My pdoc is talking about ECT

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Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation. Its for depression similar to ECT but less intense and much less risky with fewer side effects.

@LevelJ1 is using TMS for depression. I think its working for him. Talk about TMS with your Dr.

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@LevelJ1 I just read that rTMS is also used off label for bipolar, ptsd, anxiety and ocd.

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Tms helps. Definitely brightened my mood. But didnt increase motivation or solve avolition. No longer thinking of suicide so thats good.
No memory issues with tms either. It feels like a woodpecker tapping on your noggin for 20 mins so its a bit annoying.

20 initial treatments. Then i did maintenance treatment 2 times twice a month for a while then twice a month now once a month.

Im not going at the moment due to some mania issues (not from tms)
I usually go once a month now. Ill probly go less once im working again cuz i wont have time for it.

Hope it helps if you can get it covered

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Yeah actually we are doing it off label for my bipolar. I just snuck my way in with the ‘treatment resistant depression’ label cuz welbutrin did nothing for me lol

I do the right side slow tms protocol. 1 pulse per second. Recommended for bipolar patients

For depression they mostly use thetaburst left side

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@LevelJ1

I’ll talk to my pdoc. I’m a little freaked out that my pdoc recommended ECT. I’ll do a Google search and check it out.

@Aziz

Thanks so much for your help.

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i had ect done back around2006 …i had no negative experiemces

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according to google you can get ECT done for sz

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Thanks, @karl

How many treatments did you have in total?

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I have had a depression and was recently treated with 8 ect treatments. It didn’t help. But if you have had the experienced it helped you previously, then give it a go.

Otherwise - if your problem is depression and the AD meds don’t help, then ask you pdoc if an MAO- inhibitor (AD meds) could help you. It’s the only AD that works for me, but it’s a complicated treatment.

Good luck.

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honestly my memory of the whole time is a little hazy…i believe i had just two treatments of ECT but really i dont know why my pdoc prescribed it for me as i did not believe i was ill

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@bluebutterfly @karl

Thank you very much for sharing something so personal. I know a couple of irl friends that had it… one worked and one didn’t.

MAOIs have very strict diets, right?

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Yeah, you have to follow a diet, but it’s not that hard. Old cheese and draft beer and soya sauce is a no go

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Chocolate too, right?

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Tms is better than ect.it has less electric impulses and less impact on memory.

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I had it done and my memory is shot. No more for me.

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@anon68444330 @CoCo

I’m going to have to research TMS. I’ve never heard about it before this thread.

I’ve made a decision that I’m not going to even consider ECT without retrying topomax and an AD.

Thanks so much!

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After seeing what ECT did to my father, I’d be loathe to recommend it to anybody. He had 16 treatments over 3 months and it completely zapped his memory and functioning. Made him into a babbling idiot. He killed himself via shotgun to the head 3 years later.

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I am so sorry you lost your father. How long ago did he have ECT.?

Stay strong.

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He was treated in 1998, 8 treatments as in-patient, and 8 as out-patient. Our relationship improves every year he’s gone. Bloody oxygen thief. Anyway, yeah, exhaust ALL alternatives first, even TMS.

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I agree try TMS and medications before trying ECT.

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