Posted by bleauberry on July 27, 2008, at 19:43:43
In reply to ECT cognitive side FX, posted by Crotale on July 27, 2008, at 15:10:22
I did 12 sessions of ECT. I warn everyone not to go that route. But, you're already there. So I won't say anything. I believe mine were bifrontal, but I can't remember.
It has been a year since my ECT. The 3 month memory loss is still 100%. Never came back. I still have cognitive difficulties that seem to have stabilized but not gotten back to the sharpness I once had. I do not believe there are any meds you can take to recover the brain damage from the trauma of electric shock. My dad who is a doctor noticed the similarity of post-ECT symptoms compared to soldiers in Vietnam who suffered concussion from grenade blasts.
My ECT worked somewhat a little bit maybe kind of sort starting around session 6, and then I was in remission at session 12 and that lasted 2 days and then I was back in deep depression again. It just didn't work.
My immune system and hormones are all whacky now too. That was new since ECT.
For representative comparison, if my mental sharpness pre-ECT was a 10 on a 1 - 10 scale, I am now about a 8. Or another way to look at is if I was once an A+ student, and I was, I am now about a B- student.
poster:bleauberry
thread:842385
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/neuro/20080706/msgs/842452.html