Posted by Tomatheus on October 29, 2010, at 13:44:08
In reply to Is it time for ECT?, posted by Ihatemylife on October 29, 2010, at 1:53:57
Ihatemylife,
Have you ever talked to your psychiatrist about whether you might be bipolar? I ask this because you mentioned racing thoughts, which are typically considered to be a symptom of bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is usually treated with mood stabilizers, which include lithium, Depakote, Lamictal, Tegretol, Trileptal, and antipsychotic medications. Have you tried any of these medications? I personally think that they might be worth trying before going ahead with ECT.
I'm sorry that you've had so little success with the treatments that you've tried so far for your depression, and I hope that you do find something that brings you some relief. Another option that you might want to consider is trying some dietary supplements. Fish oil, St. John's Wort, and SAMe are the first three that come to mind for depression, but there are actually a lot more that may be useful in reducing depressive symptoms. Also, if you are bipolar, you may want to be cautious about taking SAMe, as it can exacerbate manic symptoms.
So, even though I don't know a whole lot about your treatment history, it would be my guess that you probably have some more options that you can exhaust before going ahead with ECT. As you probably know, there are some people who've undergone ECT who have a lot of good things to say about it, but the treatment also carries a lot of risks, such as long-term memory loss.
Good luck finding a treatment that works, and welcome to Psycho-Babble.
Tomatheus
poster:Tomatheus
thread:967415
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20101020/msgs/967440.html