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Just started on a new medication - when will the brain zaps stop?
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Hi everyone! I've googled and googled, but all the info I find is about 'brain zaps when coming off medication'.
I'm experiencing this while commencing the med. Wondering if anyone else has experienced the brain zaps while first starting out and if so, how long did it last please? (days? weeks?).... Thanks kindly
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Hi K2024!
The BB forum has a rule about discussing specific meds, so they may amend your post tomorrow based on this or send you some advice on it. I was on the med you mention for 19 years. I can't say much about it otherwise I will also be breaking rules about discussing specific meds. But in general terms in my case the side effects diminished after about 1-2 weeks (primarily blurred vision and spaced out). Hopefully things will iron out soon. To discuss the actual med you can do this on health forums such as HealthUnlocked where you can ask questions which could be a helpful resource.
All the best,
ER
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thanks ER,
I will definitely have a look at the forum you suggest, sounds helpful.
Meanwhile I have done more online googling today (purely out of desperation)... and cannot find anything about my side effects happening to anyone when they are commencing this med. I'm only Day 3 now and the thought of maybe weeks of brain zaps and depression/crying is overwhelming to me. I havent had the blurred vision which you experienced.
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Hi K2024,
I really hope those symptoms end soon. Brain zaps are not fun. I’ve been experiencing them as a side effect from EMDR treatment and have felt like I’m plugged into an electrical socket. With the med you are on, I found I did adjust reasonably quickly and that the first few days were the worst. So I really hope for you it won’t be much longer at all and you will start to feel more ok and also begin to experience benefits. But obviously keep observing it and if you are still the same after 1-2 weeks you can touch base with your GP and ask further questions. Or even ask them now if it’s really affecting you. I hope it will ultimately help you sleep better and feel better overall.
Take care,
ER
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Hi ER, i have looked up the hub you suggested and I can only find HealthUnlocked in UK, is that the one you meant? or is there an Australian based one please?
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Hi K2024,
As far as I'm aware there is just the one HealthUnlocked, so that would be the UK one. I don't think there is an Australian specific one. I am on it in relation to an autoimmune disease I have and there are people participating from the UK, North America, Australia and elsewhere, so it's like a kind of international community even though it originates in the UK. So basically it is topic driven and you can join a community on there that is relevant for you. Depending on the individual community, some have a moderator or guide of sorts, such as the community I'm on. Other communities not so much. So just keep in mind they are a support community but not everything posted is highly accurate medical info but more people's experiences and people learning from one another.
In relation to your medication, it will probably be discussed across several communities on there as it is widely used in relation to depression, pain management, sleep etc. So you will probably find quite a few discussions on it. The med you are on goes by other brand names in different countries, so using it's medical name rather than brand name may help you to access greater information.
It's sometimes good to have Australian-specific sources of course and there may be an equivalent type of Australian-based forum for discussing meds here that I'm unaware of. You could do some searching to see what's out there. I just mentioned HealthUnlocked because it's one I know and have used over the last 4 years.
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Hi K2024,
I have sent you a reply but it hasn't appeared. I've emailed Mod Support as sometimes posts get stuck in the system, so hopefully it will appear soon.
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thank you again, you are a great help!!
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