What causes shock sensation in the head?
Patient: How long does it take the body to return to a normal state after antidepressants with drawl? My Doctor is excellent had we been slowly whining me off prisqic . I get those shocks in the head every few days. when will the shock zaps stop? Doctor is slowly whining me off over a few weeks, Do the zaps in the head cause brain damage Doctor: Thank you for your query.discontinuation syndrome is a group that occur after cessation of antidepressant and/or anxiety medications.These medications increase the availability  of 'happy' chemicals in your brain which help to ward of depression and anxiety.when it is gradually weaned off and stopped, the 'happy' chemicals return to its original state. This triggers certain feedback mechanisms and other ' not so happy ' chemicals which may cause symptoms till the balance has been restored- usually about 2-3 weeks. depending on the type (long or short acting) medication, the incidence , time taken for the symptoms to appear and disappear may vary.Symptoms include fatigue, flu- like stuffy nose/myalgia, vomiting, sleep disturbances, nightmares , jerking movements of particular parts of the body (tremors) and electric shock sensations( as you described it). These are basically nerve signals returning to its premeditated state and  do not cause brain damage.If you continue to experience these symptoms after 3 weeks or you experience severe mood disturbances enough to prevent normal life and routine, talk to your doctor regarding medications which help you ease through the the process.hope this helps. wish you good health and please contact us if you have any questions