[tracylee]

Hiya good people, went to my doc on monday and they have decided to up the dose of my meds (venlafaxine xl 150 mg to 220 mg) if this doesnt work then they are going to change the meds altogether, if that doesnt work i face going into hospital for around 3 months and they mentioned ECT. They did point out that when you have ECT you lose your memory, my question is how much of your memory do you lose?? I dont want to lose all the happy things that have gone on in my life, like having my two sons and remembering their first smile. Can anyone explain exactly what ECT does to you without using technical terms as I am a ragged commoner!!! lol!! nah, its just hard to understand wot all the technicalities are. Any thoughts on receiving ECT would appreciated.

Lots of love and hugs from Tracylee on the Island of Mud (England)

[dexter]

I've never had ECT but from what I know the amount of memory loss can really vary from person to person.

I think the most important thing, as with any medical procedure, would be to talk to your doctor as much as necessary until you feel you understand the procedure. Especially with ECT which has a lot of "mythology" around it, make sure you talk to real experts.

There was talk of it for treatment for me but in my case it was an insurance issue so I never had to really confront it. But when it came up I was at least able to speak with my therapist about it. He agreed that he thought there were still other options for me, but also spoke to me so that if that becomes an option I can deal with it reasonably.

I also know some people who say it did help them.

It sounds also like you are "not there yet" but just thinking of it as an option for the future. I get the impression you have a good relationship with your doc, and they are telling you about your options, so if you have questions discuss it with them. They should be willing to talk to you about it as much as you want.

It is also good to get opinions from others who have had it but also remember that everyone is different and responds differently to every treatment.

Good luck, and I am glad that you have options with your doctor. Hoping that the med changes will do the trick, so don't get too worried about other stuff that is only "maybe's", It it good to be informed, not good to be overworried about stuff that is only "maybe" and the most difficult of all to tell the difference

But that's why places like this can help.