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Brain zaps theories/cure?

somedud

Bluelighter
Joined
Dec 8, 2010
Messages
515
Strangely enough I had brain zaps for about 8 months, everyday. After rolling for th first time in 8 months thr other weekend, I noticed my brain zaps have dissappeared?

This had lead me to think of what causes brain zaps. Theoretically, I believe it's either the damage of serotonin receptors, causeing malfunctioning and misfiring of signals, resulting in brain zaps? Or overexcited neurons..

Maybe I've destroyed all my damaged receptors with my last roll riding me of those horrid zaps. I wonder if damaged receptors are more vulnerable after initial damage, like mental darwinism :D

What's your theory.
 
I got them after a three day binge back in December.
One of the most unpleasant I've ever experienced.
They only lasted a week or two but it was enough for me to never want to take MDMA ever again.
 
Yeah I had the zaps after a two night binge. makes you respect the drug for sure! Nice reminder that we are working with brain chemicals here! My theory is that its your brains way of saying hey where's all the serotonin? In support of this theory, check out the reports of folks getting zaps long after stopping anti depressants. Almost like acute serotonin withdrawal
 
Its like a short circuit...I have no doubt it has something to do with electrochemical communication.
 
After a two day binge in December I got them for a few days and it was annoying and uncomfortable as hell... took a 3 month break after that. Not sure what causes it but damn they suck.
 
Uh huhhh, they're retardly crippling when they get bad enough. Anyone looking at you would think your losing it.

They happen with SSRI withdrawl, you'd think they'd put some money into researching it..
 
I would think it would have something to do with like, over stimulation of the serotonin receptors. My ex gf would get them after rolling, and they would go away right away when she would take 5htp.
 
It's almost like some sort of shock that fires through your brain, 'zapping' it. the stronger ones I can actually hear.. and some go through my body as well. Usually is provoked when i shift my eyes to the far left/right but even while staring at something it's happened.
I know that once people stop taking SSRI medications they also get these.. i'm too stupid right now to elaborate on that but if you understand how those work then you can probably figure out what I'm getting at..
Seems to happen to me after 1) binging, and/or 2) oversleeping.

They've gone away before on their own, after a few days. A couple times i've just taken mdma again and they disappeared.. mind you this was after having them for a week straight, bloody irritating
 
I only ever got brain zaps from abusing, ie. too many pills in one night, or dropping consecutive days or too close together.

As for a cure? I just take my usual post load supplements like a multi vit, 5-htp, ALA and fish oil and the zaps go away within a week for me. I also generally eat healthy and exercise as well.

Another thing, and this is just my own thought, but I think smoking weed hinders your recovery as well. I remember I had pretty severe brain zaps once from a binge, and at the time I was smoking weed heavily. It seemed to have taken longer to recover than the other time I had the zaps but wasn't smoking as regularly.
 
As I've said before, I got bad brain zaps after (many long) binges on Meph. Had them a few times, maybe 4-5, wasn't too bothered about them except for once when it was pretty much constant (maybe every 0.5-1 second(s)) and was (apparently) blacking out randomly and with pretty much no co-ordination.
They always went away within a few days though.
Never happened with any other drug (including MDMA).
 
Yeah I had the zaps after a two night binge. makes you respect the drug for sure! Nice reminder that we are working with brain chemicals here! My theory is that its your brains way of saying hey where's all the serotonin? In support of this theory, check out the reports of folks getting zaps long after stopping anti depressants. Almost like acute serotonin withdrawal

That sums it up perfect your brain is trying to roll but you have nothing left and it feels like a zap.
Easily the worst pain I have experienced took 10 pills in about 12 hours

NEVER AGAIN :X
 
whoa just realized i've had these after reading what they are. I never thought anything of it but for me there have just been random moments where all of a sudden I felt slightly dizzy and got ringing in my ears. Crazy to now know exactly what it is. I didn't find any discomfort in them tho, just waited the 10 secs or so until the ringing in my ears stopped. I guess some are more mild than others

are these a sign of some damage done or this a pretty normal after effect? i've never taken any anti depressants before, is it possible for brain zaps just be a random occurrence or is it definitely a result of the times i've taken mdma?
 
Ive only ever got them once and that was when i went on a 2.5 day bender. Although i was snorting the mdma crystals (not exactly sure how much but i started with ~3 grams in a bag and then went to a friends house and was handing out bumps but i would guess just over 1.5 grams i did myself). But i would only get them when i was laying down, sitting not so much and standing i never got them. 5-HTP didnt do much, but they did go away in a few days.

Never again will i do this, what a stupid idea.
 
I STRONGLY believe that 'brain zaps' are caused by increased blood flow to specific regions of the brain. This is proven to happen in post MDMA research, although it is not common. Normally it is a sign of neurotoxicity. Prior to the increase in bloodflow there is a decrease seen initially. The increases, when they are found, can last many months in some users. Eventually, blood flow is restored. Further brain scans reveal that even, symmetrical blood flow eventually returns, which suggests that axonal re-sprouting has occured as well as compensation by other neurotransmitter systems.

The brain itself cannot feel anything, but the scalp and the face contain nerves that are connected directly to the brain. This is why a stroke will sometimes cause facial paralysis.

I have felt constant buzzing sensations in many different areas of my scalp and face. It is very easy to assign the feeling to a certain area of the brain, too. I used to feel a LOT of buzzing on the back of my head, now it is primarily in the front, right behind the forehead.

I have only had one actual ZAP. Most of my brain buzzing is much more drawn out and it goes on for hours or days on end.
I have also noticed that much of this buzzing is related to digestion!

I can feel as the mass in my intestines moves south, the buzzing in my brain moves around. Sometimes, the lower the food goes, the more 'frontal' the buzzing feels. Make sense?

If you have brain zaps, you are living proof of neurotoxicity.
You are also living proof of neuro adaptation. How the brain restores blood distribution to normal levels is astounding to researchers.
 
I have brain zaps right now from minor Klonopin withdrawal, and also a great deal of head pressure and brain activity (brain is doing things, lol). I have had them for over a month. Never from MDMA though. I was also on Paxil at one point and never had brain zaps during the withdrawal (common drug associated with brain zaps).

They are so annoying, and I get the zap in the same spot every time on the front right area of my brain/head, never anywhere else. Tightening my jaw area or turning my head quickly will also trigger a brain zap.

You just have to wait it out and they'll go away eventually. They are annoying and out of the ordinary, but for me they don't really have a negative effect on myself other than the annoyance.

I can describe brain zaps sort of like your brain making a CLICK noise with a popping feeling inside simultaneously. Only in a small spot of your brain does this zap happen, the whole thing doesn't get zapped.

While still experiencing zaps it's time recuperate, exercise, eat well, and take care of your body. Not a time to be doing other drugs, including alcohol.
 
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Agreed, I feel like it's my brain fixing itself, causing these messed up signals and electrical surges..

It feels like im being hooked up to a battery by both my ear lobes. :eek:
 
Hi all, first time post (and sorry to revive an old one) :)

So i found this thread after searching for "brain zaps" on google. Ive looked at most blog posts regarding brain zaps, but most are centered around coming off anti-depressants...

Now i have been very lucky in that i have not had to be on any long term prescription medication before so i can pretty much rule that out (withdrawal symptons etc)

What is interesting though is that i have had these since i can remember. They dont come about often, but they do come about in pretty similar circumstances. It is going to sound very odd, but i get these "zaps" when I'm around or when i look at what i can only describe as "old things" Example... I looked at this today and got one http://pictureisunrelated.memebase.com/2011/07/23/wtf-photos-videos-screw-the-outdoors/. I feel a bit special even explaining this to any one lol. I also DONT feel like i get these zaps more after Ive been rolling (after all ive had these zaps for a long time!). I dont know if any one else can see any pattern in when they get these "zaps", thought it would be interesting to ask!! :)

Its like someone has put a little electric zapper at the top middle of my brain, and turned it on for half a second. It doesnt really bother me much, but i do hope its not doing any damage!
 
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