Bipolar Disorder Support Group
Bipolar disorder is not just a single disorder, but a category of mood disorders marked by periods of abnormally high energy and euphoria, often accompanied by bouts of clinical depression. This is the place to talk about your experience with bipolar disorder, learn from others' experiences, and find support.
I noticed that many of you are highly concerned about ECT, i thought it would be best to provide you with give some clinical research that I found in the Journal of ECT for patients who are diagnosed with Bipolar disorder. For more information do a Google search on " Journal of ECT" In this journal review, there are some surprising information that lift your spirits!
hope this helps,
psychtech69
In one research study conducted by Penland & Ostroff (2006), they found that using ECT in conjunction with lamitical was a safe and effective method of treating bipolar patients this controversial procedure; in addition to this, they discovered that subjects did not show "worsening of the cognitive abilities (Penland & Ostroff, 2007).
According to Beusekom, Brock, & Birkenhager (2007), they concluded that subjects undergoing long-term ECT treatment show significant reductions(about "42.3") in their relapse rate. The most significant finding in this study is that psychopharmacological treatment (imipriamine) seemed to play a significant factor in reducing future recurrent depressive episodes.
Reference:
Penland, H. & Ostroff, R.(2007). Combined use of Lamotrigine and electroconvulsive therapy in Bipolar Depression.Journal of ECT. 22-issue-9, pp. 142-147
Benusekom, V.; Babette, S.; Van Den Brock, W. & Birkenhager, T. (2007).Long-Term Follow-Up After Successful Electroconvulsive Therapy for Depression: A 4 to 8 Year Naturalistic Follow-Up Study. Journal of ECT. 23-Issue 1-pp. 17-20
hope this helps,
psychtech69
In one research study conducted by Penland & Ostroff (2006), they found that using ECT in conjunction with lamitical was a safe and effective method of treating bipolar patients this controversial procedure; in addition to this, they discovered that subjects did not show "worsening of the cognitive abilities (Penland & Ostroff, 2007).
According to Beusekom, Brock, & Birkenhager (2007), they concluded that subjects undergoing long-term ECT treatment show significant reductions(about "42.3") in their relapse rate. The most significant finding in this study is that psychopharmacological treatment (imipriamine) seemed to play a significant factor in reducing future recurrent depressive episodes.
Reference:
Penland, H. & Ostroff, R.(2007). Combined use of Lamotrigine and electroconvulsive therapy in Bipolar Depression.Journal of ECT. 22-issue-9, pp. 142-147
Benusekom, V.; Babette, S.; Van Den Brock, W. & Birkenhager, T. (2007).Long-Term Follow-Up After Successful Electroconvulsive Therapy for Depression: A 4 to 8 Year Naturalistic Follow-Up Study. Journal of ECT. 23-Issue 1-pp. 17-20
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My 6mo twin DD's are EBF and just started rice cereal on the first. Everything has been going fine except this morning one of them had a diaper rash (lots of redness around her anus). I read this as one of the signs of an allergy. BUT I did just buy a different brand diaper yesterday (which they have used randomly before w/no issues). Do you think its the cereal or the diaper? Im ready to start...
You don't ever get that urgency, that bloody minded determination when high/hypo or manic? With all sorts of projects & plans?
Not saying original poster is in such a state but it does happen around here from time to time & certainly with hypo or manic people.
Duhh Duhh Duuuuhhhh !
I'm sure they were in Boogie Nights
I just know how much it damaged me physically (memory loss), emotionally and in my appreciation of the world. I had no joy for 20 years after. Only 5 times, but at least the pdoc was crazy, and had tried it on himself. He was nicknamed Dr. ECT by his unwitting and unwilling patients.
I think ECT is not good, for anyone, anywhere, anytime. I also remember W5 in Canada did an expos on it a few years back, and the damage it did to some people. One woman could not remember her wedding or her children. She said she was happy it lifted her depression, but spent most of her day paging through the family photo albums, trying to recover her life. I guess being brain dead is one way to deal with depression.
plenty of meds at the right dosage will put even the worst case beepers into an intellectual coma but are REVERSIBLE.
i can't believe this procedure is still legal.
xx to all survivors.
beep.
Yes, I have had memory loss, and lost the 40 pounds. It's like getting a booster shot once a month and then thats it. No pills no weight gain no drooling etc.......
I too awoke from anesthesia once, I was paralyzed so I could'nt tell anyone and it was very frightening. I still went anyways.
I stopped almost 7 weeks ago. My pdoc put me on abilify for my anger and aggitation. I fell asleep behind the wheel of my car and almost killed myself and my dog.
Thank you for this information, I have been looking all over for something like this!
The rest of you who either haven't had ECT, or have already formed your opinion its because for every one positive thing said about any type of treatments there are the negative things. And most of the negative ones come from ignorant people who have no clue what they are talking about!
the premise of this post people are objecting to is that there are *no* risks to ECT. I've had ECT, I can talk about it.
Great it works well for you..doesn't nullify other voices and experiences though.
To this day no one is sure why ECT works on some and not on other's. No one is sure of the mechanism that causes the lifting of the depression etc......But, it is being researched and is maybe safer then some of the meds these days that are causing diabetes, high cholesterol, weight gain, hypertension etc. There is always a price to pay with any treatment with our lovely disorder isn't there?
That is far too many for me. I will, can and do, diss ECT, now and forever. I have been on many different bp drugs, with terrible side effects, but you do recover when you go off. ECT is a lifetime brain damaging treatment.
Do you realize when they do autopsies, there is scar tissue inside the brain, where ever the ECT treatments have go into? That is permanent brain damage!! My grandmother also had them for depression, and it destroyed her.
I'm thinking this post should have had "Trigger warning" on it. This topic is a trigger for me. ECT should be outlawed - it is dangerous and the fundamental premise is flawed - shooting bolts of electricity into your brain. I am sure that many people also enjoyed lobotomies, but they are not "cutting edge" anymore either. Poor Jack Nicholson - well, his character in "One flew over the Cuckoo's Nest." That movie haunts me, and so does ECT.
Anyone want to start a lobby to outlaw ECT?? I will help in any way possible.