this post was submitted on 21 Aug 2023
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Antidepressant Meds
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I've been on SNRI's for a decade +. Venlafaxine, the worst of the bunch. They "work" in that I can feel barely able to live as opposed to definitely wanting to off myself daily. But they disabled my dick and flatten any kind of peak-ey emotions as well, including riding a rollercoaster. If I forget even a single dose - BANG, brain zaps for 12 hours. Good luck falling asleep.
I don't know whether to be thankful they exist or to be sorry I got on them and have to live life like some sort of half-human in the meantime.
I have been on Venlafaxine for almost a decade as well. I'm now on a low dose (37.5mg daily) and I function well on it. I don't feel flattened. But oh, fuck those brainzaps. I want to quit but I'm a bit anxious to.
I'm on 37.5mg Venlafaxine for the second time--tried Zoloft for a bit in between. What's wicked weird is that the first time I was on Venlafaxine I got brain zaps from missing a dose. This time I don't and I kind of miss the built-in kick in the pants to take my meds.
When I got off Venlafaxine XR the first time, I weaned myself off very slowly. At first, I counted down the tiny pellets in the capsules, then I got a medication scale. I was able to avoid brain zaps.
What do the brain zaps feel like it, I was on it for years at max dose (for Canada anyway) and I don't think I ever felt anything like a brain zap. Sleep problems yes, but I also stopped cold turkey one day and had no negative effects
It's like tiny electric shocks in your head. I mostly feel it in my gums and eyes. It's not painful but very irritating, and it gets my anxiety up.
I always describe the brain zaps like this:
You know how it feels to take a rubber balloon and rub it against your hair? That staticy feeling? It's like that, except inside your skull.
Edit: For me, it wasn't painful. Just very wrong and bad and a sensory nope-nope-nope. It went away within maybe 15 minutes of taking my meds.
Wait, after reading this thread, I feel like I got a lot of brain zaps, but for me they are not unpleasant. For me they are actually somewhat good feeling of relaxation. But maybe its just me. Also as a sidenote, did venlafaxine really helped you? I got it for 1 month, then my doctor cancelled it, saying that it was not having intended effect on me
Venlafaxine did help. The first time I was on it, I remember walking down the sidewalk and just doing of double-take of "oh, this feeling. I think I'm happy. This is what 'happy' feels like. Weird."
I haven't had anything so flagrant this time (and the flavor of stress I'm under is different), but I think it helps with my anxiety.
Thank you for sharing your honest experience.
There was a time I was really considering SSRI's. Mostly for anxiety related issues. But I heard about problems with those kinds of meds similar to what you described.
I've been able to find my own methods to deal with anxiety. Glad I never got on SSRI's as I'm not sure I would have been able to get off them.