[ilive4music]

How often do you get ECT done??

[ilive4music]

Anyone does this therapy?

[vans1974]

Originally Posted by ilive4music

Anyone does this therapy?

I had 9 treatments of ECT! The other patients I was with had 9-20 treatments. I believe they repeat the 9-20 ECT treatments on an as needed basis. Some patients came in yearly to recieve the ECT treatments...I think it all depends on the patient and it's effectiveness.

Mine was 9 treatments basically M-W-F until finished.

[ilive4music]

just curious if anyone does this therapy..

[Bird Feeder]

I do and have for the past 2 years. I currently receive treatments every 2 weeks. It has helped my suicidal depression a lot. I am lucky that I have no side effects and am able to go back to work afterwards.

Do you do treatments also?

I had twice a week for over 5 months. Then once a week for 3 weeks. Then once every two weeks for 6 weeks. Then once every 3 weeks for 12 weeks. Then quit. I've had 51 treatments in total.

[Bird Feeder]

Originally Posted by Breadfish

I had twice a week for over 5 months. Then once a week for 3 weeks. Then once every two weeks for 6 weeks. Then once every 3 weeks for 12 weeks. Then quit. I've had 51 treatments in total.

Hi Breadfish, how long have you been off ECT? I stopped, well got sidetracked for 6 weeks and it was a big mistake. I'm back to getting it every two weeks for now. Do you take medications also? I do and because of the depth of my depression I am afraid to try without them. I also do talk therapy. I don't know what is working but this seems like a good combo for me right now.

Good luck to you and take care.

Originally Posted by Bird Feeder

Hi Breadfish, how long have you been off ECT? I stopped, well got sidetracked for 6 weeks and it was a big mistake. I'm back to getting it every two weeks for now. Do you take medications also? I do and because of the depth of my depression I am afraid to try without them. I also do talk therapy. I don't know what is working but this seems like a good combo for me right now.

Good luck to you and take care.

My last treatment was August 28th.

Aside from in the beginning, ECT hasn't done much to me. Before ECT, I'd stopped eating and drinking and didn't do anything except stare into space. After 5 treatments or so, I started drinking again, then eating. Because I'd shown improvement in that area, the doctors wanted to keep on trying in hopes of it also improving my mood.
I take medications, an antidepressant, an antipsychotic and one that's a little bit of both (abilify). They have never done anything, but my pdoc was afraid I'd get worse if I quit them. So I kept taking them. Then I had a second opinion at a university hospital and they advised me to quit my meds, as they weren't working and the side effects could actually be causing part of the depression. So now I'm weaning off them real slowly - a 25% decrease per 3 or 4 weeks. I've been weaning off olanzapine and imipramine since July and I think I'll be finished with the olanzapine in January/February and the imipramine in April, or maybe May, depending on my pdoc. And then I still have to wean off abilify.

But a couple of weeks ago I suddenly was so happy and energized my parents thought I was manic. From the next day on, I've been feeling OKish. Mildly depressed instead of very severely.

[Bird Feeder]

Originally Posted by Breadfish

My last treatment was August 28th.

Aside from in the beginning, ECT hasn't done much to me. Before ECT, I'd stopped eating and drinking and didn't do anything except stare into space. After 5 treatments or so, I started drinking again, then eating. Because I'd shown improvement in that area, the doctors wanted to keep on trying in hopes of it also improving my mood.
I take medications, an antidepressant, an antipsychotic and one that's a little bit of both (abilify). They have never done anything, but my pdoc was afraid I'd get worse if I quit them. So I kept taking them. Then I had a second opinion at a university hospital and they advised me to quit my meds, as they weren't working and the side effects could actually be causing part of the depression. So now I'm weaning off them real slowly - a 25% decrease per 3 or 4 weeks. I've been weaning off olanzapine and imipramine since July and I think I'll be finished with the olanzapine in January/February and the imipramine in April, or maybe May, depending on my pdoc. And then I still have to wean off abilify.

But a couple of weeks ago I suddenly was so happy and energized my parents thought I was manic. From the next day on, I've been feeling OKish. Mildly depressed instead of very severely.

That is great for you. I am glad you are doing all this with the help of a pdoc. Good luck and keep us posted on how you are doing. No one has suggested nor have I asked to go off my meds but it sure would be nice to see what I feel like without them. Take care

[ilive4music]

Originally Posted by Bird Feeder

I do and have for the past 2 years. I currently receive treatments every 2 weeks. It has helped my suicidal depression a lot. I am lucky that I have no side effects and am able to go back to work afterwards.

Do you do treatments also?

Hi,

yes I have been doing them for the past 2 years. I do not respond to anti-depressants and I was hospitalized so the only choice I had was to try ECT. Unilateral lasted for 1 week, so the doctors told me about Bilateral and I started that which luckily lasted for 2 weeks, and now I am at 3 weeks.

I have met other patients who get the treatment every 4 weeks, and I even met another patient who gets the treatment every 6 weeks! But I have also met other patients who didn't benefit from it. One person I met told me that she tried bilateral and that didn't even last for 1 week. I am lucky that for me so far it has been the only thing that has helped my depression.

I am able to work as well, it has not bothered me. The doctors asked me if I wanted to try 4 weeks, so I am going to try that pretty soon. Hopefully that will work.

Have you had any side effects from it? I do have some short term memory stuff, but nothing bothersome to the point that I can't live my life. How about you?

Do you have anxiety? That is my main problem, and none of the anti-depressants work so I am stuck taking sedatives which I don't really like , but it allows me to live my life. I am able to work and go to school, so I know there is a lot of stigma behind ECT and sedatives, but I don't care.

I have had two sessions of treatment both 2-3 times weekly for 8 treatments.

Once was as an outpatient which was really stressfull. The most recent was as an inpatient. So much less stressful.

I am a big proponent of ECT. I found my mood immediately improve - I had been suicidal.

One thing of note, I found it difficult - physically - to cry for months afterward.

[sito]

What's ect?

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[Bird Feeder]

Electroconvulsive therapy aka: shock treatment

[Conversio]

When I was 20/21 I had it about 30 times. Worked like a charm.

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