Has Anyone Else Had ECT

I really hope the ECT helps you this time Breadfish.

How often do you have ect? As an inpatient? I'm an older woman and am scared to death of what'll it do for my memory and cognition.

I'm having maintenance treatments once a month now, on an outpatient basis. They have definitely affected my memory but helped my horrible depression considerably. The tradeoff with memory, while no desirable, is worth it to me. Good luck to you if you decide to try it.

I received electric shock therapy when I was 27...25 years ago....suffered a severe mental breakdown...in the hospital for 2 months...don't remember anything...at all...had a beard when I came too....only received the therapy as a last resort...nothing else worked...yeah some 25 years later I do suffer from memory lapses...mostly before the treatments.....childhood thru my early teens...twenties...but not so much now...I can say that it probably saved my life.....I am at a loss for words for the time I was that psychotic...no recollection ....still scares me...so I think for those that suffer from the worst of the worst ....It could be a god send....Hope this helps....sorry its so broken up....best of luck..Artie

My mom talked to someone at the hospital today whose husband had ECT now and 25 years ago. 25 years ago, he had 20 treatments before he started noticing any improvement at all. And even then the improvement was very, very gradual.

It gives me some hope that there may still be a chance in my case.

I did many years ago. It did help me. It was around 1994 and done while I was a inpt. It never took the depression away, I still struggle from time to time, right now I'm there again for a number of reasons. It did not affect my memories. Hope this helps

After this week I'll go to having treatments once a week.

Breadfish, do you feel like the treatments have helped you? As I think I've said, at one point I felt like they completely eliminated my depression but then it came back and I still struggle with it despite the treatments.

Before ECT I'd quit eating and drinking because I couldn't be bothered and because I didn't feel hunger and thirst. Now I'm eating and drinking and actually eat more than absolutely required sometimes - chocolate or a cookie or something similar. Before ECT I didn't care about anything and just felt numb. Now I mostly feel guilty about everything and nothing. It's technically an improvement even if it's not something I enjoy. I exercise almost every day now, before I couldn't be bothered to do anything at all. So yeah, it's helped me in some small ways. But not as much as I'd hoped.

Same here - - it's helped somewhat but not as much as I'd like. I'd like the depression to be gone!

Any of you who have done it in the last few years - do you know how much it costs? Just ballpark. Doctors never know how much anything costs. I don't have any insurance coverage right now, but ECT may be my only un-tried option.

I'm sorry, I don't know. The hospital and insurance contact each other directly, it doesn't go through me.

The ECT pdoc wants to go down to treatments every two weeks, probably after tomorrow's session. He also doesn't want to do maintenance treatments because of my age (I just turned eighteen).

I'm not doing well, but as he says, I can't continue ECT forever.

I am considering discontinuing ECT too because I realize that I can't do it forever either. I haven't been doing the greatest over the past couple of days so not sure how soon I'll discontinue.

So Breafish, you don't really feel like ECT has helped you?

I hope that when you stop you won't fall back.

It has done a bit, makes things a little easier to deal with, "copeable" if that's a word.. and in the beginning it removed the psychosis. But since the treatments slowed down I've gotten worse.

My regular pdoc hopes he can convince the ect-pdoc to do maintenance treatments, as he thinks that'll be best for me. We'll see.

I hope you'll feel better soon.

Thanks. I hope you feel better really soon too.

Have you decided anything yet about discontinuing?

I'm now officially down to treatments once every two weeks.

Breadfish, I am giving discontinuation a shot. If I start to feel considerably worse, e.g., can't get out of bed or something, then I will start up again. What I really wish is that my pdoc would try me on a different AD, but for some reason he's reluctant to.

I know you're doing every two weeks now, but do you think you'll be discontinuing soon?

I hope your mood doesn't drop.

Well, you're already on a rather large amount of drugs - maybe he doesn't want to add yet another?

Not sure, depends on what the pdoc wants. My dad spoke with him today, but that was when I was having the treatment so I didn't see him myself and couldn't ask.

I need to update my previous reply which said I was having success with ECT therapy.
My depression got worse when I tried to spread the treatments out to six weeks. They said that this sometimes happens and that I should start back to 3 times a week and work it back out. Evidently, I agreed, but I have no memory of it and my wife said I was acting weird and childish. The Dr. said they had never heard of that happening on the second time. They said it is ECT delirium but they had only seen it happen in the beginning. Needless to say, I am off ECT, and depression is only getting worse. I really hate it when dr.'s say they have never seen that before! Does that mean that I am super weird or that they made a mistake somehow?

I am considering asking about extending my treatments from every 2 weeks to 3 weeks with the possibility of discontinuing down the road. Trouble is I have been treatment resistant in the past and am afraid I will relapse and become suicidal again. I have been in treatment; meds, therapy, hospitalizations, for 40 yrs. Everyone was afraid to try ECT in the past because of a brain malformation I have. Finally a Dr. said he would do it and I have suicidal thought/acting out free for almost 2 yrs. That is huge for me, but I also have had ECT that whole time. I have no memory problems and no side effects from the ECT. I need to talk to my Dr. but have a hard time saying anything besides "i'm fine". I'm afraid of discontinuing ECT but I suppose I can't do it forever............I'm scared already just thinking about all this.

The last week/week-and-a-half I've been less lethargic. I have more energy. I voluntarily leave the bed before 10.30 each day (it's vacation) and I help with chores around the house without being asked. It's easier to do stuff. Now to hope this is only the beginning and that my mood will follow.

I've had them in the past & I'm getting them now. They put me in total remission the first time but I honestly am not seeing the same dramatic results as I did before. I wish I knew what the difference is.

Wow Breadfish, that's fantastic! I hope things will only keep getting better for you!

So very happy for you that ECT helped you. I have never tried it, probably because it's so expensive and I'm receiving disability and the gov't wouldn't pay such an outrageous bill... Hope your good mood continues!!!!