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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Bob on January 2, 2001, at 23:12:26
What is the current school of thought on ECT these days? Is it still generally a last resort treatment? I have read a few things lately saying that it has gotten a bad rap in the past, and that it is often a quite effective treatment - only that it requires maintenance. Of course, there's always the memory problems.
Posted by dj on January 3, 2001, at 0:53:15
In reply to Electroconvulsive Therapy, posted by Bob on January 2, 2001, at 23:12:26
If you do a search on the net for ECT and "Washington Post" you will come across an interesting article on it which is posted various place on-line...and looks at both pros and cons, if I recall correctly...
Posted by dj on January 3, 2001, at 1:15:32
In reply to Electroconvulsive Therapy, posted by Bob on January 2, 2001, at 23:12:26
can be found at:
http://www.healthyplace.com/Communities/Depression/ect/media/post.html
or http://www.ect.org/news/post.html
and follow-up discussion on the article and ECT at:
http://discuss.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/zforum/00/health0606.htm
Posted by Jeff on January 3, 2001, at 13:48:14
In reply to Electroconvulsive Therapy, posted by Bob on January 2, 2001, at 23:12:26
Bob,
My younger sister has a major depressive episode in which she almost died as a result. ECT brought her back to life and she leads a totally normal life now and olny does meds. She has has some memory problems, but they are more things we laugh about rather than concerns> What is the current school of thought on ECT these days? Is it still generally a last resort treatment? I have read a few things lately saying that it has gotten a bad rap in the past, and that it is often a quite effective treatment - only that it requires maintenance. Of course, there's always the memory problems.
Posted by Adam on January 3, 2001, at 18:22:36
In reply to Electroconvulsive Therapy, posted by Bob on January 2, 2001, at 23:12:26
Well, I've had it, so I can say, personally, it worked great for a limited period of time (a month or two), and that it completely obliterated entire days around the time of the treatment, while other memories are crystal clear. What was really creepy is that I was losing memory right away (i.e. a day after a treatment I couldn't remember much of what had happened the day before), but later on, I thought I could remember some things, but couldn't put the memories into context without external hints. It was weird. Amnesia is a Twilight Zone experience, no question.
BUT it was the ONLY thing that I had tried up to that point that made much of a dent in my depression, and a considerable dent at that.
From what I understand, the common protocol is to give a person a pretty robust course of bilateral ECT (meaning seizures are triggered on both sides of the brain), maybe 8-10+ sessions, over the course of as many or more days, and, if there is a good response, follow this up with periodic (~monthly) bilateral or unilateral ECT sessions of only one day. Some people do experience memory difficulties, even with the less extensive chronic treatments (this is less an issue, supposedly, with the unilateral ECT). The severity of the memory problems seems to depend mostly on who you do it to, so it's hard to predict how much of a problem it might be for you.
I've met a couple people for whom ECT is a lifesaver. They feel the memory issues are a good tradeoff for better efficacy and/or the general absense of other side-effects. I found some of the sensations of memory loss and disorientation to be truly bizarre, but they don't seem to be phased by it.
All in all, I'd say it's worth a try. The actual therapy is really not a big deal. You get a stick in your arm, you go under, you wake up with a little gooey gunk in your hair (contact gel for the electrodes, I guess), maybe a whopper of a headache (a good analgesic takes care of that), and, if you have a taste for the unusual and time things well, an opportunity to try something for the first time twice, as you might not have any recollection of the previous trial.
If you try it, keep a daily diary for a real eye-opener, and maybe a nervous chuckle. I did. WEIRDNESS, that's all I can say.
> What is the current school of thought on ECT these days? Is it still generally a last resort treatment? I have read a few things lately saying that it has gotten a bad rap in the past, and that it is often a quite effective treatment - only that it requires maintenance. Of course, there's always the memory problems.
Posted by Lee on January 4, 2001, at 21:20:15
In reply to Electroconvulsive Therapy, posted by Bob on January 2, 2001, at 23:12:26
> What is the current school of thought on ECT these days? Is it still generally a last resort treatment? I have read a few things lately saying that it has gotten a bad rap in the past, and that it is often a quite effective treatment - only that it requires maintenance. Of course, there's always the memory problems.
Concerning ECT, it does seem to be gaining acceptance as an effective treatment for severe depression. Of course, the movie depictions of the patient receiving major voltage un-anethesatized (is that a word?)is probably how most of society continues to see ECT.
Seven years ago I had nine ECTs. I experienced a depression so deep I could not talk. ECT wasn't so much a last resort, but what seemed the only resort. And it worked. It did not cure my depression but moved me into low-moderate depression. I lost some memory from that time period - small price to pay - and experienced no other side effects. I have not had ECT since.
I have read about some people on anti-depressant therapy, who are frequently hospitalized for depression, augmenting with ECT.
I only know of ECT being used to treat severe, chronic, major depression.
This is the end of the thread.
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