Posted by BGB on July 5, 2008, at 20:33:50
In reply to Re: ECT response rate » BGB, posted by Bob on July 5, 2008, at 20:04:17
>Ok, so maybe ECT didn't exacerbate Hemingway's condition. On the other hand, it definitely could have.
I agree with you, although I would go as far as to say that ECT definitely did exacerbate whatever conditions Hemingway had. It is possible that it could be that only the ECT caused him to kill himself; we just don't know one way or another as far as that's concerned.
I think that Hemingway was an extremely improper candidate for ECT in the first place, and that a responsible psychiatrist would not have prescribed it for him. I think that it's vital to have a super-thorough physical examination before ECT is performed, to avoid ending up like Hemingway. ECT is certainly not for everyone and has to be prescribed carefully and sparingly.
I'm very sorry to hear your story; it's always tragic when someone seeks treatment for a horrible and debilitating illness and actually ends up worse for it. I wish you the best, and would encourage you to look into rTMS and, since you mentioned VNS, Deep Brain Stimulation. There are DBS studies recruiting for patients, and they are reserved for individuals like yourself who have failed both medication and ECT therapy. If you are interested, you can find out more about this new and promising treatment by going to www.clinicaltrials.gov and searching for "deep brain stimulation". Of course, like any brain surgery, it carries its own set of risks.
Best of luck to you.
poster:BGB
thread:836941
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20080626/msgs/838273.html