Okay so I've been told that I was not on a high enough dose (20mg was my dose) for a long enough period of time (since January) for me to be having severe Celexa withdrawals but I am curious if that is what I'm having. I'd been eliminating new meds I was put on (dropped Remeron and Geodon less than a week after starting) because of this feeling and then it finally dawned on me tonight that I went from being on 20mg to 10mg for 2 days and then was taken off it entirely 8 days ago...

It seems to be getting worse... And its causing me to have panic attacks and trouble thinking.

Would taking a 10mg dose of Celexa a day to see if its Celexa withdrawal help? Is there something else I can do to alleviate this? I'm starting to take Xanax WITH my Klonopin now because I get so damn anxious at night that I can't sleep and I had a panic attack last night because my anxiety was so high. I'm alternating between being hot and cold...

My shocks aren't in my brain though. They're in my face. It feels like a tiny head rush and it gets worse at night.

Honestly its such a horrible feeling that I'm ready to crawl out of my skin! I've had two panic attacks in a week because of it. The first time I felt the shocks was Wednesday night. Had a panic attack at the hospital on cigarette break and they had to give me a cold wash cloth to wrap around my arm and my head was between my legs while I smoked a cigarette and shook.

On the Celexa, I gained 42 pounds (which I've already lost 12) but I had no panic attacks but it swung me into hypomania...

Someone please give me some advice because I'm lost as to what to do! This feeling is just HORRIBLE!

Anxiousinco,

I know this will be of little use to you, but I have had those same "Snapping" or "Electrical Shocks in the Brain" sensations while taking Celexa, as well as Paxil.
Sometimes jolting me wide awake, while sleeping.
This stopped when I suddenly quit taking them.
Frankly, I am now afraid of this whole class of drugs.

The latest drug the are pushing seems to be Lexapro, which did nothing positive for me or my cousin, but did not give me The Shock Treatment.

Hope your symtoms go away !
Good Luck

Lexapro seems to be a better drug than Celexa, IMO.

Yeah I didn't get them ON the Celexa, just after discontinuing it. I did, however, gain 42 pounds since January.

As for Lexapro - Lexapro IS Celexa. Celexa is a racemic mixture of the inactive S enantiomer and active R. Lexapro is just the R.

On Lexapro, I had severe panic attacks... so I'm not so sure that the S is inactive...

Anyway, I've found that alcohol seems to help a LOT with the twinges... Don't know why but it does. I can't get drunk for anything (drank 6 12 ounce bottles last night and barely got a buzz off of it) but it helps with the nerves at least.

I ordered some Picamilon and I'm eating a lot of tuna which both are supposed to help with SSRI discontinuation syndrome and I'm going to drink some Magnesium tea today (product is called Calm - its water soluble magnesium - tastes kind of lime-like) which also helps.

Appreciate the education.

So as I expected, my body has quickly recovered and my serotonin system seems to be back in working order. I haven't had the nerve shocks for about a day and a half but I've been sleeping a LOT. Yesterday I slept 18 hours... Must be my body's way of recovering.

I was on Celexa 20mg a day for over 5 years. When I tried to come off them because they weren't helping my anxiety I had the most horrific withdrawal symptoms - electric shocks in my head were the worst symptom - and I ended up in hospital. SSRIs are dangerous drugs and are over-prescribed in Britain and the US. Doctors are so unwilling tp prescribe diazepam which is the only drug that helps my anxiety, and hand out anti-depressants like they are sweets or candy! My doctor even likened me to a heroin addict when I described my withdrawal symptoms to her, and she is the one who prescribed them in the first place!!!! That must make her the drugdealer!!!!