Posted by Reggie BoStar on December 3, 2007, at 17:17:58
In reply to Re: Anyone have long-term memory loss with ECT? » star008, posted by RealMe on November 25, 2007, at 12:00:23
Hi Reame,
Although I'm concerned about memory loss and losing my "mental edge" (loss of IQ points I guess), I think the jury is still out on the whole topic of ECT and physical brain damage.Here is one of many articles on that subject. It has referenced citations to back up its claims:
http://www.psych.org/research/apire/training_fund/clin_res/index.cfm
Here's another from Wikipedia, also heavily referenced:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electroconvulsive_therapy
Now I'm in no way suggesting that you didn't get brain damage from ECT, or that you're getting bad advice from your docs. It's just that you could be a rare exception to the rule, as opposed to the victim of a common side-effect. Either way, it happened to you and should be investigated for that reason. You were right to go to your neurologist to see what was going on. When in doubt, get it checked out.
Back on the brain damage controversy, this is the whole problem with ECT and its side effects - the reports are sometimes vague and contradictory, as though no one really understands what is going on. That's certainly the case with memory loss and lowered IQ points.
Although it does seem as though physical brain damage is a rare event with ECT, no one seems to know how the memory loss and lowered intelligence is caused. If brain damage doesn't do it, what does?
It's an open question because it really does look as though physical brain damage from ECT is rare. Thus it's a risk that no one understands. To a paranoid like me, the message I see is that ECT will leave the brain perfectly intact physically, but somewhat less than functional for unknown reasons.
I'm not sure I got to my point here. It's been a long day. Whatever the case is, I hope your neurologist can get to the bottom of that damage and do something about that seizure disorder.
In the meantime, my own situation is still up in the air. I thought my pdoc would lower the boom this time but he's put things off again, until the next appointment later this month.
I may have put him in a difficult position by being unresponsive to meds and openly reluctant to go through another round of ECT. What else is there that pdocs are doing these days? Does that magnetic therapy look viable? I know the Vegus Nerve Stimulation is outrageously espensive and probably not covered by medicare:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vagus_nerve_stimulation
(Realme, note that they're doing the nerve stimulation to treat "intractable epilepsy" in addition to depression)
Of course the other option is to just keep doing what I'm doing and feel this way the rest of my life.
I'm beginning to see where the real trade-off is.
Now to get busy sweating bullets for the next few weeks.
Take care,
Reggie BoStar
poster:Reggie BoStar
thread:796918
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20071120/msgs/798544.html