Posted by IsoM on March 18, 2002, at 1:17:59
In reply to Failing ECT! » IsoM, posted by Hal on March 17, 2002, at 23:25:29
The doctor in charge had no idea of what happened. It was very frightening for him, & everyone else involved, at the time. The third time it was used, he came to very early (they use a short-acting anesthesia) & was highly belligerent, starting fighting them to leave. It took eight people to hold him down & give an injection of a short-acting sedative. He ended up in intensive care for a half day with his blood sugar plummeting. He had diabetes but wasn't too good with diet or monitoring it (actually he was terrible - his blood glucose readings were all over the place, up & down) & they wondered if that might have been part of the reason. It was nothing like anyone had ever seen in that field before & they were awfully nervous about ever using ECT on him again. He can't remember anything of that episode, though he remembered waking up & being transferred back to bed from the other two times he was treated. It was a very unusual reaction, to say the least, & his behaviour at the time was certainly not his normal behaviour.
He seems to be doing the same as he ever was (simply plugging along) but he won't take anything now. Basically said it wasn't worth bothering. Mentally/emotionally, he seems the same. Physically, he's gone downhill & is in poor health. Sorry to sound so discouraging. Do remember that the doctor & the ECT technicians had never, ever experienced any other patient like that.
poster:IsoM
thread:97068
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020313/msgs/98548.html