Sensation like an electric shock?

[happyone]

Hi,
In the past couple of weeks I have generally been feeling a bit better. The depression seems to be lifting and although my anxieties are still there, they don’t seem as all consuming as they have been. (possibly due to avoidance!)
However, I am waking through the night with a jolt. It really is like a physical jolt. I get this really bright flash of light inside my head as though someone has put the light on when it is really dark and the adrenalin is pumping like mad round my body. My chest is tight and I feel nauseous.
I understand the adrenalin, tight chest and nausea as being classic panic symptoms and I am sure I have probably woken from a bad dream or dreaming about something that makes me anxious. What is new for me though is this physical jolt and bright light. I find it a bit freaky and just wondered if anyone had anything similar or could offer any possible explanation?
Worrying about my physical health doesn’t generally worry me too much but I started to think about seizures and the implications it would have on my life if that were the case. I am too scared to ask doctor in case I set a ball rolling that I can’t stop.
Happyone
x

[Chopper]

Morning Happyone,

I'm on 40mg of citalopram a day and from my fingers to my toes I'm constantly shaky, but when I find myself relaxing or even just thinking of nothing in particular I have these, well, 'spasms' that sneak up on me. I find myself jerking into an alert state and realising that anyone around me had noticed me having a mini-fit.

I've, obviously, never actually felt the feeling but I likened my all-body spasms to being cut in half from top to toe by a Samurai sword linked to the electricity system!! Daft I know but that's the sensation I get .... too much Kill Bill I think?!!!!

It's not just limited to when I'm asleep, I can be sitting still watching TV or on my computer in the office and all of a sudden some invisible being has plugged me into the mains ....... I feel like Ted Bundy!!![:O]

Happiness and light to all,
'Chopper'


I saw her once, one little while, and then no more:
’Twas Eden’s light on Earth a while, and then no more.
Amid the throng she passed along the meadow-floor:
Spring seemed to smile on Earth awhile, and then no more;
But whence she came, which way she went, what garb she wore
I noted not; I gazed a while, and then no more!

James Clarence Mangan 1803 - 1849

[Charlottie]

I had the bright light thing once :|
And like this really loud buzzing sound in my head and then for a few seconds I couldn't move; and then I woke up :|

[PaladinX]

I get this i dont know what the hell it is.. Right before im ready to fall asleep i get a jolt. Feels like electicty or a shock or something. Maybe butterflys. It like jolts me up. I hate it

[Phill2]

I've had it occaisionally tho not for a while.I used to even get it just walking around during the day.
I'm pretty sure it's just anxiety trying a new way to get at you.
Phill

Don't believe everything you think.

[happyone]

Hi
thanks for your replies.
It's good to know that other people have similar (not good that you get annoying symptoms too though!)
I think you are right jullip, the anxiety gets you one way or another. I spoke to therapist about that as I started to do some real obsessive things, which I had never done before. She said that the brain does try to find another way as you have lived with the anxiety for so long. I suppose then it is a battle between the conscious and unconscious?
happyone
x

[Phill2]

Hi Happy
I've found that as soon as you accept that one symptom/sensation is anxiety it finds another one to keep you hopping.
I've found that acceptance seems the best way to go.
Phill

Don't believe everything you think.

[dnf03]

hi,
i get something like this quite a lot
i used toget it regular as i was drifting off to sleep
i can only describe it liek that feeling you get when your dreaming of falling down(you know the one i mean)
suddenly jolts you out the blue
i find it the worst side of my anxiety

[Chopper]

Morning all,

I've noticed a distinct increase in my 'shocks' since increasing my Citalopram to 40mg a day.

They sneak up on me during the day but are milder when I'm awake. However, when I'm relaxed or just about to fall asleep they're really strong, and when I am asleep, they can wake me up with a residual pain in my head, like being struck by something, for a few seconds before I 'shut down' and go back to sleep.

Aren't we strange entities?![Yeah!]

Happiness and light to all,
'Chopper'

I saw her once, one little while, and then no more:
’Twas Eden’s light on Earth a while, and then no more.
Amid the throng she passed along the meadow-floor:
Spring seemed to smile on Earth awhile, and then no more;
But whence she came, which way she went, what garb she wore
I noted not; I gazed a while, and then no more!

James Clarence Mangan 1803 - 1849

[Nel]

<b id="quote">quote:</b id="quote"><table border="0" id="quote"><tr id="quote"><td class="quote" id="quote">Morning all,

I've noticed a distinct increase in my 'shocks' since increasing my Citalopram to 40mg a day.

They sneak up on me during the day but are milder when I'm awake. However, when I'm relaxed or just about to fall asleep they're really strong, and when I am asleep, they can wake me up with a residual pain in my head, like being struck by something, for a few seconds before I 'shut down' and go back to sleep.

Aren't we strange entities?![Yeah!]

Happiness and light to all,
'Chopper'

I saw her once, one little while, and then no more:
’Twas Eden’s light on Earth a while, and then no more.
Amid the throng she passed along the meadow-floor:
Spring seemed to smile on Earth awhile, and then no more;
But whence she came, which way she went, what garb she wore
I noted not; I gazed a while, and then no more!

James Clarence Mangan 1803 - 1849

<div align="right">Originally posted by Chopper - 29 November 2006 : 08:24:15</div id="right">
</td id="quote"></tr id="quote"></table id="quote">

It's a side effect of citalopram. I was on citalopram for over 6 months last year, during withdrawal I had the 'brain zaps' as I called them - they lasted for over 8 weeks.

[Chopper]

Thanks for posting Nel, I'm still on the Citalopram so hope that when I do, eventually, wean myself off them the 'body zaps' don't increase and the meds decrease.

Happiness and light to you all,
'Chopper'

I saw her once, one little while, and then no more:
’Twas Eden’s light on Earth a while, and then no more.
Amid the throng she passed along the meadow-floor:
Spring seemed to smile on Earth awhile, and then no more;
But whence she came, which way she went, what garb she wore
I noted not; I gazed a while, and then no more!

James Clarence Mangan 1803 - 1849

[Nel]

<b id="quote">quote:</b id="quote"><table border="0" id="quote"><tr id="quote"><td class="quote" id="quote">Thanks for posting Nel, I'm still on the Citalopram so hope that when I do, eventually, wean myself off them the 'body zaps' don't increase and the meds decrease.

Happiness and light to you all,
'Chopper'

I saw her once, one little while, and then no more:
’Twas Eden’s light on Earth a while, and then no more.
Amid the throng she passed along the meadow-floor:
Spring seemed to smile on Earth awhile, and then no more;
But whence she came, which way she went, what garb she wore
I noted not; I gazed a while, and then no more!

James Clarence Mangan 1803 - 1849

<div align="right">Originally posted by Chopper - 06 December 2006 : 12:02:06</div id="right">
</td id="quote"></tr id="quote"></table id="quote">

Yeah I woke one morning and they were gone. I didn't taper to be honest, well only over a very short time, so when you are coming off them make sure you taper xxx

[djm]

Hi all

I have had these before and did some research. They are called "Hypnic Jerks" and are apparantely, quite normal and harmless.

See here for info :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypnic_jerk

Regards
Dave

[Chopper]

Thanks Dave, much appreciated.

I'll do some more digging now that I know what I'm looking for.

This is just one of the side effects I have with Citalopram, not all negative if you read my other posts![:O][:I]

Happiness and light to all,
'Chopper'



I saw her once, one little while, and then no more:
’Twas Eden’s light on Earth a while, and then no more.
Amid the throng she passed along the meadow-floor:
Spring seemed to smile on Earth awhile, and then no more;
But whence she came, which way she went, what garb she wore
I noted not; I gazed a while, and then no more!

James Clarence Mangan 1803 - 1849

[brunko007]

I have seen your posting on this forum and I have to say that I have almost the same symptoms.
Currently I'm going off paxil and got this brain zaps too....but I have had them even before I start taking paxil...
I started to have problems 2 years ago
(I think as result from stress from immigration,job searching ,money issue,working 12 h a day,and isolation from community .. I a'm extrovert )when at the morning I could not sleep bcs I got this electric feeling in back head and spinal cord...sometimes it's took 2-3 days to stop..after I felt throat kind of feeling when it is difficult to swallow,sweatting at night ...after couple of DR visits I got Paxil CR 12.5mg later 20 mg which I start taking after 3 months only(I wanted to treat myself with natural products as St John worth ,relaxations,controlling anxiety situations...did not help. ..morning electric zaps were comming and comming I was not able to function...muscle tension,depersonalization ,irritability,enable to concentrate(I'm comp analyst ) So after 2 years on paxil I felt much more better almost like normal human but I gain 18kg even biking every day 24km to and from work),so I could not see myself in mirror so in April 2008 I start decreasing doze very slowly almost over 3 months...and in July i was off
So I switch to natural supplements St.John Worth,fish oil, vitaminB12,C..etc..anyway After 3 months I start getting this brain zaps again and I start waking up at the morning again...now after 6months..I got last week Brain zaps now it stops but I feel like train pass over me ...