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Duloxetine Brain zaps (not coming off or reducing dose!)

Posted , 8 users are following.

sophie03712
sophie03712

Hi, I’m new to this website but wanted to see if anyone else taking Duloxetine had experienced brain zaps when still on it. I’ve heard of people getting them while coming off the meds but not while on them. I’m only on 60mg, have been for 4months now, psychiatrist wanted to bring me to 90mg per day but I’ve felt good on 60mg duloxetine for GAD so declined for now. I had terrible brain zaps when coming off Sertaline back in October (was on 200mg for over 10yrs) but suddenly I am getting them now, a few times a day on duloxetine, they started about 2 weeks ago but it’s worrying me. Surely I shouldn’t be getting them, never missed a dose since starting duloxetine 4 months ago! 

Got GP appointment on 21st Feb but thought I’d see if anyone else had had these while on the medication too!?

Thanks in advance!

2 likes, 16 replies

16 Replies

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  • harriet67221
    harriet67221 sophie03712

    Posted

    Hi Sophie I am sorry to read this, please could you describe what brain zaps you are experiencing  ? Thanks.
    • sophie03712
      sophie03712 harriet67221

      Posted

      Hi, thanks Harriett. They are not as bad as withdrawal zaps I’ve had in previous situations. These happen randomly and feels like it’s on the left side of my head, it feels like my brain jerks for a split second. It’s so fast and then back to normal. Like a tiny tiny electric shock in my brain.... 
    • harriet67221
      harriet67221 sophie03712

      Posted

      Hi again Personally I would report this as an adverse reaction to the Duloxetine. You can do this online using the former yellow card system. The info can be found on the MHRA website. I experienced similar sensations over several months but saw a neurologist specialising in chronic migraine induced by nalgesia. Drs are now becoming more and more aware of this condition which as its title implies is chronic migraine induced by analgesics and other medications.

      I see that duloxetine can cause spasms amongst a variety of other nasty side effects.  I personally would discuss the possibility of discontinuing these as soon as possible . However that is just my opinion. 

      Take care.

  • frazzled
    frazzled sophie03712

    Posted

    I'm been on Cymbalta 30 mgs for 2 months and experienced two brain zaps both above my right eye.  Only for about 3 seconds and felt like an small electric charge without pain.  Weird but I've not any since and it's over.  I've already been able to cut down on my intake of two other meds -- one for anxiety and the other for depression.  I'm going to up the dose to 50 mgs because it seems 30 mgs wears off about 5-6 hours.

    Good idea to see the doc since you are having them more often.  That may not be uncommon at all.  They are not painful are they?

    • sophie03712
      sophie03712 frazzled

      Posted

      Luckily not painful just weird and disconcerting really!

      Good luck with your dosage going up, especially if it means you can come off the other meds eventually! My psychiatrist made me have 10 days between coming off setraline and going on duloxetine. Was total hell 😔 but glad I made the switch now... feel way better than before!

    • harriet67221
      harriet67221 sophie03712

      Posted

      Does duloxetine contain fluoride which is neurotoxic? I know the fluxetine does. 
  • Elle36
    Elle36 sophie03712

    Posted

    I was on this medication for 5 years started off on 30 then increased to 60. I can’t even begin to tell you how much it destroyed my life. Those brain zaps are horrendous and would take me down for days on end. 

    There is a lawsuit in the USA against the company for not declaring the side effects correctly but for all us on the medication and for those who have come off it, the damage is already done. 

    • sophie03712
      sophie03712 Elle36

      Posted

      Wow! I need to look up this lawsuit. 

      My zaps have subsided again luckily. No idea why they suddenly came on and have now gone again... 

      poor you, sounds horrendous. Are you better now?

    • Elle36
      Elle36 sophie03712

      Posted

      I noticed that my brain zaps was more aggressive if I didn’t take my medication on time each day. It would take about 4 days to recover and I literally couldn’t function. 

      I went to the gp last year and told him I want off the medication but there was no safe guidelines to coming off it. I explained the brain zaps was to hard to deal with so he prescribed an additional drug to take alongside it which was neurontin.  This is a drug for epilepsy and nerve damage. 

      I never took it, I’m tired of being a giunea pig. I decided to withdraw off them myself. It took me just over two months and now I’m finally free. 

      No more tiredness. No more crying. I still get brain zaps but they are very mild and I have a major sensitivity to daylight. 

      I hope your brain zaps get better hun x

    • harriet67221
      harriet67221 Elle36

      Posted

      Pregabelin/Lyrica  and Neurontin have recently received adverse publicity.
    • Elle36
      Elle36 harriet67221

      Posted

      I am not surprised. The pharmaceutical industry do more harm than good. 

      In terms of the brain zaps...... the only way I can describe them is like an electric shock to the brain. 

    • harriet67221
      harriet67221 Elle36

      Posted

      I agree with your comments re drugs industry.

      Thanks. 

       

  • AmyO1111
    AmyO1111 sophie03712

    Posted

    Hi. I am experiencing the same kind of thing. I was on 30mg for my fibromyalgia and my doctor bumped me up to 60mg to see if it would help with my pain more. It has been a nightmare! I sometimes feel light headed, I have had brain zaps, dizziness, and just a weird feeling in my head. Its hard to explain. I get tingly and tired and I'm just not sure how to explain it. I'm going back down to 30mg, but only to ween off. This drug has affected me in so many ways. Weight gain, impulsiveness, moody and I just don't feel like myself. People need to be thoroughly warned about this drug. After I was on 60mg for a few weeks, I did some things that were totally not me. I lied, stole money from my parents and gambled it all. I have never done anything like that ever. After explaining to them and showing them proof about this drug, they forgave me and I'm now making them payments to pay them back. I could go on and on, but I would really like to hear from others and see if you have had any similar issues or different ones. Thank you :-) Take care everyone!!

  • joshua62160
    joshua62160 sophie03712

    Posted

    i have been experiencing this problem for a while now probably about 1 year. Doctors haven't helped me at all and in fact looked at me like i had three heads when i was trying to describe the sensation.

    it was only after i stopped taking Cymbalta that i found information on what I was experiencing.

    I have been taking cymbalta for about 11 years and have been off of it now for just over three weeks. i still have the brain shakes/shivers/zaps and i hope they go away soon.

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