Posted by Elizabeth on April 14, 1999, at 6:31:41
In reply to Re: Bipolar/Treatment Resistant Depressions/ECT!!!, posted by Nancy on April 13, 1999, at 17:03:53
> Gee, ever hear of dyskinesia???? As far as ECT goes, it was the ONLY treatment that stopped my 18 month dibilitating bipolar depression. I should have had ECT after 6 months of treatment resistance.
EPS don't occur at lower doses of the atypical antipsychotics (olanzapine probably better than risperidone). (Low doses are usually sufficient for nonpsychotic affective illness, as far as I can tell.)
I do read your posts and I'm sure that ECT was right for *you*, but I think you should be a little more conservative in recommending it to other people regardless of the form their illness takes. It's appropriate in some cases of very severe or refractory depression (or mania), but not for more minor affective illness, such as dysthymic depression. And as noted, it may not even work in some types of depression. It's an extreme measure, necessary in some cases but not a first-line treatment.
poster:Elizabeth
thread:4588
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/19990501/msgs/4856.html