I just created an account to describe some of the withdrawal symptoms I've experienced as I recognize the feelings.
I've quit for maybe 6 or 8 months in the past 15 years but, for the most part, I haven't gone a day without a dip in that time.
For the first couple of weeks I felt anxious, restless and very nauseous all coupled with an eery feeling I can only call brain zaps. I'd had the same uncomfortable sensation after quitting Effexor.
Anyways, this brain zap thing feels like a wave of whatever overcomes my head for a moment and it's just uncomfortable but it passes. I find it interesting that it happened when I quit this time and because I recognized the symptoms.
I wanted to get the real term and it is called
SSRI Discontinuation Syndrome.
Symptoms described as "brain zaps," "brain shocks," "brain shivers," "brain pulse-waves," "head shocks," "pulses," "flickers," or "cranial zings" are common withdrawal symptoms experienced during discontinuation (or reduction of dose) of antidepressant drugs. These result from a global downregulation of serotonin receptors in response to increased levels of serotonin in the synaptic cleft, but the specific mechanism through which this creates symptoms is not understood. Common responses to dose reduction or cessation include dizziness, electric shock-like sensations, sweating, nausea, insomnia, tremor, confusion, nightmares, and vertigo.
Just some points to note:
It feels uncomfortable
It does go away after a couple of weeks
The term SSRI Discontinuation Syndrome that has only been around for about a decade. I mean, you have to have SSRI medicines and a bunch of people taking them and complaining about the symptoms on the Internet for it to finally get it's own medical term and wikipedia page :/
Finding that quitting tobacco presents these symptoms I don't need to be a doctor to say nicotine ups your serotonin production. Prozac dip I guess. I know you've heard tobacco other substances as a form of self medication and here are some literally shared symptoms.
The other reason I mention it is, if you are on any behavioral medications, it's a smart idea to let your prescribing physician know that you've quit tobacco if you experience these symptoms. Yes, the symptoms will pass, but you have to consider that you've essentially been taking one extra medicine that they don't have on your chart in case any adjustments need to be made in your prescribed medications.
I, for one, am excited that I'm not only getting rid of a substance that causes so many oral problems but also a chemical that messes with my sleep and anxiety.
I also found it annoying that this site calls it 'the brain fog.' Yeah... that sounds real :blink:
Good luck everyone!
- a geek