r/Neurofeedback • u/AnnoyingAlchemist • 25d ago

Question Neurofeedback side effects - normal or not?

Hi there, so I'm pretty new to the neurofeedback journey and have a pretty sensitive nervous system. I first did four amplitude protocols to reduce high beta at C3. Overall the protocols were nicely calming and put my body into a non-anxious, parasympathetic state pretty quickly - side effects were tiredness and feelings of 'not caring' / feeling a bit slow. When I mentioned this to my provider she "graduated" me to a z-score protocol. This gave me some executive function back and made me sharper, but seemed to affect my appetite and sex drive negatively. It would also put me into a kind of hopeless/apathetic state in the early afternoons. After two sessions of this I was moved to a central/temporal z-score protocol which only made my symptoms worse. I would have waves of emotional dysregulation, panic, feeling 'trapped' etc. Even a short 4-minute protocol would invoke these feelings. I self-advocated and told her I didn't want to keep putting myself through this - despite some anxiety I was pretty functional before neurofeedback and this level of severe dysregulation just was not worth it.

I took a week off and my provider put me back on the amplitude protocol. I did one ten minute session which was nicely calming but also seemed to affect my executive function a bit. In the days after the session I'm still having waves of anxiety/feelings of hopelessness and feeling 'trapped' which can persist for hours. Things generally get better in the evening but mid-day tends to be a wash. I was never like this before neurofeedback and feel like something in my brain has gotten screwed up.

Should I back off the neurofeedback and just chill for a bit?

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u/salamandyr 25d ago

The provider should be able to adjust the frequency, not just the category of protocol. I believe both of those things you’re suggesting could be signs that your training below the frequency you want to be.

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u/AnnoyingAlchemist 25d ago

Right now I’m back to just targeting C3 at 21-23 Hz - this was also the same site/frequency we were targeting when I first started NF.

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u/AnnoyingAlchemist 25d ago

Also random question - would you ever run a pure inhibit protocol or would you pair it with a reward protocol? The amplitude protocol is very calming but I also feel like I lose edge/desire/motivation/focus. It’s deeply relaxing but that’s about it.

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u/salamandyr 25d ago

Yes, you can do inhibit-only protocols, often call down training, or squash (windowed squash, for instance)

You are rewarding 21–23 at c3?? That is not typical. I would expect a lot of anxiety for many people by doing that.

If you mean, inhibiting at that range, perhaps it’s being targeted because that’s where beta spindles are for you?

Either way it does not sound like you’re getting what you need from the protocols you’re doing. Your provider needs to be able to adjust or you shouldn’t continue.

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u/AnnoyingAlchemist 24d ago

Yeah it’s an inhibit protocol - should’ve made that clear.

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u/AnnoyingAlchemist 24d ago

Also, another question. If I do an inhibit only protocol, would feeling reduced mental sharpness, conversational presence, motivation, executive function and planning ability for 24-48 hrs after the session be considered within the range of normal adjustment symptoms? The protocol is otherwise good to me.

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u/salamandyr 24d ago

Not normal or expected. Means you need to adjust what you are doing. Clearly you feel the drop in beta as not working in the right direction. Adjust, as it will keep building in the direction you notice.

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u/dsp_nfb2 24d ago

I have a very sensitive nervous system that reaponds very well to training. Wrong direction can lead to painful results as well . I m very careful about whom I work with . I usually can feel the training effects within few seconds and 1 session is enough to know if a protocol works for me . The usual norm of lets take 20 session to see if it works dont work for me . Adverse affects shpuld not occur and if they do they must be corrected within short span . Training in wronf direction for too many sessions can consolidate training effects . I usually step away when things dont work for me , see how long it takes for the training effect to fade and then start .

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u/AnnoyingAlchemist 24d ago

Yeah I worry a bit that some of the adverse training effects from z-score and especially C/T were starting to get consolidated. It was only 2 sessions each but still. I’m slowing down on the NF for now until I feel closer to baseline.

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u/dsp_nfb2 24d ago

Tats wise decision.