ect - anybody know anything about it.

[irishwriter]

pdoc suggest it yesterday, totally freaked me out. research tells me that it effects short term memory and can effect long term memory. i told him no way, under no circumstances. one woman didn't remember her husband of thirty years or her three children. one woman said it was worst than being raped, one man had to give up his job because his short term memory was destroyed. have also told my son (next of kin) that no way is it to be allowed. am so afraid they can do this to me without my choice. i don't want anything messing with my memory. i have an excellent memory, one of the few things i actually like about myself.

[LeftCoastChick]

What ECT is doing is basically "jump starting" your brain, or giving shocks to your heart if it's not beating well.

[ILADVOCATE]

ECT works by inducing a mild seizure with an electrical current. Its safe in this regard because an aneasthetic and a muscle relexant are given so it only happens in the brain. As to exactly why it helps, its still unknown to science. As for side effects and their rates you could look it up on a medically accurate site. There's a lot of misinformation out there. The links page mention it as a treatment that is used for treatment refractory depression. They also mention TCMS but doesn't cause these effects and I would think that would be in use more but they are just beginning to understand it although its safe and FDA approved. That involves passing a magnetic current through the brain in targeted areas. Neither is fully understood yet in exactly how they work. I'd certainly like to know and science will find out as research advances. But the websites on the links page should explain it better for you as to what is known.

[LeftCoastChick]

It sounds like a good combination you will be trying. I'm on Lamactil (250mgs), I've had long term depression and I've tried all the SSRI/SNRI's, but then I finally got diagnosed with BP, and in a way I'm glad that I did. The meds I was on were useless, the pdoc I had back on 98/99 said that I had refractory depression, but never asked me about BP!

Most of the time pdocs only see us when we're in the lows, we feel so good we don't need a doc right? I'm on a mix of meds, which I can change levels if I get depressed or hypomanic. I was in a hypomanic state for a month and I didn't want to tell my pdoc, because I knew they would change up my meds.  I go to a support group @ the hospital, and the social worker advised my pdoc that it was obvious I was pretty "perky" but grumpy at times.

I hope this combination works, sometimes you don't even need all those meds when you are stable, but that's my opinion, I was taken off the Lith, I take a small dose of a drug Depakene (similar to Depakote) for my buzz as well as Seroquel, works wonders most of the time for my anxiety and mood swings.

I have a good link for all of the meds I believe they use. It's in PDF format, so you'll have to enlarge it.

http://meds.queensu.ca/~clpsych/orientation/Mood%20stabilizers%20&%20adjunct.pdf

[irishwriter]

thanks again for input. i have made up my mind, told pdoc that unless there was a danger of my going on a mad spree harming other people, then maybe we could revisit but as things stand i think there are other combos i can try. have been on mannerix, amytryptiline, anafranil, lithium, zyprexa, lexapro, effexor xl, zispin. prozac, seroxat, lot of misdiagnosis because docs and pdocs only saw me in depressed mode and never asked about the 'in betweens'. pdoc says that we will wait and try other meds for now. new combo is thyroxine, lexapro, lamictal and will be adding in abilify on sat. also take xanax and klonopin when needed. hope this lot works.

[RJ233]

If the procedure does not make you forget all the bad, which is what affects a lot of people in that state of mind have the problems from, then what is the purpose? What is it doing to the brain? Isn't brain cells killed by the electricity? Something must happen for your head to hurt and have to be put out to have it done. I have always been told that pain is the body's reaction to something being wrong in that part of the body.

[ILADVOCATE]

Well there are a list of full options as regarding mood stabilizers and anti-depressents on the links page. Why not look them up and if you feel there are some options you haven't tried bring the specific information to your psychiatrist and ask about it. There are many medications used off label but FDA approved as mood stabilizers and not all are in standard working practice and some can be helpful. Speak to your psychiatrist more about it.

[LeftCoastChick]

I have to agree with some of our posters. ECT isn't as bad as people think. There is a lady in my support group that has had 2 rounds. Sure she temporarily memory loss, but she popped back within a day or two. She was bright and perky, after 10 yrs of serious depression. If you've been on a lot of meds with no success, it's called refractory depression.(very hard to treat) I would never say it was like being raped, being someone who has had that happen.  You get highly sedated before they do it, yes you do get headaches, pretty common response. I asked, no I begged t have it done, but my doctor said that I have to go through First and Second line meds first, and there are a ton of them. People tend to remember the negatives over the positive. I also have to advise you that GP's aren't qualified to diagnose or treat BP. It's only if you really can't get a pdoc that you should request  I would think about it, as pdocs are specialists, but no treatment should be lightly ,but it could help you greatly.

[irishwriter]

thanks for all your replies. pdoc was not impressed with my researching it at all! i feel that there are still other meds out there that we haven't tried even though i have tried a large number that didn't work. i still feel that the right combo might be found. i talked to my previous gp from 10 years ago before i moved here and he as always was great and put my mind at ease. told me nobody can do anything without consent and that he felt i was nowhere near needing it. am very upset that i annoyed pdoc.

[ILADVOCATE]

In the United States ECT is used when a person hasn't responded to available anti-depressents and/or is suicidal only. Not sure about outside of here. Short term memory loss is common. Long term memory can happen. One note of interest is that trans cranial magnetic stimulation which from what the studies show does not have those potential effects was FDA approved in the United States. Outside of the United States it depends but it should be available other places as well. I did know one person though who said that ECT saved them from a suicidal state but generally that's only when its used here. Is your psychiatrist concerned that everything has been tried and hasn't worked? Generally in the U.S. the standard is only after that is ECT used.

[RJ233]

I agree with you.They are using electricity to burn brain cells in certain parts of the brain that controls memory. What happens if the dr does it wrong.We could be laid out in a coma for as long as we live. No thanks.I don't trust any dr that much.I already know what can happen when a dr does not know what he is doing. If he did, there is no way to know how it is going to affect each individual. I'll stick with the pills.

[joykitty]

I have been through 3 courses of ECT. Yes, it did affect my memory. Personally I feel that ECT works well for those who are not reponsive to medicine or who are very suicidal. As the effect is very fast. I am not sure why others view or experiences with ECT is so bad, but it did help me when I am very suicidal.

Maybe I can share the process with you, but I did it in Singapore so not very sure will it be the same. I did it 3 times and for each course there are 6 sessions of treatment. The very first time I did, I had a very bad haedache and jaw pain when I woke up. The process normally start with the doctor put electrode at the side of the head with a rubber band to secure it, then local anaesthesia is given and I will be in dream land, I did not feel any pain during the process only waking up with a headache and jaw pain.

I know you are very concern about memory, for me it did affect some part, the very first time when I woke up I cannot rememebr my telephone number and where I stay but that last only maybe for one or two days. There are indeed certain episodes in my life that I forgot. Honestly, my memory is not that good now. (Not sure it is because I did too many) I have to think harded and longer but eventually I will still able to remember. I am not sure why someone said that was worst then being raped. Well, if I can remember the process so clearer maybe it is not that bad. I met someone in the hospital, she also did ECT. And I think it really help her, in fact it seem like she turn into a different person. Before she did the ECT she was like motionless lying in bed not eating not drinking, cannot recognise herself. After one treatment, wow she knows who she is and started talking to us, telling us her name. Well, I meet her a few months after the ECT and she still can remember me.

My experience with ECT is not really very bad. Since I was not reponsive to medicine, my mum signed the form everytime. And it really bring me out of my despression and suicidal thoughts.This is just my personal experience with ECT, I'm not sure whether it will be the same for everyone.My advice is that unless you are really depressed or very suicidal then you can try ECT. But ECT can be life saving.