Although ECT is generally safe, risks and side effects may include:
- Confusion. Immediately after treatment, you may experience confusion, which can last from a few minutes to several hours. ...
- Memory loss. Some people have trouble remembering events that occurred right before treatment or in the weeks or months before treatment or, rarely, from previous years. ...
- Physical side effects. ...
- Medical complications. ...
Full Answer
What happens after ECT treatment?
· ECT may cause memory loss and confusion. Your confusion may go away in a short time, such as 1 hour after your treatment. You may lose your memory for 1 to 3 weeks, and some memories may be lost forever. You may also get a headache after an ECT treatment. These headaches usually only last a short time.
What to expect during electroconvulsive therapy?
How you feel after ECT depends on whether you are in the index phase of ECT or the maintenance phase of ECT. Index phase of ECT means that you are undergoing acute, aggressive ECT treatment for your depression. That often involves 3 times a week of ECT for up to 4 weeks.
What should I do if I have headaches after ECT?
Immediate side-effects after having ECT treatment The people we spoke to reported the following side effects immediately after the ECT treatment, which lasted only a short while (hours or sometimes a few days): • fear, anxiety and confusion • feeling strange afterwards, e.g. light headed, dissociated, numbing, “mixing up the emotions”
What was it like to see your mother after ECT?
· Yes, i have had ECT. Seventeen months ago i had five sessions, during a hospitalization following a percieved suicide threat, though i was initially prescribed 10, i felt 5 were enough. My suicide ideation was intensified at first and i had a lot of anger. But, a year and a half later, i am going great!
What are the consequences of having an ECT?
While some were neutral about the ECT experience, or even found it pleasant (one man looked forward to his ECT), feelings like a lack of control or having been abused during their treatment were profoundly difficult for others.
What did Sue feel about ECT?
Sue, who had been sexually abused in her childhood, felt that having ECT left her traumatised, and having the anaesthetic felt like she was being held down. She said abuse by members of hospital staff, and the feelings of powerlessness she experienced had long-term consequences for her and her husband.
What happened to Alka's husband after ECT?
Alka’s husband was often disoriented after his ECT treatments. He would not remember having had the treatment or being given something to eat and drink afterwards. Alkas husband was often disoriented after his ECT treatments. He would not remember having had the t from Dipex Charity on Vimeo. Play.
How long did Julian get high after ECT?
Julian had a kind of high after the ECT treatment but then went downhill after two weeks and was ‘more suicidal’ than he’d been before, although lithium helped him recover. Julian had a kind of high after the ECT treatment but then went downhill after two weeks and was mor from Dipex Charity on Vimeo. Play.
What did Jenny say about ECT?
Jenny says that while she was having ECT she was in a daze. She was less driven to harm herself, but there were things she couldn’t do like baking, as her mind was foggy and it affected her sense of self.
How long did Beattie have ECT?
When Beattie had ECT over thirty years ago , she lost 7 years of her memory, which included the birth of one of her children. This opens in a new window. When Beattie had ECT over thirty years ago , she lost 7 years of her memory, which included the birth of one of her children.
What did Suzanne feel about memory loss?
Suzanne felt that memory loss was a price she paid for getting well again. Like others, she judged that it was worth it in the end. She also said there were other periods of her life she couldn’t remember and didn’t find this particularly unusual or upsetting.
How long does an ECT last?
Once you are asleep, the doctor delivers the electrical current by pressing a button on the ECT machine. This would trigger a seizure that usually lasts less for than 60 seconds or so.
How long does it take to get an ECT?
The ECT procedure takes around five to 10 minutes to perform, not including preparation and recovery time. The day before the procedure, you would be placed on dietary restrictions, typically with no food or drink allowed after midnight and only a sip of water permitted in the morning to take medication.
What happens after a syringe procedure?
After the Procedure. Once the procedure is complete, the effects of the short-acting anesthetic and muscle relaxant will quickly begin to wear off. You will be taken to a recovery area where you will be monitored for any complications.
How often do you have to do ECT?
ECT requires a series of treatments, often initiated two to three times a week for a few weeks and then the frequency is tapered down. As the treatment course progresses, short-term memory loss for things recently learned is not uncommon.
Is electroconvulsive therapy safe?
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a safe and effective treatment for certain psychiatric disorders such as major depression, catatonia, certain types of psychosis, and sometime for bipolar mania .
Can you drive after ECT?
People who undergo ECT are advised not to drive the day of treatment and have someone stay with them immediately afterwards.
Is ECT scary?
While ECT is a scary concept to most people, by understanding the procedure and what to expect, you can make a more informed choice if the treatment is recommended for you. Overview of Electroconvulsive Therapy.
What are the side effects of ECT?
Side effects associated with ECT are uncommon and generally mild. Following the procedure, you may experience headaches, nausea, soreness and confusion for a few hours.
How does ECT work?
Doctors believe it promotes changes in how brain cells communicate, stimulates the development of new brain cells and increases neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine. Another theory is that a seizure somehow resets the brain.
What is ECT therapy?
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) can help patients suffering severe depression, suicidal thoughts and other mental health illnesses when medications and other therapies are not working. ECT treatment can provide rapid improvement for patients whose mental illness and related symptoms are severe and difficult to manage.
Why is ECT used?
ECT is most commonly used to help patients with clinical depression or those who don’t respond to medication or talk therapy. Also, because ECT works quickly, it can be used when patients are at immediate risk for suicide or self-harm.
What are the risks of ECT?
ECT can also be an option for more vulnerable patients, including: 1 Pregnant women 2 Older adults 3 Those unable to tolerate medication side effects 4 Those at-risk of drug interactions
Is ECT an inpatient procedure?
ECT may be done as an inpatient or outpatient procedure.
Is ECT an option for more vulnerable patients?
ECT can also be an option for more vulnerable patients, including:
How many success rates are there with ECT?
The literature I’ve read so far indicates, 70% success rates with ECT, rTMS seems the jury is still out on that one.
Is it nice to post personal experience?
Thank you for your share, it's very nice of you to post your personal experience so more people can get help.
Is it good to post a positive story?
It is good of you to post a positive story.
