Efflexor Brain Zaps Awful

[TKeafer]

Weaning off of Efflexor, and the brain zaps are getting worse. Any tips on how to lessen the severity?

[Kkimm]

I am on Effexor but have never tried to come off it. The advice I have heard is that you need to taper off very very slowly. I also heard you need to try to ignore and not worry about the brain zaps, they will gradually go. More quickly if you don't focus on them. Easier said than done however.

Very best wishes.

Kim

[photobeats]

I went through the same exact thing years ago and told my doctor, the brains zaps were why I needed to get off of them. She tried to tell me that that wasn't a side effect. I had to stand my ground and tell her I know my body and I know what is going on.

So, she tapered me off of it (pretty quickly, I might add). I just hung in there for the three weeks or so of withdrawals and wrote about what I was feeling. Nothing makes coming off of these drugs easier. Take long baths or whatever you do to make yourself comfortable with things daily. Once you are over the hump, you can feel better about being rid of it.

[Herz]

Effexor did not cause my brain zaps. It was Paxil when I first started taking antidepressants. Then I took Effexor afterwards, and of course the brain zaps were awful coming off, and they never went away. Now I take Zoloft and as long as I take them, I have no zaps, but if I forget one, I know it because I start getting the zaps. I need to say that the zaps are the only reason I even take any of the depressants. Good luck! If you figure out how to get rid of them without taking an antidepressant please let me know..