Hi Ladies:

I hope you are all well. I"m having a crappy day so far. I think I'm scaring myself also by trying to understand what this suddenly zapping electrical shock feeling is that comes out of nowhere while I'm sitting and feels like someone has sent an electrical zap thru my head. Its an odd sensation, its hard to describe. It comes up thru the back of the neck, then this zap in the brain and this sudden feeling of off balance that all lasts about 3 seconds. Then of course comes the anxiety of what the heck is going on now. Well stupid me, puts in the google search bar, electric zap sensation in the head and guess what comes up, Multiple Sclorisis (sp). Oh yeah that sent me over the edge. So I thought okay instead of keep reading this and scaring myself, to come here and talk with you ladies and see if any of you can relate to this odd sensation.

I've of course told all my docs about this and they all say, ANXIETY, is that possible do you think. I mean lets look at this. I sitting in a chair speaking with someone and all of a sudden, bam, I get this feeling come one me, this buzz up the neck and zap in the head, do I think this is anxiety and why would this suddenly come on. Was I having anxiety before and just didn't pay much attention, am I worried about something and trying to put it off in my mind. Is this why the sudden buzz/zap hits me. Am I just going nuts and making all this up. Is there any of you that have the zap thing?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. THanks for reading and listening, I don't know what I would do with you guys, coz everyone else thinks i'm nuts.

Have a nice day all and thanks
Patty

Hi Patty,

I've had very strange buzzing in my head for about 2 years since I started peri menopause, went for all the MRI's, CAT scans, etc, they of course found nothing! I don't get the zapping but get the frozen half brain feeling, numbness, but I get that funny zappy feeling in my feet!! its very strange feeling, you're not alone!!

Patty,

I have experienced the brain zap you are talking about, it happened only once when I was starting this journey and I thought it was some form of stroke. Now I get the head pressure and head noises (tinnitus) which was much improved with BHRT but now off the BHRT due to breast issues...but symptoms so far manageable with herbal supplements and vitamins. I started this journey about 5 years ago and have found that some symptoms do disappear or are less bothersome.

Also, I had a friend that was coming off antidepressants and she was getting the head zapping.

Do take care and try not to panic.

Plumeria

the only time i had this is when i was on zoloft, but i read its very common

Hi Patty,

I've not had this myself - I've had everything else under the sun - especially what seem like neurological symptoms - tingling & numbness, internal shaking amongst other things. I also was sent for a MRI to check for MS, which they said was normal. But in my desperation I asked my mother what kind of symptoms she had at menopause. She said she only had only symptom and she described it like this:

She would be sitting down in the evening and then all of a sudden a sensation would begin in the base of her spine, rush up her spine and explode in her brain, like an electric shock - all her words - sounds pretty similar to you.

Hope that's of some comfort to you.

Panicked.

Hi Patty,
Peri hit me with the sensation of a rocket being launched from my uterus straight into the head, there causing major whistling sounds combined with panic attack. At first this happened every night with the tinnitus-like whistling staying with me in the day, this lasted for months and I was ofcourse sedated since I couldn't get any decent sleep anymore, my GP said I'd lost control.
Well, this was three years ago, I've since been diagnoses hyperthyroid, and a year later hypothyroid ! On medication for that as well as taking all the vitamins and supplements one can think of.
Last week I've started progesterone cream, having stopped a year of HRT from the Gyn.
This head pressure thing, combined with foggy thinking and tinnitus-like buzzing is happening now every third day , like some internal cycle taking place. It's not as loud and intense as it was in the beginning but still very annoying.
I'm helping you hope it will stop when meno starts, if it's a peri- thing, there's hope for all of us here.
Good luck and pamper yourself.

I've had this happen a few times when I was going through the worst of my depression a few years ago. The first time I was at work on the computer and all of a sudden... "CRACK"... a shock in my brain! Left me feeling a little disoriented for few seconds. It scared the crap out of me! I thought it was epilepsy or a stroke, but I didn't have any other symptoms so I collected myself and eventually just blew it off. I was afraid to call the doctor-I thought they'd have me committed! I have no idea why it happens, but you are definitely not alone.

I'm new this this forum. I was search for "brain zapping" and "menopause" when I found this link. I decided to sign up so I could respond.

I have the exact same symptoms. The buzzing/vibrations happen sporadically all day and night, but the zaps usually happen to me when I'm more relaxed. At night when I lay down to go to sleep, I relax and wait for the zaps. Behind my eyes I see something like a flash of light and heart the zap. I tell my husband that I have a bug zapper in my head!

This has been going on for about 4 years now, but they are starting to get better. The buzzing is down to only a few times during the day, and the zaps only a few times a week at night. At first I was scared, but now I think it is all menopausal. I now just ignore them as much as I can and don't worry anymore.

My biggest problem now is the hot flashes which have gotten worse. I am 46, and these started when I was 40. They now pop up about every 45 minutes. I keep a pad next to my fan on my desk at work and record the time whenever I turn the fan on because of a hot flash, so I know this is not an exaggeration. I'm at the point of going crazy because of this. I don't remember the last time I got more than an hour or two of sleep without being woken up with the hot flashes. I kick the covers off and lie under the ceiling fan until it eases, then I'm freezing and it takes a few minutes to warm back up to normal, then I have trouble getting back to sleep. When I finally get to sleep, the next HF hits. I have taken multiple vitamins and herbal remedies, but so far nothing helps.

I hope to pick up on ideas and get support from you guys on this forum. Unless you're going through it yourself, you just can't understand.

Dear 'anelth'
Am responding my friend because I have been through all this.I however decided to go the HRT route.It has worked well for me but you could make an appointment with your Gyno. and discuss the possibility of BHRT.Also Primrose Oil is supposed to help with the sweats

It is important that you get some good quality sleep as insomnia can lead to stress and anxiety.While having your Hormone levels checked out ask them also to do a thorough check up of your Thyroid.

Hope you find some ways to ease your symptoms
Please come back and post often
Warm Wishes
Elizabeth

I occasionally will get a little zap in my head -- localized rather than traveling like yours. It's always in the same spot -- on the right side of my head, right at my hair line above my temple -- and about the size of a quarter. Feels like a cross between an electric shock and somebody pulling out a chunk of my hair. Don't know if it's peri or poltergeists, but I don't like it.

Try not to feel bad, Patty. The electric zap thing hits me JUST as I'm drifting off (or trying) to sleep. Nice of my body, isn't it?!
It's very scary and feels like a stroke or a brain tumor or something.

I'm 45 and this only just started maybe a couple of months ago, sporadically (a few nights a week maybe). I have no idea how to lessen my chances of this happening.

My other main symptom is one of very shallow breathing and an inability to take normal deep breaths. Esp. at night. It's so distressing!!!
I think I have bradycardia. I feel like my brain is constantly starved for oxygen -- it feels so muddy and like I have a cobweb over it. Even during the day (this is NOT good at work).

I haven't had this for a while and yesterday afternoon, I sat sown and started to doze a bit and ZAP right behind my eyes. Of course, then my stomach bugged, I felt a little queasy, my head started to bug me too. It passed, thankfully. I do not care for this sensation at all. It is so creepy. YOu are not alone at all.

It may be too early to definitively say this, but I've been taking something every night (for the past 5 nights) -- before I go to bed -- and it has HELPED!
From the very first night!

Estroven PM.

It's incredibly relaxing. I haven't slept so well in months. For the past 5 nights when taking the capsule, I've had NO incidences of palpitations, NO anxiety, NO electrical brain zaps, and just a couple of very mild instances of the continuing off-and-on shortness of breath (most nights NOT). For the most part I was able to breathe deeply again, YAWN normally (which I've been unable to do lately), and just drift off without feeling like I'm panicking and dying. It's SOOOO calming.

I (cautiously) recommend trying it. I hope it keeps working for me. So far, so good (fingers crossed).

Good luck to everyone out there tonight!

((hugs))

Oh yeah. And NO "metallic taste" or tingly tongue anymore either.

(I hope I haven't spoken too soon!)

Hi

I get these all the time, they do frighten you as they come out of no where. They are definetly meno/anxiety realted. Someone told me its an adrenelin rush. Try not to worry about them but they do get less and less, I did take anti depressants so mine could have been from them. I know they are scary but like others, I aksed my doctor but she was unsure.

Hope this helps.

I am going to try Estroven, anything helps.

Take care all

Ina xxx

Hi Ina,

Just another update on my experience with Estroven PM. It's been about 10 days now since I've started taking it (every night), and I can still say the improvement has been almost 100 percent! There was only one night where I (once again) had one of of those head-buzz sensations, but the weird thing was it was more MUTED than usual (like, toned-down) and it felt more like it was going in "slow motion." It seemed to bother me only about half as much. Nevertheless it did bother me a bit. But while it was happening (only about 30 seconds) I told myself over and over: "it's just a perimenopause symptom" and then it passed and I went to sleep.

I'm LOVING Estroven PM. The only real downside is that I wake up pretty groggy. But it's a good sleep.

Then I hit the coffee.



Hope everyone's having a good week. Hang in there!!

P.S. Ina ... meant to tell you, thanks for cluing me in on that term: "adrenaline rush" yes! Hit the nail on the head.

Never realized this before; never made the connection.

Another good way to describe it is the same feeling you get as when you have a sudden scare; a sudden start. Your heart catches in your chest and SURGES, and that surge travels straight to your brain, leaving you dizzy and disoriented and nauseous for a moment.

Hi Sally

It does make me feel dizzy and stops you in your tracks and frightens me, I am fine when it does not happen but as soon as it starts it really scares me.
But I am so glad I came on here as there are a lot of people that are getting it which makes me feel a lot better, in a selfish way, and get advice.

I hope you are feeling better, let me know.

Ina xxx

Hi everyone.

Just another update. It's been, what, about a month now since I've had really ANY sign of a palpitation (day OR night)! I've been taking the Estroven PM every night and I've also been taking 200 mg of co-q10 every day. All my weird symptoms seem to be gone now (knock on wood!) -- the shortness of breath, the panic, the anxiety, the palpitations. Still kinda have the brain fog though (comes and goes), also the fatigue, and an occasional headache, but overall I feel much better. The palpitations, adrenaline rushes and anxiety/breathlessness were my worst symptom before I started taking these supplements. I'd say they're 95% gone now.

Amazing.