Posted by Deahoidar on March 24, 2015, at 8:08:42
In reply to Re: Discouraged after reading book on resistant cases » Deahoidar, posted by SLS on March 23, 2015, at 2:54:23
> > You might want to think twice or more before you go in for DBS. I have been a DBS guinea pig and I know a number of others. The outcome isn't nearly as rosy as it might appear. There are a good number of "casualties" for every success. And even the "success stories" may not be as successful as you think.
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> Thanks for the feedback.
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> What has been your personal experience with DBS?
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> I just don't want to go the rest of my life this way (chronic bipolar depression). I remember all too well what it was like to be free of it.
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> Thanks.
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> - ScottScott, I can relate to your not wanting to go through life suffering this way. I was at the very end of my rope when I agreed to DBS. Everything I read and heard was very encouraging. What I didn't know was that the unfavorable results weren't always available, so I got a skewed perspective on DBS.
The clinical trial was a nightmare, with my being denied access to medications and threatened with hospitalization and removal from the treatment study. I stuck with it, only to have the FDA determine that continuing the study would be futile, as the chance of benefitting from DBS was less than 18%. Certainly, I was not benefitting from it.
In addition, as time went on I learned that a number of other study participants experienced significant, even horrible, adverse effects.
While there are a few patients who have benefitted from DBS, there are many many more who have not, and many have been left to suffer with significant disabilities as a result. It really is a roulette wheel.
If you are interested, let me know. I have a considerable library on the subject.
poster:Deahoidar
thread:1077033
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20150223/msgs/1077778.html