Posted by Dave1 on February 4, 2002, at 21:14:00
In reply to Re: Update on my ECT adventure, posted by Dave1 on February 4, 2002, at 21:06:45
Hi,
I talked about using pamelar and lithium, but you must remember that lithium must be stopped for atleast a few days before any maintenance treatments.
I'll shut up for now.
Bye
Dave
> Hi,
>
> I received several incomplete bitemporal/bilateral courses of ECT several years ago. The waking up part alway bothered me, and caused me to prematurely end the course.
> I am now considering doing either bifrontal or unilateral treatments because waking up from these is supposed to be easier.
>
> In bitemportal/bilateral ECT, the electrodes are placed on the sides of the head. This is the most common technique in the US, but they also have the most memory and post-treatment confusion problems. Additionaly, they are very effective.
>
> Bifrontal is a newer,less used treatment which the literature is saying can be as effective as
> bitemporal. In bifrontal treatments, the electrodes are placed on the front of the forehead, above the eyes. Bifrontal treatments have less confusion/memory problems than bitemporal, and as I said are as effective.
>
> NOTE: There a post by me in this section entitled
> Bifrontal ECT. The response, from OldSchool, has
> a link to an article which describes the different
> electrode placements.
>
> RELAPSE
> The key to preventing relapse after the initial course is to put patients on PAMELAR and LITHIUM
> and keep them out their depression for 5 weeks
> using maintenance ECT as necessary. After the initial 5 weeks on medication. You shouldn't relapse. Sackheim's study at Columbia showed that
> patients on PAMELAR and LITHIUM had a much lower
> relapse rate than those on other drugs. They also showed that no patients on pamelar and lithium relapsed after the initial 5 weeks. Patients on other drugs continued to relapse after 5 weeks.
>
> Thus, theoretically, if you start the pamelar and lithium towards the end of the course and are able to stay depression free for 5 weeks ( using maintence treatments as necessary), then you shouldn't relapse as long as you stay on the medicines. I guess you might need a few maintenance treatments in the future.
>
> Bye,
>
> Dave
>
> > Bob, I'm 23 years old. Dave, I've never had bilateral, only unilateral. The waking up isn't bad, of course it's better the farther apart the treatments are. Here is a list of the bad things about ECT in my experience (ie unilateral, moderate # of treatments, etcetera), in order starting with the worst: 1. The fact that it's mood enhancing benefits don't last fully or even not at all 2. the cost of it 3. the hassle of having to keep going there, getting general anesthesia, sleeping for hours afterwards 4. the fear of general anesthesia that I have 5. the stigma 6. the IV needle stick.
> > Hey, can someone explain about bifrontal ECT? I'm not familiar with it at all.
> >
> > > hi,
> > >
> > > I did some bilateral ECTs a few years ago, but the waking up was really bad. I was really confused and disoriented.
> > >
> > > If you don't mind me asking, how was your experience waking up from unilaterals.
> > >
> > > Also, did you ever have bilaterals? If so how did waking up from unilaterals compare to bilaterals.
> > >
> > > The reason I'm asking is that I am comtemplating doing some unilateral treatments, and just want to know what to expect.
> > >
> > > Thanks,
> > >
> > > Dave
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > > It was 7 initial unilaterals (like 3 a week). About two weeks of good feeling after that, then the mood slide. I'm considering trying reboxetine because it's similar to desipramine, which I've gotten the best result from among all the meds I've tried, but reboxetine has less of a side effect problem than desipramine. I think I get better results from noradernergic meds than serotonergic ones. I wish they would come up with some good dopaminergic meds.
> > > >
> > > > > > Well it's been awhile since I updated people on my ECT journey. I had been getting it once a week for about a month, and now it's been spread out to once very two weeks. According to their literature that they gave me, the once-every-two-weeks schedule is generally supposed to last for four months. I think the goal is to spread it out to once a month. Since they spread it to once every two weeks, I have been doing pretty much the same - moderate depression, able to feel good sometimes. I've been on this schedule for about a month, and have kept my meds the same - 75 mg of desipramine, 300 mg of Wellbutrin SR, 50 mcg of Synthroid. That is until about a week ago, I started Alesse birth control pills in hopes of controlling my PMS symptoms, but I think they are responsible for an increase in depression. I stopped them last night. I don't know for sure if they worsened it, it could be a coincidence, but I am not going to experiment further with them. Some bad things have happened to me in the last few days which have pulled my mood down. My car overheated and I had to pay $300 to get it repaired. The mechanics tried to rip me off, but my dad helped me since I don't know about cars. Then today I was turned down for a job I really wanted, and have no more job prospects out there right now, so I feel stuck in the miserable job I've got. An unhealthy romantic relationship I was beginning is starting to crumble, and that has me feeling down and lonely. I still have no friends and don't have much fun. Things like this cause depression for me, and no amount of electricity will erase them. To sum up: I felt best during the week after the initial intense phase of the ECT. Like I was not depressed anymore. Then I started sliding down into depression, and started on maintenance ECT a few times a week for a week (I think), then once a week for around a month, and now once every two weeks for the past month. Who knows how long I will be getting ECT. Many of my "issues" still exist, the worst of which is loneliness. I'm working on my problems in therapy and it's slow-going. I've had a scary mood slump in the past week which I hope will stop soon and is not a result of the ECT effect wearing off, but a result of recent problems and med changes (fingers crossed). I'm not having many memory problems, thank goodness. By the way, I started a drug called Urecholine, and it has helped with the sexual problems that desipramine gives me. I'm very inexperienced and I'm not getting laid yet so it's hard to say how much dysfunction I have. Overall, I've been doing relatively well with the maintenance ECT. Will keep you guys updated.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > I don't think we've met yet (on Dr. Bob's playground), but I'm glad to hear you're doing well. Keep up the good fight.. and I look forward to reading your input elsewhere on the board.
> > > > >
> > > > > Scott
poster:Dave1
thread:92225
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020131/msgs/92889.html