like super rare too... Like tbh if someone wants to know side effects of something I've taken, they can ask me and I'll be able to list them all. But risperidone made me start losing actual clumps of hair, but that's such a rare side effect that I only found out it was a thing by finding a few academic articles! Also I did get one of the more common side effects... Which comes from risperidone raising prolactin levels... It was embarrassing to say the least. Tldr; risperidone definitely has an effect, just not the one I needed! I hope all goes well for you bro🫡

@telegramsam 3 ай бұрын

I've known folks who were on olanzapine for years, and I swear everyone eventually gains 200lbs and ends up diabetic on that stuff. It works as far as it's purpose goes but holy cow is it a scorched-earth victory. I hope they develop something as useful that doesn't trash people's metabolism in the process.

@starfishprime2864 3 ай бұрын

If you dont mind me asking, what was your life like before the meds and how have they improved your life? I ask because I have a family member who's currently struggling.

@BlindWatchMakers 3 ай бұрын

Venlafaxine is very effective for my depression, but about 8 hours after forgetting a dose, i will get weird sensations in my head and limbs. Almost dizziness but not exactly. I know if i ever want to stop it will be rough, but the benefits were worth it.

@Jgeres2 3 ай бұрын

Titles a video why something causes something ,then opens with, we have no idea what so ever. I love you SciShow never change.

@trelligan42 3 ай бұрын

Bump. #FeedTheAlgorithm

@enterpassword3313 3 ай бұрын

Do you also love how they are pushing meds that dont work that also come with horrible side effects???

@Jgeres2 3 ай бұрын

@@enterpassword3313 Well i do yes. i have been on SSRI's for 8 years now and if i wasn't my depression would have gotten the better of me years ago so yes i do recommend SSRI's over death.

@KpopZuko 3 ай бұрын

Oh hey. I take venlafaxine. Outside stressors make the zaps worse. And I’m on a pretty high dose. My psych has lowered my dose because it was making me so sick I was throwing up all the time. Too, zaps are a whole body experience for me. Like I’m being slapped backwards out of my body. I feel like I’m a step behind reality. Like I’m stuck halfway out of clothes just barely too small. Also, thanks for reminding me to take my meds. I forgot to this morning.

@Karishma_Unspecified 3 ай бұрын

Hey, I have random question (you don't have to answer if you don't want to) - do you get brain zaps only when you get off meds/forgot to take them and are experiencing withdrawal symptoms? Or do you also get them, like, usually? Also, also, I experience this weird thing where my body experiences random jerks, starting from the neck - it looks like a pinched nerve or a mild seizure, but is neither of those things - it seems to be correlated with my autism. I'm wondering if your brain zaps are akin to my "jerks". Again, no need to answer if its too personal or you don't feel like it - I'm just curious :)

@DarthJarJar10 3 ай бұрын

You need to go for an EEG if you haven't already... Mine were full body too. I was tapering down from Cymbalta back to Vortioxetine and the brain zaps changed but didn't go away for months. I'm on epilepsy meds now. Venlafaxine and Cynbalta/Duloxetine are both SNRIs...

@KpopZuko 3 ай бұрын

@@DarthJarJar10 oh, I have. I get a regular check once a week. I’m fine, I just feel them different.

@KpopZuko 3 ай бұрын

@@Karishma_Unspecified it’s also triggered by outside stressors, or intense emotions.

@springdeerling7866 3 ай бұрын

I'm also on venlafaxine! For me it feels like I'm suddenly falling. Like when you're falling asleep and you get that feeling you're falling

@jordanprince6206 3 ай бұрын

Yeah I get these when I run out of my medicine. It’s a terrible feeling and makes me super anxious.

@TonicofSonic 3 ай бұрын

Bro you need to stop that stuff. Maryjane is what you need just educate yourself about the strains and effects before you try. Please please get off that crap the doctor gives you. The doctor wants money not your health

@patsonical 3 ай бұрын

@@TonicofSonicHave you got a medical background, or are you just talking out of your arse?

@justins3810 3 ай бұрын

@@TonicofSonicI agree. These medications are trash

@sophiewhitehouse6718 3 ай бұрын

@@TonicofSonic 1. I kept trying to kill myself until I got onto my antidepressant. 2. maryjane makes my anxiety worse, yes Ive tried different strains. its not for everyone. 3. I kept trying to kill myself until I got onto my antidepressant. 4. I haven't paid my doctor a single dollar, and I don't even have to pay the health tax. 5. I kept trying to kill myself until I got onto my antidepressant.

@mikeoxsbigg1 3 ай бұрын

@TonicofSonic I use both. Pretty sure my emotions were paralyzed many years ago.

@penguinista 3 ай бұрын

"Antidepressant Discontinuation Syndrome", known as _withdrawal_ for drugs we are not gaslighting about, can be rough stuff.

@arxf1836 3 ай бұрын

Bruh. I remember having these in not just my head but also through my shoulder as well after I stopped Lexapro. I didn't even bother telling a single person about them because I didn't think anyone would believe me about it. SciShow, as always, manages to go above and beyond and try to explain the unexplainable and show me that I'm not alone and there are people trying to figure out even the most obscure and seemingly benign things. Thanks guys.

@Hexsyn 3 ай бұрын

As a pharmacist, I can't argue with anything mentioned here! I've also been on escitalopram for many years now, and in those years have tapered and discontinued a few times just to see if the medication was still needed (yes) but have thankfully never dealt with the zaps myself.

@user-rg5en6bq4s 3 ай бұрын

We forget emotions are chemicals reactions not the chemicals themselves. And emotions are reasons if still have reason to feel sad slow down process 's

@jayyydizzzle 3 ай бұрын

Same thing should be recommended for strattera. I was on it for a period of maybe 10 months in highschool, but it has a similar side effect profile to ssri's, but good gosh there's some physiological effects. Years later i chatted with a psychiatrist about my experience; I said few can tolerate it in experience. Anyway, I wanted to mention that because I cold turkeyed it over spring break and found a doctor doctor that cares about emotional well-being. That was a weird week and my first run-in with brain zaps.

@evanmurphy2473 3 ай бұрын

I wish I just said no to my own doc. Never been the same since Lexapro but it was almost worth it for the dreams.

@theursulus 3 ай бұрын

I'm currently on an MOAI and it's working for me as I have atypical depression. I tried quite a few. One of the anti depressants gave me the brain zaps when I started to go off it.. It's scary!

@FRIEDYOGURT-s4c 3 ай бұрын

it takes a while to recover

@ken131 3 ай бұрын

Thanks for answering this! As a longtime venlafaxine or Citalopram user I get those those brain zaps when I've forgotten my meds. It's such a strange sensation, like my heart skipped a beat but didn't.

@dorianrustik6880 3 ай бұрын

Same on venlafaxine. I stopped cold turkey cause I hated those Zaps. One helluva week later I felt great again. Now I'm on escitalopram and i haven't got any zaps anymore even after forgetting to take them for a whole weekend.

@Greycatcoz 3 ай бұрын

Woah, I’ve had that sensation but I never associated it with missing a dose. Wow, bodies are so weird.

@ansnfbsknanssshshbsnsndnd5438 3 ай бұрын

I get it a few hours after a missed a dose. It literally reminds me I forgot

@sophierobinson2738 3 ай бұрын

I’m on citalopram. Nothing interesting has happened to me.😞 Except when I was deathly ill, people checking on me not bringing in the mail, bills didn’t get paid, and I forgot I needed a refill. 3 nasty days and someone got the refill. Yay.

@dianatorok8871 3 ай бұрын

Yess I have had this happen- quite many times! Scishow viewer with Bipolar 2, I take Escitalopram (SSRI). I was happy to see upon googling around the first time it happened that brain zaps happen to others, too. As happy as one can be when accidentally running out of antidepressants. I am in agreement with the others who note that fast head movements seem to trigger/worsen it. Hugs to all my fellow neurospicy people ♡

@dianatorok8871 3 ай бұрын

Never really had any other big side effects that really stood out

@Jennifer-bw7ku 3 ай бұрын

Psychedelics are just an exceptional mental health breakthrough. It's quite fascinating how effective they are against depression and anxiety. Saved my life.

@elizabethwilliams6651 3 ай бұрын

Can you help with the reliable source I would really appreciate it. Many people talk about mushrooms and psychedelics but nobody talks about where to get them. Very hard to get a reliable source here in Australia. Really need!

@APOLLINAIREBARTHOLOMIEU 3 ай бұрын

Yes, dr.sporessss I have the same experience with anxiety, depression, PTSD and addiction and Mushrooms definitely made a huge huge difference to why am clean today.

@elizabethwilliams6651 3 ай бұрын

Is he on instagram?

@APOLLINAIREBARTHOLOMIEU 3 ай бұрын

Yes he is. dr.sporessss

@APOLLINAIREBARTHOLOMIEU 3 ай бұрын

Absolutely, his offerings extend to global delivery, prioritizing complete confidentiality for individuals valuing their privacy.

@suzannawatts937 3 ай бұрын

Brain Zaps are such a strange feeling. I use to get these, and I would freak out everytime.

@mikeoxsbigg1 3 ай бұрын

I'm just glad it wasn't a psychic attack or brain aneurism.

@nathanrock9269 3 ай бұрын

@@mikeoxsbigg1or an aneurysm caused by psychic attack

@folwr3653 3 ай бұрын

Nice talk. However one remark: I had a relatively low dose of an SSRI over twenty years ago. I got brainzapps when discontinuing the medication. After that I tried tapering, but still got the zapps. I ended needing a small dose (about one tenth of a normal dose) to prevent the zapps. Since then I tried several times to stop the medication, but even after month I still get the zapps. Now I gave up and still need the small dose, probably for life. So it is not always the case that the brainzapps are temporary.

@3800S1 3 ай бұрын

They most often do, but may take several months to years to resolve, sometimes more than a decade for drugs like Paxil/Aropax. I am 3 years into protracted withdrawals, symptoms do get better but new ones come and go all the time and it's a massive roller-coasted of hell. I stopped the two meds I was at 1/150th and 1/60th the original low doses I was on and there wasn't a moment where I wasn't free of symptoms and my symptoms were so bad I was in emergency at least 5 times due to symptoms of parkinsons, spinal injury, excruciating neuropathic pain, loss of body sensation, stroke etc...

@enterpassword3313 3 ай бұрын

Lol of course your drug dealer will try convince you to take them forever... smh

@enterpassword3313 3 ай бұрын

Why are you commiting to take the thing that caused the problem!?!??! Everyones thinking is so backward on this video

@taramclelland9240 3 ай бұрын

So, I was on Effexor (Venlafaxine) for YEARS, and when I wanted to stop also ran into a wall in terms of going to lowest dosage that could be prescribed (I believe it was 35mg at the time) and still experiencing symptoms in attempted discontinuation of the meds bad enough it would have incapacitated me for work (taking weeks off to try to get through and hopefully past withdrawal was not an option). Brain zaps (which also travelled as electric waves all the way down my body, not just a head feeling), nausea, dizziness, etc, no way I could be on my feet all day like that. Doctors were of no help. "This is the lowest dosage I can prescribe" was all I got. So i went to forums online to see if anyone else had had this problem and what they did. I GOT OFF THEM. How? My pills were not solid, but the kind where there are granules inside a casing. So what was suggested on one of the forums, and the ONLY thing that worked for me was to each day open up my pill for that day, and take out one granule more than the day before (i.e. day one- take out one granule, day two- take out two granules, day 3- take out 3 granules). If I started to feel anything, I held that number until I felt steady on that amount and then proceeded to remove more and more granules until I got down to taking out ALL granules but 1 and then going off them completely. It took a few months, but I did it, and I was FINE. Only method that worked for me, and I am now so very glad to be off them. Personally, I will NEVER use these meds again (for many reasons), especially after experiencing how terrible it is to try to get off them and how little help doctors can be in this matter. I do not know what you have been on, or if this method could work for you, but I was so very grateful I stumbled upon that suggestion in that forum all those years back. Maybe it can help you too:) Hope that helps. Good luck!

@sherrir2531 3 ай бұрын

@enterpassword3313 how do we stop!!!! It's miserable!!

@tru7hhimself 3 ай бұрын

as a pharmaceutical chemist, i am convinced, in 15-20 years (when we'll finally understand the mechanisms and have effective substances) these drugs won't be on the sidelines like maois are now, but rather viewed in the same way we see cocaine toothache drops now. right now we're giving a huge number of people medications, whose main action is based on a disproven hypothesis (the monoamine hypothesis you describe in the video is beyond outdated now), permanently change brain chemistry, cause a plethora of sometimes permenent side effects, get people dependent (for many it is impossible to withdraw), because there is an as of yet unknown downstream effect that improves the symptoms of anywhere between 10-30% of people who take them. the really sad thing is that it's still the best tool we got. at least if you discount psychedelics (preliminary results look good, but with the current data we cannot be sure yet how safe and effective they'd be in widespread clinical use - it's a shame that research here has been halted for decades for legal reasons).

@champgnesuprnva 3 ай бұрын

Histamine is now known to affect mood and energy. Psychiatric drugs with antihistamine profiles like TCAs and anti-psychotics are sometimes used to treat the mental symptoms of immune diseases when Histamine levels might be elevated too much. We did not even know that there were Histamine receptors in the brain until recently.

@XYZ-sq7ki 3 ай бұрын

We’ve known about histamine receptors in the brain for several decades

@charismaticalpaca6874 3 ай бұрын

Thank you for talking about these!! I was on such a low dose that my doc didn't advise me to taper, and hooo boy did I get these bad. They were debilitating and I thought I was losing my mind, and I ended up figuring out a tapering regimen based off of articles I read myself in Harvard medical journal (~not~ advisable, I should have asked another doctor). I'm so incredibly thankful to my SSRIs, they saved my life without a doubt, but it was a rough few months to get back to normal not taking them. If you're reading this and feeling apprehensive about SSRIs, I promise you will be okay. This sounds scary, and it's definitely something to talk to your doctor about, and to be aware of. But life is so, so sweet over on this side.

@Alice_Walker 3 ай бұрын

Well said, I was hesitant to take SSRIs because I'd swallowed a lot of unnecessary concern but they probably saved my life as well and I am very grateful that such medications exist even if they aren't perfect 💜

@jayammons3834 3 ай бұрын

The number of SciShow followers on these meds really makes me feel that I’m in the right place!

@DudeWhoSaysDeez 3 ай бұрын

you are!

@enterpassword3313 3 ай бұрын

No, you are the wrong side of history. You are living in a dystopian hell, these meds are a mistake, your society is very sick

@Cruznick06 3 ай бұрын

I remember trying to explain the zaps to my doctor as a middle schooler while on Paxil (I was a clinically depressed kid and the medication absolutely did help). This was over 15 years ago and it was so frustrating that no one believed me because it wasn't a recognized side-effect at the time. I only realized it was the sensation of being shocked/electrocuted after I was shocked by a live wire in highschool!

@ananananabop 2 ай бұрын

Kudos to all of us who’ve gone through withdrawal with brain zaps and come out the other side. It’s truly one of the most unpleasant sensations, and half the time we weren’t even believed. I’m so incredibly grateful for science education channels like this one!

@virginiamoss7045 3 ай бұрын

It has taken ten years for my brain zaps to stop and I still get them every once in a while, usually just as I'm about to fall asleep, leaving me wide awake, so frustrating! I took twice as long to get off Cymbalta as my neurologist recommended and wish I had taken even longer. Gave up on all depression treatments; just focus on holding myself together going on about my life.

@AthAthanasius 3 ай бұрын

I'm free of brain zaps, but I do still occasionally get 'electric shocks' in my finger tips. I got those during the withdrawal (two different medications), but can't be sure *these* shocks don't have another cause now.

@Mempler 3 ай бұрын

Actually, those sleeping disorder brain zaps are apparently called "exploding head syndrome". At least what i can think of. I don't know for sure. I'm not a doctor. But i get them too, its super rare but scary af.

@Erin-000 3 ай бұрын

@@MemplerI just looked it up and I dismissed it when seeing it before because although there are similarities, I don't experience any auditory hallucinations. Just pain and my body jerking.

@Erin-000 3 ай бұрын

@@Memplerbut you experience it? The excruciating shock from your head down your body? What is it like for you? Do you hear a noise too? (Sorry for three separate comments)

@AppleGameification 3 ай бұрын

Ive gotten brain zaps before sleeping but for years before i started any SSRIs. I dont particularly get them with the antidepressant im taking right now (fluoxetine).

@tgoddard1988 3 ай бұрын

I was on anti-depressants for years, but about 7 years ago I came off my meds because the side effects that were supposed to dissipate didn’t.. and it wasn’t worth taking the meds if if had more issues to deal with that I did before I took them. But the problem is that some of the side effects have persisted even to this day! They haven’t even become more manageable or lessened at all!

@vashsunglasses 3 ай бұрын

Right after I went off Effexor I started getting overheated very easily and it's never gone away in more than a decade.

@netkissa 3 ай бұрын

I have one permanent side effect from my first time using escitalopram.

@DudeWhoSaysDeez 3 ай бұрын

Which medication? And which side effects?

@netkissa 3 ай бұрын

@@DudeWhoSaysDeez Escitalopram. I started remembering seeing dreams. At first it was fun because before I only saw a dream a few times a year. But when it escalated to seeing 3 dreams every night it became exhaustive. Also most of the dreams were intense in a way that I would wake up out of breath. I did try other medications but none had as good help and with more, though different, side effects. Decided with my doctor to use another medication to deal with the side effects. It has gone down to dreaming only on most nights and just the one dream. And also not quite so intense. First time using escitalopram was around 2005.

@tgoddard1988 3 ай бұрын

@@DudeWhoSaysDeez Brain fog, tinnitus, genital numbness, brain zaps, severe mood swings, lack of motivation, paranoia, anxiety and forgetfulness. I cycled through 4 different drugs before settling on Fluoxetine (I think), which simply had the least side effects. Before I started taking meds I was always depressed, but I was able to cope with the symptoms, I was active, still going out, spending time with friends and still able to enjoy life in some small way. But when I went on the meds and all the side effects kicked in I pretty much became a recluse, I felt anxious about going out at all! To the point that I was unemployed for a year because I had become too afraid to go outside… When I eventually went onto Fluoxetine and with the help of my partner, I was able to get my life back on track. But I still felt anxious all the time and unable to actually enjoy myself.. I basically felt nothing almost all the time with bouts either extreme highs or extreme lows. Now off the meds for so long and I basically still feel nothing most of the time, but when I do feel something it is extreme. Added to all of the other side effects I mentioned above.

@Jackpkmn 3 ай бұрын

I'm honestly worried more about the other side effects, I stopped taking SSRIs 15 years ago, i just refused to do it anymore. They just made me blank and unfeeling rather than curing or even just helping with the depression. Killed my sex drive which still hasn't returned. And mangled my memory. People herald them as miracle drugs and I'm sitting here absolutely shattered and destroyed wholly by them wondering why.

@aliengeo 3 ай бұрын

Right there with you, buddy. Every time I have a new psych they want to try out their fave SSRI/SNRI like "this one is different, I promise!" and it never is. I've never had a brain zap but it is certainly not the only concerning side effect these things can cause.

@3800S1 3 ай бұрын

Very much in the same boat. Though my symptoms come and go constantly and change all the time ever evolving as described by support groups as waves and windows which are considered as normal part of post acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS) which is what long lasting withdrawals should be officially known as. Mine, so far 3 years but I also took 2 years to taper both drugs I was on and I am better relatively speaking but still crippled and unable to work. Was diagnosed with the usual FND because withdrawal syndromes are "officially" recognised. The sexual side effects are absolutely debilitating. These meds can cause a condition called PSSD and a flip side called PGAD, sounds like you have PSSD. I have both but they always change, slowly getting better though. For some people PSSD/PGAD never resolve :(

@anthonycastro2146 3 ай бұрын

The chemical imbalance theory has been debunked about a year ago. Research it. You were right not to take the drugs anymore.

@MrVkribo 3 ай бұрын

Medications are like 60% placebo anyways so I feel like taking them should be reserved to the most extreme cases.

@alfiethemusician 3 ай бұрын

fun? fact: the maoi diet includes avoiding liver, beans and alcohol. the legendary line from silence of the lambs was hannibal lecter making a joke he wasn’t on maois. a type of joke that would make a lot of sense to a psychiatrist (hannibal lecter’s day job)

@JLakis 3 ай бұрын

That's the best thing I'll see on the Internet all day. So, I'm out! Thank you. I'm freeeee!

@alfiethemusician 3 ай бұрын

@@JLakis glad i could be of service! i need to try that “quit while you’re ahead” thing

@calvinweese 3 ай бұрын

I've had withdraw from SSRI's, I get literally all of the symptoms including brain zaps. Sometimes you think you have refills when you don't, and had to learn the hard way. Lateral movement of my eyes causes the zap, creating a literal sound, like having micro-restarts of my brain. I would have to walk around like The Terminator, being very aware of where I need my vision to go, by moving my head so I wouldn't have to move my eyes. It made me feel like I was a passenger in my own brain, aware of what's going on, being restarted over and over again, headache, lethargic, and nothing to stop it. My whole body tingles, feeling like I'm being stretched. It feels very dream-like.

@tomclanys 3 ай бұрын

yes, every brain zap feels like a stutter in processing reality, you have to snap back into it. It's like a micro seizure with a very loud high pitched whine in the ears.

@bloop6111 3 ай бұрын

Feeling like I’m being stretched! This is the first time I’ve seen anyone else mention this. I hope more people will talk about that aspect. It’s like my atoms are all being pulled apart. It doesn’t hurt but man is it uncomfortable and just bizarre

@Zionazism_Is_Bad_Mmkay 3 ай бұрын

I instantaneously thought back to the weird af sensations I feel moving my eyes from side to side when coming off serotonin, and then you said it, and I feel so seen right now, it's unreal.

@batya7 3 ай бұрын

Thanks for this factual and gentle presentation. Long-time venlafaxine user: The ONE time I ran out 20 years ago, the effects were SO severe, I felt like I wanted to hit my head on the wall and tear off my face. A compassionate pharmacist gave me enough pills to make it through the weekend when my new prescription would be filled. I NEVER LET THAT HAPPEN AGAIN!

@currentcommerce4774 2 ай бұрын

ive had these for years when falling asleep, i just never could figure out a way to describe it

@kerzwhile 3 ай бұрын

Fascinating. I STOPPED TAKING fluoxetine, "Prozac" a few years ago after being on it for 5 years and my God the brain zapps were crazy! Lasted about 2 weeks. "ZAPP" is an exact and perfect description! Very unpleasant!

@arianedealswithsocialanxie8170 3 ай бұрын

I want you all to imagine your brain sneezing while driving -- from personal experience, absolutely terrifying

@radish6691 3 ай бұрын

Oh yeah when driving is the worst!

@geeksdo1tbetter 3 ай бұрын

Ack! Do your hands clench on the wheel, making you swerve?

@beezyqueen 3 ай бұрын

glad to see a video on brain zaps from y’all! personally it’s what holds me back from going back on antidepressants (probably not always the best decision, but they really were /horrible/). mine were also able to be triggered by lateral eye or head movement- and i also had a spike in icepick headaches as a side effect (about one or more an hour, also awful).

@lizard3755 3 ай бұрын

I take an SNRI daily and it seriously changed my life. Taking medicine and going to therapy allows me to live a "normal" life, and I'm so grateful I have access to both.

@juanpablonorris9753 3 ай бұрын

I got this and I freaked out when it happened

@blairlucid 3 ай бұрын

When it got to the part about lateral eye movements, my jaw dropped and I ran upstairs to show my husband and stepdaughter because I can’t believe other people have experienced this too, I feel so validated!

@tricial9779 3 ай бұрын

I was told that I was making this symptom up when I decided to dc my SSRI. My Dr totally gas-lit me and flat out told me I was making up the problems I was having with this class of medication.

@CompiledGabriel 3 ай бұрын

Great, I literally started taking an SSRI today... something else to worry about, awesome

@AthAthanasius 3 ай бұрын

Give them a chance. My experience is some nausea for two weeks or so, then things settle down. I know others have worse side effects. Just keep in mind that if you have any reason to stop the medication you shouldn't do it cold turkey, both so as to avoid these withdrawal effects and in case it *was* helping (we can be very bad observers of ourselves at times). FTR: I've been on all manner of anti-depressants (and other medication) for anxiety and depression, and none of them ever really helped. But I know people who swear by them and would always fight to stay on them. The best thing you can do is find out if they work for you.

@linuslarsson8094 3 ай бұрын

Hold on and good luck, I hope these work for you! It gets better.

@TruFrag 3 ай бұрын

Take your medication on time as perscribed and you shouldn't have issues. If you do, at least you now know it's normal and not anything to freak out about when you first experience. Consider it a reminder to take your med. Around 15 minutes later the zaps stop.

@SparkSovereign 3 ай бұрын

Brain zaps sound weird, but they're really just a weird feeling for most people who experience them, not painful or even unpleasant really. Just... weird. That said, as always, if your meds cause you to feel or act in ways you don't like, reach out to your psychiatrist immediately! There's lots of different options out there and different ways to use each medication. Best of luck!

@justins3810 3 ай бұрын

I would recommend you stop immediately unless you enjoy feeling numb with zero sex drive.

@Yourname942 3 ай бұрын

Brain zaps happen to me even if I only forget to take meds until around noon.. It is such a gross feeling, It feels like a pulse/wave of nausea radiating from my head/eyes. It happens each time I shift my eyes (like look left, then look right, etc.) I take Venlafaxine and Bupropion (it happened before taking bupropion too) I think it only happened after years of taking Venlafaxine, I don't remember it occurring early on. Also, it eventually goes away if I take the meds later on (if I missed taking them early)

@Nunya7211 3 ай бұрын

Wow. For years since stopping the same meds I have had "migraines" and "seizures" that are exactly like what you described. Never hear anyone else describe it that way

@abalrog42 3 ай бұрын

OMG, I found a current SciShow video with Hank Green...amazing!

@DissonantSynth 3 ай бұрын

Thank you so, so much. This happens to me and nobody understands when I try to explain it.

@amberkluga8949 3 ай бұрын

so great to see something on brain zaps! When I was getting off Effexor I had terrible brain and body zaps. I know to me it felt like all my neurons short circuiting for a second. Massive white noise burst in the head. The body zaps were like rolling shutdown and restart of nerve endings all happening in a micro-second. It took me months to gradually ramp down the dosage and I took prozaic during this time to lesson the withdrawal. But each time we lowered the dosage, no matter how small a decrease, I'd experience some brain/body zaps. oh... side note - I had a friend who took Effexor for a while and had no effects when they stopped.

@Autistic_Artist 3 ай бұрын

I never did the anti depressant thing but I have experienced brain zap. this is the first time hearing anything about it. I would get it a few times throughout my life when falling asleep. looking into things I found hypnagogic jerk but even though it would jerk me back awake It did not seem right to me. Brain Zap on the other hand describes it perfectly.

@Matcapoeira86 3 ай бұрын

I have the same thing! No antidepressant use but really recognise the Zap feeling. As if a current runs from one part of my brain to another. Almost always around falling asleep.

@demidron. 3 ай бұрын

I've had brain zaps from SSRI discontinuation syndrome and also get a lot of hypnagogic jerks and I don't find them to be that similar except that both are very jarring. A hypnagogic jerk is like a little burst of anxiety from something like tripping, falling or dropping something. A brain zap feels like a physical thing, like electricity in or brain or like a something slamming through your head. One particularly bad one hit me when I was teaching once. It felt like a big metal bar went through my head from the back, completely wiping my memory. My students were all just staring at me and I only knew that I had been saying something, but not what it was. One of my students got up and put a chair behind me and asked me to sit because she thought I was going to fall over and I nearly cried from confusion and someone being kind to me. There is another thing though that I don't know a word for ... if I get woken by a faint sound right about the moment of falling asleep, it feels like it runs right through me as a wave of disgust. I used to have a bedside lamp that let off a single, quiet little click as it cooled down, maybe 20 minutes after I turned it off and it ran through my whole body and I felt disgusted and really weirdly like my teeth were about to fall out, like it had damaged all of my bones or something.

@marian-cholerek 3 ай бұрын

Same!

@juni_purr 3 ай бұрын

Same here. Have never taken antidepressants, but have had brain zaps. It's not common, and is associated with falling asleep.

@rick-2414 3 ай бұрын

For me also. I always thought it was funny to enduce them by being tired in a well-litt room with white walls and then moving my eyes quickly around. They are pretty anoing when I'm sick, because I'm unable to controll them. Never heard of 'brain zapps' before, but the discription is exactly how it feels. I've never been on any medicines.

@BigTunaTim76 3 ай бұрын

It's so great to see zaps being openly acknowledged and discussed now. When I first got them from paxil withdrawal in 2000 there was no help

@sarahy1680 3 ай бұрын

I take duloxetine for diabetic nerve pain. Brain zaps were an unpleasant surprise when my insurance was slow one time in covering a renewal of that prescription right when I was also starting a new blood pressure medication. I wasn't sure which caused the zaps until another slow renewal occurred and so did they. I did a LOT of googling trying to describe what was happening and I've got to say, "brain zaps" is truly the right name! I've tried explaining it to people as "vertigo without the vertigo" -- sudden flash of nausea, an internal lurch, and a feeling/sound like my brain was on a recoiling spring, but no sensation of myself falling or the world spinning around me. So weird! Fortunately, the insurance issue has been cleared up (and my own fear of more zaps keeps me on top of my renewals 😅).

@BenjaminCronce 3 ай бұрын

I had an insurance issue once with betablockers. I called Walgreens and my hospital, gave them the contact number for my insurance and had my prescription within an hour.

@mydogsareneat 3 ай бұрын

I got major grief. And than a brain injury. And than idk what happened but i had these. But it went past my brain. It faded over years, but it was a hell of a lot. Heart goes out to anybody experiencing things in there head. ❤

@jamesdupuis3249 3 ай бұрын

This is me. Same. Lost my Mother, then , a real bad concussion. Seems like epilepsy, just everything short of a grand mal. Hopefully it will go away.

@yland6003 3 ай бұрын

Thank you! I hate the brain Zaps, such a weird sensation!

@EchoGillette 2 ай бұрын

I once forgot my meds for a few days and this started happening. Its such a difficult sensation to describe.

@Tinil0 3 ай бұрын

I am sooo glad that the first attempt, citalopram, worked for me and I havent had to taper off it, only risk a few times where I missed doses for more than 2 days. The pandemic kinda made it clear just how vulnerable medication supply lines are though, and the thought I am so tied to medication that a major disruption would kill me kinda sucks (Im on other stuff than antidepressants that are even worse obviously)

@TruFrag 3 ай бұрын

I get brain zaps around 14 hours after I've taken my last dosage. Eye movement/head movement and sloshing around of the inner ear can increase their intensity. They are so loud I've asked my partner more times then I can count if she could hear them. I kind of like them. I like sleep peralisis to... So maybe I'm weird.

@MrofficialC 3 ай бұрын

Tapering strips will be mandatory for all medications that have purported side effects

@MaryAnnNytowl 3 ай бұрын

Yeah, unlikely here in this country. 🙄

@queendomofethelpodcast4662 2 ай бұрын

I was on SSRI’s and when I come off them I got brain zaps, head pressure, dizziness, vertigo, nausea, suicidal thoughts from the extreme symptoms, and very bad attention span for short term memory when speaking. I STILL get brain zaps occasionally and have had anxiety and focus issues and brain pressure and brain fog when trying to remember information to chat to people or focus, for over ten years…. I appreciate this channel discussing just a few of the huge amounts of long term side effects that SSRI’s can cause people, as most scientific establishments still try to say these side effects don’t exist and that there are lil to zero side effects of these drugs and that they have a lot of benefit, so they hand them out to people like me who just have depression from school or work!

@vaszgul736 3 ай бұрын

I get them while on cymbalta. If I miss one dose, brain zaps. If I don't have enough fat in my diet, brain zaps. Usually if I move too much, move my head, or move my eyes laterally like mentioned, or stand up, I get brain zaps. It feels like someone has a nine volt battery and keeps poking my brain with it. It can also make sort of a ringing chiming noise like my entire head is one of those rainsticks. It's more startling and annoying than painful. But as long as my diet, and dosage, are consistent, I don't experience them.

@AnMuiren 3 ай бұрын

Great presentation Hank! I hoped you would have touched on the tetracyclic (TeCA) group of antidepressants, like Mirtazapine a presynaptic alpha 2 adrenoreceptor antagonist unrelated to the SSRI or SNRI groups you focused on. Perhaps review them in a future episode concerning antidepressants?

@hansgiesbrecht1696 3 ай бұрын

I've experienced the brain zaps a number of times when I was tapering off Venlafaxine. I know this is anecdotal and I could be falling prey to the placebo effect, but I was able to minimize the side effects and taper off rather quickly by supplementing with 5-HTP after having read studies on how it affects serotonin levels. I'd very much like to see if this is something that could be replicated, as there's a possibility that it could help people taper off their antidepressants faster and with far fewer side effects.

@falcolf 2 ай бұрын

My doctor explained absolutely none of this when she told me to start weaning off of mirtazapine a couple of days ago. Thank you for explaining why my guts are pissed off!

@PeaceRichTie 3 ай бұрын

I've been calling them brain zaps for years around friends without knowing they're actually called that

@ansnfbsknanssshshbsnsndnd5438 3 ай бұрын

I have brain zaps when I'm just 1-2 hours late for my med. It literally reminds me. It happens when I move my head

@mikeoxsbigg1 3 ай бұрын

Me too.

@Erin-000 3 ай бұрын

OMG I'm so happy to watch this. THANK YOU FOR COVERING THIS TOPIC!!

@FortheBudgies 3 ай бұрын

I'm going to send this to my doctors who looked at me like I was full of crap.

@alixmcknight Ай бұрын

I had this happen for the first time twice in the last 5 weeks, but it had nothing to do with me trying to stop my meds on purpose. I have had multiple episodes recently where I was throwing up for days and was unable to keep my medications down. The first time I already had vertigo, and let me tell you vertigo and brain zaps are a terrifying combination. My mind seemed to black out for seconds and I couldn’t see. It felt like my whole body was electrocuted. I’m really glad I found an explanation for this sensation though, because sometimes it’s hard to tell what is part of my disorder vs. a side effect of my many many meds. That being said, I would not go without my medications on purpose. They help me too much, and I would rather deal with these occasional brain zaps in my illnesses than have to be without them.

@Sus_blues 3 ай бұрын

Brain zaps happened to me when I stop self medicating with Weed. I had horrible mood swings, became tremendously anxious. I play the guitar and the brain zaps started when I tried to relearn some old songs I knew but they had never happened before

@sbocaj22 3 ай бұрын

I had brain zaps when I went off my bc pills. It was super weird. For me it was like passing out momentarily.

@hannahaliza94 3 ай бұрын

I also didn’t know this was common for a long time, but always described it like a guitar string running between my ears and being plucked

@corey2232 Ай бұрын

Holy crap, this is the first time I've ever heard anyone talk about this! Granted I've never looked it up, but I always explained it as an "electrical feeling," and nobody I've talked to seems to understand what I'm talking about.

@SharksAttack 3 ай бұрын

My venlafaxine dose was dropped slowly from 225mg to 75mg. After the drop there's couple really bad days with side effects including brain zaps.

@jimby812 3 ай бұрын

Venlefaxine has a short half life so the side effects can be pretty intense

@leviathan6326 3 ай бұрын

Thank you! This has been bugging me for years!

@ScrimmyBingus42 3 ай бұрын

FINALLY. I've struggled with this SO many times before, I'm glad you finally made a vid about it. Not only do I get brain zaps but I also get really dissociative when im in withdrawal. I've run through the gambit of different antidepressants and sertraline is one that's always worked.

@windy5247 3 ай бұрын

Starting an antidepressant 21 years ago at 51 yoa, I've never even tried to go off completely. Tried tapering but even after only 3 days of that my symptoms were noticeable to me and I'm not EVER going to that black hole again. I've been in various meds or combos but the combo I'm on now for about 4 years, is what you called, The Goldilocks. Thank you as this has been one of the better explanations of antidepressants and their effect on the brain.

@ConnorJMCD 3 ай бұрын

I'm having these right now, trying to come off of Sertraline. I've had them for over 3 weeks now. Weird timing..

@Mempler 3 ай бұрын

This will still take a while. But they suddenly stop, like literally. They wont get better only worse but then suddenly just stop. It still wont hurt and will still be a minor inconvenience, still annoying lol That's my experience.

@britty23 3 ай бұрын

The brain zaps are the worst!! Thanks for talking about it

@Karishma_Unspecified 3 ай бұрын

@jayammons3834 3 ай бұрын

You are not alone.

@RyuukoKobayashi 3 ай бұрын

I am so happy this resource exists *now* for anyone going through this in the future so they can skip the terrible confusion and fear of what the heck this is, even if we don't know everything yet.

@ImplodedAtom 3 ай бұрын

Just this video existing is such a relief for me. I don't even care that scientists don't really know why it happens; it's still good that it's recognised at all.

@acdchook 3 ай бұрын

I wouldn't have described it as zaps, but if I miss a day of my Venlafaxine I can hear a swishing sound when my eyes move. Really uncomfortable.

@Hexsyn 3 ай бұрын

It seems your not the only one! This is so interesting because I'm a pharmacist and I literally had never heard about this until now. Good real life counseling point that I can bring up thanks to this comment section. 😊

@acdchook 3 ай бұрын

@@Hexsyn At least it's a good reminder if I forget to take it!

@Hexsyn 3 ай бұрын

@@acdchook who needs a phone alarm reminder when you have loudly swishing eyeballs? XD

@TigerSeven86 3 ай бұрын

Not everyone gets the actual zaps. You probably had other withdrawal symptoms, but not zaps or I guarantee you’d describe it as zaps.

@X7373Z 3 ай бұрын

Uh, What is it if you don't take those medications but get brain zaps anyway?

@linuslarsson8094 3 ай бұрын

Does it usually happen when falling asleep or waking up? If so, maybe (the very evocatively named)"Exploding Head Syndrome"?

@Mempler 3 ай бұрын

@@linuslarsson8094now that i think about it, brain zaps feel similar to that what you described given that everyone has experienced those "exploding head syndrome" thingy... Who named that ? Its not even a dangerous disease, yet sounds harmful.

@flipsterfloppa9065 3 ай бұрын

@@Mempleri think a minority of people have experienced that

@Mempler 3 ай бұрын

@@flipsterfloppa9065 Maybe, or you don't remember. Until just now, i didn't remember it either lol, it comes and goes and is really rare. once or twice per year for me

@mightyNosewings 3 ай бұрын

Possibly a myoclonic seizure.

@laurieb3703 3 ай бұрын

It's like a bolt of electricity zapping through your head! It's debilitating. Thank you so much for bringing light to this! I switched from paxil ( horrible) to cymbalta (even worse!) to Prozac. Cymbalta was so bad that I couldn't even taper off of it, I had to do what my psychiatrist called a bridge technique. I don't get brain zaps anymore ❤ if I missed even a single night of cymbalta it was hell to pay Ps: I sent this video to my doctor. She's super cool and she'll really appreciate it!

@laurieb3703 3 ай бұрын

Yep! I would try to avoid moving my eyes as much as possible and stay super still. The more you move your eyes around the more zaps you get