Posted by pseudoname on July 19, 2006, at 15:50:35
In reply to Re: ECT and Memory Loss, posted by Denise190466 on July 19, 2006, at 14:57:24
> That was a quick response.
Well, I'm avoiding doing other stuff. LOL!
> Did ECT help you?
Nope. 18 sessions unilateral. But, in fairness, nothing else helped either — 36+ meds & combos, tons of therapy, exercise, light, life changes, love, sex, travel, and that other one I sometimes hear promoted, the passage of time…
Until my current med, when things finally seem to be starting to fall into place.
I speculate bilateral ECT zaps some of the limbic parts and stimulates them to grow (in the process producing, as link says, BDNF). In other versions, it would stimulate growth in various cortical areas. Seems like they could pick out better (like with EEGs or MRIs) who should get which version.
It also seems like the low-dose direct-current brain stimulation would work just as well without all the anesthesia fuss, but it's hardly spoken of.
I would not be absolutely opposed to ECT, but it makes my head spin that docs and insurers are so blithe about trying it and so unwilling to try, oh, to pick an example at random, buprenorphine, which costs a few bucks and produces results within days.
poster:pseudoname
thread:667778
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060717/msgs/668320.html