ECT

I've been undergoing ECT treatments for a year now. I'm wondering how long there going to go on.
113

[ILADVOCATE]

I honestly don't know. That's a long time although I'm not completely familiar with how long it takes with the variations between short term and long term use. Usually ECT is targeted for a specific period of time. Ask the psychiatrist who is administering it how long it will take. And also see if its helping and if things have improved overall.

[LeftCoastChick]

It also depends on the strength of the ECT's,  I personally would have a discussion with your pdoc. . It's a much improved form of treatment for refractory depression. Do you feel better?
Keep in touch, LCC

[therese83]

That sounds like a long time, do you go to a hospital as an outpatient?

I know you would like an answer to your question and I hope you get one.

If you could please let us know how it is working for you as a lot of people here are considering it.

[edmfender]

Hi
I underwent ECT approx 5 years ago. The treatment cycle was 13 treatments over a period of 8 weeks.  The initial treatments were scheduled day on/day off for 3 weeks (excluding weekends) which required hospitalization.  The balance were done on an outpatient (day) treatment basis.  
The upside is I found it worked miracles in lifting a very stubborn depression that was resistive to various medications/talk therapy.  The downsides were horrendous headaches post treatment lasting 2-3 days (treated by Tylenol with coedine) and short term memory loss that did not spontaneously return.  The memory issues continued for me for approx 6 months after which was disconcerting. I still don't know what my kids wore for Halloween that year or what Thanksgiving was like and there is a sense of loss in that.
All in all though, I would undertake ECT again if medications had leveled or deemed unaffective.  I'm not familar with such a long term approach to ECT unless it's on a maitenance basis which may be the case.  Speak to your psychiatrist what the short and long term plan is.
Let us know how it's going.

[bernie40]

I've not had personal experience of ECT and confess to knowing very little about it.  If you'd like to share your experiences with us I think a lot of us would be very interested (as therese83 has said).

I think the best person to ask is your p.doc.  He/she should be regularly checking with you on any progress and give you an indication on how many more treatments you need.

I would certainly like to lay some "ghosts" about ECT to rest and would value your input if you are comfortable doing that.

[113]

Sorry for taking so long to get back to you. I just had another ECT treatment January 12th. I'm feeling alot better now and I know the treatments really work, at least for me. It takes time for the treatments to take affect, some people longer and some shorter. I know my p.doc is right in giving me ECT so close together. It usually starts out with eight to twelve treatments with a treatment being done every other day, then continues onto maintenance witch spreads out over time untill you have a treatment maybe once every couple of months or they completely stop.

[bernie40]

Thanks 113.  I'm glad to hear you are beginning to feel the benefit.  :-)

[elwoodsf]

Are you experiencing any memory problems? I'm very curious about the ECT treatments as they have been suggested to me. I haven't had any because I am nervous about the memory loss. My memory stinks as it is.

[LeftCoastChick]

I've considered it, I thought "what the heck,my memory's shot anyways", but my pdoc said he would only do it if all else fails, he said that in BP folks, ECT doesn't always work as well, another hmmm. If I ever got so sick that nothing worked, I would do it. A great-cousin of my Dad's back in the 50's had hundreds of ect's done, she's pretty much a vegetable, and looked like she's had a lobotomy, in a way she had an electric one. Thankfully, things have changed in leaps n' bounds, and the doses are smaller, and can be put in specific spots alongside having some muscle relaxants.