Posted by Mimi on June 4, 2003, at 19:10:15
In reply to Re: Mimi!!! » Mimi, posted by dave1 on June 4, 2003, at 8:58:30
> Hi Mimi,
>
> Thanks for your response. I had some treatments in in 1995 and was taking Prozac. I continued on it afterwards but relapsed in a couple of weeks. Regarding the relapse thing, Columbia University put a paper out in 2001 which you can find on PUBMED. Dr. Sackheim is the main author. They studied all the meds for relapse and found nortriptyline + LI to be superior to all others. Now when I looked up CLINICALTRIALS.COM, I found that they are doing a major study at several hospitals testing the combo. for relapse and also testing maintenance ECTs. The results aren't in yet so I always ask ECT people what they are taking for relapse.
>
> I had a "follow up" question for you. Were you treatment resistant before your treatments? Also, was you depression acute and short term, or long term and chronic?
>
> Thanks,
>
> DaveDave,
Thanks for the great info. Perhaps I should withdraw from the Celexa and not the Nortriptyline? Good question for my pdoc next appt.
Yes, I was treatment resistant before my treatments, though Risperdal had gotten me through in the recent past. None of the antiD's had ever worked for me.
My depression was long-term and chronic. Double depression is the most accurate diagnosis(as you know: dysthymia w/ recurrent major depression).
The shock doc told me repeatedly that, although it was rare, I could die during ECT. I'm sure it's in the consent form.
I asked about the detection of brain abnormalities in MRI's. The shock doc told me that MRI's can only detect gross structural abnormalities in the brain. My MRI's were completely normal. I was told a PET scan would answer more of my questions about brain function. Apparently, PET scans are more expensive and harder to get.
Do you know anything about PET scans or other brain imaging tests?
Thanks,
Mimi
poster:Mimi
thread:229813
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030604/msgs/231479.html