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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by clubfitter on October 27, 2007, at 19:35:24
Anyone have positive experiences with ECT therapy. I have read every post on this board about it but looking for fresh opinions. Im in a pretty dire situation and need relief fast! Were you still able to work? Was the memory loss significant? Any input appreciated. Thanks!
Posted by Zyprexa on October 28, 2007, at 12:18:17
In reply to ECT Shock Therapy Revisted--Please help!, posted by clubfitter on October 27, 2007, at 19:35:24
I had a lot of ECT in one year. At least 20+. Basicly I don't remember anything from that year. That was 10 years ago. Oh, and I didn't do much of any work that year. If you need to forget something recently, realy badly, I would suggest ECT.
Posted by bleauberry on October 28, 2007, at 16:10:02
In reply to ECT Shock Therapy Revisted--Please help!, posted by clubfitter on October 27, 2007, at 19:35:24
ECT sucks bigtime. Sure there are some miracle stories out there. Not mine. Nor another person on my church choir who had it done. Memory loss for me was more than I can describe. Still to this day, one year later, my short term and longterm memory are significantly affected. An entire 3 month period of my life is gone. Total memory loss of anything in that period. And a lot of loss in the year leading up to it. Strange how I can remember sporadic weird things here and there. ECT memory loss damage to me seems very selective with no identifiable pattern.
Anyway, you want fast? ECT is not fast. You're talking 12 to 20 treatments, which is 4 to 6 weeks, IFFF it works. For me it didn't. If you look at statistics closely you will see it doesn't work much better than anything else. Not sure why it gets all the hype. I think pdocs just run out of ideas and figure brain electrocution experimenting might do some good. Instead, they should be looking deep for heavy metal toxicity and other things. But they aren't trained that way, nor on treating adrenal issues, nor on treating thyroid issues when numbers look normal but symptoms do not, nor hidden delayed food reactions, nor a bunch of other stuff. Instead, hook up the electricity and shock the brain. From my own personal experience, NOT a good idea if you have a brain full of metals like lead and mercury.
I wish I knew your history. Maybe I could suggest something. For now, I do not suggest ECT. Just my opinion. Others will differ.
Posted by stargazer2 on October 28, 2007, at 20:32:35
In reply to Re: ECT Shock Therapy Revisted--Please help!, posted by bleauberry on October 28, 2007, at 16:10:02
I too agree with not recommending ECT. I think it is overrated and the MD that did it where I worked would always write in the chart "Pt doing better", even though many of the patients would say they felt horrible. So if a study was done on those patients it would look like they all had good results and I knew this was not true.
And patients that did not want to complete the entire series (12-20 treatments) were always made to feel they were giving up, when they were trying to get out of a situation that was causing them to feel worse.
I saw relatively few patients that would say they were feeling any better. My opinion is that it is overrated and the side effects can destroy your life.
As a result of my experience there (big city, big name hospital)I have said to my pdoc...under no circumstances would I ever consent to having ECT. I have told him what my opinion was of ECT and the doc that performed it.
Another thing, the MD would treat many elderly Medicare patients where there was no limit to the number of treatments they could have (most insurances require prior authorization with a limit to the number of treatments they will allow). I felt this was a cruel thing to put an elderly person through without them really understanding what ECT was. Talk about a demented person losing more of their memories and function. So sad.
That was one of the only places I worked where I could say I didn't believe in the procedure as one I could ever recommend and in many instances I felt it was done for economic reasons and not for the well being of the patients. The doc was never happy unless we had a full load of patients and unless we "processed" them quickly as on an assembly line.
And that's called the best psychiatry can offer?
stargazer
Posted by Maxime on October 28, 2007, at 21:46:00
In reply to ECT Shock Therapy Revisted--Please help!, posted by clubfitter on October 27, 2007, at 19:35:24
I would never consent to ECT. You don't know how you will respond to it and memory loss is almost a sure thing.
Although while I was in the hospital I saw a number of patients improve from ECT. It was like they were waking up.
I also know someone who had ECT and memory loss. But it cured her and she said that she can handle the memory loss and that the depression would have killed her.
It's hard to know what to do really.
Maxime
Posted by CareBear04 on October 28, 2007, at 23:46:18
In reply to ECT Shock Therapy Revisted--Please help!, posted by clubfitter on October 27, 2007, at 19:35:24
I had six ECT treatments over the course of two weeks. Both the inpatient attending and the doctor in charge of ECT thought I was a good candidate, even though I didn't feel particularly more depressed than at other times. After only about two treatments, the doctors and nurses were commenting on how much better I seemed-- I guess, objectively, I seemed less depressed, but subjectively, I didn't feel much different. And no, I wasn't able to work at all during this time. I had some cognitive impairment and a lot of memory loss, and from a practical standpoint, I couldn't work if I wanted to because I had to be inpatient. I guess if you have someone to drive you around and take care of you, you might be approved for outpatient ECT, but even then, you feel really tired after the morning treatment, so if you were able to work, you probably could only work afternoons on ECT days. I guess I consider my ECT a success, but I think my recall is influenced by the doctors' perception of its results. Also, the results didn't last that long; shortly after discharge, I relapsed back into depression.
I guess I'm in a similar position as you are-- I'm pretty seriously depressed, have tried all the drugs at some time or another, and need to regain functioning soon. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you and for me to find something that helps soon.
CB
Posted by linkadge on October 30, 2007, at 17:05:26
In reply to Re: ECT Shock Therapy Revisted--Please help! » clubfitter, posted by CareBear04 on October 28, 2007, at 23:46:18
I wouldn't get ECT. I personally think it will be banned within the next 15 years, at least in its present form.
I think a lot of data about ECT got created or skewed in order to justify its hazzards. New statistics suggest it doesn't work %70 of the time, more like 50% of the time if that.
Also, more than half of responders will relapse in year or less.
So basically %25 percent or less will still be better in a year.
Ie 75% of people will still be sick at the end of one year, they will probably be sicker than when they started owing to possable long term effects on brain tissue.
I would say that if you are going to have it done, get at least 5 different opinions.
Linkadge
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