Posted by Jumpy on January 10, 2003, at 20:12:35
In reply to Re: considering ECT » Jumpy, posted by Pfinstegg on January 10, 2003, at 9:00:27
> Hi Jumpy... I'm not advocating ECT or TMS after one or two drug trials, We were talking about Kara Lynne, who has failed numerous drug trials, and whose own doctor has suggested ECT. The big difficulty for Kara is that she is so fearful of it.
As I mentioned, after one has failed multiple drug trials, ECT should be considered.
> Did you have persisting long or short term memory loss when you were given ECT?
I fit the classic description of an ECT patient. Had anterograde amnesia for about 4 weeks ... diffuculty with concentration, learning, etc. I might have some very mild retrograde amnesia ... difficulty with remembering events surrounding ECT and the few weeks before that. And I relapsed back into depression as most patients do after ECT.
>And just in general, how would you evaluate your ECT treatment in terms of effectiveness for you?
I think that I felt as close to "normal" in terms of my emotions immediately after ECT. As you mentioned, there was no drug effect twisting or shaping my feelings. I was simply the "Old Me". I also had cognitive dysfunction and learning impairment .... which was temporary. But as I mentioned, I met a few ECT patients who lost years of memory, had flat personalities, very severe cognitive dysfunction and where physically slow in there movements. They had received high dose shocks and between 18 and 20 treatments.
So, in summary, I think ECT works for most people. And people return to as close to their normal personality as can be with the availible treatments for depression. The downside is that studies prove that relapse after ECT is typical. And that some people do have memory loss ... althought that is very few. So why risk memory loss and relapse after a few months if you have only tried a couple of medication trials? I think ECT should be considered after several medication trials, including a TCA and lithium augmentation.
Sincerely,
Jumpy
poster:Jumpy
thread:135024
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030106/msgs/135232.html