After taking Sertraline for about a year, as the situation gets better, I discussed with my psychiatrist and decided to gradually taper off the medication. I reduced the dose from 50mg to 25mg, then to every other day. Since I didn’t notice any significant side effects during the taper, I thought the discontinuation process would go smoothly.
But one day, a strange kind of dizziness suddenly hit me.
Whenever I moved my eyes side to side or turned my head even slightly, I felt a jolt—like an electric shock in my brain. It wasn’t the kind of dizziness you get from low blood sugar or motion sickness. It was sharp, disorienting, and incredibly unpleasant—something I had never felt before.
At first, I didn’t connect this to Sertraline withdrawal at all.
“Maybe my mental health is getting worse again.”
“Maybe it’s just stress.”
But the symptoms gradually worsened to the point where they interfered with my daily life, and my anxiety grew. I finally started searching online, and that’s when I discovered countless people sharing similar experiences.
Brain Zaps
Brain zaps are a commonly reported withdrawal symptom from SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors), especially Sertraline. People describe them as brief, electric shock-like sensations in the brain. While the exact cause isn’t fully understood, it’s thought to result from the nervous system reacting to sudden changes in serotonin levels.
Many people said it typically goes away in a few days to a few weeks.
But for me, it was different.
Even after two months, three months, the symptoms persisted.
At one point, I became genuinely afraid.
“Did something go wrong in my brain?”
“What if this is permanent?”
I avoided going out. Sometimes, every small movement triggered the dizzy shocks, and the discomfort began to weigh heavily on my emotions as well.
Time passed.
And then one day, I noticed something.
“Wait… I feel fine today.”
Just like that, the brain zaps were gone—as if they had never happened.
There wasn’t any special treatment or breakthrough.
My brain had simply, quietly, taken the time it needed to heal.