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I've also rarely received accurate advice regarding the likely effects and side-effects of anti-depressants - but I think calling brain zaps a 'risk' is a bit m

I've also rarely received accurate advice regarding the likely effects and side-effects of anti-depressants - but I think calling brain zaps a 'risk' is a bit much. Maybe my zaps were nicer than yours, but I don't remember them being particularly painful - except one time I fell in the shower. Anti-depressants, especially something like venlafaxine, are strong meds for a strong condition. It would be surprising if they had no side effects - and honestly, if you go to a psychiatrist instead of a normal doctor, you usually get a dose that's fine-tuned to the extent that you don't get them.

dimal 9y ago
Actually, I remember now, I called mine "brain shivers". Whenever I moved my head, my visual field would stutter as if the room was only lit with a strobe light. It didn't hurt, but it was nauseating and it made standing up and walking around very difficult. It was terrifying. I did go to a psychiatrist. He didn't fine tune anything, but at the time, I trusted him. In hindsight, I can see he was a terrible doctor.
verylittlemeat 9y ago
I had brain zaps and they were very distracting. I took 2 SSRIs for about 3 years and went off them close to cold turkey. When I would move my eyes it felt like there was a delay between moving and seeing. This lasted for about a month. In general everything felt very disconnected/fuzzy/unreal. Sometimes it was close to what I imagine people describe as an out of body experience.
- pasabagi 9y ago
  I think if you come off any kind of brain med cold turkey, you're gonna have a very bad time. I still find articles like the above absolutely horrible, and wish people would stop writing them. Meds saved my life. They save the life of millions of people every year - and they make depression hands-down easier to manage and to live with. That doctors over-proscribe is another problem. Muck-raking and fear-mongering about what are already scary drugs to very scared depressed people has real costs - people probably die because of articles like the above. Many, many people suffer for years without medication because they're afraid to start them.

dimal 9y ago

Actually, I remember now, I called mine "brain shivers". Whenever I moved my head, my visual field would stutter as if the room was only lit with a strobe light. It didn't hurt, but it was nauseating and it made standing up and walking around very difficult. It was terrifying. I did go to a psychiatrist. He didn't fine tune anything, but at the time, I trusted him. In hindsight, I can see he was a terrible doctor.

verylittlemeat 9y ago

I had brain zaps and they were very distracting. I took 2 SSRIs for about 3 years and went off them close to cold turkey. When I would move my eyes it felt like there was a delay between moving and seeing. This lasted for about a month. In general everything felt very disconnected/fuzzy/unreal. Sometimes it was close to what I imagine people describe as an out of body experience.

pasabagi 9y ago
I think if you come off any kind of brain med cold turkey, you're gonna have a very bad time. I still find articles like the above absolutely horrible, and wish people would stop writing them. Meds saved my life. They save the life of millions of people every year - and they make depression hands-down easier to manage and to live with. That doctors over-proscribe is another problem. Muck-raking and fear-mongering about what are already scary drugs to very scared depressed people has real costs - people probably die because of articles like the above. Many, many people suffer for years without medication because they're afraid to start them.